Decorative Concrete in Agoura Hills CA - a colored finish you can keep up
Plain gray slab, or a patio that's faded and worn? We put down colored, patterned concrete on a solid base and spell out the sealer upkeep.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What goes into a decorative concrete patio or walk in Agoura Hills?
Decorative concrete in Agoura Hills is colored concrete, usually with a pattern pressed in, that turns a plain gray patio, walk or driveway into a surface that looks like stone or tile. Once the surface is floated and troweled smooth, the crew presses stamping tools into it to set the pattern, then lifts them off.
Most people call us when an old slab is cracked, sinking or just tired, and they want the new concrete patio to look like more than gray. The price moves with the size of the area, how much old concrete has to come out, how much base work the ground needs, which color method you pick and how detailed the pattern is. The schedule turns on the demo and base work, whether a permit is needed first and the cure, the wait while the slab hardens before you use it. Your written estimate lays all of that out for your yard, so you're not guessing.
How we put down decorative concrete
Before anything gets poured, I lay out the color options plainly, including which take more skill to put down and which stay even across a big area, and I tell you which sealer we use and what it'll ask of you later, because sealer is upkeep you'll repeat. On the job, we dig out the old slab and soft dirt and pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, so it doesn't sink the way dirt that's only raked level does. We check where the water runs and slope the slab away from your house, set rebar, the steel that keeps cracks from spreading, and pour early in the day so the heat doesn't leave a weak, dusty top. Then we float and trowel it smooth, work in the color, stamp the pattern and cut control joints, grooves that tell the slab where to crack so it doesn't pick its own spot. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather trim the pattern than the base, because a nice finish on a base that settles cracks anyway.
Decorative work often sits next to other concrete. If the patio is going in on a slope, we can build concrete retaining walls to hold the ground first, and if you're also redoing a floor inside, we handle concrete floor installation too.
Integral color, mixed all the way through
Integral color goes into the concrete before the pour, so the color runs through the whole slab and it's the simpler method to put down. One color maker says the mix and any impurities in it affect the color more, which makes even color harder to hold across a large area, so it suits spots where a little variation won't bother you.
Color hardener, worked into the surface
Color hardener goes onto the fresh surface and is worked in, and one color maker says it forms a denser top that resists surface wear and lasts longer. It takes more time, effort and finisher skill than integral color, so it suits patios and walks that see heavy use when you want that longer life.
If your old patio or walk is sinking or tipping water toward the house, call now rather than wait. We reply to every call and message within one business day.
What happens after you call about decorative concrete in Agoura Hills?
Here's how a decorative concrete job runs with us, from your first call to the final walk-through, and who you'll be dealing with at each step. Most of the time, that's me.
Call or send a message
You call (747) 219-1796 or use the form, and I'm the one who gets back to you. We set a time for me to come out to your property.
I walk the site with you
I look at the old slab, the ground and where the water runs, and I hear what you want. You get a written estimate that spells out the prep, drainage, steel, joints, curing and color method so you can see where the money goes, and if the job needs a permit, an engineer or a scan first, I tell you then.
We form, pour and stamp
I'm on site with our crew from forms to finish, so the person who wrote your estimate is the one running the pour. If the weather turns, we move the pour rather than rush it.
We walk it with you
Before we pack up, we walk the finished slab together and go over how long to stay off it and when the sealer will want attention. The work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Get a written decorative concrete estimate for your yard
Send your project size, the finish you have in mind and your address. We reply within one business day, then I come out for a free written estimate, with no pressure to book.
(747) 219-1796Permits and licensing for decorative concrete in Agoura Hills
Two things get settled before any work starts. LA County Public Works issues permits for properties in unincorporated LA County, and a different office may handle your address if it sits outside the county's jurisdiction, so whether your decorative concrete needs a permit comes down to the office for your property. We check with the building office for your address before we start, and if your job needs a permit, we tell you at the estimate and apply for it before any work begins. On licensing, California lets someone without a license take a job under $1,000 only when the work needs no permit and they have no one working for them on it. We're licensed and fully insured, so that limit doesn't come into it.
A lot of our calls around here are older gray patios and walks that have cracked or settled, from homeowners who want color this time. We dig those out and rebuild the base the same way on jobs in Westlake Village and Oak Park, and across the cities around Agoura Hills on both sides of the county line.
Decorative concrete questions from Agoura Hills homeowners
How much does stamped concrete cost in the Los Angeles area?
Installed stamped concrete in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $15 to $30 per square foot, which is the going range around here, not our price. Where a job lands in that range depends on the color method, the pattern, how much old concrete comes out and how much base work the ground needs. Your written estimate gives you the number for your yard.
What is the best way to color stamped concrete, hardener or integral color?
For a patio or walk that takes a lot of wear or may need a patch later, color hardener is usually the better pick. One trade magazine article says a damaged color-hardened surface is much easier to repair than trying to match integral pigments. Ask any crew about their experience with hardener, because when it's put down poorly it can later peel away from the slab with weather and wear.
How often does a decorative concrete sealer need a new coat?
Usually every few years, according to one sealer maker, though it depends on the sealer type, foot or vehicle traffic and harsh weather. The same maker advises checking each product's own guidelines for a closer interval, so ask which sealer a crew plans to use and read its instructions. Plan on it as regular upkeep, the way you'd plan on repainting a fence.
Does sealer make decorative concrete slippery?
It can, because one sealer maker notes the surface may lose some grip with each coat. The same maker says adding an anti-skid compound, such as sand, while the sealer is still wet can offset that, which is worth thinking about around a pool or on steps.
Who can I hire for decorative concrete work in California?
A licensed concrete contractor is the usual hire, because the state licensing board's concrete class covers those who form, pour, place, finish and install flat and other concrete work. The board also says a landscaping contractor may take on concrete when it's part of landscape work that improves the grounds around a house or lot.
How long does a decorative concrete patio take to install?
It usually takes longer than a plain slab, because coloring and stamping add steps on pour day and the slab still has to cure before you use it. I'd rather wait a day than pour something I don't trust, and your written estimate spells out the curing so you can plan around it.
Concrete work that often goes with decorative jobs
When a patio or walk is going in on a slope, a retaining wall holds the soil back so the new slab has level, stable ground beside it.
If you're redoing a workshop, studio or room addition at the same time, a new interior floor gets the same attention to base, steel and curing.
Get your decorative concrete estimate started
Call (747) 219-1796 Mon–Fri 6 AM–9 PM or Sat–Sun 8 AM–10 PM, or use our contact form, and have a rough size and the color you like ready so we can start where it matters.