Concrete steps construction in Boston MA - built to fit your doorway and budget
Crumbling, cracked or sinking front steps? We build new precast or poured concrete steps that suit your doorway, your budget and Boston winters.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
The concrete steps we build
Poured-in-place steps
We build forms right at your doorway and pour the steps in place, so they can be the size and shape your entry actually needs.
Precast concrete steps
These are made off site and set at your door as a finished unit, which suits an entry where a standard size fits well.
What's involved in replacing concrete steps in Boston?
Concrete steps construction in Boston means tearing out worn front or back steps and building new precast or poured concrete ones, and Ironset Boston Concrete Construction does both. With proper care and upkeep, concrete steps are generally expected to last 30 to 40 years.
Most calls start the same way. The steps have cracked, a tread has chipped, or the whole set has sunk and pulled away from the house, and patching it every spring isn't working. I've watched plenty of patched steps fail again because the real problem was underneath. The price moves with precast versus poured, the size of the set, how much old concrete comes out and what we find under it, which I only know for sure once it's open. The schedule turns mostly on the permit, because we don't start building until it's issued, and your written estimate gives the figure for your own steps.
Tear-out, base and pour for new concrete steps
I'll tell you plainly whether precast or poured steps fit your doorway, the size you need and your budget, then line up the paperwork so the build starts cleanly.
Sizing up the old steps
I check why the old steps failed, and if we're also doing slab foundation building or foundation installation, we plan the steps with it.
Breaking out and packing the base
Our crew breaks out the old set and packs the ground under the new one firm, since steps on raked dirt settle with it.
Forming, pouring or setting
We form and pour on site or set the precast unit, pitching the treads slightly so water runs off instead of sitting and freezing.
A finish that grips
We give poured treads a broom finish, dragging a stiff broom across the surface so the steps grip underfoot when they're wet or icy.
Why Boston owners hire Ironset for steps
I spent years patching steps, walks and slabs on rental buildings around Boston for a property management company, and I started this business in 2023 to build concrete that doesn't need that patching. Homeowners, small landlords and property managers call us most, often for the awkward jobs.
I quote it and help build it
The person who looks at your steps is me, and I'm on site with our crew while they form, pour and finish, so nothing gets lost between the quote and the work.
The base gets the budget first
If something has to give, I'd trim the finish before the base, because the ground under the steps decides whether they sink, and you can't fix it later without tearing them out.
Licensed, insured and satisfaction guaranteed
We're licensed and fully insured, and you're welcome to ask about either before anything is signed. What we promise is simple. Satisfaction guaranteed.
What happens when you call about steps in Boston?
We plan the job around your entry and the permit, and if the work needs part of the sidewalk or street, that request has to reach the city at least seven business days before.
or call (617) 226-2081
Tell us what's wrong
Call or use the form and tell us what's going on with your steps, whether they're cracked, sinking, pulling away or just worn out.
I come out and look
I come out to see the steps myself and ask what's gone wrong there before, because the last failure usually points at what to fix.
Written quote, then the build
Your written quote shows what goes under and behind the steps, not just the surface. Permits come first, then our crew builds and I walk it with you.
Free estimate for new steps, base and tear-out
Send photos of your current steps, your address and whether it's a 1-2 family, owner-occupied home, and we'll reply within one business day. Then I come out for a free estimate at your property, with no pressure to book.
Questions about concrete steps in Boston
How much do concrete steps cost in Boston?
Concrete step installation in Boston usually costs about $650 to $5,400 per project. Where yours lands depends mostly on precast versus poured, the size of the set and what has to come out first. That's the area's typical range, not our price, so I'll put a figure for your own steps in writing after I've seen them.
What is the best way to choose between precast and poured concrete steps?
Pick precast if a standard size fits your doorway and poured if it doesn't. Precast steps usually cost less because they're hollow and easier to assemble, while poured steps cost more but come in a much wider range of sizes. I'll tell you plainly which one I'd choose for your entry.
Can I pull a Boston permit for my concrete steps myself?
You can apply for Boston's Short-Form Permit yourself only if you're doing the work on your own in a 1-2 family home you live in. Condo owners in a building with three or more homes have to hire a contractor to do the work. When we're building your steps, we help line up the permit before anything starts.
Who is allowed to build concrete steps in Massachusetts?
A state guidance chart lists exterior stairs as work that calls for a Construction Supervisor License and Home Improvement Contractor registration. On 1- and 2-family homes, the state says a licensed construction supervisor or registered design professional has to oversee construction, and its rules also cover when a homeowner is exempt. For work estimated at $1,000 or more, a registered contractor owes you a written contract with certain required terms before the job starts.
How do I protect new concrete steps from salt in the winter?
Hold off on salt for a while after the steps are built, and when you do need it, save magnesium chloride and calcium chloride for times when safety calls for it. That's general concrete guidance, not a Boston rule, so it pays to plan your ice control before the first storm. Research on salt damage also points to the mix, the finishing, curing as the concrete hardens and an air-drying period before salt touches it, so ask us how we handle each one.
Will my new concrete steps crack like the old ones?
They shouldn't fail the way the old ones did, because I work out why those cracked or sank before we build anything. Most of the time the cause is underneath, in loose ground or water running the wrong way, and that's where we put the most work.
Other concrete work around your entry
Slab foundation building
Building an addition or a new structure on a slab? We prepare the ground and pour the slab, and plan any steps that lead up to it.
Explore Slab foundation buildingFoundation installation
If you're adding on or rebuilding, the foundation comes first, and we can build it and the entry steps as one planned job.
Explore Foundation installationConcrete sidewalk building
New steps often show how cracked or heaved the walk below them is, and we can replace that path so the whole entry lines up.
Explore Concrete sidewalk building
Concrete steps construction in Boston starts with the permit
In Boston, permits for this work come from the city's Inspectional Services, which issues a Short-Form Permit for minor repairs or replacements that leave a home's structure and use unchanged, and a Long-Form permit when either one changes. Whether your steps need one, and which kind, depends on the job, so we help line it up before work starts and walk you through which office is involved, and if it isn't clear we check with the city instead of guessing. That matters for the schedule, because starting before the permit is issued can mean paying double the permit cost or getting a building code violation. Some jobs also need sign-off from Planning and Zoning, from Parks and Recreation when the work is within 100 feet of a park or parkway, or from the Landmarks Commission in a historic district.
On older houses we often find steps sitting on fill that has settled and pulled away from the foundation, and we see the same thing on jobs in Somerville and Cambridge. We're based in Boston and work across the city and the cities around it, so if yours isn't listed, just ask.