Stamped, colored, stained or exposed: concrete that looks custom.
A finish changes how concrete looks, how it grips and how it holds up in the sun. We pour and finish decorative concrete on new slabs, add color and coatings to sound existing ones, and seal it so the color lasts. Most of the finishes below work on driveways, walkways, patios and pool decks; epoxy is for garages and covered slabs.
Typical pricestamped $12–$18 / sq ftinstalled · free written estimateEach finish below is on Sam The Concrete Man’s North Phoenix menu. We bring samples to the estimate and tell you which ones suit your slab, your traffic and your sun.
While the concrete is still workable, color goes on and pattern mats are pressed in, so one solid slab looks like flagstone, slate, brick or wood plank. There are no joints between pavers for weeds to grow through or pieces to shift, and resealing keeps the color and the texture crisp.
Photo: Sam The Concrete Man
Pigment mixed through the concrete, so the color runs all the way through and a chip doesn’t show grey. Iron-oxide pigments don’t fade in the sun, which makes integral color a good fit for desert patios and walks. A release color can add a darker tone in the texture of stamped work.
Photo: Sam The Concrete Man
A stain soaks into new or existing concrete and becomes part of the surface, so it won’t chip or peel like paint. Water-based stains hold up outdoors but need resealing; it’s a way to give a sound, tired slab new color without replacing it.
Photo: Sam The Concrete Man
An acid stain reacts with the minerals in cured concrete and leaves a marbled, variegated color that is different on every slab. The color is permanent; the sealer over it is the wear layer and gets renewed.
Photo: Sam The Concrete Man
The top layer of cement paste is washed away to show the stone in the mix. The stone gives grip around pools and sprinklers and hides dust and wear between washes.
Photo: Sam The Concrete Man
A stiff broom pulled across the fresh surface leaves fine grooves that give shoes and tires grip and channel water off. It is the everyday finish for driveways, walks and steps, and one of the most budget-friendly.
Photo: Sam The Concrete Man
A two-part resin coating bonded to a prepared slab, for garages, workshops and covered areas. It resists oil, stains and moisture, cleans with a mop, and can carry color flakes and a non-slip additive. For a slab in strong sun, we may recommend a different finish or a UV-stable topcoat.
Photo: Sam The Concrete Man, another location
A deep clean that lifts dirt, oil and grime, then a sealer that repels water and stains and slows sun fade. It suits a driveway, patio or pool deck that looks dull or dirty but is still structurally sound.
Photo: Sam The Concrete Man
Good concrete starts long before the truck arrives. Our experienced team knows what to look for, what questions to ask, and which details can make the difference years down the road.
Iron-oxide pigment mixed into the concrete doesn’t fade from sun exposure, and acid-stain color holds as long as the surface stays sealed. Some powdered dyes aren’t UV stable at all, so they are for indoor floors only.
Hot weather changes how fast concrete sets, and that can change its shade. Colored sections are poured under the same conditions and with the same mix, so one matches the next.
Sealer is the wear layer on decorative concrete. Outdoors under the desert sun, plan on resealing every two to three years, sooner on a pool deck or a driveway in full sun.
The Valley has four kinds of ground, and each one changes how we prepare the base, reinforce the slab and handle water. Your community page has the specifics.
Dig to firm ground, break out caliche that sits high in the base and haul it off instead of backfilling with it, bring in aggregate base compacted in lifts, and slope the slab and the grade so roof and sprinkler water run away from it instead of pooling on the hardpan.
Compaction done in lifts at the right moisture, with loose or soft soil dug out and replaced, a thicker section anywhere a truck, trailer or RV will park, and grading that keeps runoff off the slab and out from under it. Washes and drainage easements stay open.
Remove the soft and organic soil, bring in compacted aggregate base, set rebar on chairs, and keep the moisture under the slab steady: drainage away from it, and turf and drip lines held back from its edges.
Excavation into the rock or hardpan, a thicker compacted base where the support is uneven, drainage that catches runoff above the slab and carries it around, and engineered retaining walls where the grade is cut. Walls on hillside lots often need a permit, and each city and town has its own rules, so we check yours.
Typical prices for every kind of project are in the Phoenix concrete cost guide, and general questions are on the FAQ page.
We also do footers, home foundations, piers, demolition and removal, grinding and cutting, culverts, curbing, ramps, masonry, overlays, screen enclosures, commercial pads and slabs, commercial patios, commercial walkways and entryways, industrial flooring, loading docks, parking lots. See every service →
You'll know, without question, what your project involves, what it costs, and what to expect before work begins.
