Stamped concrete services in La Verne, CA - a finish you approve before the full pour
Old patio or walk cracked, sunken or plain gray? We pour stamped concrete in a color and pattern you approve on a sample first.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Is stamped concrete a good fit for your patio or driveway?
Stamped concrete is flatwork, meaning a flat slab such as a patio, walk or driveway, that's colored and pressed with a pattern while it's still wet so it looks like slate, brick or natural stone. Our stamped concrete services in La Verne give your house that look on a single poured slab.
Most people who call us have an old patio or walk that's cracked, sinking or just plain gray, and they'd like something that suits the house better. The price moves with the size of the area, how much old concrete has to come out, how much work the base needs, and the pattern and number of colors you choose. The schedule depends on approving a sample of the look, any city permit, and curing, which is the wait while fresh concrete gains strength before it can take foot traffic and sealer. Your written estimate gives you the figure for your own space.
What tells you an old slab is ready for stamped concrete?
Cracks across the slab
Cracks that run across a patio or walk usually mean the ground underneath has moved, or the slab was never given a planned place to crack. If you wait, water gets under the edges and the pieces start to tip and catch a foot.
Water pooling by the house
If water sits on the patio after a rain or a hose, or runs back toward your walls, the slab was likely set without enough fall away from the house. Left alone, that water keeps soaking the ground next to your home and stains the concrete.
Sunken or uneven sections
When one section sits lower than the next, the dirt under it was probably raked level instead of dug out and packed. Over time it usually settles further, and a small lip that catches a toe today can become a slab that has to come out.
How our stamped concrete services work
We start under the surface, because that's the part nobody sees once the job is done. We dig out to firm ground and pack the subgrade, the soil and gravel the slab sits on, and we check where the water runs so the finished slab sheds away from your house. If the budget gets tight, I'd much rather you choose a simpler pattern than cut corners on the base, because a handsome finish on a poorly packed base settles and cracks along with the dirt beneath it. Before the full job, we pour a small sample in the color and pattern you've chosen so you can approve the look in your own yard, and one maker's guide calls for exactly this kind of sample, made with the job's real materials and tools. We pour early in the day to keep the top out of the midday heat, which can leave a weak, dusty surface later. The base color usually comes from a color hardener spread on the fresh concrete to color and harden the top, which is how one maker says its product is typically used. Then we press in the pattern, cut the control joints, which are grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, and let it cure. Once it's ready, we seal it, and afterward I show you how to tell when the surface is ready for a fresh coat of sealer.
Stamped work often sits beside plainer concrete. If your patio meets a path to the side gate, our concrete sidewalk building can tie the two together in a matching color with a broom finish, a light brushed texture that gives shoes some grip. A garage needs a smooth floor that's easy to sweep rather than a pattern, so when a cracked garage slab is part of the plan, we handle it as garage floor concrete with its own finish.
Fully stamped surface
This suits patios and pool decks where the look is the whole point. The pattern and color carry edge to edge.
Stamped border, plain center
This suits driveways and walks when you want the stone look at the edges with a simpler field. It also keeps the stamping to the parts people notice most.
Get a written estimate for your stamped concrete
We reply within one business day to set a time for my visit. The in-person estimate is free and there's no pressure to book, so you can take the written estimate, think it over and call us when you're ready.
(840) 588-1377Stamped concrete permits and licensing in La Verne
In La Verne, permits for construction work come from the city's Building and Safety Divisions, which check plans and inspect the work to make sure it meets code. If your stamped driveway or walk reaches the public right of way, the strip along the street that belongs to the public, that part needs an encroachment permit from Public Works. That permit covers only the street side, so any other permit the work needs still applies. We check with the city on every job, and where a permit is needed we handle the application and set up the inspections. California also treats building or improving driveways, terraces and patios as home improvement work, and the state allows someone without a contractor license to take only jobs under $1,000 that need no permit, and only if they have no one working for them. In practice, a stamped patio of any real size calls for a licensed contractor.
Most of the stamped work we do here is around homes where families already live, so we plan where the trucks park, keep the street clear and protect the lawn and planters on the way to the back yard. We're based in La Verne and do the same work across the cities around it, including San Dimas, Claremont and others nearby.
What happens when you call about stamped concrete in La Verne?
Call or send a request
Call (840) 588-1377 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. You can reach us Monday through Friday from 6 AM to 11 PM, and on weekends from 8 AM to 9 PM.
Walk the space with me
I come out myself, look over the site and ask how you use the space, whether that's dinners outside or a path for the trash bins. You'll have a written estimate before you decide anything, so the price won't surprise you later.
Go over the plan together
Before we start, we go over the plan, the city steps for your job and what to expect while the concrete cures. We set the day for the full pour once you've approved the sample.
Pour, cure and walk through
Our crew does the work, and I'm on site for the pour. When we're done, I walk the finished work with you.
Frequently asked questions
How much does stamped concrete cost in La Verne?
Installed stamped concrete in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $15 to $30 per square foot. That's the going rate across the area, not our price, and where your job lands depends on the factors covered above. Your written estimate gives you the figure for your own space.
How long does new stamped concrete need to cure before it's sealed?
Stamped concrete has to be cured before it's sealed, and the concrete industry's standard for full cure is 28 days. That timing can shift with the location and the time of year, so we set the sealing date with you once the slab is down.
How often does stamped concrete need to be resealed?
Reseal stamped concrete only when it needs it, which is when water and stains stop beading off or the color starts to look flat. Sealing more often than that builds up layers on the surface that take time and money to remove, so the check I show you after the job is a better guide than a calendar date.
What is the best sealer for stamped concrete?
A topical sealer, the kind that forms a clear film on the surface, is the most common choice for stamped concrete because it brings out the color. Please ask about it when you look at your sample, since the sealer changes how deep the color appears.
Will new stamped concrete crack like my old patio?
Control joints placed correctly and cut on time keep random cracking to a minimum. We go over where the joints will fall with you as part of the plan, and we cut them with a groover while the concrete is placed or with a saw once it has set enough.
Is stamped concrete slippery when it's wet?
It can be, so it's worth checking before you commit. One maker's guide advises checking slip resistance both wet and dry and talking through upkeep before the job, and your sample is a good place to do both.
La Verne, CA
Send us photos of your space
A rough size of the area and a few photos let me arrive at the visit with pattern and color ideas that suit your house.