Decorative Concrete in El Paso TX - Color and pattern on a slab built right
Plain gray patio or a tired walk you want to look better? We add color and pattern to a slab prepped to hold up.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What does decorative concrete involve in El Paso?
Decorative concrete in El Paso is concrete that's colored, stamped, stained or overlaid so a patio, walk or drive looks like stone, brick or tile but still works like a regular slab. Most of the time on these jobs goes into the prep and the cure, not the stamping.
Usually you've got a plain gray slab you're tired of, or old stamped work that's faded, and you want to know whether to fix it or pour new. The price moves with the size of the area, whether we pour new or work over what's there, how much old concrete has to come out and how busy the pattern and color get, while the schedule turns on that same demo, any paperwork and the weather on pour day. My written estimate puts your number on paper with what it covers, and if you already know you want a pattern, our stamped concrete page goes further into it.
How can you tell your patio or drive needs a new finish?
Color looks washed out
Old stamped or colored concrete that's gone pale or chalky has usually lost its sealer, so sun and water are working on the color itself. The longer it goes bare, the more the surface wears and the harder it is to bring back with a fresh coat.
Sealer turned white or cloudy
White, milky patches on a sealed slab usually mean the sealer went on too heavy or trapped moisture under it. It won't fix itself, and it often gets slick when it's wet, so it's worth dealing with before someone slips.
Cracks cutting across the pattern
A crack running through the middle of a stone or brick pattern usually means the joints were cut late or in the wrong place, or the base under it moved. A stain or overlay won't hide a crack that's still moving, and water getting under it makes it worse.
A sound slab that's just plain
A flat, solid slab with no sinking is often a good candidate for color or an overlay instead of tearing it out. If it's flaking, patched or always wet from a downspout, it may not take a finish well, so it pays to have it looked at first.
How we do decorative concrete
On a new pour, we dig out and pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, set the forms and lay rebar where the slab needs it, since that steel keeps a crack from spreading apart. We pour early in the day, add the color, press the stamp mats in while it's still soft and cut the control joints, the grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack instead of a random one. On an old slab I look at it first, because some can take an overlay or a stain and some can't, and I'd rather tell you that than sell you a finish that won't stick. Colored and stamped work needs resealing later on, and I tell you that before you decide. If the budget gets tight, I'll trim the pattern before I'll trim the base, because nobody sees the base on day one but it's what keeps the slab from settling with the dirt and cracking the pattern you paid for.
Decorative work often ties into other jobs around the yard. If your patio sits against a slope, concrete retaining walls can hold the grade so the new slab isn't fighting the hill, and if you want a finished look indoors, we handle concrete floor installation with the same attention to the base.
Stamped pattern on a new slab
This suits a patio, walk or drive that's being poured fresh or replaced, because the pattern goes in while the concrete is soft. You get the look of stone, brick or wood plank on a slab built from the ground up.
Overlay on an existing slab
This suits a solid slab that's flat and not sinking but looks tired. It skips the tear-out, so it only makes sense when what's underneath is sound enough to build on.
Stain on a sound slab
This suits a clean slab you like the shape of and just want to color. The color soaks into the concrete rather than sitting on top, so how it turns out depends a lot on the slab's age and condition.
Get a decorative concrete estimate at your house
We reply within one business day to set a time. I come out, measure the area and look at any slab that's already there, and the estimate is free with no obligation.
- Based in
- El Paso, TX 79901
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
What happens when you call about decorative concrete in El Paso?
Here's how a decorative job goes from your first call to a sealed slab, and who handles each part along the way.
Call or send the form
You call (915) 265-1446 or fill out the form, and we set a time for me to come out. Let us know whether there's a slab there now so I know what I'm walking into.
I look, measure and ask
I measure the area and ask how you'll use it, because a drive and a patio call for different color and sealer choices. You get a written estimate that says what's included and what isn't, so you can hold it up against other bids.
Paperwork, prep and forms
We line up any paperwork the job needs, then dig out, pack the base and set the forms. The pour date follows the forecast, so we'll move it if heat or a storm says to.
Pour, stamp, cut and seal
Our crew pours, colors, stamps and cuts the joints, then the slab cures before the sealer goes on. Before we leave, I go over when you can walk on it, when you can drive on it and how to look after it.
Why El Paso homeowners hire us for decorative work
I write your estimate myself
I'm the one who comes out, looks at your slab and puts the estimate together. You're not getting a number from a salesperson who won't be around when the concrete shows up.
Our crew pours, I'm there
Our own crew does the work, and I'm on site for the pour. That's the hour that decides how the pattern and the joints turn out, so I don't hand it off.
Licensed and fully insured, every job
We're licensed and fully insured. It's one of the first things worth checking before anyone brings a truck onto your property.
Learned the trade in El Paso
I framed houses for years, then learned concrete under a finisher here in El Paso and started this business in 2013. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
If you've got a patio, walk or drive in mind, get in touch and I'll come take a look before anyone starts picking patterns.
Decorative concrete, permits and pour timing in El Paso
The City of El Paso requires a permit to build, alter or repair a building or structure, and the city's One Stop Shop handles building permits. Whether your patio or overlay falls under that depends on the job, so we ask rather than guess. If the work reaches the street, like a new or changed driveway or a sidewalk in the public right-of-way, El Paso County requires a permit before the work starts. When a permit is needed, we handle the paperwork with whichever office covers your address, whether that's a city, the county or the state on the New Mexico side.
Here the rain comes mostly from July through September, and March and April are the driest months, so a spring pour in that dry desert air can need as much heat protection as one in August. We plan each pour off the forecast for that day rather than the month, start early and keep the surface from drying out too fast, because a top that dries before it's finished turns weak and dusty later. We deal with the same dry springs and summer storms on jobs in Socorro and Horizon City.
Questions about decorative concrete in El Paso
How much does decorative concrete cost in El Paso?
We don't post a price for decorative work, because the number swings a lot from one job to the next. Tearing out an old slab and pouring new costs more than working over a sound one, and a multi-color stone pattern runs more than a single stain. I'll give you a written number with what it covers after I've seen your site.
What is the best color method for a stamped concrete driveway?
Color hardener is the common pick for a driveway, because it puts richer color and a harder skin on top where tires wear. Integral color runs all the way through the slab, so a chip shows the same color underneath, but the tones come out softer. If you'd rather the drive age without pale scars and can live with gentler color, integral is the better fit.
Can my old concrete patio be stained or covered with an overlay?
Often it can, but it depends on the slab. An overlay is a cement-based mix put down over the concrete you already have, so it needs a solid slab under it. With stain, one maker warns its acid stain may not work on older or weathered concrete, on concrete that gets runoff or dripping water, or on heavily sandblasted concrete, and if yours is one of those we'll talk about another way to go.
How often does stamped concrete need to be resealed?
One field guide says every 2 to 3 years, so plan on resealing as a repeat job rather than a one-time cost. The same guide calls for two thin, even coats, because one heavy coat can bubble, turn white and get slick when it's wet.
Will stamped concrete crack like my old slab did?
It can, because all concrete shrinks and moves, and anyone who promises a slab with no cracks isn't being straight with you. What keeps cracks under control is a packed base and control joints cut on time in the right places. Ask any contractor you're talking to whether the joints will run along the pattern's grout lines, since that's where a crack is hardest to see.
How long does new decorative concrete take before I can use it?
You can walk on it well before you can drive on it, and I'll tell you when each is safe for your slab once it's poured, because the heat and the mix change the wait. Curing is the slab slowly gaining strength after the pour, and putting weight on it too early can mark the pattern or the color.
Concrete work that pairs with decorative finishes
Concrete retaining walls
When a patio or walk sits on a slope, a retaining wall holds the soil back so the new decorative slab stays level and drains the way it should.
Concrete floor installation
Want the same colored or polished look inside a room, studio or addition? We pour interior floors on a prepared base that's ready for a finish.
Stamped concrete services
If you've settled on a stone, brick or plank pattern for a new patio or drive, this page covers stamped work and its options in more detail.
Cities where we pour decorative concrete
Formcraft El Paso Concrete Company is based in El Paso, Texas, and we work across the city and the cities around it. Below are the 12 cities with their own page, including Sunland Park, NM and San Elizario, TX, on both sides of the state line.
El Paso, TX
Get a decorative concrete estimate on site
Send the rough size, where it is and whether there's a slab there now, and I'll show up knowing what to look at.