I measure and write it all down
I come out myself for every estimate, measure the area and look the site over with you. You get a written estimate that spells out what the price covers, so nothing is left to memory.
Decorative concrete in Balch Springs TX - a colored slab that looks like stone or brick
Tired of a plain gray patio or walk? We pour colored, textured concrete in the color you chose, settled in writing before pour day.
What does decorative concrete involve in Balch Springs?
Decorative concrete is flatwork, the flat poured slabs of a patio, walk or driveway, that's colored and textured to look like slate, brick or natural stone, and at Balch Springs Concrete we pour it for homeowners in Balch Springs, TX and the cities around it.
Most calls start with a patio, walk or driveway that does its job but looks plain, and the homeowner wants it to look like more than gray concrete. The look comes from color and texture worked into fresh concrete, so the choices get made before the pour, and I'd rather you take your time deciding than rush it on the day.
What moves the price is the size of the area, the finish you pick, the color, the sealer and how easy it is to get a truck to the spot. The schedule mostly turns on settling the color, the weather on pour day and the city's inspection, which we book along with any permit the job needs. When I come out, I measure, walk it with you and write down what the price covers, so you know what you're paying for.
What happens after you call about decorative concrete?
You'll deal with me from the first visit to the cleanup. Here's how it goes after you call (214) 286-6733 or send us a message.
We handle the permit and the pour date
Once you say yes, we check with the city on your job, file the permit if it needs one and book the inspections. The pour date gets set around that inspection, so the truck doesn't show up before the city has signed off.
Licensed and insured, on site with our crew
I started this business in Balch Springs in 2023, and I run the job on site with our crew from the forms through the pour and the cleanup. We're licensed and insured.
How we pour decorative concrete
It starts at the table, not the truck. Color goes into fresh concrete, so I pick it with you well before pour day and we keep that choice in writing, because there's no changing it once the pour is underway. Often that color comes from a color hardener, a dry powder shaken onto the wet surface that colors the top and makes it denser, usually just before we press in the texture. We also talk through sealers ahead of time, since some add shine and some leave the surface grippy, and on a patio or walk that gets wet, grip usually wins for me.
Decorative work often sits next to other jobs. If your yard slopes and the patio needs a level spot to sit on, the wall that holds the ground back may come first, and our concrete retaining walls work covers that. Inside a shop or a room, the same color and sealer choices carry over to concrete floor installation.
- Stamped, stained or exposed aggregate finishes for patios, walks and driveways
- Color picked with you before pour day and written into the estimate
- Forms and steel set and checked before the city's inspection
- Sealer chosen with you for shine or for grip
- Cleanup of the work area once the pour is done
From the first look to the last coat of sealer
Every decorative job runs in the same order, and each step has to be right before the next one starts.
Pick a finish that fits the space
We go over stamped, stained and exposed aggregate looks against your house and how you'll use the space, so the finish suits both. If something about the site can't be known until the forms are in, I'll tell you that up front instead of guessing.
Set the forms and the steel
Our crew sets the forms, the edges that shape the slab, and the rebar, the steel bars that hold the concrete together if it cracks. I check the forms twice and measure again before a truck gets called.
Pour, color and texture
We pour, work the color into the fresh surface and press or finish the texture while the concrete is still soft enough to take it. That window is short, which is why the weather on pour day gets talked over before we book it.
Let it cure, then seal it
Curing is the wait while the concrete hardens and gains strength, and you stay off it during that time so the surface isn't marked or weakened. Sealing comes after with the product you picked, and I'll tell you how long each wait runs once I know the weather and the mix.
Get a written estimate for your decorative concrete
Tell us the size of the area, the finish and color you have in mind, and whether the job breaks the curb or needs HOA approval. We reply within one business day, and then I come out to measure and walk the site with you. The estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation.
(214) 286-6733Questions homeowners ask about decorative concrete
How much does decorative concrete cost per square foot in Balch Springs?
Around Dallas, a concrete patio with a stamped, stained or exposed aggregate finish usually costs about $7 to $30 per square foot. That's the going rate in the area, not our price, and the finish is a big part of the spread, with stamped and stained finishes reaching higher than exposed aggregate in one Dallas cost guide. Your own number comes from the written estimate after I measure.
Do I need a permit for a decorative concrete patio in Balch Springs?
It may need one, so we check with the city on every job. Balch Springs issues Driveway/Flatwork permits, and the city's permit requirements call for a site map, a $5000 surety bond when the work breaks the curb, and HOA approval if your neighborhood requires it. When your job needs a permit, we file it, book the inspections and set the pour date around them.
How long does a sealer last on decorative concrete?
One maker's bulletin says a penetrating sealer typically protects for 5 to 10 years when it's properly applied, and it keeps a natural look with no added gloss while keeping the surface grippy. A sealer seller's guideline is to reseal most outdoor concrete every two to three years, and sooner on a busy driveway or in strong sun. Which one fits your job comes down to the product and how hard the surface gets used, and that's part of the sealer talk we have before the pour.
When is the best time to pour decorative concrete in Texas heat?
Summer is when hot weather problems usually show up, and a hot, dry, windy day is the hardest, because wind makes high heat and low humidity work harder on fresh concrete. If you're planning a summer job in Balch Springs, ask how the crew handles a hot, windy pour day. We look at the forecast with you and would rather start early than finish in the midday heat, which can leave a weak, dusty top.
City rules and clay soil in Balch Springs
The City of Balch Springs requires every contractor to be registered with the city, so it's a fair question to ask anyone you're thinking of hiring. The city's flatwork permit notice says the steel and forms get inspected before the job is poured, and we send the inspection request and hold the pour date until that's done. If the work reaches into the city's right of way, a site plan showing where the work goes and how much is planned has to go to the city for review first, and sending that application alone doesn't give approval to start.
The other thing jobs here deal with is clay. By one publisher's figuring from USDA soil data, 70.3% of Dallas County's rated soil area has high or very high shrink-swell potential, the kind of ground that swells when it's wet and pulls back as it dries. Left untreated, that clay leads to slabs that heave and crack and outdoor flatwork that breaks apart at the joints, so ask any crew, us included, how they'll handle the clay at your house before the pour. We're based in Balch Springs and work across the cities around it, including Mesquite, Garland, Forney and Lancaster.
Book a time to walk your patio
We pick up seven days a week from 7 AM to 11 PM, so call (214) 286-6733 or use the contact form whenever it suits you.
If you're still deciding between a stamped and a stained look, send us a message and we'll talk it through.
Tell us about your project