Concrete steps construction in Juneau AK - a front entry that holds up to winter

Installed concrete steps across the US usually cost about $100 to $500 per step. That's a national guide figure, not our price. Where your job lands depends on the cost points above, and for a Juneau job I look it over in person and give you a written estimate.

Go precast if equipment can reach your door and a standard size fits, and go poured if access is tight or your entry needs a size precast doesn't come in. Precast usually costs less because the pieces are hollow and easier to put together. One precast maker notes that restricted access can make the pieces impractical to haul or lift into place, and since they don't fold, a narrow side yard or a hillside lot often settles it.

Yes, as long as the concrete is protected while it cures. Industry guidance treats it as cold-weather work once the air falls to 40°F, or is expected to, during that protection period, and insulating covers may be enough then. Lower temperatures or high wind can call for enclosures and heaters, so we plan each pour around the forecast, not the calendar.

It takes longer in a cold Juneau fall than in a warm stretch. Michigan Concrete Association guidance cures new concrete for seven days right after finishing when the weather is near 70°F, and cooler or warmer conditions can call for more or less. We keep the steps covered through that wait and tell you when they're ready for foot traffic.

Use sand for traction and keep deicer off them as much as you can until they're a year old, because new steps and salt don't get along. A Michigan concrete trade group, writing for cold climates, advises keeping calcium and magnesium deicers off concrete altogether and using rock salt only in moderation, and notes that concrete placed in October or November may not get 30 days to dry before winter. The same guidance puts a penetrating sealer on once the concrete is reasonably dry, following the sealer maker's directions, and I go over all of it with you before we leave.

We sort that out before we start, and if it isn't clear whether your steps need one, we ask the CBJ Permit Center. Permits in Juneau go through the City and Borough of Juneau, and both applications and inspection requests run through a Civic Access account. When a permit is needed, we file it and book the inspections through ours, and we're fully licensed and insured.