Decorative concrete in Cathedral City CA - a finish you picked on a solid base
Plain gray concrete or a tired patio? We pour stamped, stained and exposed aggregate finishes over ground that's dug out and packed first.
Stamped patterns
Molds pressed into soft concrete for a stone or tile look.
Exposed aggregate
You choose how much of the stone shows through.
Color and stain
Color worked into the concrete or stained on the surface.
Base dug and packed
The ground under the slab prepared before any color goes on.
What goes into decorative concrete, and what sets the price?
Decorative concrete in Cathedral City is a patio, walk, pool deck or driveway that's stamped, colored, stained or finished with the stone showing, poured over a base we dig out and pack so it sits flat and sheds water away from your house.
Stamped concrete is pressed with molds while it's still soft, and its color comes from a hardener dusted on, a colored release, color mixed into the load or an acid stain. Exposed aggregate, where the stones in the mix show at the surface, is the other common look, and I'll show you how much stone shows with each method so you can pick the look you want.
The price moves with the size of the area, the pattern and number of colors, and whether an old slab has to come out first. The schedule turns on the weather and on curing, the wait while fresh concrete hardens before it can take your weight or your car. When the job needs a permit, we handle the application and the inspections, and your written estimate spells out your figure.
- See the stone before you choose
- A base dug out and packed
- Water that runs away from the house
- Straight talk on sealing and upkeep
When is it time for decorative concrete at your house?
Most people call when a plain or worn slab bothers them every time they step outside, or when the old concrete is failing anyway.
A plain slab you're tired of
Your patio or walk is sound but plain, and you'd like a pattern, color or stone showing through the surface.
Cracks across the slab
Cracks run in places nobody chose, usually because control joints, the cuts that tell a slab where to crack, were late or skipped.
Sinking or uneven sections
One part has dropped below the rest, which usually means the dirt under it was raked level instead of dug out and packed.
Water pooling by the house
Puddles sit against the wall after the sprinklers run because the slab falls toward the house instead of away from it.
Chipping or a dusty top
The surface flakes or leaves powder on your shoes, which often goes back to a pour done in the midday heat.
Faded color or worn sealer
An existing stamped or colored slab looks dull and scuffed, which usually means the sealer is due for cleaning and a fresh coat.
Ask for your decorative concrete estimate
Send the rough size, the finish you like and whether an old slab is there. I'll reply within one business day, and the on-site estimate is free, no obligation.
What I look at before a decorative pour
Before I suggest a pattern or a color, I look at what's under the slab and around it, because a nice finish over bad ground cracks like any other concrete.
The ground under it
I check the subgrade, what the slab sits on. On a tight budget, I'd simplify the pattern before skimping on digging it out and packing it.
Where the water goes
I watch how water runs off your roof and yard so the new slab falls away from the house, not toward it.
The slab you have now
If there's old concrete, I look at whether it stays or comes out, which changes both the price and the finishes you can choose.
How you'll use it
A pool path, a patio for chairs and a driveway for cars call for different patterns and textures, so I ask before I suggest one.
How a decorative concrete job runs
We plan the job around your schedule and around the weather, because in the desert the day and the hour of the pour affect how the finish turns out.
Call or message us
You call (442) 219-3033 or send a message, and I get back to you to set a time to see the job.
I come out
I measure the area, look at the ground and the drainage, and listen to what you have in mind for pattern and color.
Your written estimate
You get an estimate written out in full, with the base work and the finish priced, so you can decide in your own time.
Permits, base and pour
We handle any permits and pack the base, then pour within city hours, which start at 6 AM on weekdays May through September and exclude Sundays.
Finish and walk-through
We cut the control joints and seal the surface, then walk the finished job with you and go over the curing wait.
Why homeowners call Cathedral City Concrete for decorative work
You'll talk with me from the first visit on, and I'll explain each choice, from the base to the sealer, before I ask you to make it.
I come out, our crew pours
I look at the job and write the estimate myself, then our own crew does the work under our foreman while I stop by.
Pouring here since 2017
I started the company in Cathedral City in 2017 after summers on concrete crews, and we're best known for driveways, patios and pool decks.
Licensed and insured for concrete
We're fully licensed and insured. California's licensing board has its own class for concrete work, covering forming, pouring and finishing flatwork like patios and drives.
Start with one visit
Call (442) 219-3033 or use the form to set it up. If your yard also needs concrete retaining walls, I'll look at both while I'm there.
Decorative concrete work in Cathedral City and nearby
In Cathedral City, the city's Building Division issues building permits and does the inspections for construction, additions and alterations, so it's the office that decides whether your project needs one. When it does, we handle the application and set up the inspections. Work that reaches the street goes through the city's Engineering Department, which issues encroachment permits.
Desert heat shapes the job here, since high heat, dry air and wind change how concrete behaves and how it's mixed, delivered and placed. We work in many of the cities around us, from Desert Hot Springs and Palm Springs to La Quinta and Beaumont, and I'll walk you through how we plan your pour day.
Thinking about a stamped or exposed aggregate patio?
(442) 219-3033Decorative concrete questions we hear
How much does a stamped concrete patio cost near Cathedral City?
A stamped, reinforced concrete patio in nearby Palm Springs usually costs about $10 to $18 per square foot, which is a guide to the local market, not our price. Reinforced means rebar, steel bars set inside to help hold the slab together, and your own figure moves with the pattern, the colors, the base work and any old slab coming out.
How do I care for sealed decorative concrete?
Keep it clean and plan to reseal it over the years, because clear sealers scratch and scuff, but a sealed surface takes a fresh coat well after a good cleaning. An antiqued stamped finish needs that sealing to keep its look, since the antiquing color is bonded to the surface. Sealed concrete can get slippery when wet, so ask us about grip anywhere near the pool or the sprinklers.
Can an older outdoor concrete slab be acid stained?
It can, but an older outdoor slab may take acid stain less well than indoor concrete, because the weather has washed out its minerals. Stones exposed in worn concrete won't take stain at all, so I'll look at your slab before we decide. Indoor concrete takes it better, which is worth knowing if you're also planning concrete floor installation.
How do I choose between stamped and exposed aggregate concrete?
Choose by the look you want, a pattern pressed into the surface or the stone itself showing. With exposed aggregate, mixing the stone into the concrete gives a subtle finish, while seeding it on top after the pour shows much more of it.
Will a new decorative concrete patio crack like my old one?
It can still crack, since concrete moves, but the cracks people hate usually come from a base that settled and joints cut late or skipped. We dig out and pack the base and cut the control joints on time, so if a crack forms it usually follows a line we picked.
How long does a decorative concrete job take in Cathedral City?
It turns on the size of the area, whether an old slab comes out, any permit, the weather and the curing wait before you use it. Summer heat and the city's work hours shape the pour day, and I'll go over the timing for your job when I come out.
Get a decorative concrete estimate from Cathedral City Concrete
We offer satisfaction guaranteed on every job, so call (442) 219-3033 or email projects@cathedralcityconcrete.com to tell us about your patio, walk or drive.