Decorative concrete in Pleasanton CA - a slab that looks like stone and wears well
Plain gray concrete looking worn or dull? We pour new stamped slabs or resurface sound ones so your patio or walk looks finished.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Should you resurface your old slab or pour new decorative concrete?
Decorative concrete in Pleasanton, CA means coloring and finishing concrete so a driveway, patio or walk looks like stone, brick, wood or tile. You get there one of two ways, by pouring a new stamped slab or by bonding a thin overlay onto sound concrete you already have.
Most people call because a patio or walk is plain, faded or chipping, and they want it to look like more than gray concrete. At Pleasanton Concrete Company we do this work in Pleasanton and the cities around it, across the East Bay and down into the South Bay. The price turns mostly on the size of the area, whether your old slab can stay or has to come out, and how much pattern and color you want. The schedule turns on that same tear-out question, plus whether the city needs to review the job. My written estimate lists each of those as its own line, so you'll see where the money goes before you decide.
When does decorative concrete make sense for your house?
Solid slab, tired surface
If the concrete is sound but plain or worn, an overlay can give it a new finish without tear-out.
Cracked or sinking concrete
When the old slab has to come out anyway, pour the new one stamped from the start.
Wanting a stone or brick look
A stamped pattern gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick in one poured surface.
A driveway seen from the street
The driveway is often the biggest surface out front, so its finish sets how the house looks.
How we do decorative concrete
First we check whether your slab is sound enough to resurface, since an overlay is a thin cement topping that bonds to what's under it and only works on good concrete. If it isn't, I'll say so and quote a new pour instead. On a new pour our crew digs out to firm subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, and packs the base before any forms go in, because a stamped finish on a base that settles will crack and sink like any other slab. Then we pour, add the color, press rubber stamping mats into the surface while it's still soft, and seal it. If the budget is tight, I'd rather you pick a simpler pattern than cut the base, because the base is buried on day one and it's the one part you can't fix later.
Decorative work often sits next to other concrete jobs. If you've already settled on a pattern for a new slab, our page on stamped concrete services goes further into it. A patio on a slope may need concrete retaining walls first so the ground stays put, and inside the house the same layout care goes into concrete floor installation.
New stamped pour
This suits a slab that's cracked, sinking or due to come out anyway, because you get a fresh base under the new pattern. It usually costs more than an overlay since the old concrete has to be broken out and hauled away first.
Overlay on your existing slab
This suits concrete that's solid but worn or plain, because the topping renews the surface without tearing anything out. It won't hold on a slab that's moving underneath, which is why we check yours before we quote it.
What happens after you call about decorative concrete in Pleasanton
Call or send the form
Call (925) 468-2730 or send the form with the size of the area and a few photos. We get back to you to set a time for me to come out.
I measure and ask questions
I measure, ask what the concrete has to carry and where the water should go, and look at the slab you have now. You get a written estimate, line by line, so the prep, the finish and the sealer each show up as their own cost.
We check the forms first
Before any concrete shows up, I check the forms against the plan, because once it's poured you can't move it. Our own crew does the work, and I'm on site to run the pour.
We tell you when it's ready
Once the finish and sealer are down, we tell you plainly when the concrete is ready to walk on and use. You won't have to guess.
Choosing a color for decorative concrete
Color through the whole slab hides chips best.
Pigment can be mixed through the full depth of the concrete instead of sitting only on top, so a chip or a saw cut later shows the same color as the surface. It's the choice I lean toward for driveways and walks that take daily wear, because the slab ages without pale scars.
The trade-off is range. Full-depth color won't give you the deepest or brightest tones, so if you want a bold color, we'll talk through what you gain and what you give up. Bring a photo of a finish you like to the estimate and we'll go over it together.
Examples of concrete work
Look through these examples of concrete patterns, colors and finishes to find a look you like before we talk about your own slab.
Get a written estimate for your decorative concrete
Tell us the size of the area, add photos of any existing slab, and describe the finish you like. We reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate, with no obligation.
Why Pleasanton homeowners call Pleasanton Concrete Company for decorative concrete
The owner measures and pours
I come out to measure and write the estimate, and I'm on site to check the forms and run the pour. The person who walked the job with you is the one there when the concrete goes in.
Commercial habits on home jobs
I spent years on a big commercial concrete outfit where everything got checked before a truck showed up. I started this business in Pleasanton in 2023 to bring that same care to homes, so layout comes first here.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured. California has a C-8 classification for contractors who form, pour and finish flatwork, the flat concrete like drives and patios, so it's fair to ask anyone you compare which license covers this job.
Straight answers, in writing
I'll tell you what concrete won't do, like stay free of every crack, and every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. Call (925) 468-2730 or use the form to set up a visit.
Decorative concrete questions we hear
How much does stamped concrete cost in Pleasanton, CA?
Stamped concrete in San Francisco usually costs about $16 to $34 per square foot, which gives you a sense of the market but isn't our price. What you'd pay here depends on the size of the area, whether old concrete comes out first and the pattern and color you choose. I'll measure and write you an estimate line by line, so you can see what's in the price.
How often does stamped concrete need to be resealed?
Stamped concrete gets resealed when it needs it, not on a set number of years. Plan to reseal when water starts soaking in instead of sitting on top, stains set in more easily, or the color looks flatter than it did. Resealing is the most common upkeep this kind of concrete needs.
What causes stamped concrete sealer to turn white or cloudy?
Usually too much sealer, or sealer put down too early. The sealers most used on stamped work form a film on the surface because they bring out the color, and one trade guide says to apply them in two thin, even coats, since a heavy coat can bubble, turn white and make the slab slick when wet. Ask any contractor how they seal before you hire them.
Will my new decorative concrete crack like the old slab?
It can, because no slab stays free of every crack, and I'd rather tell you that now. We cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, so a crack usually follows the joint where it's hard to see. The packed base we covered above keeps the slab from settling and splitting the way an old one often does.
Does a decorative concrete driveway need a permit in Pleasanton?
Sometimes, and we find out for your address before work starts. A low driveway or walk can fall under the city's building permit exemption, but a planning or zoning permit may still apply. The details are in the Pleasanton section below.
How do I get ready for a decorative concrete estimate?
Have a rough size of the area, a few photos of the slab you have now and a picture of a finish you like. That's enough for us to talk through real options on the visit, and you can send all of it with the form.
Ready to plan your decorative concrete?
Ask for an estimate and I'll measure on site, then write the price up line by line.
Other concrete work you may need
Decorative concrete rules in Pleasanton
In Pleasanton, the city's Building and Safety Official issues building permits, and the city's permit requirements exempt a driveway or sidewalk that sits no more than 30 inches above the ground next to it, isn't over a basement or a room below, and isn't part of an accessible route, a path built for wheelchair access. That list doesn't settle the whole question, because a planning or zoning permit may still be required when a building permit isn't. Before work starts we confirm which city or county office covers your address, and when a permit is needed we take care of the application and the inspections and keep you posted.
Bigger jobs bring one more rule. When a project creates or replaces 2,500 square feet or more of hard surface that water can't soak through, there are stormwater forms and plans to submit to the city's Development Services, and I'll tell you at the estimate if your job reaches that size. Most decorative calls are patios, walks and driveways, and we see the same mix of work in Dublin and Livermore.