Walkway from Driveway to Patio Very Sloped
We are currently under contract for a new construction home and have run into an issue with how it is coming along. We are to meet with the lady who represents the builder and possibly the superintendent on Saturday, but I would love to have other’s opinions ahead of time. The walkway from our driveway to the patio is extremely sloped. The driveway is sloped, but the walkway from the driveway to the patio is the exact slope as the driveway. I feel like this is abnormal because many houses I’ve driven by with a steep driveway do not have a sloped walkway too. To us, it not only looks like a safety hazard, but it just looks wrong and poorly done. We checked with the city regarding codes for walkway slopes and concrete driveways/walkways are exempt apparently, so they can basically do whatever they want. I’ve attached photos showing what the walkway looks like. Obviously we know our driveway is supposed to be sloped, but we are concerned about the walkway cause it just doesn’t look right.
Would love your opinion and pointers to argue with the builder on if they don’t budge on fixing it!
Replies
It does look a bit extreme in the photos. Contractors are legally obligated to follow the home plans. If the grade is shown on the print and indicates lower slope you can use that in your argument. If no grade is indicated on the print and your code enforcement is silent on the issue, it will be a very hard argument I’m afraid. Hopefully the builder steps up and does what is right, but in reality I don’t know if they are legally obligated in your situation. My code authority added a maximum slope rule to driveways years ago and I think every town should adopt a max slope rule. Using my experience as a residential and commercial builder in my town I would attempt to reach outside of the building department. In my town the Fire Code (Fire Marshall) basically trumps all code if they feel public safety is at risk. While this is typically more of an issue in commercial work they might want to help you in this situation. If the Marshall finds the point of egress (your front door) is not safe, they will raise concern and possibly force the builder to correct. Example, firemen and occupants falling on their a** trying to get in and out of your house during an emergency, it may be considered a hazard. It’s a long shot, but in my town it is very applicable. Also, your insurance company may have issue with the steep slope. They may see it as too risky to insure as risk of injury is high. One other point, again experience in my town, is that at a certain point the slope of a walkway changes in definition from a walkway to a ramp and ramp rules are enforced. If it is considered a ramp, additional fall protection etc will have to be put in place. The slope of the driveway will be hard to fix at this point as the height of the road and home are already in place and can not be changed. You may be able to create a couple slopes vs one to create a flatter spot next to garage for safer walking. Or maybe create a curved driveway working up the slope, probably not possible. At minimum I would try to get the first 10’ next to the house at a lower slope and with that a lower slope on walkway at entry. If the builder will not improve maybe a price reduction can be initiated. It’s well known that properties with steep driveways are a lot harder to sell. Hopefully the builder steps up. Outside of hiring a lawyer this is the best advice I can give. Also, if you are not getting anywhere with the builder you can inform them that you are hiring a lawyer. The builder will not want to pay legal fee’s and pay for lost time over a couple thousand dollars of concrete replacement. Good luck! Hopefully you can all reach a compromise.
The sidewalk should match the driveway. (as it does)
If you were to re-pour the driveway to make the first couple feet level, it would make the rest of the driveway have a higher slope.
If you get a level and measuring tape, what is the actual slope?