How to Pour a Concrete Walkway

Get a building permit if it's required in your area. Some cities, towns and other places require a homeowner to get a building permit before exterior home improvements, such as a walkway, are begun. This is especially true if your walkway may encroach upon or meet a public space, such as a city sidewalk.

Cut pieces of 12 inch hardboard siding in half using a circular saw, making each piece 6 inches wide. Use the siding to create one side of your path. Push long, wooden stakes at least 18 inches long, into the ground next to the siding approximately every 3 feet as you lay your path. Screw the siding to each stake to keep the pieces in place using 1/4 inch drywall screws.

Measure the intended width of the sidewalk. Cut a 2-by-4 or random piece of lumber to the length of the width of the sidewalk. It doesn't matter what size the lumber is other than the length. Use marking paint to spray along the edge of your siding sideboard. Place one end of the piece of lumber, also known as spacer block, flush with the siding sideboard. The other end of the board should mark the other side of the sidewalk. Spray paint a short line with marking paint where the board ends. Move along your path repeating this process until you've created a second marking line for your sidewalk.

Cut the grass with a sod cutter approximately 8 inches deep into the ground along the marking paint. Remove the sod using a shovel. For easier removal, cut the sod into squares or rectangles as you work. Continue working until all the sod is removed from your intended walkway and only dirt remains.

Create a second siding sideboard on the other side of your walk using siding and wooden stakes. Use your spacer block as a gauge board as you work to make sure the second side stays equally far away from the first in all spots. Hammer the stakes into the ground, and screw the pieces of siding to the stakes using a drill. The siding walls, or forms, of your sidewalk should stick out of the ground approximately 1 inch above well-trimmed grass to create a walkway with the right height, once both sides are complete.

Pack the soil between the siding sideboards with a plate compactor.

Pour and spread gravel throughout the intended walkway area with a shovel and a rake until the gravel is 4 inches deep in all spots.

Cut every stake flush with the top of the siding sideboards of forms using a basic saw.

Lay concrete mesh to fit in the intended walkway space over the gravel. Start at one end of the path. Have a friend hold one end of the mesh in place. Cut the other end with bolt cutters when you get to the other end of the path. Bend the mesh back a little as you work to get rid of the curl. Use the bolt cutters to cut off any excess mesh from the sides. Mesh should end approximately 3 inches from the side walls.

Mix concrete per the manufacturer's instructions, if you did not order a concrete truck. Fill a heavy-duty wheelbarrow with concrete. pour the concrete into the middle of your form, starting at one end. Hold the mesh approximately 2 inches above the gravel using a steel rake while pouring the concrete to add stability to the mixture. Heap the concrete slightly higher than the edge of the sideboard. Continue the process until the entire walkway is poured.

Measure the width of your sidewalk. Cut a piece of 2-by-4 lumber approximately 1 foot longer than the width of the walkway with the circular saw to create a screed board. Hold the ends of the board, and scrape the board, using the siding sideboards as a guide, to remove any excess concrete and create a flat surface. Fill in any holes or blank spaces with concrete, and scrape the sidewalk again with the screed board.

Slide a bull float forward over the concrete, working from side to side, to push aggregate gravel away from the surface and bring the concrete mix to the top. Let the concrete dry once the surface is even. Concrete can take up to 30 days to cure, depending on the type of concrete.