Concrete pool decks in Fountain Valley CA - a surface that drains and grips wet feet
Is your deck slick when wet, cracked or draining into the pool? We plan water and joints first, then a finish that grips bare feet.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
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What goes into a new concrete pool deck in Fountain Valley?
A concrete pool deck is the flat slab around your pool. In Fountain Valley we build it so wet, bare feet get good grip and the water runs away from your house and out of your pool.
Most people call me for one of a few reasons. The old deck is cracked, it's tilting toward the house or it's slick when it's wet, or a new pool needs a deck around it. The price mostly comes down to how big the deck is, how many curves, drains and corners it has, which finish you pick and whether old concrete has to come out first. The schedule turns on those same things, plus any city paperwork. If you also want concrete steps down from the back door, tell me early, because they change the layout and where the water goes. Your estimate spells out the prep, the concrete work and anything that isn't included.
How do you know your pool deck needs work?
Slick spots after a swim
If people slip near the pool steps or along the edge, the finish has usually worn smooth, or it was too slick for wet feet from the start. That isn't something you wait out, because it only takes one bad fall.
Dirty water in the pool
When a hose-down or a rain washes dirt and leaves off the deck and into the water, the slab is pitched the wrong way or the drains aren't keeping up. Leave it and you'll be cleaning the pool more often. Water that runs toward the house instead can end up sitting against the foundation.
Cracks at corners and drains
Cracks that start at an inside corner, at a drain or in a narrow strip of concrete usually mean the joints were skipped or put in the wrong place. Once a crack opens, water gets under the slab and that section can start to tip or lift.
How we build a concrete pool deck
Before we set a single form, I work out two things. The first is where the water drains, so runoff heads away from your house and toward the deck drains instead of into the pool. The second is where the joints go, so the odd corners don't crack. Then we dig out to the subgrade, which is the ground the slab sits on, and pack a firm base, because a base that's only raked level settles with the dirt under it. We set the forms and the rebar, which is the steel that holds the slab together if it does crack. After we pour and finish, we cut control joints, planned grooves that give the concrete a place to crack where it won't show. Along the way I'll help you pick a finish that grips under wet feet and stays comfortable barefoot. If the budget's tight, I'd rather you go plainer on the surface than skimp on the base, because you can redo a finish later but you can't fix a base without tearing the deck out.
A pool deck usually ties into other concrete around the house. If the back door sits above the deck, we can pour concrete steps that meet it at the right height. A pool house or cabana needs its own slab foundation, and that's a heavier job than flatwork, the flat slabs like decks, patios and driveways.
Get a written estimate for your pool deck
Send us the rough size of your deck, the finish you like and whether it's new or a resurface. We reply within one business day, and I'll come out for a free estimate with no obligation.
- info@concretefountainvalley.com
- Based in
- Fountain Valley, CA 92708
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
What happens after you call about a pool deck in Fountain Valley?
Here's how a pool deck job goes from your side, from the first call to the day we walk the finished deck with you.
Call or send a message
Call (657) 329-2134 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out to your yard.
I look at the deck myself
I walk the deck and the yard with you, check where the water goes now and listen to what you want. The written estimate spells out the prep, the concrete work and anything that isn't included, so you know what you're paying for before you decide.
We schedule and build it
If you go ahead, we line up the dates and any city paperwork. Then our crew forms, pours and finishes with me on site, working to the drainage and joint plan we settled at the estimate.
We walk the finished deck
When it's done, we walk it with you and go over how to look after it while it cures. That's the time to ask about anything you're not sure of.
Why Fountain Valley homeowners call Blue Collar Fountain Valley Concrete for pool decks
I quote it and watch the pour
I come out to look at the job and write the estimate myself, and I'm on site while our crew forms, pours and finishes. The person who heard what you wanted is the one watching the concrete go down.
Insured for work in your backyard
We're fully licensed and insured. A pool deck job puts a crew, heavy forms and a concrete truck at your house, so that cover matters if something goes wrong.
City rules checked before we start
In Fountain Valley, work that doesn't need a permit still has to follow city code and other local laws. That's why we check with the city before we start every deck, so nothing comes up after the concrete's down.
Flatwork since 2020, prep first
We've been in business since 2020, and I learned the trade on walkways and steps for neighbors and on other crews before going out on my own. I'd rather tell you something you don't want to hear at the estimate than have you find it out a year later.
On a pool deck, how it holds up is decided under the surface, by the base and by where the water goes. Tell us about your deck and I'll come take a look.
Pool decks and the concrete around them in Fountain Valley
Fountain Valley requires a permit to build or alter a structure. The list of work the city exempts names some sidewalks and driveways but not pool decks, so that list alone doesn't settle whether your deck needs one. You can check the city's building permits page or ask the city yourself. Either way, we check with the city before we start, and when a permit is needed we take care of the paperwork and inspections.
A lot of the decks we see around here went in when the pool did, and many sit on a base that was raked level instead of packed. That shows up as settled sections and cracks running off the corners. We see the same thing on jobs in Huntington Beach and Westminster, and we treat the base the same way everywhere we work, across Orange County and over the county line.
Questions about concrete pool decks in Fountain Valley
How much does a concrete pool deck cost in Fountain Valley?
Across the US, a poured concrete slab pool deck usually costs about $6 to $15 per square foot installed, so treat that as a national guide and not a local quote. Tearing out an old deck adds more when the job is complex or equipment has trouble reaching the concrete, and the finish you pick moves the number too. I'll give you your own figure in the estimate after I've seen your yard.
Which pool deck finish is safest for bare feet?
The safest finish is one with enough texture to grip when it's wet, in a color that isn't so dark it gets uncomfortable in the sun. Grip and surface heat vary from one finish to the next. That goes for broom finishes, which have fine ridges dragged into the surface, and for textured finishes, exposed aggregate, coatings, overlays and decorative finishes.
Can my old pool deck be resurfaced instead of replaced?
Yes, a coating over the old deck can work if the existing concrete is a good candidate for it. Whatever made the deck move or settle has to be repaired before an overlay goes on, because an overlay on a moving slab cracks right along with it. If the base is the problem, replacing the deck is usually the honest answer.
Do I need a licensed contractor to build a pool deck in California?
Usually, yes. In California, a concrete contractor is the one who forms, pours, finishes and installs flat concrete work, and the state's minor work exemption covers only jobs up to $1,000 that need no permit, done by someone who hires no one. A deck that costs more than that or needs a permit falls outside the exemption.
What causes cracks in a concrete pool deck?
A common cause is joints that weren't planned around the curves, drains, columns and corners, because odd, narrow panels of concrete tend to crack. If your deck has a curved or complicated shape, ask to see the joint layout before the pour. I'll walk you through ours at the estimate.
How do I take care of a concrete pool deck?
Rinse off chemical spills, look after any sealer or coating the way its maker directs and keep the deck drains working, because pool chemicals collect around the splash zones. With a salt-water pool, the salt adds chloride that can work on the steel inside the slab and on metal fixtures, so it's worth keeping up with.
Other concrete work around your pool
Concrete steps construction
Pool decks often sit a step or two below the back door, and steps poured to match keep the rise even and the water running the right way.
View service Concrete steps constructionSlab foundation building
Adding a changing room or equipment shed by the pool means a slab built to carry walls and a roof, which is heavier work than a deck.
View service Slab foundation building
Service areas for our pool deck work
Blue Collar Fountain Valley Concrete is based in Fountain Valley, CA. Twelve cities have their own page on this site, including Costa Mesa and Irvine. We work in other cities around them too, so if yours isn't listed, give us a call.
Fountain Valley, CA
Get your pool deck planned before the pour
Moving a drain or a joint line is easy on paper and costly once the concrete's down, so it pays to have me look before anything's formed.