Decorative concrete in Sierra Madre, CA - a finish picked to fit your slab
Plain, worn or stained concrete? We'll help you choose a color, texture or pattern, and whether your old slab can take it.
What can decorative concrete do for a plain or worn slab?
Decorative concrete in Sierra Madre, CA is regular concrete given color, texture or a pattern. It's done with techniques like integral color, which is color mixed right into the concrete, plus stains, stamping, exposed aggregate, polishing and sealers. You can use one or combine a few, so a patio, walk or driveway ends up looking like it belongs with the house.
Most people call because the concrete they've got looks tired, gray, stained or patched, and they'd like something better without starting over if they don't have to. The price mostly comes down to how big the area is, whether the old slab can stay or has to come out, and which finish you pick, since one color costs less than a stamped concrete pattern with color and sealer on top. The schedule turns on those same things plus curing, the wait while new concrete gains strength before you walk or drive on it, and when I come out I'll put your own figure in the estimate.
How we do decorative concrete, start to finish
I start by looking hard at what you've got, because a slab that's cracked through, sinking or holding water won't be fixed by a nice new top, so that's when new concrete makes more sense than an overlay. For a new slab, we dig out and pack the subgrade, the dirt and gravel the slab sits on, check where the water runs so the slab falls away from your house, set the forms and pour. That base is the part you'll never see and the first thing people want to trim from a budget, and I won't trim it, for the same reason you don't set a water trough on soft ground and hope it stays level. Before we pour, I lay out the pattern with the control joints in mind, the cuts that give the slab a planned place to crack, because a pattern with lines running roughly parallel can hide those joints in its grout lines, while a random pattern shows them however they're made. Then we add the color, texture or stamp while the concrete is still workable, let it cure and seal it. Does that make sense?
The same finishes work on more than flat ground. We build concrete retaining walls that can be colored or textured to match a new patio, and our concrete floor installation covers indoor slabs that will be stained or polished, where the pour has to be flat and clean because every flaw shows through the finish.
Why Sierra Madre homeowners call Cornerstone Sierra Madre Concrete for decorative work
I write your estimate myself
I come out to look at your slab and write the estimate, and our crew does the work with me on site running it. The person who talked you through the pattern is the one watching it go down.
Years on San Gabriel crews
I spent years on concrete crews around the San Gabriel Valley before I started this business in 2020, and we work in Sierra Madre, Pasadena, Arcadia, Monrovia and many other cities around them. If you don't see your city on the site, give us a call and ask.
Licensed and insured in California
We're fully licensed and insured. In California, forming, pouring and finishing concrete is a licensed contractor's work, and any job over $1,000, or any job that needs a permit, calls for one.
On decorative work, the color is what you'll notice first, but the base and the joints decide how it looks years from now. If you'd like to talk your slab through, call (626) 828-0332 or send a note through our contact page.
Get a decorative concrete estimate for your slab
Send a few photos of the area, its rough size in square feet and the look you're after. We'll get back to you within one business day to set a time, and I'll come out, look at the slab and write a free estimate with no obligation.
Decorative finishes on concrete
What people ask about decorative concrete
How do I know if my old slab can take a decorative overlay?
If the slab is sound underneath, it can usually take an overlay, a bonded layer of cement-based material placed over the old concrete to improve its look, level it out or restore a worn top. I check the slab first when I come out, because an overlay refreshes a surface but won't hold together concrete that's breaking up below.
How much does stamped concrete cost near Sierra Madre?
Stamped concrete in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $15 to $30 per square foot. That's the going range for stamped work around here, not our price, and other decorative finishes price differently, so the estimate is where you'll get a figure for your own slab.
Do I need a city permit for a decorative driveway apron in Sierra Madre?
Work that affects a city street, sidewalk, alley or parkway, such as a driveway apron, sidewalk, curb or gutter, falls under Sierra Madre's Excavation & Encroachment Permit. Work entirely on your own lot can still need approval from another city department, with Planning handling grading permits and Public Works reviewing anything that affects city utilities, protected trees or sewer connections, so we look into it before we start.
Who can pull a building permit for concrete work in Sierra Madre?
The city's Building and Safety office issues permits only to a State of California licensed contractor or the property owner. When your job needs one, we handle the application as the licensed contractor and walk you through each step.
How often does stamped concrete need to be resealed?
There's no set number of years, because you reseal stamped concrete when it needs it, not on a calendar. Plan on it when water and stains stop beading off or the color starts to look shallow, and that reseal is the most common upkeep this finish needs.
What is the best way to seal stamped concrete?
Most crews use a film-forming sealer, one that coats the surface, because it brings out the color best. Too much sealer, or sealer put on too early, can spoil the look, so ask any contractor, us included, how and when they plan to seal before you sign.
Other work that often goes with it
- Concrete retaining walls
When the yard steps up or you want a raised planter, a wall built to hold the ground in place can carry the look of the patio beside it.
- Concrete floor installation
Thinking about a polished floor in a studio, shop or addition? It starts as a new indoor slab, and that slab decides how good the finish can look.