Decorative Concrete in San Carlos, CA - a finish you chose on a base that holds
Tired of a plain gray or faded slab? We help you pick the color and texture, then do the prep so it holds up.
What can decorative concrete do for your San Carlos patio or driveway?
Decorative concrete in San Carlos, CA is concrete finished with color, texture, pattern or shine, so a patio, walk or driveway can look like slate, brick or natural stone instead of plain gray. We can pour a new slab with the finish built in, or we can lay a decorative top layer over the slab you already have if it's sound enough to take one.
Most people who call us have a slab that's sound but dull, or an old stamped patio that's lost its color, and the first question is whether to start over. The price moves with the size of the area, whether we pour new or lay an overlay on your slab, how many finishes we combine and how much repair the old concrete needs first. The schedule turns mostly on curing, the wait while fresh concrete gains strength before anyone uses or seals it, and on the weather on pour day. Your written estimate spells out the work so you can see what you're paying for. We're based in San Carlos and work in the cities around it, and if a sloped yard or an indoor floor is part of the plan, we also build concrete retaining walls and handle concrete floor installation.
How do you know your concrete is ready for a decorative finish?
Most decorative jobs start with a slab that works fine but looks tired, or an old finish that's fading. Here's what homeowners usually tell us about, and what it tends to mean underneath.
Your slab is sound and level but plain gray, and you'd like color or texture without tearing it out.
An older stamped or colored slab has gone pale, which usually means the sealer has worn away.
The sealer looks cloudy, patchy or peeling, which usually means the coating failed, not the concrete under it.
Water soaks in instead of beading up and stains won't wash out, so the protection on top is gone.
The top is flaking or chipping in patches, and we'd need to check if the slab can take an overlay.
A section has sunk or cracked through, which usually means the base moved and a finish alone won't fix it.
If a slab is sinking or cracking through, call (650) 866-1977 before you pick a color, because the base has to be sorted out first.
What happens when you call about decorative concrete in San Carlos?
I like to see the slab before anyone talks color, because the concrete you have decides what's possible. Here's how a job runs, from your first call to the final walkthrough.
Call us or send the form
Tell us the rough size of the area, whether the concrete is new or already there, and the look you have in mind. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
I measure and check the slab
I usually come out myself to measure, look over the base and where the water runs, and talk through color and texture with you, since those can be combined and we settle the look before anything is mixed. You get a written estimate with the work spelled out, including whether I think a fresh pour or an overlay is the better buy for your slab.
Our crew forms, pours and finishes
For a new slab our crew sets the forms, pours and works the finish in while the concrete is still workable, and for an overlay we clean and repair the old slab first so the new layer bonds. I check the work as it goes, because mistakes in concrete set along with it.
We walk the finished job
When the work is done, I go over the finished job with you before we call it done. We also talk through how to care for the finish and what to watch for when it's time to reseal.
Get a written estimate for your decorative concrete
We reply within one business day to set a time, and the on-site estimate is free with no obligation. I come out, measure, talk through the look with you and then send your estimate in writing.
- Call
- (650) 866-1977
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Finishes, overlays and sealers for your slab
Most decorative jobs combine more than one finish, such as a base color with a stain over it, or a pattern with a second tone, so we work out the look with you before anything is mixed. Dyes are worth knowing about if you want a stained look without a chemical reaction, because a dye is a see-through color that soaks into fully cured concrete or into a cement-based overlay.
If your slab is sound, an overlay, a thin bonded layer of cement-based material, can level it and give it a new face without tearing it out. If it has sunk or cracked through, an overlay just follows the damage, and I'd rather tell you that than sell you one. On a new pour I'd put your money into the subgrade, the packed ground the slab sits on, before the finish, because the base is hidden on day one and decides how everything on top holds up.
Sealing protects a decorative surface from water and stains. A sealer that sits on top as a film is the usual pick for stamped work because it deepens the color, while a penetrating sealer soaks in, generally needs the concrete fully cured first and mostly leaves the color as it is. We help you choose based on whether you want the richer look or a more natural one.
Decorative concrete questions we hear in San Carlos
What finishes can decorative concrete have?
Decorative concrete can have color mixed into the concrete, a color hardener worked into the surface, a chemical stain, a dye, exposed aggregate where the stones in the mix show at the top, a stamped pattern or a polish. These can be combined, so you aren't stuck choosing just one, and we sort out the mix of finishes with you at the estimate.
How much does a stamped concrete patio cost in the Bay Area?
A stamped concrete patio in San Francisco usually costs about $10 to $20 per square foot to pour, which makes a useful rough guide for the Peninsula. That's the going rate in the area, not our price, and reinforced slabs, with steel bar set inside to keep cracks from opening, price higher than un-reinforced ones, so ask which one any quote covers. Your own figure comes from the written estimate after I've seen the site.
How often does stamped concrete need to be resealed?
Reseal stamped concrete when it needs it, which is when water stops beading, stains start soaking in or the color looks flat, rather than on a fixed calendar. Extra coats build up and take time and money to strip off, and too much sealer, or sealer put on too early, can spoil the look.
How long does new stamped concrete need to cure before sealing?
New stamped concrete has to cure before it's sealed, and there's no single number, because the wait depends on how it's cured, the air temperature, the humidity and the mix. We'll talk through the timing for your slab once we know the mix and the conditions on pour day.
Who can do concrete work in California?
A concrete contractor licensed by the state licensing board is the one who forms, pours, places and finishes flat concrete and other concrete work. The exception for minor work tops out at $1,000, and it applies only when the job needs no permit and the unlicensed person has no employees on it, so a decorative patio usually means hiring a licensed contractor. We're fully licensed and insured.
How do I make changes to a concrete contract in California?
Put any change in writing, because the board's rules say a change to a home improvement contract must be written, legible and easy to understand, and must tell you about your right to cancel. Before work starts, check that the estimate spells out the finish, the colors, whether it's a new pour or an overlay and the sealer, so any change is easy to spot.
Related concrete work for your yard and house
Concrete retaining walls
If your patio sits on a slope, a retaining wall holds the soil back so the slab keeps its ground, and the wall can carry matching color.
Concrete floor installation
When you want the same color or polish indoors, a new concrete floor in a garage conversion, shop or addition can be finished to match the outside work.
Book your decorative concrete estimate visit
Call (650) 866-1977 or use the form with the area's rough size, whether the concrete is new or existing, and a photo of a look you like, so the first visit goes straight to your choices.
Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM