Concrete pool decks in Rialto CA - a deck that grips when wet and drains away
Cracked deck, loose coping or puddles by the pool? We pour a deck that drains right, grips wet feet and protects the edge.
What goes into a new concrete pool deck in Rialto?
A concrete pool deck is the flat concrete around your pool that people walk on wet and barefoot. In Rialto, we form, pour and finish it so it grips underfoot, carries water away from the house and leaves the pool edge alone.
Most calls start with a new pool going in, or with an old deck that has cracked, settled or started lifting the coping. The price mostly comes down to the size of the deck, whether an old one has to come out first, how many drains and joints the layout needs and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on any permit, which we pull when the job needs one, and on weather good enough to pour. I'll walk the site with you and put all of it in a written estimate, so you see your own number and what it covers before you decide.
What happens after you call about a pool deck?
Call or send the form
Call (909) 546-5019 or send the form with the deck's rough size in square feet and a few photos of the pool edge, and we'll set a time for me to come out. We're based in Rialto and also work in Fontana, Colton, San Bernardino, Riverside, Upland and the cities around them.
I measure and write it up
I come out, look at the pool, the coping and where water runs now, take measurements and talk through your options. You get a written estimate that lists what's included, so ask any other bidder whether the joint along the coping is in their price, since a pool engineering firm says that joint is normally the deck installer's job.
Permit, forming and pour day
Once you're ready, we pull any permit the job needs, see it through the inspections and plan the pour around the weather. Our own crew forms, pours and finishes, and I'm on site on pour day checking the work.
Walk the finished deck together
When the crew wraps up, we walk the deck together and I go over how to care for it. That includes how long to stay off it while it cures, which is the slow hardening that decides how strong the top ends up.
How we build a concrete pool deck, and the work around it
I start by checking where water runs now. Then our crew digs out and packs the subgrade, the soil and gravel the slab sits on, because a deck poured on raked dirt settles with that dirt and tilts toward the pool or the house. Before a single form goes up, we work out the drains, skimmers, equipment pad, pipes and joints, so water leaves the deck away from the house without washing dirty runoff into the pool. Along the coping, the cap at the pool's edge, we build a flexible joint that runs the full depth of the slab, because a deck tied to the coping pushes and pulls on it as it swells and shrinks, and that movement frequently loosens coping and tile. We set rebar, the steel that holds the slab together, and pour in the morning so the crew isn't racing the clock on the finish. We cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a chosen place to crack, the same day so any cracks follow those lines instead of wandering, and then we finish the top in the texture you picked. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather you choose a simpler finish than skimp on the base, because you can redo a surface later but you can't fix what's under it without tearing the deck out.
Pool decks rarely sit by themselves. If your back door drops down to the pool, we can build concrete steps that tie into the deck's slope so the walk out stays even. If you're adding a pool house or cabana, the slab foundation under it gets the same dug-out, packed base, and we plan its edge so deck water runs away from it.
Get a written estimate for your pool deck
We get back to you within one business day, and then I come out to look at the pool, measure and talk through finishes with you. The estimate is free, comes in writing with what's included, and there's no obligation.
Pool deck questions we hear in Rialto
What is the best way to pick a finish for a concrete pool deck?
Pick for grip and heat first and looks second, because people cross a pool deck wet and barefoot. Broom, textured, exposed aggregate, coatings, overlays and decorative finishes all differ in how well they grip and how hot they get, and very dark colors can turn uncomfortable in the sun. A broom finish, fine lines dragged across the wet concrete, is the plain choice for grip, and I'll steer you toward a finish that holds onto wet feet and stays comfortable underfoot.
How much does a concrete pool deck cost in Rialto?
A concrete pool deck in the Riverside area usually costs about $5.50 to $13 per square foot, which is what the local market runs, not a quote from us. A plain finish on an open, easy site sits toward the low end, while tearing out an old deck, adding drains or going decorative pushes toward the high end. Your written estimate spells out what's included, and our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
How do I take care of the joint between my pool deck and the coping?
Check it once a year, and have the caulk repaired or replaced when it cracks, pulls away or starts breaking down. That's what one coping maker's installation guide says, and it puts most elastomeric caulks, the stretchy sealant in that joint, at five to ten years of life. The same guide says to wait at least 30 days after the pour before caulking so the concrete can cure and shrink first, which means that last seal goes in weeks after the deck is done.
Do I need a permit for a new pool deck in Rialto?
The city's permit list doesn't name pool decks, so it doesn't settle that for your job, and the city is the place to ask. Rialto's Engineering Department issues grading, encroachment, haul route, water quality and right of way permits, and the city's Building Division checks that construction follows the state building codes and city rules through plan review and inspection. When a job needs a permit, we pull it and work with the office that covers your address through the inspections, and if we're not sure which office that is, we find out before we bid.
Does a contractor need a license to pour a small pool deck in California?
Yes, if the job needs a permit of any kind or the contractor hires workers, even when the project comes in under $1,000. The state licensing board describes a concrete contractor as one who forms, pours, places, finishes and installs flatwork, meaning slabs like patios, walks and pool decks, along with other concrete work. We're licensed and fully insured, and our own crew does the forming, pouring and finishing.
Can I resurface my old pool deck instead of replacing it?
You can put a decorative overlay, a thin new surface layer, on an old deck, but anything making the deck move or settle has to be repaired first. If the slab is still shifting, an overlay just sits on top of the same problem, so that repair comes first and shapes the whole plan. I'll look at how your deck has moved and tell you straight whether an overlay makes sense or a new pour does.
Other concrete work around the pool
Concrete steps construction
When your patio door or back porch drops down to the pool, solid steps with even risers make the trip safer for wet, barefoot traffic.
Slab foundation building
Planning a pool house, cabana or equipment shed near the water? It starts with a slab foundation, dug out and packed so the building sits on solid ground.
Call about your concrete pool deck
We're open seven days a week until 9 PM, so you can call (909) 546-5019 after work, even on a weekend.