Concrete steps construction in Merrimack NH - an entry that stays tight to the door
Steps pulling away from the door, cracking or rocking underfoot? We build new poured or precast steps on a solid base so they stay put.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Should your new concrete steps be poured or precast?
Concrete steps construction in Merrimack means building the steps at your door, either poured in place by our crew or set as factory-cast precast units on a pad we prepare, so you get a solid way in and out of the house.
Most people call us when the old steps have started to crack, tip or drift away from the threshold, or when a new door or addition needs a way in. The price mostly moves with how many steps you need, whether a standard precast size fits your entry or it has to be poured to size, and how much tear-out and base work sits underneath. The schedule turns on that same choice, because poured steps need forms, a pour and time to cure while precast arrives ready to set, and on the weather once it turns cold. You get your own figure in the estimate I write on site.
How do you know your front steps need replacing?
A gap at the door
When the top step drops away from the threshold and leaves a gap or a lip, the base under it has usually settled or frost has moved it. That gap catches toes and lets water run in against the house, and it tends to grow a little every winter.
Steps that rock or tilt
If a step shifts when you stand on it, or the treads lean so water pools instead of running off, the pad underneath has likely moved. That puddle turns into a slick patch of ice on every cold night until the base is fixed.
Flaking tops and chipped edges
When the top skin peels off in flakes or the front edges break away, freezing, thawing and ice melt have usually worked into the surface. Patches rarely hold on steps that are flaking all over, so this is often the point where replacing makes more sense than repairing.
How we handle concrete steps construction
I start by going over poured and precast with you honestly, because each one fits some homes better than others, and then we put the real work into what's underneath so the steps stay tight to the door. Our crew takes out the old steps, digs down to firm ground and builds the footings, the buried base the steps rest on, or a packed pad for a precast unit. For poured steps we set forms, tie in rebar, the steel inside that holds the concrete together if it cracks, and pour. We give the treads a broom finish, a light texture dragged across the top so your feet grip when it's wet, and then cure the steps, keeping them damp and protected while they harden, because that care decides how strong they get and how well they stand up to freezing and ice melt. The base is the part you can't see once we leave and the first thing people want to trim from the budget, and I'd rather spend there than on anything else, since that's what keeps the steps from pulling away.
Steps often come up alongside bigger work. If you're adding a room or a garage on a slab foundation, or we're doing the foundation installation for a new house, we plan the entry steps along with it so the footings and the door height line up from the start.
Poured solid steps
Poured in place to fit your entry, solid steps are the stronger, longer-lasting choice and can be built to whatever size the door needs. They cost more and take longer, so they suit homeowners who want steps for the long haul or have an entry no standard unit fits.
Precast steps
Factory-cast units arrive ready to set on the pad we build, cost less and go in faster. Most are hollow and they come in standard sizes only, so they suit a common door height where you want the job done quickly.
Get a price on new concrete steps for your entry
Tell us how many steps you need and keep a photo of your entry handy. We reply within one business day, and I'll come out for a free estimate on site with no obligation to book.
(603) 377-5028- Based in
- Merrimack, NH 03054
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call about new steps?
Here's how a steps job runs with us, from your first call to the day you're walking up the new entry.
Call or send the form
Reach us at (603) 377-5028 or through the form, and we'll get back to you to set up a visit. It helps to know roughly how many steps you need.
I look at your entry
I come out myself, look at the door, the old steps and the ground, and ask how you use that entry day to day. I write the estimate right there, so you know your figure before I leave.
We start the prep
Once you say go, we get any permit paperwork moving and prep the ground. This is when the old steps come out and the base and footings go in.
Pour, finish and walk-through
I'm on site with our crew for the pour or the set and the finish. Before we leave, I'll tell you how long to stay off the steps and what to watch for that first winter.
Why Merrimack homeowners call Quality Merrimack Concrete for steps
The owner writes your estimate
I come out to look at each job, write the estimate myself and stay on site running our own crew during the work. You deal with the same person from the first look to the finished steps, so nothing gets lost along the way.
In business since 2013
We started this business in Merrimack in 2013, and that's 13 years in business now. I came to concrete from restaurant lines, where prep and timing decide how the plate turns out, and steps work the same way.
Licensed and insured
We're licensed and insured. Steps get built right up against your house, so it matters that the crew working at your door is covered.
You'll know what's under them
I'll tell you why we're doing each step, from how deep we dig to how we cure the concrete, and what to watch for after we leave. Knowing what's under your steps makes it easier to care for them over the years.
If your steps have started to move, the base is where I'd look first. Get in touch with the number of steps you need, and I'll come out and see your entry.
Concrete steps, permits and winters in Merrimack
Before we pour, it's worth checking with the Merrimack Building Division, which handles building permits here and takes applications online. Whether your steps need one is the division's call, not ours, so we help you find out what they want, get the paperwork moving and build to what they ask. New Hampshire also holds new structures and repairs to existing ones to the state building code, so replacing the steps on an older house follows the same code as new work.
Winter is the other big factor. Concrete industry guidance calls for air-entrained concrete on work like this, a mix with tiny air bubbles spread evenly through it that give freezing water room to expand instead of flaking the top off. Old steps that have drifted from the door or shed their surface are a call we get a lot, on older homes and newer neighborhoods alike, and we see the same thing on jobs in Bedford and Nashua.
Questions about concrete steps in Merrimack
How much do concrete steps cost in Merrimack, NH?
Installed concrete steps usually cost about $100 to $500 per step across the US, which is a national range and not our price. Where yours land depends on how many steps you need, poured or precast, the size and how much tear-out and base work the entry needs. For a Merrimack price, call (603) 377-5028 and I'll come out and write the estimate.
How long does it take to build concrete steps?
Cost guides put poured steps at 1 to 2 days of work plus curing time, while precast units are often set in a single morning. Breaking out old steps and digging a deeper base can add time, and cold weather slows the cure.
What causes concrete steps to pull away from the house?
Steps usually pull away when the ground under them settles or frost moves them, which is why steps attached to a house typically need footings below the frost line to stay put. Hollow precast units can shift too if the pad beneath them settles, so the base matters whichever type you pick.
How long do concrete steps last, and how do I take care of them?
Concrete steps last about 30 to 40 years with proper care and upkeep, so it pays to plan for that upkeep from the start. To head off flaking, concrete industry guidance suggests sealing the surface with a commercial sealer or a mix of boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits.
Can I use ice melt on new concrete steps?
Not the first winter, because concrete industry guidance advises no deicers on new concrete during its first winter. Shoveling early and using sand for grip is the usual way to get through that season.
Can concrete steps be poured in winter in New Hampshire?
Yes, with care, and concrete industry guidance for cold-weather pours calls for concrete at least 50°F with an accelerating admixture, an additive that speeds hardening. If your job lands in the cold months, ask me at the estimate and I'll walk you through how we'd plan the pour and protect the steps while they cure.
Foundation work that ties in with new steps
Slab foundation building
When an addition, garage or sunroom sits on a new slab, the entry steps need to meet that floor height, so planning both together saves rework later.
Foundation installation
Building a new house or addition means a full foundation first, and the footings poured for it are the natural place to anchor steps that last.
Service areas for concrete steps around Merrimack
Quality Merrimack Concrete is based in Merrimack, NH, and builds concrete steps across the cities around it, including Manchester, NH and Tyngsborough, MA. The 12 cities below each have their own page, and we work in plenty of others nearby too.
Merrimack, NH
Book an estimate for your new steps
The sooner I see your entry, the sooner you'll know whether poured or precast fits it and what the base underneath needs.