Concrete Pool Decks in San Rafael, CA - a deck that grips when wet and drains away
Deck slick when wet, cracked or puddling near the house? We pour a new one or resurface a sound slab so it grips and drains.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Should you resurface your pool deck or pour a new one?
A concrete pool deck in San Rafael, CA is the flat concrete our crew forms, pours and finishes around your pool. It gives wet, bare feet a surface that grips, and it sends water away from the house and out of the pool.
Most calls start with a deck that's cracked, settled or gone slick and chalky, and the first question is whether to resurface it or start over. Price moves with the square footage, whether the old concrete has to come out, the finish you pick and how much drainage has to be built in. The schedule turns on removal, the permit question and dry weather for the pour. I can't tell you which way yours goes until I've seen the slab, so the written estimate lays out each step and what you're paying for.
How we build a concrete pool deck
I set tile for years and got tired of laying good work over slabs that were cracked, out of level or wet underneath, so on a pool deck I start with what you'll never see. Grip comes first, because people walk this surface barefoot and wet, and color comes second. Before any forms go in, we work out where the water runs, away from the house and toward the deck drains if the plan has them, and not back into the pool carrying dirt. Then we dig down to firm ground and pack the subgrade, the soil and base the slab sits on, because the deck is only as flat as what's under it. We pour early in the day so the top doesn't dry too fast in midday heat and turn weak and dusty later. Then we finish it for traction and let it cure, which is the wait while the concrete gains strength before furniture and foot traffic go back on. If the budget's tight, the base is the last place I'd cut, since a finish can be redone and a bad base can't be fixed without tearing everything out.
A pool deck often ties into other work. If there are steps down from the house or a grade change on the way to the water, we can pour concrete steps in the same finish so the treads grip like the deck. A pool house or cabana needs its own floor, and that's slab foundation building, a separate job we plan and pour to its own drawings.
A new deck from the base up
This suits a deck that's cracked through, sunk at the edges or pitched toward the house, because a new top won't fix what's wrong underneath. We take out the old concrete and build the base, drainage and finish fresh.
Resurfacing a sound deck
This suits a solid slab whose top is worn, stained or rough but still sheds water the right way. You keep the concrete you have and get a fresh surface over it.
Exposed aggregate or a textured finish
This suits a deck where you want more than plain gray, and the stones or texture give bare feet something to hold. Bring up any finish you've seen, and we'll talk through how it grips before we get to color.
If the deck is lifting at the pool edge or water is pooling against the house, call (628) 234-2042 rather than waiting another season. We reply within one business day.
What happens when you call about a pool deck in San Rafael?
I come out to every job myself and stay on site with our crew through the pour. Here's how a pool deck job runs, and what you'll have in hand before any concrete comes out.
Tell us about the deck
Call (628) 234-2042 or use the form, and give us the deck's rough size in square feet, a few photos and whether the pool is salt-water. Salt brings chloride, which can attack the rebar, the steel bars inside the slab, and the metal fittings around the deck, so I want to know before I plan anything.
I measure and check the slab
I come out myself, measure, check whether the old slab is worth resurfacing and look at where the water goes now. The written estimate lays out each step, from removal to base to finish, so you can see what you're paying for and which choices move the number.
We settle permits and drainage
Before the pour we sort out the permit question covered below, set the layout and mark where the water will drain. Nothing gets formed until the drainage plan is settled.
Our crew forms, pours and finishes
I'm on site with our crew from setting the forms to the final finish. Once the deck is in use, rinse pool chemical splashes off the spots where water lands, follow the maker's care instructions for any coating or sealer, and keep the deck drains clear.
Get a written estimate for your pool deck
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out, measure and send a written estimate. The estimate is free, and there's no pressure to book.
(628) 234-2042Concrete pool deck permits and jobs around San Rafael
In San Rafael, the city's list doesn't settle whether a pool deck needs a permit. The city's permit list exempts decks or platforms less than 30 inches above grade that meet its other terms. It says decks, though, not pool decks, so a ground-level pour doesn't automatically skip a permit. Even when no building permit is needed, the city's planning, fire prevention and public works departments can set conditions on the work, and you have to review the project with them to learn whether it's allowed. Plumbing and electrical work can need their own permits too, so deck drains tied into plumbing or new lighting around the pool each raise a separate question. I check with the office that covers your address before we set a schedule, and when a permit is needed, we handle the application and the inspections.
Most of the older decks we look at around here have the same few problems: a pitch toward the house, drains packed with debris and a worn top that's gone slick. We see the same thing on pool decks in Mill Valley and Novato, and we take jobs from Petaluma down to Berkeley.
Pool deck questions from San Rafael homeowners
How much does a concrete pool deck cost in San Rafael, CA?
A concrete pool deck in the San Francisco area usually costs about $7 to $12 per square foot, and that's the going rate around here, not our price. Your number depends on your deck, so I measure it on site and the written estimate breaks out each step.
Can I resurface my old pool deck instead of replacing it?
Often, yes, if the slab underneath is a good candidate, and resurfacing is usually the cheaper way to refresh a deck and fix flaws on the surface. I check for cracks that run all the way through, sections that have settled and water that pools in the wrong place, because a new top over any of those only hides the problem for a while.
What is the best finish for a concrete pool deck?
The best finish is the one that grips wet, bare feet, so pick for traction first and color second. A broom finish, the fine ridges dragged across wet concrete, plus textured finishes, exposed aggregate, coatings and overlays all grip differently and get to different temperatures. Very dark finishes can get uncomfortable to stand on in the sun.
Does a pool deck need a permit in San Rafael?
It may, because the city's exemption is written for decks and doesn't mention pool decks. I check with the office for your address on every job, as covered in the permit section above, and we handle the paperwork when a permit is required.
Does a contractor need a license to build a pool deck in California?
Yes. In California, any contracting job of $1000 or more has to be done by a contractor with a current, valid license in the classification for that work, and the concrete classification covers forming, pouring, placing and finishing flat concrete work. We're licensed and insured. Anyone who comes to sell you a pool contract for a licensed contractor also has to be registered with the state licensing board.
What causes a concrete pool deck to crack?
Most cracks come from a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, and from control joints that were cut late or skipped. Control joints are lines cut into the slab so it cracks along them instead of wherever it wants. The deck and the pool shell can move differently, so we follow the pool designer's isolation and joint details instead of tying the two together with random steel.
Concrete work that often goes with a pool deck
Steps from the back door or patio down to the pool get wet traffic too, so pouring them with the deck keeps the grip and height consistent.
A pool house, cabana or equipment shed needs a slab built to carry a building, which is a different job from flatwork and gets planned on its own.
Send us photos of your pool deck
Booking the visit before swim season leaves time to settle permits and drainage and pour in cool, dry weather, so call (628) 234-2042 or use the form.