Decorative concrete in Cupertino CA - a finish that holds up on a sound slab

Stamped concrete installed across the US usually costs about $8 to $19 per square foot, covering the concrete, labor, stamping and coloring. That's a national figure from contractor estimates, and it leaves out digging and ground prep, so ask how any quote handles that part. Your estimate from us spells out the base along with the finish.

Only if the slab underneath is sound, because a thin overlay over a cracking base cracks right along with it. If yours is sinking or broken up, the money goes further on a new slab with a base that's dug out and packed, since a pretty crack is still a crack.

One cost guide says a new stamped surface needs a 7 to 10 day cure before it's usable, so plan on keeping off it for that stretch. Curing is the wait while the concrete gains strength, and cutting it short weakens the surface you just paid for.

There's no set schedule. You reseal when the surface stops repelling water and stains or the color loses its depth, usually with a film-forming sealer, a thin coat that brings the color out. One cost guide puts its life at 25 to 50 years with basic care in mild climates, so the upkeep is worth doing.

Some small cracks from drying shrinkage show up in most concrete, stamped or not. The large visible ones are controlled with steel reinforcement and contraction joints, which are planned cut lines that give the slab a place to crack, and we lay those out to suit the pattern.

Check that they're licensed with the state contractors board, which has a concrete class for forming, pouring and finishing flat concrete. On a home improvement job, state rules cap the down payment at $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, and later payments are listed in the contract and tied to work done or materials delivered.