Decorative Concrete in San Fernando CA - a finish you'll be happy keeping up
Tired of a plain gray slab? We add color and texture, over your current concrete or in a new pour, with upkeep you can handle.
What can decorative concrete do for a plain slab in San Fernando?
Decorative concrete gives a plain driveway, patio or walkway in San Fernando color and texture, like a stamped pattern, either as a new finish over the slab you already have or with color mixed into a brand-new pour.
Most people who call me have a slab that works fine but looks dull, or they're about to pour new and want something better than gray. The first thing I look at is whether your slab can stay and take a new finish or whether it makes more sense to pour new and color the mix, and I'll steer you toward a design you'll be happy keeping up, not one that only looks great the first week. That choice, the size of the area and how many colors and textures you want are what move the price, while the schedule mostly turns on the prep, any permit wait and curing, the stretch while fresh concrete hardens before it can take traffic. Your estimate puts the figure for your own job in writing, and if you want color indoors too, the same ideas carry over to a new concrete floor.
How do you know your slab is ready for a decorative finish?
Most decorative jobs start with concrete that still works but looks worn or dull. Here's what folks usually notice, and what it tells me about whether a new finish will do or you need a new pour.
Your patio is solid and flat but plain gray, which usually means a new finish over the top will do.
Oil spots and old stains won't scrub out of the driveway, and a colored finish can usually hide them.
Your stamped patio has faded in the sun, which usually means it's past due for a fresh seal.
The sealer is peeling or turning cloudy white, a sign the old coat has failed and needs redoing.
The slab has wide cracks or a sunken corner, which usually means a new pour, not a new finish.
You're pouring a new patio or walkway anyway, which is the easiest time to color the mix itself.
If cracks are growing or a section keeps sinking, call (818) 806-6170 before you spend on a new finish, so I can look at what's under it first.
What happens after you call about decorative concrete?
I like you to know the whole path before we start. Here's how a decorative job runs with us, from your first call to the walk-through at the end.
Call or send us a message
Call (818) 806-6170 or use the contact form, and I come out myself to see the slab, measure it and hear what you have in mind. We're based in San Fernando and head out to Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Santa Clarita, Simi Valley and plenty of other cities nearby.
Get your written estimate
You get a written estimate that spells out the prep, the work and the cleanup, so you can see where the money goes before you say yes. If the number's higher than you hoped, we'll talk about trimming the design, not the base.
Set a date and permit
Once you're ready, we set a date and pull any permit the job calls for, working with the city's Building and Safety Division on plan review and inspections, or with Public Works for work in the public right-of-way out by the street. The city can't promise a permit right away, so we leave room for that wait, and if you'd rather ask the city yourself, in-person help runs Monday through Thursday, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm.
Our crew pours and finishes
Our own crew does the prep, the pour or overlay and the finish with me on site running it, and everyone stays off it while it cures and hardens enough to take traffic. Then we walk the finished job together before we pack up.
Get a free on-site estimate for your decorative concrete
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done on site and obligation-free, so you can ask questions first and decide later.
- Call
- (818) 806-6170
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
Color, stamping and the base underneath it
On a new pour, I have two main ways to add color. Integral color is pigment mixed right into the concrete, so the color runs all the way through and a chip doesn't show gray. A color hardener is a dry powder we shake onto the fresh concrete, often right before stamping, and it adds color while making the top denser. Stamping then presses a pattern into the surface while it's still soft.
Here's the trade-off I always bring up. The subgrade, which is just the ground the slab sits on, is hidden on day one, so it's the first thing people want to cut, and I'd rather you pick a simpler pattern than skimp there. Back when I was a helper hauling and mixing for a small crew, the finishers drilled that into me, because a base that's dug out and packed, with water sent away from the house, is what keeps all that color from cracking and settling. If your new patio sits on a slope, a concrete retaining wall may need to come first, and it gets the same care underneath.
Every decorative finish gets a sealer on top before we're done, because that coat is what takes the beating instead of your color. Here in the South Coast air district, any coating sold or supplied for use has to meet the district's current limits on VOCs, the solvent vapors a coating gives off as it dries, so the sealer we put down has to meet them too.
Decorative concrete questions from San Fernando homeowners
Can you put decorative concrete over my existing patio or driveway?
Yes, as long as the slab is solid, because a decorative overlay is a cement-based mix made to go over existing concrete. If the slab has wide cracks or a sunken section, the new layer will crack and drop right along with it, so I'll tell you when a new pour with color in the mix is the better use of your money.
How much does stamped concrete cost near San Fernando?
Stamped concrete in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $15 to $30 per square foot, and that's what the work tends to run around here, not our price. Where your job lands depends on the size, the prep and how many colors and textures you pick, and overlay and color work gets priced once I've seen the slab, so your estimate gives you the real figure.
What is the best way to choose a stamped concrete design?
Start simple, because a basic stamped design with one pattern and one color costs less up front and is easier to keep up. Mid-range styles add more color or texture, while high-end designs cost more and need frequent maintenance, so go fancy only if you're happy keeping up with it.
How do I take care of stamped concrete in the Los Angeles sun?
Reseal it about every two to three years, which is the schedule one Los Angeles cost guide gives, since care here comes down to protecting the surface from sun and wear. Budget for that fresh seal coat the way you'd budget for repainting trim, and it'll keep the color from fading out.
What causes decorative concrete to crack?
Most cracks start underneath, with a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, water running under the slab, or control joints cut late or skipped. Control joints are the straight grooves we cut on purpose so the shrinking concrete cracks down inside them instead of across your pattern, and while I'll be honest that no slab is crack-proof, good prep keeps cracks few and where we chose.
Do I need a licensed contractor for decorative concrete in California?
Yes, if the job needs a permit, because the state's exemption for small jobs tops out at $1,000 and only applies when the work needs no permit and the person doing it has no employees. We're licensed and insured, and since every licensed concrete contractor in California has to carry workers' compensation or be certified as self-insured, even with no employees, it's fair to ask any contractor for proof.
Other concrete work that pairs with decorative finishes
Concrete retaining walls
If your patio or walkway sits on a slope, a retaining wall holds the ground back so the new decorative slab beside it stays where we put it.
Concrete floor installation
If you want color indoors too, a new concrete floor in a garage, workshop or addition can take the same kind of color and finish we use outside.
Get your decorative concrete estimate started
Call (818) 806-6170 or send the form with the rough size of the area, whether the old slab stays and a few designs you like, so I show up ready to talk real options.
Mon–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM