Decorative concrete in Pleasant Hill CA - color picked for how you use the space
Tired gray slab or a worn, chipped finish? We help you pick a color method and decide between an overlay and new concrete.
What can decorative concrete do for a plain gray slab?
Decorative concrete in Pleasant Hill is ordinary flatwork, meaning the driveways, patios and walks you drive and walk on, finished with color, stamping, stain or a thin overlay so it looks like something you picked instead of something that came with the house. Many of those methods can be combined, and the right mix depends on whether the surface carries cars, bare feet or a barbecue.
Most people who call us have one of two slabs. Some are solid but dull. Others are cracked and chipping, and the owner isn't sure which kind they've got. The price depends on the size of the area, the color method and pattern you pick, and whether the old concrete can take an overlay or has to come out first, because tearing out and building a new base costs more than a topping. The schedule turns on that same choice. It also depends on curing, which is the wait while new concrete hardens enough to use, and on a city permit if the work reaches the public sidewalk. If the project includes a brand-new slab out back, our concrete patio construction page covers that part. At the site visit I'll figure out which kind of job you have and put the price in writing.
What happens when you call about decorative concrete in Pleasant Hill?
Call or send the form
You call (707) 750-8660 or fill out the form, and we set up a time for me to come see the space. Tell us roughly what you have in mind, even if it's just "less gray."
I look and write it up
I come out myself, look at the old concrete and ask how you use the space, because a driveway and a patio by the pool need different color methods. The estimate says whether an overlay will do or the slab has to come out, which color method I'd suggest and what it costs, so you see the number before anything starts.
We plan around your house
If you go ahead, we schedule around your cars, your kids and your neighbors. We also stay inside the city's construction hours, which are 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekends, so nobody gets a mixer truck at dawn.
We pour, finish and clean
Our own crew does the work, and I'm usually there on pour day because that's when the color and texture are set for good. We haul off the old concrete and leave the rest of your yard the way we found it.
How we do decorative concrete, and the work that goes with it
I start by asking how the surface gets used, because that decides the color method. With integral color, the pigment is mixed all the way through the concrete. A chip or a saw cut shows the same color instead of a pale scar, but you give up the deepest, brightest tones. Color hardener is a dry color shaken onto the fresh surface and floated in. It gives a richer color and a harder, denser top, which is why it's the common choice on driveways, though deep damage will show gray underneath. We spread and float it evenly, because an uneven pass leaves the color blotchy. On a new pour we dig out and pack the subgrade, which is the ground the slab sits on. Then we set the thickness and the rebar for the load. Rebar is the steel inside that holds the slab together if it cracks. After that we pour, stamp or finish the surface. We cut control joints, which are planned lines that give the slab a place to crack where we chose instead of where it likes. Then we seal it. If the budget gets tight, cut back on the pattern before you cut back on the base. Nobody sees the base on day one, and everybody notices it later if the slab settles.
The same color and texture choices can carry past the patio. If a slope keeps creeping toward your yard, concrete retaining walls hold the grade and give the new flatwork a clean edge. For the inside of a shop or a converted garage, concrete floor installation gives you a floor that can be colored or stained. If we plan those along with the decorative work, you choose the colors once, side by side.
Get a decorative concrete estimate for your slab
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a time for me to come out. The estimate is free and done at your property, and you're under no obligation to go ahead.
Decorative concrete questions from Pleasant Hill
How much does stamped concrete cost in Pleasant Hill?
In the San Francisco area, stamped concrete usually runs about $10 to $30 per square foot, which is what the market charges around the Bay, not our price. Where your job falls in that range depends on the pattern, the color method and whether old concrete has to come out first. For a Pleasant Hill number, I'll measure and price it at the site visit.
How do I know if an overlay will work on my old concrete?
An overlay works only on a slab that's structurally sound, because it's a thin cement topping bonded to what's already there. It can't fix concrete that's breaking up or sinking. Whether it holds depends on the bond, the surface texture we prep it to and the moisture in the old slab. If your slab fails that check, replacing it is the honest answer, even though it costs more.
What is the best way to pick a concrete color so it isn't a surprise?
Treat the color chart as a rough idea, not a promise, because charts and small samples give only a general sense of color and the finished slab can look different. I'll help you narrow it down by how the surface gets used. Looking at samples outside in daylight, next to your house, gets you closer than looking at a screen.
How often does stamped concrete need to be resealed?
Stamped concrete should be resealed every two to three years. Plan for it the way you'd plan for repainting trim, because resealing is part of owning a decorative surface, not a sign something went wrong.
Do I need a permit for decorative concrete in Pleasant Hill?
You need a city encroachment permit if the work is in the public right-of-way or an easement, and that includes sidewalk and driveway work along the street. For the rest of the job, the city's online permit guide builds a list of permit steps from your address and project details, though it's only a guide. We'll tell you which office handles your address. When a permit is needed, we handle the paperwork for our part of the work and point you to the right office for anything outside it.
Does a decorative concrete contractor need a license in California?
Yes, unless the job counts as minor work. California's exemption for minor work covers jobs up to $1,000, and only when the work needs no permit and the unlicensed person has no employees. The state's concrete license class covers forming, pouring, placing and finishing flat concrete, which is this work. We're licensed and fully insured.
Other concrete work that often goes with it
Concrete retaining walls
When a slope keeps creeping onto the patio, a retaining wall holds the grade and gives your new decorative surface a clean edge to stop against.
Concrete floor installation
If you want a colored or stained look indoors, like in a shop or a converted garage, a new concrete floor can be finished to suit the room.
Book your decorative concrete site visit
When you call (707) 750-8660 or send the form, have the rough size of the area, where it sits relative to the street and a few photos of the old concrete ready, so I come out already knowing what I'm walking into.