Concrete Ramp and New Stairs Added to Lakeside Entry

Some entry setups just aren't working anymore. Whether it's crumbling edges, uneven footing, or steps that were never quite right to begin with - a bad entry is a safety issue, not just an eyesore. On this job, the existing steps needed serious help, and the homeowner needed a solution that would actually hold up long-term.

Here's what we were working with - a long run of steps on a hillside property, plus a separate stair section lower down near the patio. The plan was to add a concrete ramp directly over the existing steps on the upper run, then pour a brand new set of concrete stairs at the bottom to tie the whole entry together. Two different problems, one cohesive solution.

The formwork is where it all starts. You can see the lumber forms set precisely for both sections - the ramp run framed out with evenly spaced crossmembers to hold everything in alignment, and the stair boxes built to give each tread a clean, consistent shape. That kind of prep work is what separates concrete that looks good for a few years from concrete that lasts for decades.

Once the forms came off, the results speak for themselves. Fresh concrete stairs with smooth, uniform treads. The ramp run cured tight against the existing structure. Everything level, everything clean. No patching over problems - just solid work done right from the ground up. That's what concrete repair and construction should look like.

When an entry is this much of a mixed situation - old structure, new pour, different elevations - it takes real planning to pull it off without it looking pieced together. We're proud of how this one came out. It's safer, it's functional, and it's built to handle years of use without giving the homeowner anything to worry about.