Stamped concrete services in San Rafael CA - a stone look on a solid base
Tired of a plain or cracked patio, walk or driveway? We pour stamped concrete that looks like slate, brick or stone and stays flat.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Is stamped concrete worth it for a San Rafael patio or walk?
Stamped concrete in San Rafael is worth it when you want a patio, walk or driveway that looks like slate, brick or stone without setting stone piece by piece, and you're fine resealing it every so often. We pour it as one slab, texture and color it while it's wet, then come back and seal it once it has cured.
Most calls start with a gray patio or a cracked walk that looks tired next to the house, and when the old slab has sunk or holds water, that tells me the problem is underneath. What moves the price is the size of the area, how much old concrete comes out, how much base work it needs, and how many colors and patterns you pick. The schedule turns on the weather on pour day, the cure before sealing, and whether the city wants a permit. If a plain slab is all you need, our concrete patio construction work covers that, and either way the written estimate lays out each step so you can see what you're paying for.
How our stamped concrete services are done, from the base up
We start under the surface, because that's where stamped jobs fail. We dig out the old slab and soft dirt down to firm ground, the subgrade the slab sits on, and pack a gravel base over it so the slab doesn't settle with the dirt later. A patio or walk is usually about 4 inches thick, and a driveway gets more because it carries cars. We set the forms so the slab falls away from the house, tie in rebar, the steel that keeps the slab together if it cracks, and pour early in the day, since midday heat leaves a weak, dusty top that won't hold a pattern. While the concrete is still workable we color it and press in the stamps, then cut control joints, grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack as it shrinks before it picks its own. After curing, the wait while the concrete gains strength, I help you pick a sealer for the look you want, and we hold off sealing until the slab has cured enough for it. If the budget gets tight, I'll drop a second color or go to a simpler pattern before I cut the base, because nobody sees the base on day one but everybody sees it when the slab sinks.
Stamped work usually ties into the concrete around it. If the walk out front is cracked or heaved, we handle concrete sidewalk building in the same visit, plain or stamped. When a new driveway runs into a garage with a broken floor, our garage floor concrete work is the same base-first job, just indoors.
Fully stamped patio or walk
This suits a patio or walkway where you want the whole surface to read as slate, brick or stone. It costs more than a plain slab because every square foot gets pattern and color, and the stamping takes more hands on pour day.
Plain center with a stamped border
A broom finish, a light brushed texture that gives grip, fills the middle and a stamped band runs around the edge. It gives you the look for less, and it's a good fit for a driveway, where grip under tires matters more than pattern.
Call when the old slab is cracking or holding water against the house, not next season, because the fix starts underneath and sealing has to wait on the cure.
What happens after you call us about stamped concrete in San Rafael?
Here's how a stamped job runs with us, from the first call to the sealer. I'm the one who comes out to look, and I'm on site with our crew through the pour.
Call or send a message
Call (628) 234-2042 or use the form below, and tell me whether it's a patio, walk or driveway. The rough size in square feet and the look you're after help me plan the visit.
I measure and write it up
I come out myself, measure, and ask what the slab has to carry and what goes on top of it, because a driveway and a patio aren't built the same. You get a written estimate that lays out each step, from base to sealer, so you know what you're paying for before you decide.
We settle permits and layout
Before the pour we sort out permits, mark the layout and decide which way the water runs off the slab. That's also when we lock in the pattern and color, so nothing gets decided in a hurry on pour day.
We pour, stamp, then seal
I'm on site with our crew from setting the forms to the last stamp and joint cut. The sealer goes on later, once the slab has cured enough for the one you picked.
Get a written estimate for your stamped patio, walk or driveway
Send the form and we respond within 1 business day to set a time. I come out, measure and give you a free written estimate on site, with no pressure to book.
(628) 234-2042Stamped concrete services in San Rafael and the permits that apply
Whether your stamped job needs a building permit isn't settled until I know where it sits and what's under it. San Rafael's list of work exempt from a building permit names patios, sidewalks and driveways no more than 30 inches above the ground next to them and without foundations, but not work over a septic system, over a basement or a room below, or on an accessible route or exit path. Even work on that list can draw conditions from the city's planning, fire or public works staff. So I check with the office that covers your address before we pour, and when a permit is needed we handle the application and the inspections.
If a debris box, the concrete truck or our crew will take up the street or the public sidewalk, the city requires an encroachment permit, so we work out where everything sits during layout. We're based in San Rafael and take jobs from Petaluma down to Berkeley, and short driveways with a walk meeting the city sidewalk are just as common on jobs in San Anselmo and Fairfax.
Stamped concrete questions we hear in San Rafael
How much does stamped concrete cost near San Rafael?
Stamped concrete in San Francisco usually costs about $15 to $30 per square foot, which is the closest market figure for this area and not our price. Your own number comes from the written estimate after I measure your site.
Does a stamped patio need a building permit in San Rafael?
It can, depending on how high it sits, whether it has a foundation and what's underneath it, which are the limits on the city's exempt list described above. I check that for your address before we pour, so you're not guessing.
What is the best way to seal stamped concrete?
Most stamped concrete gets a topical film-forming sealer, a coat that sits on the surface, because it deepens the color. A penetrating water-repellent sealer soaks in and guards against water and stains, but most don't richen the color, so you're choosing between a richer look and plainer protection.
How often does stamped concrete need to be resealed?
Reseal when the surface stops shedding water and stains or the color starts to look flat, not on a set calendar. Resealing every year just to keep a high gloss can backfire, because the extra sealer builds up and is slow and expensive to strip off.
How long does stamped concrete need to cure before sealing?
It has to cure enough for the sealer you pick, and that time changes with where you are, the time of year and the type of sealer. One industry standard puts full cure at 28 days, though the stamped concrete trade group calls that number misleading, so ask us how long your slab will cure before it's sealed. You can usually walk on it in a day or two and drive on a stamped driveway after about a week.
Do I need a licensed contractor for stamped concrete in California?
Yes, unless the whole job comes to $1,000 or less, needs no permit and the person doing it has no employees on it. That limit was $500 until 2025, and the state's concrete contractor license covers forming, pouring, finishing and flat concrete work like this. We're licensed and insured.
Related concrete work around a stamped slab
A cracked or heaved front walk can trip guests and spoil the look of a new patio, so we pour walks that tie in with the slab beside them.
If your garage floor is cracked, uneven or holds water by the door, we replace it on a packed base sloped to send water out.
Get your stamped concrete job priced
Call (628) 234-2042 or send the estimate form with the rough square footage and the look you want, so I show up knowing what to measure.