Tired of a plain gray slab, or a stamped patio that's gone dull? We prep it properly and seal it for the look you want.
Decorative concrete in East Los Angeles usually means stamped concrete, a patio, walk or driveway we form, pour and finish like any flat slab, press with a pattern, then seal to deepen the color or guard it against water and stains.
Most people call because they're tired of plain gray, or because the stamped patio they already have has gone dull and stains easily. The pattern is what you see. What decides whether it holds up is what you don't see, a base that's dug out and packed and a surface that's clean and sound before any sealer goes on.
Price moves with the size of the area and how busy the design is. One simple stamp pattern costs less than borders, accent colors and a second pattern, and tearing out an old slab or fixing a soft base adds work. The schedule turns on whether your address needs a permit and on curing, the wait while fresh concrete gains strength before it's sealed or used. You'll see your own number on my written quote.
A pattern can't hide a bad slab under it. These are the three things I check on every decorative job, because they're where stamped concrete usually goes wrong.
The subgrade is the dirt and gravel the slab sits on. If it's only raked level, it settles over time and the slab sinks and cracks right along with it, pattern and all. We dig out the soft material and pack the base firm before the forms go in, so the slab has something solid under it.
Before we set forms, we check where water goes when it rains or the sprinklers run. A slab that falls toward the house sends water at your wall, and one with a low spot leaves pooling water sitting on the sealer. We set the forms so the surface sheds water away from the house.
All concrete shrinks and cracks somewhere. Control joints are grooves cut into the slab so it cracks inside them instead of across your pattern, and on stamped work we line them up with the design so they blend in. Cut them late or skip them and the cracks pick their own spot.
From the first call to the final walk-through, you deal with two people, me for the estimate and our crew lead on the job. Here's how it goes.
Call (213) 338-1030 or fill out the form with the rough size of the area, whether it's a new slab or an existing one, and your address. We get back to you to set up a visit.
I come out myself, measure, look at the base and drainage, and ask how you'll use the space. I also find out which office handles your address, then you get a written quote that spells out what's included.
Once any permit is in hand, our crew lead runs the job from prep to cleanup, digging out and packing the base, forming, pouring, stamping and cutting joints. Sealer goes on once the slab is ready for it.
Before we pack up, I walk the finished slab with you and go over anything we noticed along the way. I'll also tell you how long to keep foot traffic and furniture off it while it cures.
Most of what decides how decorative work holds up is prep and sealing. So we take the time to get the surface ready before any sealer touches it, and I help you pick a sealer for the look you want. After that, I'll tell you to reseal when the surface needs it, not because the calendar says so.
On a new slab, our crew digs out, packs the base and sets rebar where the job calls for it, steel bars that hold the slab together if it cracks. We plan pours for the cooler part of the day, because midday heat can leave a weak, dusty top that sealer won't grab well, then stamp the pattern while the concrete is still workable.
Decorative work often comes with other concrete. If your patio steps down a slope, concrete retaining walls hold the ground back so the slab has a level spot to sit on. If part of the project is indoors, like a converted garage or a new room, concrete floor installation gives you a flat, solid slab to finish.
If the budget gets tight, cut the pattern before you cut the base. The base is buried on day one and nobody sees it, which is why it's the first thing people want to trim. But a fancy finish on a base that settles cracks and sinks anyway, and you can't fix it without tearing it out. A simpler stamp on a solid base is the better deal.
One pattern across the whole slab gives you the fullest stone or brick look. It takes the most stamping and joint planning, so it costs more than a plain field, especially if you add an accent color.
A stamped border around a broom finish, a brushed texture that gives shoes and tires grip, keeps the decorative look at the edges for less labor. It works well on driveways and walks that see steady traffic.
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done at your property and comes with no obligation. I measure, look the job over and give you a written quote that spells out what's included.
(213) 338-1030East Los Angeles goes through the county, and permits here come from LA County Public Works. Its permits overview lists patios among its miscellaneous items, so a decorative patio may need one, and whether yours does depends on the job and the address. Work that reaches into the street or public sidewalk goes through the county's separate permits for the public right-of-way.
We check with the right office for your address before we set a date, and when your job needs a permit, we take care of it and the inspections that go with it. Most of the cities around us run their own permit counters, so the office can change once you're past the county line. If you'd rather ask yourself, the county's East Los Angeles Building and Safety Office takes calls at (323) 881-7030.
We're based in East Los Angeles and work in the cities around it, like Montebello and Monterey Park, plus plenty of others nearby. Most of the decorative calls we get are on established lots, an old patio or front walk that's cracked or worn plain and ready to come out and be redone with some color and pattern.
I worked concrete every summer through school, hauling forms and finishing next to guys who'd done it for decades. I started this business in 2013, so we've been at it 13 years. I still come out to look at every job and write the quote myself, and I'd rather lose a job by quoting it right than win it by skipping prep.
Our crew lead runs the work on site with our own crew. We're fully licensed and insured. The state contractor board describes a concrete contractor as one who forms, pours, places, finishes and installs flat and other concrete work, and stamped slabs are built exactly that way. Every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
If you've got a patio, walk or driveway in mind, call (213) 338-1030 or send us the details through our form and I'll come take a look.
When your yard slopes, a retaining wall holds the soil back and gives a stamped patio or walk a level, steady place to sit.
If the project moves inside, a new interior slab poured flat and square gives you a solid floor for a garage conversion, addition or workshop.
We're based in East Los Angeles and do decorative work in the cities around it. The list below shows the ones with their own page, and we go to plenty of others nearby too.
Most stamped concrete gets a topical film-forming sealer, a coat that sits on the surface, because it deepens the color. Most penetrating water-repellent sealers protect against water and staining but leave the color as it is. So it comes down to a richer look or plain protection, and we'll talk it through at the estimate.
Reseal when the surface needs it, not on a schedule. The national concrete contractors' association advises resealing once stamped concrete loses its water and stain resistance or its depth of color, because sealing more than needed builds up a layer that's slow and costly to remove. It also advises sealing out of direct sun, often in the evening.
Stamped concrete in Los Angeles usually costs about $15 to $30 per square foot. That's the going rate in the area, not our price. Where your job lands depends on its size, how complex the design is and local contractor rates, and the written quote I give you after walking the job shows your number.
The surface has to be clean and sound before sealer goes on, because poor surface prep is one of the most common reasons protective coatings on concrete fail. Ask any contractor you're considering how they'll prepare the surface. We clean it and check that it's dry and solid before we seal.
Wait until the slab has cured, because penetrating sealers generally need fully cured concrete. Topical sealers put on too early or too heavily can spoil the look, so rushing the seal is a common mistake. I set the sealing day once the slab is ready, not before.
We pick up seven days a week, 7 AM to 11 PM, so you can call (213) 338-1030 or send the form after work or on a weekend.
