Stamped concrete services in Lafayette LA - a patterned patio in the color you chose
Tired of a plain gray slab? We pour and stamp a new one in the look you want, over a base we pack firm.
What goes into a stamped concrete patio in Lafayette?
Stamped concrete services in Lafayette start with a new slab. We color it and press it with pattern tools while the concrete is still soft, so your patio or walk gets the texture and color you want instead of plain gray. We're based in Lafayette and work in the cities around it, so please ask if yours isn't named here.
Most people who call me have an old slab that's cracked, sinking or pooling water, or a bare spot in the yard they'd like to use, and they want it to look like more than a sidewalk. The price depends on the size, the pattern and any border, how the color goes in, whether the slab needs steel, and how much digging and packing the ground needs before we pour. The schedule depends mostly on the permit check for your address and on the weather, because stamped work has to be timed around the heat. I learned this trade on a Lafayette crew, starting with forms and grade work before I ever finished a slab, which is why the ground under the pattern gets most of my attention. Your written estimate gives you your own figures and spells out what's included.
What happens after you call us about stamped concrete?
Call or send the form
When you call (337) 216-1997 or send the form, we set a time for me to come out. I'll look at the spot, ask how you'll use it and check where the water goes, because a new slab has to drain away from your house.
Review your written estimate together
You get a written estimate that lists what's included and what isn't, down to the color method and the base work, so you know what you're paying for before you decide. If any line isn't clear, I'll explain the reason behind it.
We check the permit first
Before anything goes on the calendar, we check with the permit office for your address. That way your pour date is set only after we know what the city needs.
Crew pours, I check in
On the work days, our crew lead runs the job with our finishers, and I come by to check the work and answer your questions. Once the slab is stamped and the joints are cut, we clean up and go over the curing wait with you.
How we build stamped concrete, and the work that goes with it
On a stamped job, we start below the surface. Our crew digs out the soft dirt and packs the subgrade, which is the ground the slab sits on, because a base that's only raked level settles with the dirt and takes your pattern down with it. We set the forms so the finished slab sheds water away from your house, and we lay rebar where the job calls for it, since that steel holds the slab together if it cracks. Color goes in the way your estimate says, either mixed all through the concrete or worked onto the top, and I explain the difference before you choose. Our finishers press the pattern while the concrete is still soft. Then we cut control joints, planned grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along instead of a random one, and we let it cure, which is the wait while it gains strength before you use it. If your budget has to give somewhere, I'd rather you choose a simpler pattern than a thinner base, because nobody sees the base on the first day but it decides how the pattern looks years from now. When the job is done, I'll show you how to tell when the sealer is wearing thin, so you reseal when the slab needs it and not by the calendar.
Stamped work usually sits beside plain concrete, so it helps to plan the two together. A path from the driveway or back door is often part of the same project, and our concrete sidewalk building work keeps the slope and the joints lined up with your patio. If the garage slab is in rough shape too, I can look at it on the same visit and price garage floor concrete on the same written estimate.
Get a written estimate for your stamped patio
We reply to every message within one business day, and then we set a time for me to come out and see the spot. The estimate is free, done on site, and comes with no obligation.
Stamped concrete questions from Lafayette homeowners
How much does stamped concrete cost in Lafayette, LA?
A stamped concrete patio in Lafayette usually costs about $8 to $16 per square foot, and that's the going rate in the area, not our price. A reinforced slab costs more per square foot than one without steel, and the pattern, the color method and the ground work move the price too. Your written estimate gives the figure for your patio.
How does the color get into stamped concrete?
Color goes in either as a pigment mixed into the fresh concrete or as a dry-shake color hardener, a colored powder spread over the surface right after it's leveled. The pigment runs through the whole slab while the hardener sits on top, so it's worth asking which one a quote includes. As I said above, ours names it in writing.
How do I know when stamped concrete needs resealing?
It's time to reseal when the slab stops holding off water and stains or the color loses its depth, not after a set number of years. Resealing more often than that builds up on the surface, and that build-up can be slow and costly to strip off. When you do reseal, pick a time when the slab will be cooling rather than warming for the next 3 to 4 hours and will stay out of direct sun as long as possible, which in summer sometimes means an evening job.
What is the best way to plan a stamped concrete pour in hot weather?
The best way is to plan the pour day around the heat, because hot weather can leave concrete weaker when extra water gets added, more likely to crack, and uneven in color. That damage can't be fully undone afterward, so we schedule stamped pours with the heat in mind, usually early in the day.
Do I need a permit for a stamped concrete patio in Lafayette?
You may, since the city of Lafayette says most construction activities need a permit before work begins. We find out for your address before anything is scheduled, and when a permit is needed, we handle the application and keep you informed. If your job also involves the drainage culvert at your driveway, the city takes culvert permit requests at mypermitnow.org or at 337-291-5634.
Who can bid a stamped concrete patio job in Louisiana?
In Louisiana, the state licensing board says a home improvement project over $7,500 and up to $50,000 must be bid or performed by a home improvement registrant or a licensed contractor. A residential project of $50,000 or more, or one with any structural work, must be bid and performed by a licensed Residential Building Contractor. We're fully licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask me about it when I come out.
Other concrete work people pair with a stamped patio
Concrete sidewalk building
A new patio is only as handy as the path to it, so a walk from the driveway or back door often belongs in the same plan.
Garage floor concrete
If your garage slab is cracked, sinking or chipping, we can replace it with a plain, sturdy floor built on the same careful base as your patio.
Tell us about your stamped patio
Have the patio's rough size in square feet and a few color ideas ready when you call (337) 216-1997, send the form or write to hello@lafayetteconcretemasonry.com, so our first talk covers more ground, and thank you for considering us.