Decorative concrete in Shafter CA - color and pattern on a slab that stays put
Plain gray concrete that looks tired next to your house? We add pattern and color over a base that's dug out and packed right.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does decorative concrete involve in Shafter?
Decorative concrete is flatwork, the patios, walks and other slabs on the ground, finished with a pattern, a color or both, and in Shafter we pour it new so it looks like stone or brick or carries color you picked.
Most people who call about this have a patio or walk that works fine but looks unfinished, or they're pouring new and want more than a sidewalk out back. The price moves with the size of the area, the pattern and color method you choose, and how much old concrete and loose dirt has to come out before we pour. The schedule turns on whether a permit is needed and on the wait while the concrete cures, the time it sits undisturbed while it gains strength. If the look of laid stone is what you're after, stamped concrete is usually the answer, and your written estimate spells out what's included so nothing is a guess.
How do you know your concrete is ready for a decorative redo?
Slab looks like an afterthought
The patio or walk is sound but plain gray, and it doesn't match the house you've put work into. Waiting costs nothing structurally, but if a new pour is coming anyway, deciding on color and pattern before it goes in is far easier than covering a finished slab later.
Cracks running every direction
Cracks that wander wherever they like usually mean the control joints, the shallow cuts that give concrete a planned place to crack, were cut late or skipped, or the ground moved underneath. The longer water gets into those cracks, the more the edges chip and lift.
Water sitting by the house
If the slab holds puddles or sheds water toward your wall, it was poured with the wrong fall, the downhill slope that carries water away. Left alone, that water soaks the ground under the slab and beside the foundation, and that's usually when sections start sinking.
How we pour decorative concrete
I start with the ground, because most bad slabs I've seen went wrong below the surface, not on top. We dig out to firm subgrade, the dirt the slab actually sits on, bring in base rock and pack it, then set forms so the finished slab falls away from your house. Where the slab needs it we set rebar, steel bars that hold the pieces together if it ever cracks, then we pour, color or stamp the top and cut the control joints while the timing is right. Some color methods ask more of the finisher than others, so I'll tell you which one I'd use on your job and why. If the budget gets tight, I'd trim the finish before the base, because nobody sees the base on day one and everybody sees it once it settles.
Decorative work usually sits next to other concrete. If your patio runs up against a slope, we build concrete retaining walls to hold the hill back before the flatwork goes in front of it, and inside a shop or a new room, concrete floor installation starts with the same packed base.
Stamped pattern
This suits patios and walks where you want the look of stone or brick without laying it piece by piece. We press the pattern into the concrete while it's still fresh, so the crew's timing on pour day matters as much as the pattern you pick.
Color hardener
This suits spots that take foot traffic and furniture dragged across them, because one color maker says it makes a denser top that stands up to wear better than integral color. It takes more skill from the finisher, though, and if it's applied badly it can come loose later with weather and wear.
Integral color
This suits smaller patios and walks, because the color is mixed all the way through the concrete. It's usually added at the ready-mix plant, which takes some control away from us, so an even shade is harder to hold across a large area.
Get a decorative concrete estimate at your house
We reply within one business day to set up a visit. The estimate is free, done on site, and there's no obligation to go ahead.
Call (661) 776-8737- Based in
- Shafter, CA 93263
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call about decorative concrete in Shafter?
From your first call to the final walk-through, you deal with me, and here's what each step looks like on your end.
Call or send the form
You call (661) 776-8737 or send the form, and we set a time for me to come out. It helps to have the rough size, a few photos, any cracks in the old slab and whether the work reaches the street.
I measure and write it up
I look at the ground, measure and ask how you'll use the space. You get a written estimate that says what's included, so you can see what goes into the base and what goes into the finish before you decide.
Permits sorted before digging
If your job needs a permit, we sort it out before anybody picks up a shovel. Then we set a pour day around the weather and the cure.
We pour, then walk it
Our crew does the work with me on site, from digging out the base to cutting the joints. When it's done, I walk the finished slab with you.
Why Shafter homeowners call us for decorative concrete
I come out to every job
I look at every job and write the estimate myself, and I'm on site with our own crew while they work. The person who priced your base work is the one watching it go in.
Pouring in Shafter since 2013
I started as a helper hauling mud and cleaning tools until a crew let me near a trowel, and I opened this business in Shafter in 2013. Thirteen years in, I'd still rather spend extra time on prep than explain a crack later.
Licensed and insured for your job
We're licensed and insured, which is the first thing to ask any crew before they start digging in your yard. Our work is satisfaction guaranteed.
If you've got a patio or walk that could use some color, get in touch and I'll come out and look at the ground first.
Planning decorative concrete and site prep in Shafter
The Shafter Building Department issues permits for most construction and repair work in the city, and its list names patios, decks and retaining walls but not decorative concrete, so the list alone doesn't settle your job. You can ask the department about your address, and we check with them before we start too. If a permit is needed, we handle the application and line up the inspections. The city also tells residents to call 811 before they dig, so any slab that needs digging starts with that call.
One soil study of Kern County finds expansive soil, clay that swells when it's wet and shrinks as it dries, is a real risk but an uneven one, worst on lots with poor drainage, cut-and-fill grading or old plumbing leaks. So before we dig, I check where your water runs and whether the yard was built up, and we see the same mix of ground on jobs in Bakersfield and Wasco. We're based in Shafter and work across Shafter, Bakersfield and the cities around them.
Questions about decorative concrete in Shafter
Call (661) 776-8737How much does decorative concrete cost around Bakersfield?
Concrete work in the Bakersfield area usually costs about $5 to $19 per square foot, and that's a general range for the market, not our price. Decorative jobs land higher or lower in it depending on the pattern, the color method and how much digging and base work your ground needs. I'll give you your own number in writing after I've seen the site.
Do I need a permit for decorative concrete work in Shafter?
The building department's list doesn't settle it for decorative work, so we check for your address before we start, as covered above. If any of the work reaches into the city right of way, the strip the city controls along the street, Shafter requires an encroachment permit, and the fees are paid when the application goes in.
Can a decorative topping go over my old concrete slab?
It can, but old cracks can find their way through the new surface, and I'll tell you that up front. The topping maker says primers and crack repair help limit it but can't promise the cracks won't show, so if you choose a topping, plan on the chance that some do. If the old slab has sunk or shifted a lot, tearing it out is usually the better money.
Who is allowed to do concrete work in California?
The state licenses concrete contractors through the Contractors State License Board, and you need a licensed contractor when the job needs a building permit, brings in other workers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials together. Most decorative patios cross that last line without trying. We're licensed and insured, as noted above.
What causes problems when concrete is poured in hot weather?
Heat makes the cement react faster and pulls moisture out of fresh concrete faster, and that can hurt how the slab performs, often as a weak, dusty top later on. That's why it's fair to ask any crew how they place and cure on hot days. We pour in the cooler hours and keep the surface from drying out too soon while it cures.
What is the best way to get a stone or brick look for less?
Stamped concrete is usually the way to go, and it can often cost less than real stone or brick. You get one poured slab instead of hundreds of pieces set by hand. Which pattern and color suit your house is something we settle at the estimate.
Related concrete work around a decorative slab
Concrete retaining walls
When a patio sits against a slope, a retaining wall holds the soil back so the dirt and water don't push against your new finished slab.
Concrete floor installation
Want color or a smooth finish indoors? A new interior concrete floor in a shop, addition or new room starts with the same packed base and careful pour.
Service areas around Shafter and Bakersfield
Shafter Concrete is based in Shafter, California. Bakersfield and Wasco are two of the 12 areas with their own page below, and we work in plenty of places between them too.
Shafter, CA
Get your decorative concrete priced on site
The color method and the base work are easier to decide standing on the spot than over the phone.