Decorative concrete in Hayward CA - a finish and color picked for your slab
Plain gray slab, or a patio that looks tired? We pick the color and finish that suit it, starting with what's underneath.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What can decorative concrete do for a slab in Hayward?
Decorative concrete in Hayward is concrete with the color, texture or pattern built into it. That can be integral color, color hardener, stain, stamping, exposed aggregate or polishing, then a sealer, so a patio, walk or driveway looks finished instead of gray.
Most people who call us have a slab that's sound but dull, or they're pouring new and want more than gray. Creekstone Hayward Concrete Company is based in Hayward and takes these jobs in the cities around it, on both sides of the bay. The price moves with the size of the area, the finish you pick, whether the color runs all the way through or sits on top, and whether the old concrete can take an overlay or has to come out. The schedule mostly turns on whether the work reaches the street or the public sidewalk, because then the city reviews it before we start. Your own figure comes from the written estimate after I've seen the slab.
How do you know if your concrete is ready for a decorative finish?
Chips showing plain gray
You see gray spots where something got dropped or dragged across a colored slab. That usually means the color was only on the surface, and every new chip adds another spot until the whole thing looks patched.
Cracks that keep opening
A crack that's wider this year than last, or one side sitting higher than the other, means the slab is still moving. A decorative layer over it will crack in the same place, so waiting only adds to what has to come out later.
Water sitting by the house
Puddles that run toward the house instead of away usually mean the slab was poured falling the wrong way. A new finish won't change the slope, so that gets fixed first, or water keeps running at your house every time it rains.
How we do decorative concrete
We settle color first, mixed all the way through or just on the surface, because that decides what a chip looks like years from now. Then we pick the finish, whether that's a stamped pattern, a stain, exposed aggregate or a plain broom finish, which is a light texture dragged across so the surface isn't slick when it's wet. On a new slab we dig out and pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, instead of raking dirt level, and we check where the water will run so it falls away from the house. If you want an overlay on old concrete, I check that the old slab is sound first and tell you if it isn't. The base is the part nobody sees on day one, so it's the first thing people want to cut from the budget. I'd drop the fancy pattern before I'd drop the base, because a nice finish on a slab that settles is just an expensive way to show off cracks.
A colored patio often ends at a slope or a planter, and when the ground needs holding back, we build concrete retaining walls that sit right beside the new finish. Stain and polish work indoors too, and that starts with concrete floor installation, since the slab has to be right before anything goes on it.
Stamped concrete
A pattern is pressed into the fresh concrete so it reads as stone, brick or slate. It suits patios and walks where you want that look without setting real stone piece by piece.
Exposed aggregate
We wash off the top layer to show the stones in the mix, which leaves a rough, grippy surface. It suits walks, driveways and pool edges where wet feet or tires need the traction.
Overlay on existing concrete
A thin decorative layer goes over a slab that's still solid, so the old concrete doesn't have to come out. It suits a patio or walk that's sound but ugly, and it isn't a fix for one that's still cracking or moving.
Get a written estimate for your decorative concrete
We get back to you within one business day. I come out to measure, free and with no obligation, then send a written estimate covering what goes under the slab as well as the finish on top.
(510) 264-7080- Based in
- Hayward, CA 94541
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
What happens after you call about decorative concrete?
Here's how a decorative job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send the form
Call (510) 264-7080 or use the form, and tell us the rough size of the area. Photos of any existing slab and its cracks, plus a finish you like, make the first visit a lot more useful.
I measure and price it
I come out, measure, and ask what the concrete has to carry and how you use the space. The written estimate lists the work under the slab separately from the color and finish, so you can see where the money goes.
We plan around city review
If the work reaches the street or the public sidewalk, the city says those permits typically take five to ten business days, or fifteen business days for first review when traffic control is needed. We set the start date around that.
We pour, finish and walk it
Our crew sets the forms, pours and finishes, and I'm on site running it. At the end I walk the job with you.
Why Hayward homeowners call Creekstone for decorative concrete
I measure and run every job
I come out to measure the job myself, in Hayward or the cities on both sides of the bay, and when our crew pours, I'm on site running it. The person who priced your finish is the one watching it go down.
Licensed and insured for concrete work
We're fully licensed and insured. California treats forming, pouring and finishing concrete as its own licensed trade, and that's the work we do every day.
Built underneath, since 2017
We've been in business since 2017, and we're known for driveways, patios and walks built right underneath, where nobody looks. The work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
If you've got a slab you've been meaning to deal with, send the form or give us a call and I'll come take a look.
Decorative concrete and the work around it in Hayward
Most decorative work sits on your own lot, but a colored walk that meets the public sidewalk, or a stamped apron at the street, is different. The City of Hayward requires an encroachment permit for any work in the public right-of-way, which covers its streets and public sidewalks, so when your job reaches that far, we file it. For the rest of the job, we check whether the city or the county issues permits for your address and file when the job needs one. If you'd like to ask about a building project yourself, the city's Permit Center takes the documents and answers owners who contact it.
Around Hayward we see plenty of older patios and driveways that are sound but plain, and plenty that cracked because nobody packed the ground under them. The first kind can usually take a new color or an overlay, and the second has to come out first. We see the same mix on jobs in San Leandro and Castro Valley, and we sort it out the same way.
Questions about decorative concrete in Hayward
What is the best way to color concrete so chips and scratches don't show?
Integral color holds up best, because it's mixed in at the batch plant and runs through the whole slab, so a chip still shows color. A color hardener tints only the top, which costs less, but deeper damage can show plain gray. On a driveway, where things get dropped and dragged, that difference shows.
Can my old cracked concrete slab take a stamped overlay?
Only if the old slab is sound and no longer moving. One overlay maker says its stampable overlays are meant for structurally sound, non-moving concrete, and another says structural cracks or cracks from ongoing movement can show through its topping. I check the old slab first and tell you straight if it isn't a good candidate.
How often does stamped concrete need to be resealed?
As needed, not on a set schedule. Resealing is the most common upkeep for stamped concrete, and it's time when water stops beading, stains start soaking in, or the color loses its depth. Film-forming sealers are the usual choice because they bring the color out, but too much sealer, or sealer put on too early, can make the surface look worse.
How much does stamped concrete cost in the Bay Area?
Installed stamped concrete in San Francisco usually costs about $16 to $34 per square foot. That's the going range for stamped work in that market, not our price, and stain, exposed aggregate and overlays price differently. Your number comes from the written estimate after I've measured.
Will a new decorative concrete patio crack like my old one?
It can, because all concrete cracks, and I'd rather tell you that now than explain it later. What we control is where it cracks. We cut control joints, shallow lines that give a crack a straight, planned place to run, and we cut them on time, while the packed base keeps the slab from settling with the dirt.
How do I pick a decorative concrete contractor in Hayward?
Ask what goes under the slab, which color method they'd use and why, and how they'll protect your walls and nearby concrete. Powdered release agents give stamped work more contrast than liquid ones, but they're fine airborne powders that can stain nearby buildings and flatwork, so they need masking and cleanup. A contractor who has an answer for all three has thought about your job.
Related concrete work for decorative jobs
Concrete retaining walls
If your decorative patio sits on a slope, a concrete retaining wall holds the ground behind it and can be colored or textured to match the slab.
Concrete floor installation
For a shop, addition or living space where you want a stained or polished floor, the slab has to be poured flat and finished for indoor use first.
Service areas for decorative concrete near Hayward
Creekstone Hayward Concrete Company is based in Hayward, California, and takes jobs in the cities around it, on both sides of the bay. Twelve service areas have their own page here, including Fremont and Union City, and they're not the only places we work.
Hayward, CA
Have your slab looked at first
Color and finish are easier to pick standing on the actual slab, where we can both see the cracks and how the light hits it.