Walkway construction in Tallahassee FL - a level walk that sheds rain and stays tight
Muddy shortcut across the lawn or a cracked old walk? We build concrete and paver walkways that sit level and stay put.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What does it take to build a new walkway in Tallahassee?
Walkway construction in Tallahassee FL means building a path of poured concrete or pavers from your drive, street or patio to the door, so you have a firm, even surface to walk on instead of grass, mud or broken slabs.
Most people who call us are tired of a worn path through the lawn or an old walk that has cracked and tipped, and they're trying to decide between concrete and pavers. The price mostly turns on the size of the walk, whether the concrete is plain or given color or texture, and whether you choose pavers, which cost more per square foot. The schedule turns on the surface you pick, any trees near the path that bring city review into it and, on a concrete walk, the days it needs to cure. I'll put your own figure in a written estimate once I've seen the path.
Our walkway construction work, from layout to edge
I was taught by an old school mason to get the ground right before anything goes on top of it, and on a walk that's most of the job. I start by walking the line with you, from the drive or street to the door, and we weigh concrete against pavers and a smoother walk against better grip in the rain, and I plan the path around any trees in the way. Our crew then digs out and grades the path so water runs off it, and packs a firm base. On a concrete walk we set the forms, pour and finish the surface, and on a paver walk we lay the pavers over that base and set an edge strong enough to keep them tight, because a weak edge lets them creep apart.
A walk often meets other masonry along the way. If you'd like a low garden wall along one side of it, that's our brick wall installation work, and if you'd like natural stone worked into the path or the porch, that's stone masonry, which we can plan with the walk so the two sit well together.
Poured concrete walk
Concrete suits a straight, simple run from the driveway to the front door, where you want one continuous surface. It can be left plain or given color or texture if you'd like it to sit better with the house.
Paver walk
Pavers suit a walk that curves around beds or trees, or one you'd like to match a patio, because they're laid piece by piece. If drainage on your lot is a worry, one paver maker recommends its permeable pavers, which let rain through the joints, for home walks.
If an old walk has heaved or broken enough to catch a foot, please call now rather than wait, so nobody trips on it while we plan the new one.
What happens when you call us about a new walkway?
From your first call to the final walk-through, I'm the one you'll talk to. Here's how a walkway job with us usually runs, step by step.
Call or send the form
Call (850) 391-6065 or send the form, and we'll set a time that suits you for me to come out. Let me know whether the walk leads to the front door, a side gate or the back, so I know where to start looking.
Look the path over together
I come out myself, walk the line with you and explain what I see before I write anything down. You get a written estimate in plain words, so you can see what the walk will cost and what's driving that figure before you decide.
Build it and walk it
If you go ahead, we set a start that suits you and take care of the permit side where one applies, including any city tree review the path needs first. The small crew I trained works alongside me and cleans up as we go, and I walk the finished path with you before we call it done.
Get a written estimate for your new walkway
We'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done on site and carries no pressure and no obligation, and you'll have it in writing.
(850) 391-6065Walkway construction in Tallahassee and the city's tree rules
In Tallahassee, the Growth Management Department's Building Inspection Division issues the permits for building, renovating or expanding a structure, and its list names retaining walls but not walkways, so it doesn't settle whether your walk needs one. We'd check with the city's permit office before we start, and where a permit applies, we help you find which office handles your property and take care of the paperwork for our part of the work. Licensing is worth asking any contractor about, because a Florida certified contractor license allows work anywhere in the state, while a registered license allows work only where the contractor holds a local certificate of competency.
Tallahassee's canopy roads have tree protection zones along them, and the city requires a citizens' committee to review work that would affect one, so if your walk runs out toward one of those roads, I'll plan that review in before we set a start. We're based in Tallahassee and plan walks around big trees and their roots on jobs across the cities around it, including Bradfordville and Quincy.
Walkway questions we hear from Tallahassee homeowners
Are pavers or concrete better for a walkway in Tallahassee?
Neither wins everywhere, because concrete gives a smoother walk but can get slippery when wet, while pavers grip better but can feel bumpier depending on the material. For a front walk people use in the rain, I usually lean toward pavers for the footing, though smooth concrete suits anyone who'd rather roll a cart or a wheelchair over it.
How much does a new walkway cost in Tallahassee?
Across the US, an installed paver or poured concrete surface usually costs about $6 to $30 per square foot. That's a national range rather than a Tallahassee quote, so treat it as a rough guide while you plan. For your own walk, I'll put a figure in writing after I've seen it.
How long does a new concrete walkway take to cure before I can use it?
Concrete usually goes in quickly, but it then needs several days to cure before it's ready to walk on. Plan to keep people and pets off it for those days, and if it's your only way to the door, tell me ahead so we can work out another way in.
What happens if a tree is in the way of my new walkway?
If the walk would mean taking out a protected tree, you'd apply to the city for a tree permit before it comes out. When the project already needs an environmental management permit, the tree removal becomes part of that permit instead. Where we can, I'd rather route the path around the tree, which is part of how we plan a walk.
How do I take care of a paver walkway?
Pavers need little care beyond pulling weeds or moss from the joints now and then and replacing a paver if one cracks. Because a single paver can be lifted out and swapped, repairs are cheaper and easier than fixing a cracked concrete walk.
What should I ask a contractor about the base and edging on a paver walk?
Ask how deep the packed base will be and what will hold the edge, because those two things keep the pavers tight. Base depth depends on the foot traffic, the soil, how well it drains and the climate, and over clay or ground that stays wet part of the year, a fabric layer called geotextile can go under the base to keep soil from working into it. Flat metal or plastic bed edging is too weak to hold pavers, and timber isn't recommended because it warps and eventually rots.
Masonry work that goes well with a new walk
A low brick wall beside the walk can hold back a planting bed or frame the front entry, laid by hand to sit well with your house.
If you'd like steps, a border or a seat wall in natural stone near your new walk, each piece is cut and fitted by hand to sit right.
Talk to us about your new walkway
Bedrock Tallahassee Masonry and Concrete is licensed and fully insured, so call (850) 391-6065 or send the form with the walk's rough size, the surface you lean toward and any trees near the path, and I'll come out ready to talk it through.