Decorative concrete in Richland WA - the slate, brick or stone look you want
Tired of a plain gray patio or walk? We color and texture new concrete to look like slate, brick or stone.
R&S Richland Concrete Construction is a concrete contractor based in Richland. We pour driveways, patios, steps, foundations and lots across the Tri-Cities and the cities around it. Decorative concrete is the work where people ask the most questions, and that suits me fine, because I'd rather show you why concrete does what it does than leave you guessing.
- I look at every job myself
- We pick the finish together
- Care plan before we leave
Decorative concrete in Richland, done from the base up
When people ask about decorative concrete in Richland, WA, they usually want the look of slate, brick or natural stone without laying stone, or their plain gray patio is due for replacing anyway. Decorative work is regular concrete given color and texture. We can combine more than one method on a slab or carry the same look onto a concrete retaining wall.
The price turns mostly on how big the area is, how many finishes you stack on it, whether we add reinforcing steel and how much digging and base work your yard needs. The schedule turns on the season and the weather on pour day. After that comes curing, the wait while the concrete gains strength before you use it. I'll give you your own figure on site and go through it line by line.
- Choosing the look. We talk through slate, brick and stone patterns with you and pick colors that suit your house before anything is poured.
- Color and stain. Color can be mixed into the concrete so it runs all the way through, or stained onto the surface after it cures.
- Texture. Stamping mats pressed into the fresh surface leave the joint lines and grain of slate, brick or stone.
- Polish and seal. A finished slab can be polished or sealed, depending on whether it's indoors or out and how much shine you want.
Decorative work we pour and finish
Decorative work covers new slabs poured with color and texture. It also covers stains and overlays that change the look of concrete you already have.
Stamped patios and walks
We press texture into fresh concrete so a patio or walk reads as slate, brick or stone, often with color mixed in for depth.
Colored driveways
Color mixed into the concrete gives a driveway a warmer shade than plain gray. A broom finish, light brushed grooves across the top, keeps it from getting slick.
Exposed aggregate
We wash away the top skin of the fresh concrete so the stones in the mix show, which gives a pebbly, grippy surface for paths and patios.
Stains and overlays
If your slab is still sound, a stain or a thin decorative overlay can change its color and texture without tearing it out and pouring new.
Indoor floors
The same stain, color and polish can finish a basement or shop slab, which we pour as part of concrete floor installation.
Have a look in mind that isn't listed here? Ask about it when you call, and we'll talk through how concrete could get you there.
Why decorative concrete is worth doing right
The color is what you'll notice the day we finish, but the base under it decides whether the pattern stays flat. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather trim the finish than the base, because no stain can fix a slab that sinks.
- Packed baseWe dig out and pack the base instead of raking the dirt level, so the slab and its pattern don't sink with the ground.
- Water runs awayWe check where the water goes and slope the slab away from your house, so it doesn't pool in the joints or by the foundation.
- Joints cut on timeControl joints, shallow cuts that give the slab a planned place to crack, go in on time and line up with the pattern.
- Pours out of the heatWe time pours around the heat of the day, because a top that dries too fast turns weak and dusty later.
- Air in the mixAsk any contractor about entrained air, tiny evenly spread bubbles that give freezing water room so the pressure has somewhere to go.
How a decorative job runs
I come out and look
You call, and I come out myself to measure, check where the water runs and talk through slate, brick or stone looks right there in your yard.
A written estimate and plan
You get a written estimate that spells out what's included. We plan the pour around the job and the season, because heat and cold change how a finish sets.
Pour, finish and walk-through
I'm on site with our crew for the work. Before we leave, I walk you through caring for the new concrete, including salt and resealing.
Why Richland homeowners call us
I like explaining concrete as much as pouring it. On a decorative job, that means you hear why the base, the joints and the sealer matter before you pay for them. Call (509) 581-2407 or send us the form.
The owner comes out
I look at the job myself and work alongside our crew on the pour, so the person who planned it is there when it's built.
Every line explained
I'll walk you through every line of the estimate, so you know what the base, the color and the sealer each add before you decide.
Satisfaction guaranteed
That's our promise on decorative work. If anything about the finish puzzles you, I'd rather answer one more question than leave you guessing.
Decorative concrete in Richland and nearby
In Richland, the city's Permitting Office handles building and right-of-way permits, and you apply online through its self-service portal. Whether a decorative patio or walk needs one depends on the job and where it sits. We check with the local office for your address, sort it out before work starts and tell you what to expect.
Most decorative calls we get around the Tri-Cities are for plain gray patios, walks and driveways that homeowners want to dress up, and winter tracks salt onto them from shoes and tires. We do the same work in Kennewick and West Richland, with the same attention to drainage and salt.
Tell us about your patio or walk
Send the area's size, the look you want and a few photos, or call (509) 581-2407. We'll reply within one business day to set up your free on-site estimate, no obligation.
Call (509) 581-2407Questions about decorative concrete
How much does a stamped concrete patio cost in Richland?
Next door in Kennewick, a stamped concrete patio usually costs about $8 to $15 per square foot. That's the area's going rate, not our quote, and reinforced concrete costs more per square foot than unreinforced. Your size, the look and the base work set your figure, and I'll go through it line by line on site.
How should I treat new decorative concrete in winter?
Keep deicing salt off it for a while after it's poured, and save magnesium chloride and calcium chloride for days when you need them to stay safe. Salty water that sits in poorly drained joints can freeze and break the concrete along the edges, which is why we slope for drainage. Your care plan spells this out.
Does decorative concrete need to be resealed?
If you choose a penetrating sealer, yes. It has to be reapplied every so often to keep water out of the surface. Think of it as regular upkeep, like restaining a fence. We'll tell you which sealer suits your finish and put resealing in your care plan.
How do I check that a concrete contractor is registered in Washington?
Look them up in L&I's Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson, or Business tool, because Washington requires every construction contractor to register with L&I and carry a bond and insurance. A registered contractor also puts the registration number on estimates and bids. On home jobs of $1,000 or more, they must give you a written disclosure notice. We're licensed and insured.
Will new decorative concrete crack like my old slab did?
Concrete can still crack, but with a packed base and control joints cut on time, any cracking usually lands in the joints instead of across your pattern. Old slabs usually crack where the base was only raked level or the joints were skipped. I'll show you how we handle both at the estimate.