Decorative concrete in Simi Valley CA - color and texture that suit your home
Tired of a plain gray or faded slab? We plan the color, texture and sealer together, with grip anywhere that gets wet.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
How can I make plain concrete look better in Simi Valley?
Decorative concrete in Simi Valley means giving a patio, walk, pool deck or floor a finish that suits your house, using color, texture and sealer on a new pour or on top of the slab you already have.
Most people call us with a slab that works fine and looks tired, or a new patio they don't want to be plain gray, and some are after the stone or brick look of stamped concrete, which is a close cousin. The price moves with the size of the area, whether we pour new or work over what you have, how many colors and textures you combine, and how much repair the old concrete needs first. The schedule turns on prep, on curing, which is the time new concrete needs to harden before it takes traffic, and on a dry day for the sealer. I'll lay all of that out in a written estimate once I've seen the site. We're based in Simi Valley and take jobs across the cities around it.
How do you know your concrete is ready for a decorative finish?
Plain, stained gray slab
The patio does its job but looks worn out, with old stains and a dull surface. If the slab underneath is sound, the problem is usually only skin deep, and waiting mostly just gives the stains more time to set in.
Faded or patchy color
Decorative concrete you already have looks washed out in spots, or shows several shades when it's wet. That usually means the sealer has worn through, and the longer it goes, the more sun and foot traffic wear on the color itself.
Slick when it gets wet
Steps, a pool edge or the spot the sprinklers hit feels slippery after water lands on it. Usually the sealer went on without anything added for grip, and waiting means someone eventually finds out the hard way.
How we do decorative concrete in Simi Valley
I start by showing you how color, texture and sealer work together, on samples and on the actual spot, because a color that looks right on a chip can look different against your house. On a new slab, we dig out and pack the subgrade, which is the soil and gravel the slab sits on, set the forms and plan the control joints, the cuts that give the slab a place to crack, all before any color goes in. If the budget gets tight, I'd keep the money in the base and simplify the finish, because the base is buried on day one and it's the first thing people want to cut, but a nice finish over a base that settles just cracks with nicer colors. If you want to refresh an old slab, I'll tell you straight that old cracks can show through a new surface. Anywhere that gets wet, I bring up grip, since trade guidance says slip resistance has to be dealt with when sealer first goes on and again at every reseal, and grit added to the sealer helps cut down on slips and falls.
Decorative work often sits right next to other jobs. On a sloped lot, a concrete retaining wall can hold the hill back behind a patio and carry a matching finish, and indoors a stained or polished look starts with concrete floor installation done right underneath.
New decorative slab
This suits a patio, walk or pool deck that's being built from scratch or replaced, because color can go right into the mix and we get to build the base the way we want it. It's the way to go when the old slab is cracked badly or has sunk.
Overlay on an existing slab
This suits a slab that's solid but ugly, because a new cement-based surface goes over what's already there and skips the tear-out. It works best when the old concrete isn't moving, which is one of the first things I check.
Get a written estimate for your decorative concrete
We'll get back to you within one business day to set a time, and I'll come out, look the slab over and give you a free written estimate, with no obligation.
(805) 261-5009- Based in
- Simi Valley, CA 93065
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
What happens after you call about decorative concrete
Here's how a decorative job goes from your first call to a sealed surface, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send a message
Call (805) 261-5009 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. It helps to tell us whether it's a new pour or an old slab you want to dress up.
I look the site over
I look at the slab, where the water runs and what's likely under it, and ask a lot of questions about how you use the space. You get a written estimate that spells out the finish, the prep and anything we won't know until the job is open, so the number isn't built on guesses.
We prep, finish and seal
Once you say go, we sort out any permit with you, prep the site, and our crew does the work while I check in at the steps that matter most. Sealer guidance says to hold off when rain or condensation is expected within 12 hours of the coat going on, so sealing day can shift with the forecast.
Why Simi Valley homeowners call Custom Simi Valley Concrete for decorative work
I do the estimate myself
I come out to look at the job and give the estimate, and a crew lead runs the work day to day while I stop by at the steps that matter most. You're talking with the person who answers for the base and the sealer, not someone reading from a price sheet.
Framing first, concrete since 2017
I framed houses for years before starting this business in 2017, then learned concrete on flatwork crews, the ones pouring slabs, walks and patios. Nine years in, the jobs that need some figuring, like reworking an old slab or meeting a pool edge just right, are the ones we're known for.
Licensed and insured in California
The state licensing board licenses concrete contractors to form, pour, place, finish and install concrete work, and we're licensed and insured. Ask to see our license when I come out, because the color on top only lasts as long as the work under it.
On decorative work, the finish gets the attention, but the base and the sealer plan decide how it holds up. Call us or send a message and I'll come take a look.
Decorative concrete and the work around it in Simi Valley
If any part of the job reaches into the public right-of-way, like the strip along the street, the city's Development Services office issues the encroachment permit, which is the city's sign-off for work there. For work entirely on your own lot, I'd rather ask the city than guess, so we check before we start, and when a permit is needed we can pull it as your contractor or help you pull it yourself. On hiring, California lets an unlicensed person take on minor work only up to $1,000, and only when the job needs no permit and they employ no one, so anything bigger, anything that needs a permit, or anyone who shows up with a crew should be licensed.
Ventura County maps expansive clay, soil that swells when it's wet and shrinks as it dries, across the south half of the county, with the worst of it usually in low-lying areas. Before we plan a new decorative slab, we check whether your lot falls in a mapped area on the county's soil map and build the base with that in mind, and we keep the same habit on jobs in Moorpark and Thousand Oaks.
Questions about decorative concrete in Simi Valley
How much does decorative concrete cost in Simi Valley?
There's no set price, because each job is figured after I see it, and the slab underneath moves the number as much as the finish on top. Old cracks to repair, a tight backyard the crew has to wheel everything into, or several colors and a texture instead of one will raise it, while a sound slab and a simpler finish keep it down. Count resealing every few years as part of what the finish costs to own.
What decorative concrete finishes can I choose from?
You can pick from color mixed into the concrete, color hardeners, chemical stains, dyes and pigments, surface texturing, exposed aggregate, where the stones in the mix show at the top, embossing, polishing and sealers. They can be combined, so a color, a texture and a sealer can be paired to suit the house. Matte sealer still brings out the color and high gloss makes it more intense, and the two hold up about the same over time.
Can I put a decorative finish on my existing concrete patio?
Usually, yes, with a decorative overlay, which is a cement-based mix laid over the slab you already have to give it a new surface. Cracks are the catch, and one overlay maker notes that random cracks in the old slab may show through the cured overlay even when they're repaired first. Send photos of any cracks before the estimate so we can talk about them up front.
How often does decorative concrete need to be resealed?
As a rule of thumb, areas with heavy foot traffic or a lot of sun need new sealer every two to three years, while lighter-use and indoor areas could go four to five. Faded or patchy color is usually the cue, and it's easier to plan resealing as regular upkeep than to wait until the color itself starts wearing.
How long does sealer take to dry before I can walk or park on it?
At about 70 degrees, sealer is typically dry to the touch in one to two hours and ready for light foot traffic in three to four. Furniture and cars should stay off for a full 24 hours or more, so plan on a day without the patio or the parking spot.
What causes cracks in new decorative concrete?
Most cracks in a new slab come from the work under and around the finish, not from the decorative coat. Control joints cut late or skipped let the slab crack wherever it wants, a pour finished in midday heat can leave a weak, dusty top, and a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed settles with the dirt.
Related concrete work for decorative projects
When a patio or walk sits below a slope, a retaining wall holds the soil back so the finished slab in front isn't fighting the hill.
If you want stain, polish or color indoors, it starts with a sound floor slab poured and cured right in a garage, shop or room addition.
Service areas for decorative concrete work
Custom Simi Valley Concrete is based in Simi Valley, California, and takes decorative jobs across the cities around it, including Camarillo and Agoura Hills. The 12 cities below each have their own page, and if yours isn't listed, ask us.
Simi Valley, CA
Get your decorative concrete finish planned
Have the rough size of the area and a few photos of any cracks ready when you call or send the form, and we can get into specifics on the first call.