Stamped concrete services in Chesterfield MO - a stone look you can keep up
Tired of a plain or cracked slab? We pour stamped concrete that looks like stone or brick, on a base dug out and packed first.
Is stamped concrete worth it for a Chesterfield patio?
Stamped concrete is a slab we texture and color while it's still wet so it looks like slate, brick or natural stone. At Caliber Chesterfield Concrete Company, our stamped concrete services in Chesterfield, MO cover patios, walks and driveways here and in the cities around it across St. Louis County and St. Charles County.
Most calls start one of two ways. You want the look of stone without paying for stone, or the old patio has cracked and settled and you'd like it done right this time. The price moves with the size of the area, how detailed the pattern and color get and how much digging and packing the base needs, and the schedule turns on the permit steps for your address and a pour day the weather agrees with. Nobody admires a good base, so it's the first thing people want to cut and the last thing I will, because a fancy pattern on a bad base just cracks in a nicer color. A stamped front walk is the same job as our concrete sidewalk building, with the pattern pressed in before it sets. 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, so approvals are lined up before we set a pour date.
How do you know it's time for stamped concrete?
Most people don't call because something broke. They call because they're tired of what they have, or because the old slab is telling them, in its own way, that it's done.
Your patio or walk is plain gray and dated, and you'd rather it looked like slate or stone.
The old slab has cracked in places nobody chose, which usually means joints were cut late or skipped.
One side has sunk or tipped, which usually points to a base that was raked level instead of packed.
Water pools on the slab or runs toward the house after rain, so nobody checked the drainage.
An existing stamped surface looks faded and dull, which usually means it's overdue for a reseal.
The top is flaking or chipping after winter, often from freeze-thaw, salt or a pour in midday heat.
Call before the next freeze if a slab is sinking or tipping toward the house, because water that gets underneath over winter usually makes the spring repair bigger.
What happens when you call us about stamped concrete in Chesterfield?
Here's how a stamped job runs from the first call to the walk-through, and who does what, so you know what's coming before a truck ever backs into your driveway.
I come out and look
Call (636) 237-0079 or send the form, and I come out myself to look at the site and ask how you'll use it. I'll set the simple patterns next to the fancy ones and tell you honestly which is easier to keep looking good.
You get it in writing
The written estimate lists what's in the price and what isn't, so the pattern, the color and the base work are all on paper before you decide. Once you say go, the zoning review goes on the calendar first, since the City of Chesterfield's standard review time is 3 to 5 business days.
We prep, pour and stamp
We pick a pour date the weather agrees with, and then the crew digs out and packs the base, sets the forms, pours and presses in the pattern and color with me working alongside. If the work reaches the driveway apron or a sidewalk by the street, the city needs notice at least 24 hours before we start and has its inspector there while that part goes in.
We walk it with you
We walk the finished job with you and go over how to care for it that first season. Our work is satisfaction guaranteed, and I'll tell you when it's time to reseal, because resealing is part of owning stamped concrete.
Get a written estimate for your stamped concrete
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The on-site estimate is free, comes in writing and carries no pressure and no obligation.
- Call
- (636) 237-0079
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Patterns, color and the base under them
The pattern you pick moves both the price and the upkeep. A single pattern in one color costs less and is easier to keep up, while intricate patterns, borders and custom inlays cost more and need frequent maintenance to hold their look, with mid-range styles adding some color or texture in between. A detailed design can add curb appeal and resale value, if you're willing to keep up with it.
Underneath is the subgrade, the dirt and gravel the slab sits on, and here it matters more than the pattern. The St. Louis area gets hot, humid summers and winters that freeze and thaw again and again, and that cycle can make a slab expand and crack when its base wasn't properly prepared. So we dig out and pack the base and check where the water runs, so the slab sheds it away from your house.
For a slab that takes on water and ice, it's fair to ask any contractor whether the mix is air-entrained, concrete with millions of tiny air bubbles that give freezing water room to expand instead of building stress. We also cut control joints, shallow cuts that tell the slab where to crack, just like on a plain garage floor, and on stamped work we run them along the pattern so they read like grout lines.
Stamped concrete questions we hear in Chesterfield
How much does stamped concrete cost in the St. Louis area?
Stamped concrete in the St. Louis area usually costs about $9 to $30 per square foot, according to one cost guide. The low end is a single pattern in one color, and the high end is intricate patterns, borders and custom inlays. That's the market's range, not our quote, so measure the rough square footage and I'll put your own number in writing at the estimate.
How often does stamped concrete need to be resealed?
One cost guide puts resealing at every two to three years. It's what keeps the surface looking the way you paid for, so it's worth planning into the budget from the start along with the pour.
Who issues building permits in Chesterfield, MO?
St. Louis County issues Chesterfield's building permits, which are required for new construction and for alterations to existing structures, once the city has granted zoning approval. Work that disturbs the public right-of-way, such as a driveway apron or a public sidewalk, needs a separate City Special Use Permit, though the city lists driveway maintenance as work that doesn't need one. We work out which steps your address needs with you before we set a date.
When is the best time to pour stamped concrete in Chesterfield?
Pour when freezing temperatures are unlikely in the days right after. A concrete trade group advises caution about placing outdoor concrete in late fall, winter or early spring if it could freeze while it's still saturated. In summer we watch the other end, because pouring in midday heat can leave a weak, dusty top later.
What causes stamped concrete to crack?
Most cracks start under or around the slab, with a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, water running underneath, or control joints cut late or skipped. The freeze-thaw winters mentioned above make every one of those worse. Concrete can still crack, but a good base and well-placed joints usually keep it to the lines we chose instead of across the middle of your patio.
How do I take care of new stamped concrete the first winter?
Skip deicing chemicals that first winter, as a concrete trade group advises, and use them in moderate amounts after that. Shovel instead, and we'll go over the rest when we walk the finished job with you.
Concrete jobs that often go with stamped work
Concrete sidewalk building
If the walk to your front door is cracked or tipping, replacing it at the same time keeps the new patio from looking out of place.
Garage floor concrete
A garage slab that's cracked, sunk or holding water near the door needs a solid base and drainage more than a pattern, and we pour those too.
Get your stamped concrete on the calendar
Have the rough size of the area in square feet handy when you call (636) 237-0079 or send the form, so I come out already thinking about your job.
Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM