Decorative concrete in Kirkland WA - a finish that fits how you use the space
Plain gray concrete that looks tired, or a new pour you want to look better? We'll match the finish to how you use it.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What should you know before getting decorative concrete in Kirkland?
Decorative concrete gives a patio, walk or driveway a finish beyond plain gray, and in Kirkland we do it three ways: a new pour that's stamped or colored, a stain on the concrete, or an overlay laid over a slab you already have.
Most people who call us have a patio or walk that works fine but looks tired, or they're pouring new and want more than a gray slab, often stamped concrete. What moves the price is the size, the finish you pick, whether old concrete has to come out and how much digging and base work the ground needs. The schedule turns on the weather, on any permit your address needs and on giving the concrete its curing time. We're based in Kirkland and take jobs in the cities around it, in King County and south Snohomish County, and my written estimate gives you the number for your job.
How do you know it's time to redo or dress up your concrete?
Plain slab, no character
You've got a solid gray patio or walk that does its job but looks like a parking spot. If the slab underneath is sound, that's the easy kind of call, and I'll tell you on site whether yours is.
Stamped color gone dull
The pattern's still there, but the color looks washed out and water soaks in instead of beading up. That usually means the sealer has worn off, and the longer it stays bare, the more weather and grime work into the surface.
Top flaking off in patches
Thin pieces of the surface are peeling away, often after a cold stretch or a winter of salt. That's usually water freezing in the top layer or deicer doing its work, and it spreads once it starts, so a new finish on top won't hide it for long.
Cracks, sinking or pooling water
A slab that's cracked across, sunk at one corner or holding puddles has trouble under it, usually a base that settled or water with nowhere to go. A decorative finish won't fix that, so we sort out the ground first, and waiting tends to let the crack open wider.
How we do decorative concrete, from the base up
I start by asking how you use the space and how much upkeep you want to take on, then we weigh stain, stamped and other finishes against that, because a finish you have to babysit isn't a win for everybody. On a new pour we dig out and pack the subgrade, the soil and gravel the slab sits on, and check which way the water runs so the slab falls away from your house. We order a mix meant to stand up to freezing and thawing, and if you're comparing bids, ask each one whether the new pour uses an air-entrained mix, since the tiny bubbles spread through it can give freezing water room so the pressure has somewhere to go. We pour when the day isn't too hot, finish and color while the concrete is still workable, and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack instead of a random one. Then it cures, which is the wait that lets it gain strength before you use it. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather you cut back on the pattern than on the base, because the base is buried on day one and it's what decides whether that nice surface stays flat.
Decorative work often sits right next to other concrete. When a patio or walk is cut into a slope, concrete retaining walls hold the grade beside it, and if you want a finished look indoors, concrete floor installation gives us a fresh slab in a basement or shop to work on.
Stamped and colored new pour
A pattern like stone or brick pressed into fresh concrete, with color worked in. It suits a patio or walk where looks matter most, as long as you're fine resealing it on a schedule.
Stained finish
Color soaked into the concrete rather than a pattern pressed into it. It suits someone who wants a warmer look on a smoother, simpler surface.
Overlay on an existing slab
A thin decorative layer bonded over concrete you already have. Whether your slab can take one is something I'll only tell you after I've looked at it in person.
Broom finish with a decorative border
A broom finish is the brushed texture that gives feet and tires grip, and a stamped or colored border dresses up the edges. It suits a driveway or busy walk where grip matters more than pattern.
Get a written estimate for your decorative concrete
Tell us the size, address and finish you have in mind. We reply within one business day, then I come out, look at the space with you and send a written estimate, free and with no obligation.
- Based in
- Kirkland, WA 98033
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
What happens when you call us about decorative concrete in Kirkland?
From your side, it's a call or a form, one visit from me, a written estimate and then the work, ending with a walk-through together.
Call or send the form
You call (425) 285-8195 or fill out the form, and we get back to you to set up a visit. Having the rough size and the finish you're thinking about helps me come ready.
Walk the site with me
I come out, look at the space with you and check which city or county office covers your address. Then I send a written estimate for your job, so you have the number in hand before you decide anything.
Get the ground ready
Once you're set, we get the ground and the forms ready before the concrete arrives. There's no going back once it's flowing, so this is the part we don't rush.
Pour, finish and walk through
We pour and finish the slab, then walk the job with you at the end. I'll go over how long to stay off it and, on a stamped finish, when to plan the first reseal.
Why Kirkland homeowners call Precision Kirkland Concrete for decorative work
The owner estimates and pours
I come out to look at the job and write the estimate myself, and I'm on site with our crew when we pour. The person who told you what the job needs is the one making sure it gets done that way.
In business since 2020
I taught myself on small pours, learned the rest on other people's crews and started this business in 2020. We're best known for flatwork, the driveways, patios, walks and garage floors that decorative finishes go on.
Licensed and insured, plain and simple
We're licensed and insured. That matters on a job where a loaded concrete truck is sitting in your driveway.
Zoning rules raised before the pour
Work that needs no building permit in Kirkland still has to meet the codes, and the city's Planning division at 425-587-3600 can confirm setbacks from your property line and lot coverage limits. I bring that up at the estimate, because moving a patio after it's poured isn't something anybody enjoys.
If you're weighing a finish, the best next step is a look at the ground it'll sit on, so send us the details or call (425) 285-8195.
Decorative concrete and the site work around it in Kirkland
In Kirkland, the city's list of work that needs no building permit includes driveways and sidewalks 30 inches or less above grade, as long as they aren't over a basement or on an accessible route. That exemption doesn't cover lots in flood hazard, wetland, steep slope, shoreline or other critical areas, and you can check yours with a Parcel Report from the city's Property Search Tool. Digging out or bringing in more than 50 cubic yards of soil, or changing where the drainage runs, needs a permit too, and when a project already needs a city permit or approval, drainage review kicks in once new hard surface, replaced hard surface or the two together reach 500 square feet. For a decorative patio or other work the list doesn't name, the list doesn't settle it, so we ask the city before planning anything. We check which city or county office covers your address before we start, and when your job needs a permit, we can file it for you or help you file it, then plan the start around the approval and the inspections.
On jobs around here we see a lot of older slabs being dressed up or replaced, and plenty of yards with a grade that sends water where it shouldn't go. We sort out the slope and the base before we talk color, and we run into the same mix of sloped lots and aging patios on jobs in Bellevue and Redmond.
Questions about decorative concrete in Kirkland
What does stamped concrete cost near Kirkland?
Stamped concrete in the Seattle area usually costs about $12 to $28 per square foot, and that's the market's range, not our price. Where yours lands depends mostly on the pattern, the colors and how much ground prep it needs. For stains and overlays, my written estimate gives you the number.
Does my driveway need a permit in Kirkland?
A low driveway, 30 inches or less above grade and not over a basement or on an accessible route, is on the city's list of work that needs no building permit, unless something about your lot pulls it back in. Critical areas, big fill jobs and drainage changes are the usual reasons, as covered in the Kirkland section above, so I check your address before we plan anything.
How often does stamped concrete need sealing?
Stamped concrete should be resealed every two to three years to keep the color and finish looking their best. Treat it as a regular cost of having a stamped finish, the same way you'd budget for repainting trim.
How long does new decorative concrete take to cure?
One Michigan concrete group advises curing a new slab for seven days right after finishing when the air is near 70°F, and the conditions on the day can call for less or more. Curing is the wait that lets the slab gain strength, so using it too early can mark or weaken a fresh finish. At the walk-through I'll tell you when yours is ready to walk on and drive on.
What is the best way to protect new concrete in its first winter?
Go easy on deicers, since one Michigan concrete group advises keeping them to a minimum on new concrete until it's a year old. If you're pouring before winter, plan on shoveling more and salting less that first season, on top of the freeze-ready mix we order for a new pour.
How do I check a contractor's registration in Washington?
Use the state Department of Labor & Industries' Verify tool, which shows whether a business has an active contractor registration and a paid-to-date workers' comp account, along with safety violations and lawsuits against its surety bond. Washington requires every construction contractor to register with L&I and to be bonded and insured, so a bid from someone who doesn't show up there deserves a second look.
Concrete work that often goes with a decorative finish
Concrete retaining walls
When the patio or walk sits on a slope, a concrete retaining wall holds the grade so the decorative slab has level, stable ground beside it.
Concrete floor installation
If you want a decorative finish indoors, a new concrete floor gives us a fresh slab to work on, whether it's a basement, a shop or an addition.
Cities we serve for decorative concrete
Precision Kirkland Concrete is based in Kirkland, WA, and takes decorative concrete jobs in the cities around it, including Bothell and Woodinville. The 12 cities below each have their own page, and if yours isn't listed, call and ask.
Kirkland, WA
Book a look at your decorative concrete
If you have the rough size, your address and a finish or two you like ready, I can check your lot and talk real options on the first visit.