Decorative concrete in Boston, MA - color and texture over a solid base
Plain gray slab looking tired, or an old patio you'd rather not tear out? We add color and texture and seal it for Boston winters.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Decorative concrete finishes we put down
Stamped and textured surfaces
Patterns pressed or textured into fresh concrete so a patio, walk or pool deck looks like brick, slate or stone. It suits new pours where you want character and some grip underfoot.
Color, stain and exposed stone
Color mixed into the concrete, stain soaked into a cured surface, or the top washed back to show the stone inside. These pair well with texture on the same slab.
What can decorative concrete do for my patio or walk?
Decorative concrete gives a Boston patio, walk, pool deck or floor real color and texture through stain, stamped patterns, exposed stone or polish, either as a new slab or as a thin layer over an old one that's still sound.
Most people call because a slab is solid but plain, or the surface is flaking, stained or patched and they're tired of looking at it. If you're after the look of brick or slate, that's stamped concrete, and it's one of several finishes we can talk through. The price moves with the size of the area, how detailed the pattern and color work gets, and whether your old concrete can stay or the base under it has to be dug out and redone. The schedule turns on the weather, because the concrete has to cure before it's sealed, and on any city review the job needs. I'll give you your own figure after I've seen the site.
Decorative concrete, from the base to the sealer
Before we settle on a finish, I look at why your concrete looks the way it does, whether a slope needs concrete retaining walls, and whether an indoor floor needs concrete floor installation before stain or polish.
Checking the slab you have
If there's an existing slab, we check whether it's solid enough to take an overlay before we suggest tearing it out for new concrete.
Base and drainage
We dig out and pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, and pitch the surface so water runs away from your house.
Pour, pattern and joints
We pour in the cooler hours, work in the color and texture, then cut control joints, shallow grooves that tell cracks where to go.
Curing, sealing and upkeep
We let the concrete cure, the slow hardening that gives it strength, before it's sealed, and we go over upkeep with you up front.
Why Boston owners call Ironset for decorative work
I spent years patching steps, walks and slabs on rental buildings around Boston, and a lot of what failed came down to a poor base or water with nowhere to go. So when a budget gets tight, I'd rather trim the pattern than the base under it.
The person who quotes it is there
I come out to see the site and write the estimate myself, then work alongside our crew as they form, pour and finish, so the person who quoted it is on site.
Known for slabs that keep cracking
We opened in 2023, and the calls we're best known for are the awkward ones, like a slab that keeps cracking or a wall holding water behind it.
Licensed and fully insured
Ask to see the paperwork when I come out, so you know the crew digging out and pouring at your house is covered before anyone starts.
What happens after you call about decorative concrete in Boston?
We plan the finish around how you use the space and what's gone wrong there before, and we sort out any permits before the forms go up.
or call (617) 226-2081
You call or send the form
Call (617) 226-2081 or send the form below with a few details, and we'll get back to you to set up a visit.
I look over the site
I come out, check the slab and where water runs, and ask what's gone wrong there before, since an old crack usually has a reason.
You get a written quote
The quote shows what goes under and behind the concrete, not just the finish. We line up any permits, our crew pours, and I walk it with you.
Get a quote for your decorative concrete, base to sealer
Tell us the area's rough size, add photos of any slab you have, and say if you're in a historic district. We reply within one business day to set up a free estimate at your property, with no obligation.
Decorative concrete questions from Boston owners
How much does stamped concrete cost in Boston?
Stamped concrete in Boston usually costs about $10 to $25 per square foot, and that's the going rate around the city, not our price. Where a job lands in that range depends on the pattern you pick, how big the area is and labor rates here.
Can decorative concrete go over my existing slab?
Often, yes, with an overlay, a cement-based mix laid over the concrete you already have. It works when the slab underneath is solid, because a thin layer usually cracks along with whatever moves under it, so a sinking or broken slab is better replaced.
What is the best sealer for stamped concrete?
Most stamped concrete gets a topical sealer, one that forms a thin film on top, because it brings out the color. A penetrating sealer soaks in and repels water inside the pores instead, and a hybrid does some of both. Any of them helps keep out water, deicing salt and stains, but too much sealer, or sealer put on too early, can spoil the look.
How often does stamped concrete need resealing?
There's no set schedule, so you reseal when water stops beading, stains start soaking in or the color looks flat. Resealing every year just to keep a high gloss can cause problems of its own.
How long does stamped concrete have to cure before it's sealed?
There's no single number, because the curing method, the temperature, the humidity and the mix all change how long it takes. We set the sealing day by how the concrete is doing, not by the calendar.
How do I find out what permits I need for concrete work in Boston?
The city's Permitting Clinic gives one-on-one help from zoning professionals, so you can learn which permits and approvals may apply before work starts. Bring it up at the estimate too, and we'll talk through what your job may need.
Work that often goes with it
Concrete retaining walls
If your patio sits on a slope or the yard is pushing toward it, a concrete wall holds the ground back and gives water a way out.
Explore Concrete retaining wallsConcrete floor installation
For a basement, shop or garage room that needs a new floor first, we pour a flat interior slab that can take stain or polish later.
Explore Concrete floor installationStamped concrete services
When you want a patio or walk to look like brick, slate or stone, stamping presses that pattern into the fresh concrete before it sets.
Explore Stamped concrete services
What Boston asks of decorative concrete work
In Boston, Inspectional Services reviews construction projects depending on their scope, and if a job takes up public space or digs up a public roadway, that permit comes from Public Works. Whether your patio or walk needs a permit depends on what we're building and where, so I don't assume either way. When a job needs one, we help line it up before work starts and walk you through which office is involved, and if it isn't clear, we check with the building office instead of guessing. If your house is a designated Landmark or sits in one of the city's local historic districts, a city commission reviews exterior changes through design review. In the Historic Beacon Hill District, all exterior work visible from a public way gets reviewed, so tell us at the estimate if that's you.
Winters here bring freeze and thaw and plenty of deicing salt, which is hard on any outdoor finish. Trade guidance calls for a set amount of air in the mix for outdoor slabs that face both, so ask us how the mix for your new patio or walk handles it. We're based in Boston and see the same salted walks and tight older lots on jobs in Somerville and Brookline, and if your city isn't listed, just ask.