Stamped concrete services in Fargo ND - a patterned slab ready for its first winter
Plain gray patio or slab that looks worn? We pour and stamp a patterned surface, then seal it to suit how you'll use it.
Book an estimate for your stamped slab
Bring your pattern and color ideas, and I'll check them against the space you have.
What should I know before getting stamped concrete?
Stamped concrete services in Fargo, ND give a patio, walk or driveway the look of stone, brick or tile, because we press a pattern into the concrete while it's still soft and then seal it to bring out the color. Most of the planning happens before the pour, and a fall job needs to be booked early enough for the slab to dry out before the first freeze.
Most people who call us have a worn patio or a gray slab they're tired of looking at, and they want something that looks like more than concrete. The price moves with the size of the area, how busy the pattern is, how many colors go in, which sealer you pick and whether steps or a walk tie into it. The schedule turns on the weather and the time of year, because I'd rather move a pour than rush one, and on settling the sealer before we pick a date. Your written estimate lays all of that out for your own yard.
How we handle stamped concrete services from plan to seal
We settle the sealer with you before we set a date, because it changes how the color looks and how the surface grips. Topical sealers, the kind that leave a film on top, are the most common pick since they deepen the color, while one sealer maker says penetrating sealers, which soak in, keep a natural look with no gloss and hold onto traction. On a patio where color is the point, topical usually makes sense, but on a walk or steps you'll use all winter, I'd put grip first. On pour day our crew lead runs the job. We place the concrete, color it, press the stamp mats in while it's still workable and finish the edges, then seal it once it's cured enough. Before we leave, we go over care for that first winter, since salt on a new stamped slab is the mistake we see most.
Stamped work usually sits next to plain concrete. We pour concrete sidewalks that lead up to a stamped patio or entry, and when a project reaches the garage, we handle the garage floor as smooth concrete, since that floor needs to be flat and easy to clean under a car.
Stamped concrete in Fargo where it meets the street
Most stamped work stays in the backyard, but when it reaches the street side of the lot, the city's rules come in. Fargo requires anyone installing or repairing sidewalk to be licensed with the city as a sidewalk contractor and to hold a North Dakota general contractor's license, and unlicensed sidewalk or approach work, even by a homeowner, brings a $500 fine plus removal and replacement, billed as a special assessment on your property taxes. The approach is the stretch of driveway between the street and the sidewalk. Residential driveways have to be at least 9 feet and no more than 30 feet wide at the sidewalk line, anything wider needs City Engineer approval, and the total can never pass half the lot's width. When your stamped drive or walk ties into the public sidewalk or the approach, we check with the city what that part needs before we plan the layout.
Winter is the other local factor, with long cold stretches, freeze-thaw swings and road salt tracked onto every driveway. Outdoor concrete here is normally air-entrained, built with tiny air bubbles in the mix, which help it stand up to freeze-thaw and to ice-melt chemicals. We plan for the same winters on stamped jobs in Moorhead and West Fargo.
Why call us for stamped concrete
I come out and write it up
I look at each job myself and write the estimate, then our crew lead runs the work on site while I check in as it goes. You're dealing with the person who planned your job, start to finish.
Planned tight since 2017
I ran schedules for a busy building company before I learned to place and finish concrete, and I started this business in 2017 to run jobs with no wasted days. If the weather's wrong for a pour, I'll move it rather than rush it, and you'll hear why.
Licensed and insured in North Dakota
North Dakota requires a contractor's license for any job priced over $4,000. We're licensed and fully insured, so that question is settled before we start.
- Phone
- (701) 608-1202
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
- Location
- Fargo, ND 58102
Most of what decides how a stamped slab looks years from now gets settled before the pour. Send us a request with the rough size and whether it's a patio, driveway or steps, or call (701) 608-1202.
Get a written estimate for your stamped concrete
Estimates are free, done at your property and come with no obligation. We get back to you within one business day, then I come out, walk the area with you and put the scope in writing.
- Phone
- (701) 608-1202
- Location
- Fargo, ND 58102
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
- Credentials
- Licensed and fully insured.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit for a stamped patio in Fargo?
The City of Fargo requires permits for new construction and for stairs or steps, but not for flat work like a concrete slab with nothing built on it. A stamped patio that adds steps or a structure can change that answer. We check with the city on each job, and when a permit's required, we handle the application and set up the inspections with you.
How much does stamped concrete cost in Fargo?
Installed stamped concrete in Fargo usually costs about $13 to $27 per square foot, which is the going rate in the area, not a quote. A simple pattern in one color sits toward the low end, while busier patterns, more colors, steps and tight access push it up. I'll give you your own figure in writing after I walk the area.
How do I know when stamped concrete needs resealing?
Reseal when water and stains stop beading up on the surface or the color starts to look flat, not on a set calendar. Resealing is the most common upkeep for stamped concrete, because the sealer's water and stain repellency wears off over time. One sealer maker says a properly applied penetrating sealer typically protects for 5 to 10 years.
Can I use salt on new stamped concrete the first winter?
No, a South Dakota concrete trade group advises no deicing chemicals at all the first winter, and says plain sand is the only safe way to add grip. After that, it says deicers with common salt can be used sparingly, while ones with ammonium sulfates or nitrates, calcium or magnesium chlorides, or magnesium nitrates or acetates break concrete down fast. Keep a bag of sand by the door that first year.
How late in the fall can you pour stamped concrete in Fargo?
Late enough to leave at least 30 days before the first freeze, since Nebraska extension guidance says new concrete should be properly cured and air dried for that long before it freezes. In Fargo, that means booking a fall job early enough to keep that window. If the calendar gets tight, I'd rather move your pour to spring than rush it.
What causes stamped concrete to flake?
Flaking, which the trade calls scaling, usually starts with a weak top layer, from finishing while bleed water, the water that rises after the pour, is still sitting on the surface, or from too little curing, the time a new slab is kept damp so it hardens properly. That weak skin breaks up with freezing, thawing, moisture and deicing salts. Ask any crew how they finish and cure the slab, and I'll walk you through how we do it at the estimate.
Other concrete work we do
Concrete sidewalk building
A cracked or heaved walk next to a new stamped patio stands out, so it often makes sense to replace the plain sidewalk as part of the same project.
Garage floor concrete
If your garage floor is cracked, sinking or holding water by the door, a new slab gives you a flat surface that's easy to sweep and park on.