How Much Does a Walkway Cost?
These Options Will Drive the Cost of Your New Walkway in 2021
Walkway replacements near Sparta, NJ are one of the most requested services we receive each year. Very often buyers have a list of questions developed after finding overwhelming and sometimes conflicting information online. Even with Patio and Backyard Designs becoming more attainable for the average family, the front walkway is often the most used Hardscape features a property has. Even if it is just the mail delivery that requires use of it, no homeowner wants the liability of an unsafe, dangerous, or even poorly designed walkway. The options for installing a simple landscape walkway will vary based on needs. From Pavers to Natural Stone Walkways this article is intended to help you understand what you might be looking at when considering replacing the walkway in your country landscape.
Design
Flagstone walkway brings new life to a happy homeowner in Columbia, NJ.
Contemporary, flowing curves or anything in-between, the design and location of the walkway will be the largest driver of cost when planning your project. It is very common for homeowners to relocate or change the design of their walkway to better fit their needs or the architecture of the home. Though straight lines are typically cleaner, easier and less expensive to install, smooth curves can soften the feature and create a sense of wonder as you explore the rest of the landscape on the way to your destination.
Considering the aesthetic of the home and landscape features when deciding on your new walkway could be valuable for maximizing the return on investment. Generally speaking, it is better to relocate plants around the new design than to design the walkway around existing plants. Intricate details will push the cost of the walkway up as will increasing the width. In 2021, we recommend walkways be no less than 48” in width, though more recently we are seeing design trends that are placing walkways 5’ in width or greater and entrances of 12’ wide or more are common.
Materials
I could easily dedicate several blog articles to discussing the pros and cons of material options available for your walkway project. For the purpose of this article we will focus on the most common options and leave the outliers such as gravel and poured concrete for a later discussion. Bluestone or Concrete Pavers, how do you decide which is right for you? I would say take a deep look into your lifestyle first. Do you care about how the new walkway will be maintained? Are you more inclined to shovel snow, use a snow blower, use a plow or leave it to melt on its’ own? Will you be using deicing salts or maybe adding a heating system so you don’t have to do anything? Click Here: Heating You Walkway
Generally speaking, Concrete Pavers will be a better choice for those that will be inclined to be more aggressive in their care of the walkway by ways of metal snow removal tools and deicing salts. This is in part to the physical properties of Concrete vs Natural Stone and also the average price point. With appropriate care for each material, the natural stone will outlive the concrete pavers, but considering homes are often restyled ever 20 or so years this may not be an issue for you. Though natural stone will typically carry a higher baseline, the intricate details of modern paver designs that are trending today will cause the price points to fall much more in alignment.
Stairs
Should you slope your walkway or install stairs? This question is asked all the time. Sometimes we are even asked if we can remove stairs and slope the walkway to make up for the elevation changes. It is a little more complicated than a broad answer. The surface texture of the material should be considered when making this decision. A rougher and more undulated texture will generally provide more traction when wet, though aggressive slopes should be avoided, especially in wet and in snow zones. We suggest that all walkways remain pitched no more than 2% which is about 2.5” over 10’ of walkway.
Stair materials will vary based on region, and we always suggest going with monolithic type stair units of either concrete or natural stone in place of stairs created from smaller retaining wall blocks. Thought the latter is typically less expensive, we have fond that these types are much faster to fail do to the abuse that stair systems receive with regular use.
Handrails should also be considered when the walkway is the main access to and from the home. This will increase safety for less stable pedestrians and keep your home insurance company happy. This small investment will add peace of mind and lower liability.
Walls
In certain regions slopes are unavoidable. In others, that land is as flat as standing water. In both cases walls can be used to maximize the usability and interest of the new walkway. Garden walls, planter boxes, and terraced landscapes will all provide a visual element that will add interest to the new walkway. In some cases the use of walls will be unavoidable, in others it will allow for an architectural element to frame the landscape design. Materials in this sector are numerous and this recent article will be better equipped to provide information when making your decision. Click Here: Retaining Wall Cost Comparison
The Cost
So you likely clicked on this article to learn about the costs as mentioned in the title. I would not want to disappoint. Here is what you are likely going to be discussing when inquiring about a walkway with a landscaper or registered home improvement contractor in NJ and surrounding areas in 2021.
Certainly there are going to be variables such as access, site conditions, removal or relocation of existing features, addressing the landscaping and drainage, and the addition of stairs and walls as mentioned above. The typical walkway we see in the Sparta and Blairstown area is about 300 square foot or about 50’ x 5’ with some additional width at the stairs or driveway. The discussion we have with our clients regularly starts at $29000 for Flagstone and $24000 for Concrete Pavers. It is also not uncommon for a typical homeowner to invest upwards of 50K in their front renovation by adding landscape lighting, some wall work, and a little planting to accent the new features.
I have to apologize, because I forgot to suggest you sit down before I dropped that on you.
It is possible that you think I am out of my mind. I hear that occasionally. The other thing I hear, much more frequently actually, is from homeowners that have gone with lower investment levels and are having problems with the feature and getting in touch with the original installer. I don’t have to remind you of the common cliché statements. When selecting a contractor it is recommended to social proof them, you know make sure they are decent people, have happy clients, and offer no less than a 5 year up to lifetime warranty on their workmanship.
Sierra offers a lifetime warranty on workmanship for all their hardscape features.
Hope this article has answered some questions you may have been asking yourself. Click below to start the conversation about getting the walkway you always wanted.