Decorative concrete in Petaluma CA - a patterned surface you can keep looking good
Plain gray concrete that looks tired next to the house? We add pattern and color, and show you what it takes to keep it.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What is decorative concrete, and is it right for your Petaluma home?
In Petaluma, decorative concrete is how we give a plain slab pattern and color, so a patio, walk or driveway looks like part of the house instead of an afterthought. Stamped concrete is one form of it, and it's the one most homeowners ask about.
Most people who call about decorative concrete have a plain patio or walk that looks worn, or a stamped surface that's lost its color, and they want to know what a new one costs to put in and to keep up. The price moves with the size, the design you pick, whether old concrete has to come out first and how much ground prep the spot needs. The schedule turns mostly on the design and on whether the work reaches the sidewalk or driveway approach, because city steps come first there. If you already know you want a pressed pattern, our stamped concrete services page goes deeper on that, and either way I'll put the details for your job in a written estimate that lists what's included.
How can you tell your concrete is ready for a decorative upgrade?
Faded or patchy color
Color on an older stamped patio that looks washed out or blotchy usually means the sealer has worn off. The longer it goes bare, the more dirt and wear it takes, and a reseal now is far less work than redoing the surface later.
Slick spots when wet
If the deck by the pool or the walk by the hose feels slippery after water hits it, the sealer on top is usually smooth and glossy. Left that way, it stays a fall risk every time it gets wet.
Cracks through the pattern
Cracks that run across the pattern in places nobody planned usually mean the joints were cut late or skipped, or the base under the slab settled. Waiting lets the edges chip, and decorative work is hard to patch so it matches.
How we build decorative concrete, starting under the surface
I start by showing you what each look will ask of you in resealing and care, not just what it costs on day one, because a pattern you can't keep up with won't look good for long. Then our crew digs out and packs the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, sets the forms and the rebar, steel that holds the slab together if it does crack, and pours. We add the color and press the pattern while the concrete is still workable, then cut control joints, planned grooves that give cracks a place to go where you won't notice them, and seal the surface once it's ready. Near pools and other wet spots we talk with you about sealers with grip so the surface isn't slick, and if the budget gets tight, I'd rather simplify the pattern than cut corners on the base nobody sees after day one.
Decorative work often sits right beside other concrete. If your patio is cut into a slope, concrete retaining walls hold the ground back so the new surface has something stable next to it, and if part of the project is indoors, our concrete floor installation work covers the new slab inside.
Get a written estimate for your decorative concrete
We reply within one business day to set a time. I come out, look at the site and send a free written estimate that lists what's included, with no pressure to book.
- support@petalumaconcretecontractor.com
- Based in
- Petaluma, CA 94952
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call us about decorative concrete?
Here's how a decorative concrete job runs with us, from your first call to the walk-through at the end.
Call or send the form
You reach us at (707) 283-3110 or through the form, and we get back to you to set a time for me to see the site. Photos and a rough size help me come prepared.
I visit and write it up
I look at the space, ask how you'll use it and send a written estimate that lists what's included. It covers the look you pick and what it will ask of you in resealing, so you can compare designs on paper before you spend anything.
We set a date and build
Once you're ready, we sort out any city steps, set a date and our crew does the prep, forming, pouring and finishing. If the work reaches the driveway approach, a city inspector has to approve the forms and steel before we pour, so we plan the pour around that visit.
Walk the finished job together
I walk the job with you before we pack up so you can point out anything you'd like looked at. We also go over when and how to reseal it.
Why Petaluma homeowners call Allied Petaluma Concrete for decorative work
If you'd like to see what a basic and a custom design would each cost you, both now and in upkeep, ask for an estimate and I'll put it in writing.
The owner writes your estimate
I come out to look at every job myself and put the estimate in writing so you can read what's included at your own pace. Our own crew does the forming, pouring and finishing, so the person who quoted your job knows exactly who's building it.
Building concrete since 2013
I learned on a flatwork crew, the crews that pour patios, walks and driveways, and came back to the trade in 2013 to start this business. Thirteen years in, I'd still rather tell you plainly what concrete will and won't do than promise more than it can give.
Licensed and fully insured crew
We're licensed and fully insured, which protects you if something goes wrong while we're on your property. California's license board defines concrete work as forming, pouring, finishing and installing flat and other concrete, so a decorative job is squarely contractor work.
Based in Petaluma, working nearby
We're based in Petaluma and work in the cities around it across the North Bay. Being close means the person who quoted your job isn't far from it while it's being built.
Decorative patios, walks and driveways in Petaluma
Where your concrete ends decides how much paperwork the job carries here. Petaluma's Building Division lists concrete flatwork as permit-free unless it's in the public right-of-way, the strip along the street the city controls, sits on an accessible path or supports a permitted structure or equipment, so we check a backyard patio or walk against that list and ask the division when it isn't clear. A driveway that meets the sidewalk is different, because the city requires an encroachment permit for work on sidewalks and driveway approaches, the same permit that covers a dumpster parked there. The city's form also says that kind of work in a developed area has to be finished within 14 days of starting. Those are the city's stated rules on its older forms, and when a job needs a city permit, we help with the application and plan our start around the city's approval and inspections. With or without a permit, the city says all work has to meet the state building code and city rules.
Most of the decorative calls we get are backyard patios and walks, plus driveways out front that run to the sidewalk. We see the same mix on jobs in Novato and Santa Rosa, and we start each one by asking where the slab ends and what it touches.
Questions about decorative concrete in Petaluma
How much does stamped concrete cost in Petaluma?
Stamped concrete in the San Francisco area usually costs about $14 to $34 per square foot, and that's the market's range, not a quote from us. A single pattern and color sit nearer the low end, while borders, extra colors and inlays push the price up. Our written estimate gives you the figure for your own job.
How do I know if I need a permit for decorative concrete in Petaluma?
If the work reaches the sidewalk or driveway approach, the city requires an encroachment permit for that part. For a patio or walk on your own lot, we check the job against the city's list of permit-free flatwork covered above and confirm anything unclear with the Building Division before we set a date.
How often does stamped concrete need resealing?
Stamped concrete should be resealed every two to three years, so count it as a regular cost of keeping the surface looking good. One sealer maker says to apply it only when it's 50°F or warmer, the surface isn't frozen and no rain is expected for eight hours, which makes resealing a job for a dry, mild day.
Is sealed stamped concrete slippery around a pool?
It can be, because one maker warns its stamped concrete sealer can turn slippery when wet, especially on smooth surfaces. Another maker builds a slip-resistant additive into a sealer meant for pool decks and other outdoor concrete, which is why we bring up sealers with grip for wet spots.
How do I keep new stamped concrete from cracking like my old slab?
You can't promise any concrete won't crack, so the honest goal is to keep the slab from settling and control where cracks go. We do that with the packed base and planned joints described above, and on a stamped surface we line the joints up with the pattern so they're hard to spot.
Can a handyman do a small decorative concrete job in California?
Only if the job is $1,000 or less, needs no permit and the person doing it employs no one, under California's minor work exemption. Anything larger, or anything that needs a permit, calls for a licensed contractor.
Related concrete work for your project
Concrete retaining walls
When a decorative patio sits against a slope, a wall holds the ground back so the new surface has a level, stable place to stay put.
Concrete floor installation
For a basement, shop or addition that needs a new slab inside, we pour a floor that's flat, level and ready for whatever goes on it.
Service areas for our decorative concrete work
Allied Petaluma Concrete is based in Petaluma, California, and works in the cities around it across the North Bay. This site has pages for 12 of those cities, including Rohnert Park and Cotati, and they aren't the only places we work.
Petaluma, CA
Get a written estimate for decorative concrete
Send the rough square footage, a few photos and whether the work reaches the sidewalk or driveway approach, and I can come out already knowing which design questions to ask.