Sidewalk Concrete Installation

Consult local codes and file for necessary permits if you're building a sidewalk that the public will use. Building codes have a number of guidelines you must follow in order to have the sidewalk approved.

Mark out the sidewalk borders with two parallel ropes or hoses. Place them at least 4 feet apart for the surface, plus 6 inches for the temporary form boards. Lay a 4-foot wide sidewalk to allow for two people to pass easily. If possible, make it 5 feet for wheelchair access.

Excavate the area within the outlined borders 7 inches deep for a 4-inch slab using shovels. If you plan to use the sidewalk to transport heavy equipment, the slab should be about 6 inches thick, and the foundation will need to be 2 inches deeper.

Sink wood stakes halfway into the ground along the inner walls of the foundation every 3 feet. Set 2-by-4-inch form boards against the stakes so they sit about 1 inch above the level of cut grass. Screw the forms into the stakes with a drill and 1-1/4-inch screws.

Add 4 inches of 3/4-inch aggregate fill evenly over the foundation. Tamp the aggregate with a tamper tool to improve drainage and create a strong support base. Lay wire mesh over the aggregate to reinforce the concrete.

Place 4-foot long expansion strips that equal the thickness of the slab across the aggregate every 8 feet. Expansion strips absorb tension in freezing temperatures, preventing the sidewalk from cracking when the concrete expands or contracts.

Mix concrete with pre-made mix and enough water for a pourable, but not soupy, texture.

Pour the concrete over the end of the foundation to the first expansion strip. Spread it with a rake and press the expansion strip against the inner wall of the concrete and immediately pour the adjacent section. Pressure from both sides will hold the expansion strips vertical.

Continue to pour the concrete while another person screeds the surface of the first section. Drag a straight-edge across the top of the concrete to fill low areas. Push a squeegee back and forth to make it as level as possible.

Spread moist burlap over the concrete so it dries slowly over four days. Wait to pry off the forms until it is completely dry.