Stamped concrete services in Los Angeles CA - a patterned finish on a solid base
Tired of a cracked walk or a plain gray patio? We pour colored, patterned concrete that's built right underneath, so it holds up to everyday use.
Is stamped concrete right for my patio or driveway?
Stamped concrete is poured concrete that's colored, pressed with rubber mats while it's still soft so it looks like stone, brick, wood or tile, and then sealed. Our crew builds it for patios, walks and driveways across Los Angeles when you want more than plain gray.
Most people who call us about stamped work have a patio, walk or driveway that's cracked, sinking or just tired, and they want it to look like stone or brick when it's redone. The price moves with the size of the area, the pattern and how many colors you want, the color method, whether the old concrete has to come out and how much base work the ground needs. The schedule turns on the tear-out, a permit if the work reaches the sidewalk, the weather on pour day and the curing before you can use it. I come out, look at it with you, and the estimate puts your own number on it.
How we build stamped concrete, from base to sealer
I build the base like any other slab first, because a pattern won't hide a weak one. Our crew digs out and packs the subgrade, which is the soil the slab sits on, then sets forms so the finished slab carries water away from the house instead of toward it. We size the thickness and the rebar, the steel inside that holds the slab together, to what it has to carry, and we plan the pour around the day's heat so the top doesn't come out weak and dusty. Then we color it, press the mats while it's soft and cut control joints, which are planned lines that give the concrete a place to crack where we chose. After it cures, meaning the wait while it hardens enough to use, we wash it and seal it in thin, even coats. The base is the part nobody sees on day one and the first thing people want to cut from a budget, and I won't cut it, because a stamped slab sitting on raked dirt settles with that dirt. Ask me how yours will be built before we ever talk color.
Stamped work usually sits right next to plain concrete. If the walk to your door is cracked or uneven, our concrete sidewalk building can be planned with it so the two meet cleanly, and if the garage needs work too, garage floor concrete gets a smooth, hard finish that suits the inside better than a pattern does.
Integral color for patios and walks
The pigment is mixed through the whole slab, so a chip or a saw cut shows the same color as the top. It suits a patio or walkway where an even, softer tone looks right, but it won't reach the deepest or brightest colors.
Color hardener for driveways
This is a color powder worked into the wet surface, and one field guide calls it the common pick for driveways and busy areas because it builds a harder skin. The color lives only in that top layer, so a deep gouge shows gray, and it has to be spread evenly or it looks blotchy.
What changes stamped concrete work in Los Angeles
If your new stamped driveway or walk runs out to the street, the part in the public right-of-way, which is the driveway apron and the sidewalk, needs a Public Works permit from the City of Los Angeles before anyone pours it. Bigger projects that count as new development or redevelopment also have to show low impact development measures, ways of handling rainwater on the property, in their design plans when the city reviews them for a building permit. Whether a patio or slab inside your property line needs a permit of its own isn't something I'll guess at. When a job needs one, we figure out which office covers your address and handle the application and inspections for you.
A lot of the calls we get here are older homes where a cracked patio or a worn walk is being replaced with something that looks better, and we do the same work on jobs in Alhambra and South Pasadena. How the old slab broke up usually tells us what the new base needs.
Stamped patterns and colors
Why call us for stamped concrete
The owner gives the estimate
I come out to look at the job and give the estimate myself, and I lead the crew that does the work. The person who explained your base is the one standing there when it gets built.
In business since 2013
I learned concrete from my dad, hauling and mixing before I ever finished a slab, and I started this business in 2013, so we've been at it 13 years. Flatwork done right underneath is what we're known for, and stamped work is flatwork with a pattern on top.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured for the concrete work we do on your property. Ask about it at the estimate, because I'd rather answer a question twice than leave you guessing.
Planned for hillside and tight lots
A narrow side yard or a hillside lot can add time and may call for special equipment or carrying materials in by hand. I look at access during the estimate so it's in your plan from the start, not a surprise on pour day.
What lasts on a stamped job is the base you'll never see, so that's the first thing I'll walk you through. Send us your project details or call (213) 329-1820 to set up a visit.
(213) 329-1820Get a stamped concrete estimate for your patio, walk or driveway
We respond within 1 business day to set a time for me to come out, look at the area and give you a free quote on site, and it's obligation-free. If you can, add a few photos, the rough size and whether the work reaches the sidewalk or the driveway apron.
Stamped concrete questions from Los Angeles
How much does stamped concrete cost in Los Angeles?
Your price comes from the size of the area, the pattern and number of colors, the color method, whether old concrete has to come out and how much base work the ground needs. A driveway built for cars costs more to prepare than a garden walk. I'd rather give you a real number than a guess, so the on-site estimate is where you get yours.
Is stamped concrete a good choice for a driveway in Los Angeles?
Yes, when the base, thickness and reinforcement are built for cars, because a stamped finish is still flatwork underneath. Most driveway trouble starts below the surface, not in the pattern. For the top, the harder color hardener skin described above is the usual pick where cars turn and park.
What is the best way to care for stamped concrete in Los Angeles?
Keep it sealed. One Los Angeles cost guide says upkeep here centers on protecting the surface from sun and wear, with resealing every two to three years, so plan around that cycle. When it's due, we reseal in the same thin, even coats we use on a new job.
How do I keep a stamped patio from getting slippery when it's wet?
Keep the sealer thin and make sure the slab drains. A field guide on stamped work recommends two thin, even coats, because a heavy flood coat can bubble, turn white and get slick when wet. Industry guidance also says outdoor slabs should slope to carry water away and have a texture that isn't slippery wet, so ask how yours will drain and grip.
Who is allowed to do concrete work in California?
A licensed concrete contractor, which the state contractor licensing board describes as one who forms, pours, places, finishes and installs flat and other concrete work. The state's exemption for small jobs tops out at $1,000, and it applies only when the work needs no permit and the person doing it employs no one on the project. If someone offers to pour without a license, those are the limits to check.
Will my new stamped concrete crack like my old slab did?
Concrete can still crack, but a well built slab usually cracks along the control joints we cut, not across the middle of your pattern. Old slabs mostly fail because the base was raked level instead of dug out and packed, the joints were cut late or skipped, or water ran toward the house. Those are the three things I check first at your estimate.
Plan your stamped patio, walk or driveway with us
The color method and the base plan get settled before the pour, and that's the easiest time to change your mind about either.
