Decorative concrete in Fremont NE - a finish chosen to handle sun and winter
Plain gray concrete that looks tired, or color that's faded? We help you pick a finish and color made for sun, freezing and salt.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What does decorative concrete in Fremont involve?
Decorative concrete is flat concrete, such as a patio, walk or driveway, that is poured or refinished with color, texture or a pattern, and we build it for homeowners in Fremont, NE and the cities around it.
Most people who call me about decorative work have a patio or walk that's solid but plain, or one whose color has worn off, and they want something that looks finished without starting a project they'll regret. The price moves with the size of the area, whether we pour new or work over what you have, how much digging and base work the ground needs, and how many colors and patterns you choose, and if you're set on a full pattern pour, our stamped concrete services page goes further into it. The schedule turns mostly on the weather and on any permit or inspection your job needs, and I'll give you a written estimate once I've seen the space.
What are the signs your concrete needs a new finish?
Color washing out
A patio that was a rich color and now looks chalky usually had a color method that doesn't hold up in direct sun. The slab itself is often fine, but every summer takes a little more color, and a worn finish needs more prep before anything new goes on.
Top layer flaking off
When the surface comes off in small flakes, often where salt gets spread or tracked, the concrete usually wasn't mixed or cured to stand up to freezing and deicers. Left alone, the flaking spreads and the stone underneath starts to show, which limits what can go over it later.
Cracks running through it
Cracks that cut across a patio in odd places usually mean the base settled or the control joints, the grooves that give a slab a planned place to crack, were cut late or skipped. A decorative coat won't stop a slab that's moving, so we look at what's underneath before we talk about color.
How we build decorative concrete
I start by showing you which color methods hold up in full sun and which don't, so the choice is yours with the facts in hand. Our crew then digs out and packs the subgrade, which is the ground the slab sits on, and checks where the water runs so the new surface sheds it away from your house. We set the forms and the rebar, the steel inside that helps hold the slab together, pour early in the day so midday heat doesn't leave a weak, dusty top, and press in the pattern or texture while the concrete is still workable. After that we cut the control joints and let the slab cure, which is the wait that lets it gain strength before you use it, and when a pour could meet freezing weather, we plan ahead to protect the slab through its first day. If the budget gets tight, I would rather simplify the pattern than skimp on the base, because the base is buried on day one and it's what decides whether that pattern stays flat.
Decorative work often sits beside other projects. If the patio you want runs into a slope, a concrete retaining wall can keep the yard from creeping onto it, and inside the house, a floor from our concrete floor installation work can be poured with a stain in mind.
New stamped or textured pour
This suits a slab that's cracked, settled or not there yet, because we build from the base up and put the pattern in as we pour. It costs more than coloring what you have, but it's the honest fix when the old slab has moved.
Stain or overlay on your slab
A stain soaks color into an existing slab, and an overlay adds a thin new layer with fresh texture on top of it. Both suit a patio or walk that's level and solid, and I'll tell you plainly if yours isn't.
Get a written estimate for your decorative concrete
Expect a reply within 1 business day to set a visit, and the estimate at your property is free, with no pressure to book. Mention the surface, rough size and any sidewalk or driveway approach it touches.
(402) 512-8158- Based in
- Fremont, NE 68025
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
What happens when you call about decorative concrete in Fremont?
Here's how a job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, so you know who you'll talk to and what comes next.
Call and set a visit
When you call (402) 512-8158, I answer myself, and we set a time for me to come out. I'll ask a few questions about the space so I come prepared.
Walk the space together
I look at the job and listen to what you have in mind, and then you get a written estimate. If a pattern or color runs past your budget, I'll say so and suggest where it can come down.
Pour, finish and walk through
Once you're ready, we take care of any permits, pick a pour date with the weather in mind and do the work with our own crew. When we finish, I walk the job with you and go over how to look after the new surface.
Why Fremont homeowners call Fremont Concrete for decorative work
The owner writes your estimate
I come out to look at the job and write the estimate myself, and I'm on site to check the work while it's done. You're dealing with the person who makes the decisions, so what we agreed on is what gets built.
Trained on a Fremont crew
I came to concrete later than most, learning the trade on a Fremont finishing crew before starting this business in 2017. Coming in late taught me to find out rather than guess, and that's what I'll do with any question about your job I can't answer on the spot.
Licensed and fully insured
Fremont Concrete is licensed and fully insured. That way you aren't carrying the risk of our crew working on your property.
If you'd like a straight answer on whether your slab can take a decorative finish, contact us or call (402) 512-8158.
Permits, inspections and decorative concrete work in Fremont
In Fremont, anyone who plans to build, enlarge, alter, repair, move or tear down a building or structure has to apply to the city's building official and get the permit first. That's the city's general rule and it doesn't spell out decorative patios, so if we aren't sure what the city asks for on your job, I check with that office before we start, and when our work needs a permit, we handle the application and book the inspections for our part. If your slab meets a sidewalk or a driveway approach, the city's sidewalk and approach permit has the applicant agree to ask for an inspection before that concrete is poured, and it calls for Nebraska 1 Call, the 811 line, to locate all utilities before any work starts.
Much of what we see around Fremont is plain gray patios, walks and driveway edges that owners want to dress up, and we get the same requests on jobs in Blair and Schuyler. Wherever the job is, we check the slab first so a new finish doesn't go over one that's moving.
Questions about decorative concrete in Fremont
How much does stamped concrete cost in Fremont, NE?
A stamped patio of reinforced concrete in the Omaha area usually runs about $9 to $15 per square foot. That's the going rate in the market, not our price, and your number depends on the size, the base work and the pattern you choose, so I'll give you a written estimate after I see the space.
Will stained concrete fade in the sun?
Most acid-based and water-based stains soak into the surface and hold up well to sun and wear, so they're usually a sound choice outdoors. Some dyes aren't recommended outside because direct sunlight can fade them, so on a sunny patio it's worth asking which kind a quote includes.
How do I protect new concrete in winter?
New concrete shouldn't be allowed to freeze for at least the first 24 hours after it's placed, so any pour where a freeze is possible needs a plan to protect it through that first day. A mix with an air-entraining admixture, which adds tiny air bubbles, helps concrete handle freezing, thawing and scaling from deicing salt, so it's fair to ask whether yours has one. Hold off on deicers on new outdoor concrete even once it looks hard, because it still needs curing and time first.
Does my concrete contractor need to be registered in Nebraska?
Yes, Nebraska requires contractors and subcontractors to register with the Nebraska Department of Labor, though that registration doesn't vouch for the quality of their work. Inside Fremont's city limits and the two-mile zoning area around them, a contractor building for hire on a job that needs a building permit also has to register with the city.
Should I seal my decorative concrete patio?
A sealer can help, because in some situations it cuts down how much water and salt get into the surface. It won't fix a weak surface or stand in for a good mix and proper curing, and whether one suits your slab depends on its moisture, its age, how it was prepared and what it's exposed to.
What is the best way to combine decorative concrete finishes?
Start from how the surface gets used and how much sun it sees, then pair methods that suit both, since many decorative techniques can be combined. A stamped border around a stained center is a common pairing, and I'll tell you which pairings I'd steer away from on your slab.
Related concrete work that pairs with decorative finishes
Concrete retaining walls
A poured wall gives a sloped yard a level shelf for a patio or walk, and its face can be colored to go with the patio beside it.
Concrete floor installation
A new basement, garage or shop floor poured flat and smooth gives you a sound base that can later take a stain if you want color indoors.
Service areas for decorative concrete near Fremont
Fremont Concrete is based in Fremont, NE, and the 7 cities below have their own page here, from Gretna to La Vista. We work in other cities nearby as well, so please call if yours isn't listed.
Fremont, NE
Call about your decorative concrete plans
Pour dates are picked around the weather, so calling early leaves more room to choose a good day for your job.