Decorative concrete in Piedmont CA - a new finish on a slab that's ready for it
Plain gray slab looking tired or worn? We stain, stamp or resurface it so it looks finished, after checking what's underneath first.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Should you stain, stamp or resurface your concrete?
Decorative concrete in Piedmont gives a slab color and texture. It's done by staining or stamping it, or by resurfacing a slab you already have with an overlay, a thin new layer bonded on top of the old one.
Most people who call Piedmont Advanced Concrete about this have a patio, walk or driveway that does its job but looks plain or worn, and they want to know whether it can be dressed up or has to come out. We're based in Piedmont and work in Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda and other cities around the East Bay, and on every one of these jobs I start by telling you which route suits your slab. The price moves with the size of the area, the finish you choose, how much repair the old surface needs and how easily we can reach it. The schedule turns on that prep, any city review and the days a stained or resurfaced area has to sit unused. When I visit, I measure and look at access, then send you a written estimate with the figures for your own job.
How we do decorative concrete work
On a slab you already have, I look hard at it before I suggest an overlay, because a new surface won't cure sinking or dampness underneath, and if the cause needs fixing first I'll tell you so plainly. When the slab is sound, our crew takes off anything loose or flaking, repairs broken edges, cleans it thoroughly and roughens the top to the texture the overlay system calls for, since a thin new layer only holds as well as the surface it grips. For a new stained or stamped slab, we dig out and pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, set the forms so water runs away from the house, and pour early enough that midday heat doesn't leave a weak, dusty top. When budgets get tight, people often want to trim the base you can't see and keep the pattern you can. I'd rather do it the other way around, because in a kitchen a plate is only as good as the setup behind it, and the base is the one part of a slab nobody can fix after the pour.
Decorative work often comes alongside other jobs. On a sloped lot, a concrete retaining wall may need to go in before a patio does, so the ground behind it is held back. Inside the house, a concrete floor installation in a basement or an addition can take a stain, and the color comes out more even when we plan it before the pour.
A new stamped or stained slab
This suits a slab that's cracked, sinking or due to come out anyway, because we get to build the base properly and work the pattern or color in while the concrete is fresh. It's the bigger job, since the old slab has to come out first, but the finish and the base are built together from the start.
A stain or overlay on your existing slab
This suits a slab that's level, dry and solid but looks plain or worn, because a stain or a thin overlay changes the surface without tearing anything out. It's the lighter job, but only when the old slab passes the check I described above.
Decorative concrete approvals in Piedmont
Piedmont requires a site improvement permit for patios, but it exempts walks and driveways raised 12 inches or less that sit over no basement and add no structure coverage. A patio within the street setbacks, the required open distance between the street and what you build, needs a design review permit, and so does a parking pad. Once a project needs design review, it needs a building permit too, even if the work wouldn't ordinarily require one. Work in the public right of way, which usually means the sidewalk and street edge, adds an encroachment permit from Public Works, and so does a job that sends more stormwater to the street. The city's pages don't address staining or resurfacing a slab you already have, so the city is the place to confirm the exact path for your project, and if it isn't clear, we check with them before we start. Whenever a permit or review applies, we handle the application and the paperwork and tell you up front which office it goes through.
Many homes here are older, with steep driveways, narrow side yards and walks that have been patched more than once, so we plan how our crew and materials will reach the back of the lot before we plan anything else. We see the same aging flatwork and tight access on jobs in Oakland and Berkeley, and we plan those the same way.
Why Piedmont homeowners call us for decorative concrete
I come out to every job
I look at every job myself and give the estimate, then I work on site alongside our crew while they form, pour and finish. You deal with the same person from the first visit to the walk-through, so nothing you asked for gets lost between people.
Licensed and insured in California
California licenses concrete contractors to form, pour, place and finish flat concrete work, and only jobs up to $1,000 that need no permit and have no employees on them fall outside that rule. We're licensed and insured, which matters on decorative work because a stamped patio or a resurfaced driveway usually runs well past that line.
Six years, prep before pour
We've been in business since 2020, and I still run every job the way I learned in restaurant kitchens, with the setup finished before anything starts. Once concrete is poured there's no taking it back, so the time goes into the base, the edges and the checks first.
If you'd like to know which route suits your slab before you spend anything, send us a note or call (510) 738-1848, and I'll come take a look.
Request a quoteGet a written estimate for your decorative concrete
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I'll come out, measure the slab, look at access and listen to what you have in mind, then send you a written estimate. The estimate is free, and there's no obligation.
What happens after you call about decorative concrete in Piedmont?
Call or send the form
Thank you for reaching out. Call (510) 738-1848 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for my visit.
I visit and write it up
I look at the slab, the site and how we'll reach it, listen to what you have in mind, and then send you a written estimate. It shows the finish, the prep and any city steps the job needs, so you can see what the price covers before you decide.
We prep, pour and walk through
Once you're ready, we line up any city approvals, prep the site, then pour or resurface and finish the surface. After that we clean up and walk the finished job with you.
Frequently asked questions
How much does stamped concrete cost in California?
Installed stamped concrete in California usually costs about $15 to $30 per square foot. That's a statewide range for the finished work in place, so the size of your area, the pattern and color, and the prep your site needs decide where yours lands. My written estimate gives you the figure for your own slab, and our work is satisfaction guaranteed.
How do I know if my old concrete patio can be resurfaced?
An overlay only works on an old slab that's in suitable shape. Covering settlement, rusting steel, moisture or joints that keep moving rarely solves the problem, so those causes have to be fixed first. If you're not sure about yours, photos of the cracks or damp spots are a good place to start.
Do I need a permit for a new patio in Piedmont?
Yes, Piedmont requires a site improvement permit for patios. A patio inside the street setbacks also needs design review, which I covered in the permits section above.
How long does stained concrete need before you can walk on it?
One industry guide keeps stained concrete closed to traffic for at least 3 days and protected from spills until it's sealed. Plan for that area to sit unused for those days, because a spill before sealing can leave a stain of its own.
Will a new stamped concrete patio crack like my old one?
It can still crack a little, because most concrete does, but control joints keep those cracks where we planned them. Control joints are grooves we cut so the slab has a chosen line to crack along, and we cut them on time, since joints cut late or skipped leave cracks in places nobody chose.
Does a new patio or walk in Piedmont have to meet stormwater rules?
Piedmont's stormwater page treats a project as non-regulated when its total new or replaced hard surface, the kind rain runs off instead of soaking into, stays under 2,500 square feet. It's a good question to ask on a larger job, and I'm glad to add up the area with you at the estimate.
Related concrete work
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped yards often need a wall before a patio makes sense, because the wall gives the slab beside it level, supported ground and can be finished to match.
Concrete floor installation
When an indoor room needs a new slab, such as a basement or a converted garage, we can pour it ready for a stain so the floor itself becomes the finish.
Piedmont, CA
Have your slab looked at first
Call, email info@concretepiedmont.com or use the form, and have the slab's size, where it sits on the lot and photos of any cracks, sinking or damp spots ready, so our first conversation can cover your real options.