Stamped concrete services in San Fernando CA - a stone look with good footing
Tired of plain gray concrete out back? We pour and stamp a slab that looks like stone or brick, sealed with footing in mind.
Is stamped concrete right for your San Fernando patio?
Stamped concrete is a regular slab that we texture and color while it's still soft, so your patio, walkway or driveway ends up looking like slate, brick or stone, and our stamped concrete services in San Fernando cover the whole job from the dig-out to the sealer.
Most people who call me have a plain slab that's cracked and tired, or a patch of dirt they'd finally like to use, and they want something nicer than a broom finish, the light brushed texture on everyday concrete. The price moves with the size of the area, how much old concrete or soft dirt has to come out, and the pattern and colors you pick, which I'll get into below. The schedule turns mostly on that prep and on whether the work reaches the sidewalk or driveway approach out front, since work out there goes through the city first, and your estimate gives you your own number. If the walk up to your front door needs help too, we can take care of concrete sidewalk building on the same job.
How do you know your patio is ready for stamped concrete?
Most stamped jobs start with a slab that's let somebody down or a yard that's never had one. These are the things homeowners tell me they noticed before they picked up the phone.
Your patio has cracks that keep growing, which usually means the dirt under it was never dug out and packed.
Rainwater sits on the slab or runs toward the house, so the old pour was sloped the wrong way.
The top is flaking or turning to dust, often from a pour finished in midday heat.
Your stamped color looks washed out and gray, a sign the sealer has worn off.
The surface feels slick after the sprinklers run, which usually points to a glossy sealer.
One section sits lower than the next, leaving a lip that people catch a toe on.
Call (818) 806-6170 sooner rather than later when water is running toward the house or a lip is tripping people, because those only get worse while you wait.
What happens after you call us about stamped concrete?
We're based in San Fernando and do this same work in Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Santa Clarita, Simi Valley and plenty of cities nearby. Here's how a stamped job runs from your first call.
Call or send a message
You call (818) 806-6170 or fill out our form and tell us a little about the area. I set up a time to come out and see it myself.
I measure and talk design
I measure the area, check how water leaves it, and walk you through how the pattern and colors you pick change both the price and the upkeep down the road. You get a written estimate that spells out the prep, the work and the cleanup, so you know what you're paying for.
Set the date and permits
Once you're ready we set a date and take care of any permit your job calls for. In San Fernando, the city's Building and Safety Division reviews construction plans against the city's building, health and safety codes, so we build that review into the schedule.
Pour, stamp, seal, walk through
Our crew digs out, packs the base, pours, stamps and seals with me on site running the job. Before we pack up, we walk the finished slab together.
Get a written estimate for your stamped patio or walk
Tell us the rough size, the look you want and whether it reaches the sidewalk or driveway approach. We reply within one business day to set up a free, obligation-free visit on site.
- Call
- (818) 806-6170
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
Patterns, colors and sealers for stamped concrete
Think of design in three steps. A basic design uses one pattern in one color, costs the least and is the easiest to keep looking good. Mid-range styles add another color or more texture, a fair middle step on price. Intricate patterns, several colors, borders and custom inlays cost the most and need more frequent upkeep to hold their look, so I'll lay that trade out before you choose.
Most of what you'll love is on top, but most of what lasts is underneath. Back when I was a helper hauling and mixing, the finishers drilled into me that a slab is only as good as the subgrade, the packed dirt it sits on. So if the budget gets tight, drop a border before you skimp on the dig-out and packing, because nobody sees the base on day one and everybody sees it when a slab sinks.
Color usually goes on in layers. One maker's guide says a colored release powder is pressed into the surface during stamping, then washed off and sealed, which leaves a second color in the texture. Stamping suits most outdoor flatwork, the flat slabs around a house, and if you're redoing the floor in your garage too, that's a garage floor concrete job that calls for a different finish.
Stamped concrete questions we hear in San Fernando
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, according to a Los Angeles cost guide, and that's the market's range, not our price. Where your job lands mostly comes down to the design step you pick and how much prep your ground needs. Your written estimate from the site visit gives you your own figure.
What is the best way to keep stamped concrete from being slippery?
Pick the sealer for grip, because the stamped texture helps your footing but sealed stamped concrete can get slippery, especially when it's wet. Glossy sealers that sit on top as a film are the usual problem, and one coatings company recommends a penetrating sealer that soaks into the concrete instead. We choose the sealer with footing in mind, not just shine, which matters most around a pool or a shady patio that stays damp.
Will a stamped concrete patio crack?
Some cracking is normal, since all concrete tends to crack and nobody can honestly promise a crack-free slab. Good groundwork keeps cracks fewer and where we planned them, so we dig out topsoil and soft spots, pack the base, slope it for drainage and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a chosen place to crack. When you talk to any contractor, ask how they'll handle the base, because that answer tells you a lot.
How long does stamped concrete sealer last in Los Angeles sun?
Plan on resealing about every two to three years, which is what a Los Angeles cost guide gives, since upkeep here is mostly about protecting the surface from sun and wear. A fresh coat brings the color back up and keeps the surface protected, so it's worth putting on the calendar.
Do I need a permit for stamped concrete in San Fernando?
Any part that reaches the sidewalk, curb, gutter or driveway approach falls under a construction permit from the city, because that's the public right-of-way. For a patio or walk on your own lot, check with the city before work starts. When a job calls for a permit, we pull it and work with the city or county office through plan check and inspections.
Can an unlicensed contractor pour stamped concrete in California?
Only on small jobs, because California lets an unlicensed person take on minor work up to $1,000, and only when it needs no permit and they have nobody working for them on the project. A stamped slab with a crew usually runs well past that, so ask whoever you hire for their license. We're licensed and insured.
Other concrete work that pairs with stamping
Concrete sidewalk building
If your front walk is cracked or tipping, pouring a new one while we're already set up keeps the look of your yard consistent from street to patio.
Garage floor concrete
A garage slab takes car weight, oil drips and dropped tools every day, so it gets a plain, tough surface rather than a pattern and a glossy coat.
Get your stamped patio priced on site
Call (818) 806-6170 any day between 8 AM and 9 PM or send the form, and snap a few photos of the area so we can start talking pattern and color before I come out.
Mon–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM