Concrete steps construction in Cupertino CA - steps built to fit your entry

It comes down to your budget and the size of your entry. Precast steps cost less, while poured steps cost more but come in a wider range of sizes, so a tight budget leans precast and an odd-size entry leans poured. We'll lay out both at the estimate.

Across the US, precast or poured concrete steps usually cost about $100 to $500 per step, and that's a national figure, not our price. Precast prices move with the height and width of the steps, and poured steps typically include the framing and the rebar or mesh, the steel inside, in the material cost.

Concrete steps last 30 to 40 years with proper care and upkeep. That long life comes from steady upkeep, so it's worth planning for from the first year, and from a solid base under the steps in the first place.

Curing, keeping new concrete moist as it hardens, starts right after finishing and should typically run 3 to 7 days. Concrete left to dry out can lose as much as 50 percent of its potential strength, so we keep your steps damp. Local stormwater guidance says to pour in dry weather, leaving time to cure before rain.

Cupertino requires work in the public right of way, the city land along the street, to be done by a contractor with a current Class A or appropriate Class C license and a City of Cupertino business license. If your steps reach the sidewalk, we plan them with the city's public works office, and we pull any permit the job needs.

Usually, yes. California's licensing board has a concrete contractor class covering forming, pouring, placing and finishing. Its exemption for small jobs rose from $500 to $1,000, and it only covers work that needs no permit, done by someone who employs no one.