Decorative concrete in Berkeley CA - a finish you've seen on your own slab first
Plain gray, worn or faded concrete outside your house? We give your slab color and texture, and show you how it takes first.
Color and pattern
Stamped and stained finishes for patios, walkways and driveways.
Renewing your slab
A new look on concrete you'd rather not tear out.
Sealing and resealing
Sealer that protects the finish, with the upkeep planned ahead.
Ground prep that holds
The base under a new pour, dug out and packed.
What can decorative concrete do for my patio or driveway?
Decorative concrete in Berkeley gives a patio, walkway or driveway color, pattern or a renewed surface, either on a new pour or on a slab you already have. On an existing slab, a decorative overlay is a thin bonded layer of cement-based material laid over the old concrete to level it, restore it or give it a new look.
Most of the work is the part you won't see. On a new pour that's the base, the ground the slab sits on, dug out and packed so it doesn't settle. On an old slab it's cleaning the surface and learning how it takes color. If the budget gets tight, I'd keep the base and simplify the finish, because a pretty top still cracks over ground that moves.
Your price moves with the size of the area, a new pour or an old slab, the finish you pick, how much prep the surface needs and the sealer, and the schedule turns on that same prep, any permit and the sealer's cure. The state licensing board puts pouring and finishing flatwork, the slabs on the ground, in one license class and coloring or restoring concrete in another, which is worth knowing when you compare bids. For a colored floor inside, start with our concrete floor installation page.
- Ground prep done before the finish
- Joints planned around the pattern
- Sealer chosen for how you use it
- Resealing laid out ahead of time
When is it time to think about decorative concrete?
It's worth a look when your concrete still sits where you want it but looks tired, or when a new pour is coming up.
Plain gray you're tired of
If your patio or walkway works fine but looks bare, color or a stamped pattern can change it without changing how you use it.
A tired top on a slab you'd keep
When the slab still sits where you want it, an overlay can give it a fresh surface instead of a tear-out. I'll tell you if yours fits.
Stamped finish gone dull
Faded color and a chalky look usually mean the sealer has worn thin, and resealing can bring the finish back before the surface wears.
Slick underfoot after rain
If your sealed patio or steps feel slippery when they're wet, the texture and the sealer on them are worth a second look.
A new pour coming up
Stamping happens while the concrete is still fresh, so a new patio or driveway is the time to decide on the finish.
Patches that don't match
Old repairs often show up as a different gray, and color or an overlay can pull a patched slab back together.
Ask for a decorative concrete estimate
Tell us the surface size, the slab's age and any past sealing. We reply within one business day, then I come out for a free, no-obligation written estimate.
What we look at before any decorative finish
Before I recommend a finish, I look at the slab you have or the ground you'll pour on, where the water goes and how you use the space.
How your slab takes color
Finishes like acid stain depend on the concrete itself, so we test a spot on your slab and show you how it takes before you commit.
What's been put on it
Old coatings change what a new finish can do, so I ask what's been on the surface over the years and check how it's holding.
The ground and the joints
On a new pour I check the subgrade, the soil under the slab, and plan control joints, the cuts that give cracks a chosen place to form.
Water and foot traffic
A slab should drain away from the house, and wet, busy spots like steps or a pool edge change which texture and sealer make sense.
How a decorative concrete job runs with us
I plan each decorative job around how you use the space, so you know when the patio or driveway is out of use and what to do once we leave.
You reach out
Call us or send the form, and we get back to you to set up a time to see the site.
I see the site
I come out, listen to what you want and look at the slab or the ground before I suggest a finish.
Estimate and permits
You get a written estimate that shows what's included, and we sort out permits with your city or county office before anything is poured.
Prep, pour and cure
We do the prep, the pour and the finish, and I walk you through the curing, the wait while concrete hardens before it takes weight.
Walk-through and upkeep
Before we leave, we walk the finished surface together and I go over when you can use it and how to care for it.
Why Berkeley homeowners call us for decorative concrete
I started Heartland Berkeley Concrete Company in 2023 after working concrete crews every summer through school. We back the work with one promise, satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
The estimate comes from me
I come out to look at the job and write the estimate myself, so the person pricing your finish is the one who runs it.
Our own crew, with me there
Our own crew does the work and I'm on site to run it, so questions on pour day get answered on the spot.
Licensed and insured
We're licensed and insured, and I'll answer anything you want to check about either before the work starts.
The why behind each step
I explain why each step matters, so you understand your project well enough to ask good questions of us or anyone else.
Decorative concrete in Berkeley and nearby
Here in Berkeley, the city's Permit Service Center issues building permits, and the city's list of exempt work includes driveways and sidewalks no more than 30 inches above the ground beside them, with nothing built below and off any accessible route. Patios and resurfacing aren't named there, so we ask the city what your job needs, file the paperwork and meet the inspector.
Work that touches the city sidewalk or street needs an engineering permit, and the city's stormwater rules change with how much patio, walkway or driveway you add or replace, so we check current limits with them. A lot of Berkeley sits on clay that swells when soaked and shrinks as it dries, so we look hard at the ground, and at concrete retaining walls on sloped lots. We do the same work in nearby Albany.
Planning a new finish for your Berkeley patio or walkway?
(341) 209-8254Decorative concrete questions we hear
How much does stamped concrete cost in the Bay Area?
Installed stamped concrete in San Francisco usually runs about $16 to $34 per square foot. Where your job lands depends on the size, the pattern and color, how much ground prep it needs and the sealer, and the written estimate I give you lists what's included.
How often does stamped concrete need to be resealed?
Stamped concrete typically needs resealing every 2 to 5 years, depending on traffic, weather and the type and quality of the sealer that was on it before. A busy surface in harsh conditions may need it every year, so plan on resealing as a repeat cost, and I'll lay out yours at the estimate.
Is sealed stamped concrete slippery when it's wet?
It can be. The stamped texture helps your grip, but a sealed surface can turn slippery, especially when wet, so we talk it through when you choose the finish and sealer for steps, a pool edge or a walkway that sees rain.
What causes acid stain to come out blotchy on concrete?
Acid stain colors concrete by reacting with the cement in the slab, so a mix with less cement can take it weakly or unevenly. That's why the color differs from one house to the next, and why we test on your slab first.
How long do I have to stay off stamped concrete after it's sealed?
Keep foot traffic off fresh sealer for at least 12 hours and cars off for 48 to 72 hours. If it's your driveway, plan where you'll park in that window, and we'll go over the timing with you before we seal.
Can I acid stain a concrete patio in Berkeley that was sealed before?
Yes, but the old sealer has to come off first, because it blocks the reaction that gives acid stain its color. That adds a prep step, so tell us about any past sealing when you ask for an estimate.
Ask Heartland Berkeley Concrete Company for an estimate
Our phone hours run into the evening every day of the week, so call (341) 209-8254 after work or send the form whenever it suits you.