Decorative concrete in Loma Linda CA - color you pick knowing how it wears
Tired of a plain gray slab? We pour and color decorative concrete in Loma Linda and tell you how each finish will wear.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What goes into decorative concrete for a patio, walkway or driveway?
Decorative concrete in Loma Linda is a slab that's colored, textured or stamped while it's still soft and then sealed, so a patio, walkway or driveway gets the look of stone, brick, wood or tile from one poured surface. It comes with the plain work underneath it too, because the digging, packing, forming and pouring decide how long that color looks right.
Most people who call us have a gray patio they're tired of, or a new pour planned that they want to look like more than concrete. The price moves with the size of the area, how much digging and base work the ground needs, the pattern and coloring method you choose, and whether it's a new pour or a stain on a slab you already have. The schedule turns on that same base work, the weather on pour day and curing, the days the concrete needs to gain strength before it carries weight. I'll give you your own figure at the estimate, written out so you can see what it covers.
How can you tell a decorative slab needs work?
Color washing out
If the color looks chalky or pale where sun and foot traffic hit hardest, the sealer has usually worn thin and the surface is taking the wear directly. Left alone, the bare concrete stains and scuffs more easily, and that's much harder to even out later than a timely reseal.
Top layer peeling off
Thin flakes lifting off in patches usually mean a coating or surface layer didn't bond well to the slab below it. Water gets under the loose edges, so the peeling tends to spread until someone deals with it.
Cracks across the pattern
Cracks that run right through the pattern instead of along its lines usually trace back to a base that settled or joints that were cut late or skipped. They tend to widen and let water under, and on a slab that's sinking, new color alone won't hold.
Work that often goes with it
Concrete retaining walls
If your yard slopes toward the patio or the slab needs a level shelf cut into a hill, a wall keeps the soil and runoff where they belong.
Concrete floor installation
When the colored finish you like belongs inside, in a garage conversion, studio or new room, the floor needs its own base and pour first.
How we do decorative concrete
I start by asking how you'll use the area and going over color with you, because color can run through the whole slab or sit on the surface, and each one wears differently over the years, so you choose knowing the upkeep that comes with it. Then our crew digs out to firm ground and packs the subgrade, the soil and base the slab sits on, instead of raking dirt level, and we set the forms so the slab falls away from your house and water runs off it. We place rebar, the steel that holds the slab together if it cracks, where the job calls for it, and we pour in the cooler part of the day when we can, since a top that dries too fast in midday heat can turn weak and dusty later. While the concrete is still soft we color, texture or stamp it, then cut the control joints, planned cuts that give the slab a place to crack, along the pattern's lines so they disappear into it, and we seal it once it has cured. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather you choose a simpler pattern than a thinner base, because nobody sees the base on day one, but it's what keeps the color you paid for from cracking and sinking.
Decorative work often sits beside other concrete. On a sloped lot, a concrete retaining wall can hold the ground back so there's a flat place for the patio, and we can color it to go with the slab. Indoors, we handle concrete floor installation when you want a colored or stained floor poured as part of the house.
Integral color
This suits people who want the least fuss, since the color is mixed into the concrete before it arrives. It's a good fit for a patio or walk that gets kids, furniture and tools dragged across it.
Color hardener
This suits a busy area, or a project where you want more than one color, since it's worked into the top while the concrete is fresh. Because it goes on the surface, we can color parts of one project differently without ordering separate loads of concrete.
Acid stain
This suits someone who likes a varied, marbled look more than an even color. It's the option I look at most carefully on an existing slab, because how it takes depends on the concrete underneath.
Get a written estimate for your decorative concrete
Send the form and we'll reply within 1 business day to set up a free visit to your property, obligation-free. If you'd rather talk it through, call (909) 760-1346.
Call (909) 760-1346Why Loma Linda homeowners call Loma Linda Concrete for decorative work
I write every estimate myself
I come out to look at every job and write the estimate myself, then work on site beside our small crew while they form, pour and finish. That way the person who explained your finish is there when it goes down.
Licensed and fully insured, every job
We're licensed and fully insured, so you aren't carrying the risk if something goes wrong on your property. California's licensing board treats forming, pouring and finishing flatwork, the patios, walks and drives that sit on the ground, as a concrete contractor's work, so it's fair to ask anyone you're thinking of hiring about their license.
We check permits with the city
Whether a patio or wall needs a permit is Loma Linda's call, so we check with the city's office instead of guessing. If one is needed, we tell you at the estimate and take care of the application for you.
Honest limits before the pour
We've been in business since 2023, and I'd rather tell you what a finish can't do at the estimate than have you find out a year later. Concrete can crack and color can wear, so knowing how yours will age is part of choosing it.
With decorative concrete, the part you'll live with longest is the ground under the color, so that's where we start. Ask for an estimate and I'll come take a look.
What happens after you call about decorative concrete in Loma Linda?
Call or send a request
Thank you for reaching out. Call (909) 760-1346 or send the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come by.
Walk the site with me
I look at the ground and how water runs off it, and I ask how you'll use the area. You get a written estimate that spells out what the price covers, from the base work to the sealer.
Permit, base and the pour
Once you're ready, we sort out the permit side if there is one, then prepare the ground, pour, color and finish. The slab then needs its curing time, and we'll tell you when it's ready for feet and furniture.
Walk the finished work together
When it's done, I walk the finished surface with you and go over how to care for it. That includes when the sealer will likely need redoing, so it doesn't catch you by surprise.
Common questions
How much does decorative concrete cost in Loma Linda?
It depends on the size of the area, the base work your ground needs and the finish you choose, so I can only give you a real number after seeing the site. Stamped patterns and extra colors add finishing work, a bigger dig-out adds base work, and a stain on a sound existing slab skips the pour altogether. We write down what the estimate covers so you can see exactly what's included.
What is the best way to color decorative concrete so it holds up?
Integral color is the most forgiving choice, because the pigment runs all the way through, so a chip or saw cut shows the same color and the slab ages without pale scars. Color hardener gives a denser top that resists wear and lasts longer, but it takes the finishers more time and skill, and if it's put on poorly the top layer can later separate from the slab. I'll talk through which one suits your area at the estimate.
How often does decorative concrete need resealing?
As a general rule of thumb from an older trade guide, busy and sun-exposed areas get new sealer every two to three years, while lighter-traffic and indoor areas could last four to five. The same guide says slip resistance should be handled each time sealer goes on, with an additive that gives the surface some grit, and it recommends keeping furniture and cars off fresh sealer for a full 24 hours or more. It's worth planning for a reseal as a regular part of owning the surface.
How do I get a permit for a decorative patio in Loma Linda?
Building permit applications go to Loma Linda Building and Safety through the city's online permit portal, and the city's forms and applications page links its standards for patios, walls and decks. If you hire us, we check whether your job needs one and file it for you. You can also reach the office at (909) 799-2836 or (909) 799-2830, and the same forms page lists an owner builder form if you plan to pull the permit yourself.
Can an unlicensed person do a small concrete job in California?
Only on a job worth up to $1,000, and only when the work needs no permit and the person doing it employs no one. Past any of those limits, California requires a licensed contractor.
Can you acid stain an old concrete patio?
Sometimes, but results vary most on an older or marked slab. One stain maker's product sheet says its acid stain won't hide flaws or stains, can look mottled, may not take on older concrete and fades with long sun exposure, and another maker's data sheet says new concrete must cure 28 days before it's stained. I look closely at your slab first and tell you plainly whether stain is worth trying.
Plan your decorative concrete with a site visit
If you know how you'll use the area, whether it's a new pour or an existing slab, and the finish you're leaning toward, call (909) 760-1346 or send the form so the visit can start from your choices.