By Jeff Keen ·
The short answer
Stamped concrete is priced by the job, not off a chart. Size and shape, what has to come out first, the base and steel underneath, the pattern and colors, access for the truck, and the sealer all change the number. We measure in person and hand you one itemized, fixed price before any work starts.
Why there is no honest per-square-foot price
Two patios the same size can cost very different amounts. One is a clean rectangle on good ground with the truck parked ten feet away. The other wraps around a pool, needs the old slab broken out, and has to be wheeled in through a side gate. A single number per square foot hides all of that, and it is how surprise add-ons end up on a bill.
That is why we come out, measure, and look at the ground before we quote. The price you get is itemized and fixed — the number on the paper is the number you pay.
The seven things that move the price
These are the line items we are actually weighing when we write a stamped concrete quote:
- Size and shape — curves, steps and lots of corners take more forming and more hand work than a straight rectangle.
- What comes out first — breaking out and hauling off an old slab, grass or roots is its own line.
- Base and drainage — compacting the base and setting the slope so water runs away from the house.
- Thickness and steel — a driveway that takes a truck is built heavier than a back patio.
- Pattern and color — one color and one pattern is simpler than a border, a medallion or a two-tone antique release.
- Access — how close the concrete truck can get, or whether it has to be pumped or wheeled.
- Sealing — the sealer protects the color and the surface, and on the coast it is not optional.
What the Coastal Bend adds
Our ground and weather change the spec. Expansive clay inland means more steel and well-placed joints. Salt air near the bay means a sealer chosen for salt spray and a re-seal schedule you actually keep. Summer heat means early-morning pours so the surface can be stamped before it sets up.
None of that is an upsell. It is the difference between a patio that looks good in year one and one that still looks good in year ten.
When an overlay costs less
If your existing slab is sound, a stamped overlay can give you the same look without the tear-out. It only works over concrete that is not moving, so we check that first and tell you plainly which one you are looking at.
