Concrete walkway work - considered acceptable?
"Normal and acceptable" is subjective but should be thought about as being inversely proportional to how much you paid for the work.

The form boards need to stay in place until the concrete has set sufficiently to hold the vertical surfaces from sagging; this takes awhile. A craftsman would stay on site, testing the set and removing the boards at the earliest opportunity, then finishing the areas where the form boards were. I have seen this done with a wet wood float, a wet steel trowel, a light spray and a broom; all depends on the desired finish.

For private homes it has been my experience that the rough work on your job is the exception, nice finish work is the norm. Remember the old adage- "You get what you pay for".