Decorative concrete in Pomona CA - a fresh look for your slab, built on a solid base
Plain gray slab looking tired or cracked? We add color and texture on a base that's built right, so the new look holds up.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What can decorative concrete do for my slab in Pomona?
Decorative concrete gives a plain slab color, pattern or texture. In Pomona, CA, we do it with color mixed into the concrete, stains, stamped or textured surfaces, exposed aggregate, polishing and sealers, alone or combined, on a new pour or over an old slab that's still sound.
Most people who call have a patio or driveway that works fine but looks worn, and want a pattern like stamped concrete. Others have a cracked slab and need to decide whether to cover it or replace it. The price comes down to the size of the area, whether the old concrete has to come out, and how fancy the design gets, because each added color, border or inlay means more labor now and more care later. The schedule turns on that same tear-out question and on any permit the job needs, and your written estimate lays out the work for your slab.
How do you know your concrete is ready for a decorative finish?
Faded, chalky gray surface
The slab looks dusty and worn, and the edges are starting to chip. Usually the top has worn down or was finished poorly. If you wait, the worn spots spread, and a slab that could have been covered may end up needing to come out.
Hairline cracks across the slab
Thin cracks running across a patio or driveway usually mean it cracked where nobody cut a joint. Some can be worked into a new design and some mean the slab should come out, so that's the first thing I check. Left alone, water gets in and they widen.
Stamped color going dull
An older stamped or colored patio looks washed out, and the sealer is peeling or gone. That usually means the sun has worn the protection off. Once the sealer goes, the surface takes the wear directly, and the color is harder to bring back.
How we do decorative concrete
I start by deciding whether your old slab can stay. If it's sound, which is what the overlay maker calls for underneath, an overlay can save tearing it out. An overlay is a thin cement-based layer with its own color and pattern. Any crack or joint in the old slab will show through it, though, so I point those out before you choose a look. If the slab can't stay, we break it out, dig out and pack the base, the layer the slab sits on, set rebar, the steel inside that holds the pieces together if it cracks, and pour. Then we color, stamp or texture the surface and cut control joints, which are shallow cuts that give the concrete a place to crack where we choose instead of where it wants. After that we let it cure, the wait while it gains strength before you use it. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather simplify the design than skimp on the base, because the base is buried on day one and still decides whether that pattern stays flat. We also talk about upkeep before you pick, since the fancier the look, the more care it takes.
Decorative work often runs into other jobs. If the patio sits on a slope, concrete retaining walls may need to go in before we pour. A stained or polished finish indoors starts with concrete floor installation done right.
One pattern, one color
This suits you if you want more than plain gray without signing up for much upkeep. It usually costs less and is easier to keep up, though it won't turn heads the way a busier design does.
Several colors with borders
This suits you if you want the patio or entry to be the thing people notice and you don't mind the care. Multiple colors, borders and custom inlays cost more and need frequent upkeep to keep their look.
A written price for your decorative concrete, after I see the slab
We reply within 1 business day. I come out to look at the ground, measure and ask how you'll use the space, then send you a free written quote. There's no pressure to book.
(909) 729-4086What changes a decorative concrete job in Pomona
The City of Pomona requires a permit for any work in its public right-of-way. On a decorative job, that usually means a driveway apron or anything that reaches the sidewalk or curb. That rule doesn't settle whether a backyard patio or an overlay on your own lot needs a permit, so the city's Do I Need a Permit handout is the place to check. When a job needs a permit, we pull it and handle the paperwork with the city.
We're based in Pomona and work in the cities around it. What we see most are older patios and driveways that still sit flat but have gone gray and chalky, and once I've marked the cracks, those often make good overlay candidates. Summer heat is the other thing. We pour early, before the midday sun dries the top too fast and leaves it weak and dusty, and we do the same on jobs in Claremont and La Verne.
What happens after you call about decorative concrete in Pomona?
Call or send us a message
Call (909) 729-4086 or use the form and tell us about the space. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I measure and check the slab
I look at the ground, measure, check whether your old slab is sound enough to keep and ask how you'll use the space. You get a written estimate, so you know the number before anything is scheduled.
We handle permits and pour
If you go ahead, we handle any permit paperwork, and my crew forms, pours and finishes within Pomona's construction hours, which run 7 am to 8 pm Monday through Saturday and don't include federal holidays. We walk the finished job with you before we pack up.
Frequently asked questions
How much does stamped concrete cost near Pomona?
Around the Los Angeles area, stamped concrete usually runs about $15 to $30 per square foot. That's the going market range, not our price. A single pattern and color tends to sit lower in that range, and extra colors, borders and inlays push the price up. Stains and overlays are priced differently, so I put those on your written estimate after I see the slab.
What is the best way to keep stamped concrete looking good in the sun?
Reseal it every two to three years. That's what a Los Angeles cost guide recommends for stamped concrete here, and it puts most of the care into protecting the surface from sun and wear. Put the first reseal on your calendar the day the job is done, because once the sealer wears off, the color takes the beating.
What causes new decorative concrete to crack?
Most cracks in new concrete come from a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, or from control joints that were cut late or skipped. Nobody can promise concrete won't crack. We build the base right and cut the joints on time, so if it cracks, the crack follows a line we chose.
Does decorative concrete add value to a house in Pomona?
It can. A Los Angeles cost guide says high-end designs with intricate patterns, borders and custom inlays can raise curb appeal and resale value. Those are also the designs that need the most upkeep, so weigh both before you pick.
Can a handyman pour a small concrete patio in California without a license?
Only on very small jobs. California's exemption for unlicensed work stops at $1,000, and it applies only when the job needs no permit and the person has no one working for them on it. Once a job needs a permit, that exemption doesn't apply, whatever the price.
How long does a decorative concrete job take in Pomona?
Most of the time goes into prep and the cure, so an overlay on a sound slab usually wraps up faster than a full tear-out and new pour. The size of the area, the number of colors and passes, and any permit move the schedule from there. You stay off the new surface until it's cured, and I'll go over the timing for your job when I come out.
Pomona, CA
Start with photos of your slab
Send the rough square footage, photos of the old concrete and any cracks, and the look you're after, and I can tell you early whether an overlay is worth talking about.