Decorative concrete in Camarillo CA - color and pattern you chose before the pour
Tired of a plain gray patio or a cracked walk? We plan the color and pattern with you, then build it on a base that holds.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What is decorative concrete, and is it right for your Camarillo home?
Decorative concrete in Camarillo is a patio, walk or pool surround poured with color in it and usually a pattern stamped into the top while it's still soft, so you get the look of stone, brick or tile in one solid slab that we plan with you before anything is poured.
Most people who call us have a gray slab that's cracked and tired, or a bare patch of yard, and they want something that looks finished. Stamped concrete is the most common way to get there, and it's still flatwork, the slabs that lie flat on the ground, so it holds up only as well as what's underneath it. The price moves with the size of the area, the pattern, how many colors you want, how much old concrete has to come out and how much digging and packing the base needs. The schedule turns on how soon you settle on a color, whether the job involves grading that needs a permit, and getting a mild, still day for sealing. Your written estimate spells out what's included and what isn't, so you can see where the money goes before you decide.
How do you know it's time for a new decorative slab?
Cracks running across the slab
Long cracks, or pieces sitting at different heights, usually mean the old slab went down on loose dirt that settled under it. Waiting lets water get in and the edges lift into trip spots, and since that slab has to come out anyway, it's a good time to choose a color and pattern.
Water sitting near the house
If rain pools on the patio or runs back toward your walls, the old slab was set sloping the wrong way. Every storm puts more water against the house, so we fix the slope when we replace it instead of stamping a nice pattern onto the same mistake.
Faded, chalky or flaking top
A dull, dusty surface can mean the sealer has worn through, or that the top was weakened because it was poured in the heat of the day. Left alone it keeps shedding and staining, and once I've looked I'll tell you straight whether it needs a fresh coat or a new pour.
How we build decorative concrete
We start by settling the color and pattern with you well ahead of the pour, because the color goes into the concrete itself and can't be changed once it's mixed. Then our crew digs out and packs the subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, checks where the water will run, sets the forms and lays rebar, the steel inside that keeps any crack tight. We pour early in the day so the top doesn't dry out too fast and turn weak, smooth it, stamp the pattern in while it's soft and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack instead of a random one. Once it has cured, which is the wait while the concrete hardens and gains strength, we seal it. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather simplify the pattern than skimp on the base, because nobody sees the base on day one but it decides whether that pattern stays flat.
Decorative work often sits next to other jobs. On a sloped lot, a concrete retaining wall holds the hill back so the new patio has stable ground to sit on, and if you want the same look carried indoors, we handle concrete floor installation too.
Stamped and colored
Color mixed all the way through the slab, with a pattern like stone, brick or slate pressed into the top. It suits patios and front walks where you want the look of pavers without loose joints for weeds to grow in.
Colored with a broom finish
The same mixed-in color, finished with a broom that drags fine lines across the top so feet can grip it. It suits pool surrounds, steps and shady spots that stay damp, where a smooth sealed pattern would be slicker underfoot.
Get a written estimate for your decorative concrete
Send us the rough size of the area, any color ideas and whether the ground needs regrading. We reply within one business day to set up a free estimate at your property, with no obligation.
(805) 586-6003- estimates@concretecamarillo.com
- Based in
- Camarillo, CA 93010
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
What happens after you call about decorative concrete?
Here's how a decorative job goes, from your first call to the day you step out onto the finished slab.
Call and set a visit
I come out to see the site, take measurements and listen to what you have in mind. Photos of patterns or colors you like give us a good place to start.
Read your written estimate
The estimate is written out with what's included and what isn't, so there's no guessing about the base work, the color or the sealing. If anything changes later, we put the change in writing too.
Settle permits, then a date
We sort out the permit side together before we pick a start date, so the job doesn't stall halfway. The city's grading rule is covered further down this page.
Build it and walk it
Our crew builds to the plan we agreed on. When it's done, I walk the finished work with you and go over how to care for it.
Why Camarillo homeowners call J&S Camarillo Concrete for decorative work
I come out from Camarillo
We're based in Camarillo, and I come out to look at the job myself, then lead the crew that does the work. The person who talked through your pattern and your slope is the one making sure you get them.
Pouring and finishing since 2013
I spent years as the right hand to another concrete contractor before going out on my own in 2013, and he made me learn why we did each step before he'd show me how. That's why I'll explain the base and the joints to you instead of just putting a price on them.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured for the work we do at your house. Ask about it at the estimate and you'll get a straight answer.
On decorative work, the choices that count are made before the concrete is ordered, so tell us about your project and I'll come walk the space with you.
Decorative concrete, grading and permits in Camarillo
If your project involves grading, like cutting down a slope or building up a low corner of the yard, the City of Camarillo has to issue a grading permit first, and nobody is allowed to grade without one. Whether your particular slab needs that permit or any other isn't something I'll guess at, so we check with the city before we schedule. The city now takes plans online only, through its OpenGov system, and you can start on the City of Camarillo permits page or call its permit counter at (805) 388-5340. When a permit is needed, we handle the paperwork with the city or county and plan the schedule around it, and if you'd rather pull it yourself, I'll walk you through what they'll ask for.
Most of the decorative work we do around here is a backyard patio, a front walk or a pool surround on a family home, often replacing a plain slab that has cracked or settled. We see the same jobs in Oxnard and Thousand Oaks, and we build them the same way, base first.
Questions about decorative concrete in Camarillo
How much does decorative concrete cost in Camarillo?
The price is figured from your site, so you get it in a written estimate after I've measured. A colored slab with a broom finish usually costs less than a detailed stamp in several colors, and grading, tear-out or a retaining wall adds to it. If the number runs high, we can talk about which choices bring it down without touching the base.
How does stamped concrete get its pattern?
The pattern is pressed in while the concrete is still soft, right after it's been smoothed out. A release agent, either a powder or a plastic sheet, goes on first so the stamping tools lift off cleanly, and once they come off, the pattern stays set in the surface.
How do I get the color I want with decorative concrete?
Choose it early and expect a little variation. With one maker's integral color, the color is a pre-measured mix-in added while the concrete is batched at the plant, so it has to be settled before the concrete is mixed. That maker also says the finished color can vary with jobsite conditions, the mix, curing, finishing and sealers, so your slab will be close to the sample but not an exact match.
How do I take care of sealed decorative concrete?
Plan on resealing it at some point, because one sealer maker notes that sealed outdoor surfaces slowly break down over time and eventually need a fresh coat. The same maker warns that putting its sealer on in direct sun or in very hot or windy weather can make it bubble or blister, so it's fair to ask anyone sealing your slab what time of day they'll do it.
Is stamped concrete slippery when it's wet?
It can be, because a sealed surface may get slippery when it's wet with water or other liquids, as one sealer maker points out. That's why I'll ask where your slab is going, and for a pool edge, steps or a spot under a downspout, we may suggest a broom texture or a simpler pattern there.
Who is allowed to do concrete work in California?
In most cases a licensed concrete contractor, because the state counts forming, pouring, placing and finishing flat concrete as that contractor's work. The only exception is minor work below $1,000, and only when the job needs no permit and the person doing it has no employees, so anything bigger, permitted or done with a crew needs a license.
Related concrete work for your yard and home
Concrete retaining walls
When your patio sits on a slope or against a raised bed, a solid wall keeps soil and runoff from washing across your new decorative surface.
Concrete floor installation
Good for garages, workshops or rooms where you want a durable concrete floor, poured on a packed base and finished to match how you'll use the space.
Cities we pour decorative concrete in
J&S Camarillo Concrete is based in Camarillo, California, and we build decorative concrete in the 12 cities listed here, from Ventura to Westlake Village. If your job is a bit farther out, call and ask.
Camarillo, CA
Plan your decorative concrete before the pour
Call (805) 586-6003 or send the form now, because a question asked before the pour costs nothing and one asked after can cost everybody.