Decorative concrete in Hayward CA - color and texture that suit how you use it
Plain gray slab or a tired patio? We help you pick a color and finish that fits the way your concrete gets used.
Decorative concrete is ordinary concrete with color, texture or pattern worked in, from stamped and stained finishes to exposed aggregate and polished floors. At Good Form Hayward Concrete, we do decorative concrete in Hayward, CA and many of the cities around it, on both sides of the bay, on patios, walks, driveways and the faces of concrete retaining walls.
Most people call because a slab looks plain or worn, or because they want new work that goes with the house. The price mostly turns on the size of the area, the finish and color method you pick, and whether we pour new or work over an old slab that has to check out first. The schedule turns on the same things, plus permit review if the job reaches the public sidewalk. Your estimate puts all of it in writing.
What our decorative concrete work covers
- Stamped, stained and textured finishes. Outside, we press patterns into fresh concrete, stain or dye it, or wash back the top to show the stone inside, called exposed aggregate, on patios, walks and driveways.
- Polished and colored floors. Inside, decorative work usually means stained or polished concrete, and we pair it with concrete floor installation when the slab is going in new.
- I write the estimate myself. I walk the site, look at the slab and what sits on it, and write the estimate myself. I'll explain what each line is for, cracks included.
- In business since 2013. I started this business in 2013 after selling ready mix and working on a finishing crew, so I know what goes into the truck and what happens after it's poured.
- Licensed and insured for concrete work. California gives forming, pouring and finishing concrete its own contractor classification. We're licensed and fully insured for the work we take on.
What goes wrong with decorative concrete
| Problem | What it looks like | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| Color worn through | What it looks like: Plain gray showing where the colored top got chipped or scratched | Usual fix: Recolor and reseal, or integral color on new work |
| Cracks showing through | What it looks like: Old cracks coming back up through a stain, overlay or topping | Usual fix: Deal with the moving slab first, or pour new |
| Dull, thirsty surface | What it looks like: Color looks washed out and water soaks in instead of beading | Usual fix: Clean the surface and reseal it |
| Release powder stains | What it looks like: Colored dust staining siding, walls or the concrete next door | Usual fix: Masking before the stamp, washing down after |
Refresh, resurface or pour new
- Stain and seal. This suits a slab in good shape that just looks tired, because a stain and fresh sealer change the color without adding a new layer on top.
- Overlay the old slab. A thin stampable topping can give an old slab a new pattern if it's sound and not moving. I look hard at the cracks first, because a slab that's still moving makes a poor base.
- Tear out and pour new. This is the right call when the slab is cracked through or sinking, and it opens up every finish, including color mixed all the way through.
How a decorative job runs
- Call or send the form. Tell us what you have in mind and where the slab is, and we get back to you to set a time for me to come out.
- I walk the site. I ask what will sit on the concrete and how you want it to look, then write an estimate spelling out the prep, the steel and the joints, the cuts that tell cracks where to go.
- We sort out the permit. If the work reaches the public sidewalk or street, Hayward requires an encroachment permit, which usually takes five to ten business days to process. Other building questions go to the city's Permit Center.
- Our crew pours and finishes. Our own crew does the forming, pouring, coloring and finishing, and I'm on site to run the work from start to clean-up.
- We walk it together. Once we're done and cleaned up, I walk the finished surface with you and go over how to look after it. Satisfaction guaranteed.
What keeps a decorative slab looking right
What keeps decorative concrete sound afterward is the part you can't see once it's colored. If the budget gets tight, I'd keep the money in the base, the dug-out and packed ground the slab sits on, and in the steel and drainage, before a fancier pattern, because a slab that settles cracks right through the nicest finish.
We work for homeowners, landlords with a rental and small commercial owners in Hayward and many of the cities around it, including Castro Valley and San Leandro. If you're weighing a finish, ask for an estimate and I'll come take a look.
Tell us about your slab
Send the rough size of the area, photos of any existing slab and its cracks, and the finish you like. We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out.
(510) 264-7026- Free on-site estimate
- No obligation
- Prep, steel and joints in writing
Decorative concrete questions we get
Which concrete color method holds up best to chips and scratches?
Integral color holds up best, because it's mixed in at the batch plant and runs through the whole slab, so a chip or scratch still shows color. A color hardener only tints the top, which saves on cost, but deeper damage can show plain gray. I lay out both at the estimate, and you pick what suits how the surface gets used.
Can my old concrete patio in Hayward take a stamped overlay?
It can if the slab is sound and not moving. One overlay maker says its stampable product is for structurally sound, non-moving concrete, and another warns that structural cracks and cracks from ongoing movement can show through its topping. That's why I check the cracks before I'll recommend an overlay.
How often does stamped concrete need to be resealed?
There's no set schedule, so you reseal when the surface needs it, and that's the most common upkeep stamped concrete gets. Plan on it when water stops beading, stains start soaking in or the color loses its depth. Go easy, though, because too much sealer, or sealer put on too early, can leave it looking worse.
How much does stamped concrete cost near Hayward CA?
The going rate we have is for San Francisco, where installed stamped concrete usually costs about $16 to $34 per square foot. That's the market's range, not our price, and where yours lands depends on size, pattern, color method and prep. For other decorative finishes, or your own number, the estimate spells it out.