Santa Paula ConcreteSanta Paula Concrete(805) 873-8640
Santa Paula Concrete
(805) 873-8640Get an estimate

Stamped concrete services in Santa Paula CA - a stone look on a solid base

Tired of a plain gray patio or a cracked walk? We pour new slabs stamped to look like slate, brick or stone.

Get an estimate(805) 873-8640
A gray stamped concrete patio with irregular stone-like texture sits beside a stone wall and leafy potted plants.

Is stamped concrete a good choice for my patio or driveway?

Our stamped concrete services in Santa Paula, CA give a patio, walk or driveway the look of slate, brick or natural stone, because we press texture and color into regular poured concrete while it's still wet. It's still a concrete slab underneath, so it needs the same solid base as any other.

Most people call us when a patio has cracked, sunk or started holding puddles, or when a plain slab just looks tired next to the house. Stamping only changes the top, so before we talk patterns I want to know what the slab will sit on and where the water goes, because that's where most cracks and puddles start.

The price moves with the size in square feet, the pattern and colors you pick, whether we tear out an old slab first, how much the base needs and whether there's steel in the slab. The schedule turns on the tear-out, whether a permit applies and the curing, which is the wait while the concrete hardens before you walk or drive on it, and my estimate spells out what's included for your job. If you're starting from bare dirt, our concrete patio construction page covers the slab itself.

  • Patios, walks, porches and driveways, stamped to look like slate, brick or natural stone.
  • Every job includes digging out and packing the base, forms, the pour, stamping and sealing.
  • Tearing out an old slab first adds time and cost, and the estimate spells that out.

What happens after you call about a stamped concrete job?

I come out for every estimate myself, and our own crew does the work, so you deal with the same people from the first call to the last walk-through. Here's how a stamped job usually goes.

  1. Call or send the form

    Call (805) 873-8640 or use the form on this page and tell us a little about the job. We get back to you to set a time for me to come out.

  2. I walk the site with you

    I ask a lot of questions about what's under and around the slab, where the water runs and how the crew will get in, then write up an estimate that spells out what's included, so you know what you're paying for. It also says whether a permit applies and who will file it, and when we file, we handle the paperwork with the city or county office.

  3. Our crew preps, forms and pours

    Once you say go, our crew handles the dig-out, base, forms, pour and stamping. I check in as the work goes, so questions about the pattern or color get answered on the spot.

  4. We walk the finished slab together

    When the sealer's on, I walk the job with you and show you where the joints fell and what to watch for when it's time to reseal. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.

How we handle stamped concrete from the base to the sealer

We start under the slab, because that's the part you'll never see again. Our crew digs out the subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, and packs it instead of raking the dirt level, then we check where the water runs so the finished slab falls away from your house. We'd rather pour early than in midday heat, since a top that dries too fast turns weak and dusty, and once the concrete is placed we color it, press the stamps in and cut the control joints, the planned lines that give the slab a place to crack. I lay those joints out so they fall with the stamp pattern, along a grout line instead of across a stone, so a crack that does show up looks like part of the design. After it cures we seal it, and where the surface gets wet a lot, like around a pool or a hose, we'll talk about mixing grit into the sealer so it's less slick. If the budget's tight, I'd rather you pick a simpler pattern than skimp on the base, because a fancy top on a poor base still settles and cracks.

Stamped jobs often tie into other slabs around the house. A stamped patio usually meets a walk somewhere, and if that walk is due for replacement, our concrete sidewalk building work pours it at the same height so the two meet cleanly. Inside the garage, most people want a smooth, hard-wearing floor rather than a pattern, and that's our garage floor concrete work.

  • Colored release for a two-toned look

    Release is the coating that keeps the stamps from sticking, and one maker says its colored release gives an antique, two-toned look because the darker color settles into the grout lines and deeper texture over a color hardener. It suits slate and stone patterns where you want the pattern to stand out.

  • Clear release if you'll stain or coat it

    One maker says its colorless release is commonly used indoors and on jobs that will get a stain or coating later. If you're planning either, tell me before we start so we pick the right release.

  • A stamped border around a plain center

    Stamping only the edges and leaving a broom finish, a light swept texture for grip, in the middle keeps some of the look with less stamping work. It suits long walks and driveways where most of the slab just needs to be useful.

Stamped patterns, colored slabs and plain concrete walks and patios

These photos show the kinds of patterns, colors and finishes concrete crews put down on patios, walks and driveways. Use them to figure out which look you like before I come out to look at your slab.

  • Aerial view of a curved swimming pool and spa surrounded by a pale concrete pool deck and lounge chairs.

  • Curved stamped-concrete walkway encircling a grassy lawn, with a matching path leading toward the house steps.

  • A curved concrete driveway leads to a large white house, edged with light brick pavers and landscaped grass.

  • Decorative stamped concrete walkway beneath a covered porch with stone columns and garden beds.

  • Curved concrete pool deck surrounds a swimming pool beneath a raised white house and deck.

  • Brown stamped concrete patio with an irregular flagstone pattern beside a house.

Get a written estimate for your stamped patio, walk or driveway

Send the project type, rough square footage and whether the driveway approach changes, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The on-site estimate is free, with no obligation to go ahead.

(805) 873-8640

Questions people ask about stamped concrete before they call

These are the questions I hear most when people are weighing stamped concrete for a patio or driveway. If yours isn't here, ask me at the estimate, because I'd rather answer it before the pour than after.

How much does a stamped concrete patio cost near Santa Paula?

In nearby Oxnard, a stamped concrete patio usually costs about $9 to $18 per square foot, and a patio with rebar, the steel set inside the slab to hold it together, runs higher per square foot than one without. That's the market range, not my price, and my estimate spells out your own figure with what's included.

Will a stamped concrete slab crack?

It can, because joints decide where a slab cracks, not whether it cracks. That's why it's worth asking any contractor where the joints will fall within the pattern, and why we run ours along it.

How do I keep stamped concrete from being slippery when it's wet?

Ask for slip-resistant grit in the sealer wherever the surface gets wet often. One sealer's data sheet says the sealer can get slippery when wet, especially on smooth surfaces, and that the granules can be mixed into the wet sealer. I'll bring it up at the estimate if your slab sits near a pool or another wet spot.

Do I need a permit for a stamped concrete patio in Santa Paula?

The city of Santa Paula's list of work that needs no permit names at-grade patio and porch slabs, which are slabs poured at ground level. Raised patios, steps and work near the street are a different matter, so at the estimate I sort out whether a permit applies to your job and who will file it.

What causes stamped concrete sealer to peel or turn white?

Too much sealer is a common cause. One maker's data sheet says sealing too heavily, putting on too many coats or resealing too often can lead to bubbling, whitening, peeling and flaking, so more coats don't always mean a better finish. If yours is starting to look cloudy, call and I'll take a look before anyone adds another coat.

Does a concrete contractor need a license in California?

Yes, except on small jobs, because the state's minor work exemption tops out at $1,000 and covers only work that needs no permit, done by an unlicensed person who employs no one. California's C-8 concrete contractor class covers forming, pouring, placing and finishing flat concrete work, and we're fully licensed and insured.

Stamped concrete services in Santa Paula and nearby cities

In Santa Paula, replacing or enlarging a driveway approach, where it meets the street, takes an encroachment permit from the city, and I sort out at the estimate who files it. We're based here and also pour in Ventura and Oxnard.

Other concrete work that often goes with stamped jobs

(805) 873-8640Get an estimate