Decorative concrete in Chesterfield MO - color and texture built for our winters
Plain gray slab, or an old patio that's cracked and dull? We pour colored, textured concrete on a base that's dug out and packed first.
What is decorative concrete, and is it right for your yard in Chesterfield?
Decorative concrete in Chesterfield is a regular slab finished with color mixed in, a stain, a stamped or textured surface, exposed stone or a polish, so your patio, walk or driveway looks like more than plain gray. We build it the same way we build any slab that has to last, starting with a base that's dug out and packed instead of raked level.
Most people who call us have a patio that works fine but looks tired, or they're pouring new and want more than a broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives plain concrete its grip. The price moves with the size of the area, how many finishes you stack on one slab, how much old concrete has to come out and how much base work your ground needs. The schedule turns on the weather, curing time and permit approvals. If your yard slopes, the job may also need concrete retaining walls to hold the ground under the new slab. We're fully licensed and insured, and we find out which city and county offices your address answers to and handle the permit paperwork with you before we set a pour date. Your written estimate spells out what's in the price and what isn't.
How do you know your concrete is ready for a decorative finish?
Some calls start with looks and some start with trouble. These are the things homeowners usually notice first, and what each one tends to say about the slab and the ground under it.
Your patio is sound but plain gray, and it's the one part of the yard you'd like to change.
The color on an older stained or stamped slab has faded, which usually means the sealer wore off.
The surface flakes or peels in thin chips after winter, often from ice melt working on a weak top.
Water pools on the slab or runs toward the house, so the slope needs fixing before any finish.
Cracks wander across the slab in random places, a sign the joints were cut late or skipped.
One section has sunk or tipped, which usually points to a base that settled with the dirt underneath.
If water runs toward the house or a section keeps sinking, call before next season, because both tend to get worse with every freeze and thaw.
What happens when you call us about decorative concrete in Chesterfield?
I handle the first visit and the estimate myself, and I'm on the job with the crew when we pour. Here's how it runs from your first call to the walk-through.
Call and describe the area
Call (636) 237-0079 or send the form and tell us the rough size and the finish you have in mind. I set a time to come out and see it.
I walk the site with you
I look at the ground, check where the water runs and ask how you'll use the space. You get a written estimate that covers the finish and the base work, with what's in the price and what isn't.
We line up permits and a date
Once you say go, we handle the permit steps with you, and the city's standard zoning review takes 3 to 5 business days, so build that into your start date. Then we pick a pour date the weather agrees with.
Pour, finish and walk through
Our small crew digs out and packs the base, then pours and finishes with me working alongside, and the slab cures, a wait while it hardens before you use it. We walk the finished job with you and go over sealer and first-season care.
Get a written decorative concrete estimate for your yard
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at the site and write up a free estimate, with no pressure and no obligation.
- Call
- (636) 237-0079
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Decorative finishes, the mix and the sealer
Most decorative work comes down to a few ways of changing the top of the slab: color mixed into the concrete, stains or dyes, stamped or textured patterns, exposed aggregate where the stone shows, and polishing, which suits an indoor slab from concrete floor installation. Many jobs combine two or three and finish with a sealer. If your old slab is sound, ask about a decorative overlay, a cement-based layer laid over the existing concrete.
Under the color, the job is the same as any good slab. We dig out and pack the base, because a pretty slab on a bad base is just an expensive crack. For outdoor work that will see ice melt, ask whether the mix is air-entrained, which means it holds tiny air bubbles that help it resist freeze and thaw and limit flaking from deicers. If the budget's tight, cut the pattern, not the base.
Sealer is what keeps the color looking right, and I'll tell you up front what it will ask of you down the road, since resealing is a repeat cost worth planning for. Some sealers turn slick when wet, and at least one maker warns about it on its product sheet, so around a pool or on steps ask how the sealer you choose behaves wet.
Decorative concrete questions from Chesterfield homeowners
How much does stamped concrete cost in the St. Louis area?
Stamped concrete in the St. Louis area usually costs about $9 to $16 per square foot, and that's the going market rate for the stamped surface, not our quote. Where your job lands depends on its size, the pattern and color, any tear-out and how much base work your ground needs, and your free written estimate shows what's in the price and what isn't. Our work is satisfaction guaranteed.
How often does stamped concrete need to be resealed?
Stamped concrete usually needs resealing every two to three years. Plan for that as a repeat cost alongside the first install, because the sealer is what keeps the color and texture from wearing down.
Does a fall concrete pour change how I treat it the first winter?
Yes, a slab poured late in the season needs a gentler first winter. Michigan concrete guidance advises keeping deicer use low until the slab is a year old and suggests sand for traction on concrete placed in October or November. That's northern advice, but our winters freeze and thaw too, so we go over it at the walk-through.
Who issues building permits for concrete work in Chesterfield, MO?
St. Louis County issues building permits for Chesterfield, for new construction and alterations to existing structures, once the city grants zoning approval, and you can see the steps on the city's building permits page. Work that disturbs the public right-of-way, including driveway and sidewalk work, also needs a city Special Use Permit, though driveway maintenance doesn't. For a patio, the county keeps a detailed list of work that doesn't need a building permit, and you can call it at (314) 615-5184. We handle the paperwork with you either way, here and in the cities around Chesterfield in St. Louis County and St. Charles County.
How do I keep a new decorative concrete patio from cracking?
Start with the base, because hot, humid summers and freeze-thaw winters around St. Louis can crack a slab sitting on ground that wasn't properly prepared. Ask every bidder how they'll prepare the base before the pour, and make sure the control joints, planned grooves that tell the slab where to crack, get cut on time.
How long does new decorative concrete take to cure?
The same Michigan guidance calls for curing a new slab for seven days right after finishing when the weather is near 70°F, with more or less time as conditions require. Rushing it can leave a weak, dusty top, so ask how the crew will cure your slab, and we'll tell you at the walk-through when it's ready for use.
Related concrete services for Chesterfield homes
Concrete retaining walls
If your new patio sits on a slope, a retaining wall holds the soil back so the ground under the slab stays put through wet springs.
Concrete floor installation
Want a stained or polished look indoors, in a basement or shop? It starts with a new floor slab poured flat and level for the finish.
Plan your decorative concrete before spring
Call (636) 237-0079 or send the form with the rough size and finish you have in mind, and we can get the estimate and permit steps done over the winter so you're ready to pour when the weather allows.
Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM