Stamped concrete services in Redwood City CA - a patterned slab that wears well
Tired of a plain gray patio or a faded, cracked walk? We pour and stamp new concrete in the pattern and colors you choose.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does a stamped concrete job in Redwood City involve?
Stamped concrete is a new slab pressed with patterned mats while it's still soft, so your patio, walk or driveway in Redwood City gets the look of stone, brick or wood with the strength of concrete. Colored release powder goes on before stamping so the mats don't stick, and it leaves a darker accent in the low spots that gives the surface an older, worn-in look.
Most people who call us have a plain slab that looks tired, or a cracked one that has to come out anyway, and they'd like something better going back in. Often it's a new concrete patio. The price moves with the size, how busy the pattern is, how many colors and borders you want, whether old concrete has to be broken out and how much base work the ground needs. The schedule turns on the tear-out, the base, the curing, which is the wait before you use it so the concrete can gain strength, and the wash and seal at the end. I'll give you your own number at the estimate.
How do you know it's time for stamped concrete or a reseal?
Faded, patchy color
If an existing stamped surface has gone dull or blotchy, the sealer has usually worn through. Reseal it soon, because once the sealer's gone the color and texture take every footstep and tire on their own, and a simple reseal turns into a repair.
Slick after the sprinklers
A stamped patio that turns into an ice rink when it's wet usually has a smooth sealer with nothing in it for grip. Leave it like that and somebody eventually finds out the hard way, so it's worth fixing before they do.
Cracks or sunken sections
Cracks that keep spreading, or a slab that's dropped toward the house, mean the base settled or the water's been running the wrong way. A nice pattern won't fix that, and waiting lets water work under the slab and makes the tear-out bigger.
Our stamped concrete work, start to finish
First I check where the water runs, so the new slab falls away from your house. Then we dig out the subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, and pack a base on top, because a slab only stays flat if what's under it does. We set forms and rebar, the steel that holds the slab together if it cracks, then pour, add the color, brush on release and press the mats in while the concrete's still workable. We cut control joints, grooves that give the slab a place to crack where you won't notice, and let it cure. Leftover release powder can stop the sealer from bonding, so we wash the surface before we seal, and where the slab gets wet we can mix grit into the sealer so it isn't slick underfoot. If the budget's tight, I'd keep the money in the base and pick a simpler pattern, because you can reseal a pattern but you can't fix a bad base without a jackhammer.
Stamping often comes with other work. A stamped patio usually needs a path to it, and our concrete sidewalk building can match its color or run a plain border so the walk ties in. Inside, garage floor concrete gets a plain finish instead, since a pattern does nothing for you under tires and a rolling toolbox.
One pattern, one color
This suits a patio or walk where you want the look without much upkeep. It costs less and is easier to keep up, though it won't turn heads the way a busier design does.
Borders, inlays and extra colors
This suits an entry or a patio people see first. It costs more and needs more frequent care to keep its look, so pick it if you're fine staying on top of the sealing.
Stamped driveway
Everyday cars work with a typical driveway slab, but heavier loads or weak ground can call for a different design. Tell me about the RV, the work truck or the delivery trucks before we plan it.
Get a stamped concrete estimate for your patio, walk or driveway
Tell us the size, how you use the space and the pattern and colors you like. I'll get back to you within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate, with no obligation.
(650) 587-4028- Based in
- Redwood City, CA 94063
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
What happens when you call about stamped concrete in Redwood City?
Here's how it goes from your first call to the final walk-through, so you know who you'll be talking to and when you'll see a number.
- +01
Call or send the form
You reach us at (650) 587-4028 or through the form, and you hear back from me to set a time to come out. Have the rough size and how you use the space handy.
- +02
I look the job over
I come out, look at the ground and where the water goes, ask a lot of questions and write up an estimate you can look over before you decide. If a simpler pattern would save you money without hurting the job, I'll say so.
- +03
We build it, then walk it
Our own crew does the work, and I check it as it goes, from the base to the seal. When it's finished, we walk it with you.
Why Redwood City homeowners call Elite Redwood City Concrete for stamped work
If you've got a patio, walk or driveway in mind, tell me about it and I'll come take a look.
I look at every job myself
I come out to see the ground, the drainage and how you use the space, and our own crew does the pour. The person who sizes up your base is the same one answering for it.
In business since 2013
I ran crews and pours for another contractor for years, mostly flatwork, meaning patios, walks and drives, before starting this business 13 years ago. That's a lot of time watching concrete cure, which is about as thrilling as it sounds, and it's how I learned what fails first.
Licensed and fully insured in California
California's state licensing board defines concrete contracting as forming, pouring, placing, finishing and installing flat and other concrete, and that's the work you're hiring for here. We're licensed and fully insured, so ask any contractor you're comparing for the same.
Permits, ground and hiring for stamped concrete in Redwood City
Whether your stamped patio or driveway needs a permit depends on the job, and I won't guess at it from a website. Redwood City's Building Department is the office to ask. The city runs permits through an online portal it opens to contractors with a valid city business license, so the contractor files them. If your job needs one, I'll say so at the estimate, and we'll handle the paperwork and inspections with the city or the county. On hiring, the board's guidance, from an FAQ that carries no date, says a home improvement contract's down payment can't be more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less.
San Mateo County's soil survey rates most of the ground low for shrink-swell, how much it swells when wet and shrinks when dry, but some spots rate moderate to very high, and the survey has gaps, often in built-up areas like ours. So I check the ground on every job instead of trusting the map, and we size the base to what we find, the same as on jobs in San Carlos and Belmont.
Questions about stamped concrete in Redwood City
How much does stamped concrete cost in Redwood City?
Around San Francisco, stamped concrete usually costs about $15 to $30 a square foot, and that's the area's going rate, not our price. Simpler designs sit toward the low end and busy ones toward the high end. I'll give you your own number at the estimate.
How often does stamped concrete need to be resealed?
Plan on resealing about every two to three years. It's part of owning the surface from day one, so count it in when you pick a design.
Is stamped concrete slippery when wet?
It can be. One sealer maker warns that its stamped concrete sealer can get slippery when wet, especially on smooth surfaces, and says slip-resistant granules can be mixed into the wet sealer. That's the grit I mentioned above, so ask for it near a pool, a hose bib or a shady walk.
What is the best way to color stamped concrete for a busy driveway?
For heavy foot or car traffic, color hardener is usually the better pick, because it adds wear resistance, while color mixed into the concrete only adds color. Hardener takes more time and skill to put on, and a poor job of it can come away in sheets later, so the crew matters as much as the product.
What causes stamped concrete to crack?
Most cracks come from a base that settled, water getting under the slab, or control joints cut late or skipped. Concrete cracks. Our job is to make it crack in the joints where we chose, and keep the ground under it from moving.
Can old concrete be stamped, or does it need to be replaced?
Stamping happens while new concrete is still soft, so an existing slab can't be stamped, and getting the stamped look means breaking it out and pouring again. Before we pour, we fix whatever made the old one fail, which is usually the base or the drainage.
Related concrete work for your stamped project
A new walk from the driveway to your stamped patio can share its color or border, so the whole path reads as one job instead of two.
If the driveway is getting redone, it's a good time to look at a cracked or uneven garage slab, since we're already set up for the pour.
Service areas for stamped concrete near Redwood City
Elite Redwood City Concrete is based in Redwood City, California, and this site has pages for 12 of the cities we work in, including San Mateo and Palo Alto. Pick yours to see the work we do there.
Get your stamped concrete project priced
Bring a photo of a pattern you like, and we can talk through what it takes to build and keep up before anything gets poured.
Redwood City, CA