Concrete pool decks in Covina CA - a deck built on a solid base, sealed at the coping
Cracked, chipped or lifting deck around your pool? We find out whether it can be resurfaced or needs a new pour, then build it right.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Should you resurface your pool deck or pour a new one?
The short answer: A concrete pool deck is the poured slab between your pool's coping, the cap along the pool's edge, and the rest of the yard. Covina Concrete either pours a new deck or lays a concrete coating over the one you have, for homes in Covina and the cities around it.
Most calls start with a deck that has cracked, chipped or started to lift, and the first question is whether it can be saved. Resurfacing is the less costly way to refresh a slab and clean up its flaws, but only when the concrete underneath is a good candidate, so the condition of your current deck decides which way the job goes. Price moves with the size of the deck, whether the old slab has to be broken out and hauled off, how much work the ground under it needs, and how easy it is to get concrete into your backyard. The schedule turns on the same things, plus curing, the days a new slab needs to harden before you put weight on it, and whether the job needs a permit. Your written estimate lists what's included, so you know what you're paying for before anything is scheduled.
How do you know your pool deck needs work?
Cracks running across the deck
Long cracks that run across the slab, or ones that keep getting wider, usually mean the ground or the base under it has moved. Left alone, water gets in and the edges start to chip, and a deck that might have been resurfaced turns into a tear-out.
Sections that lift or sink
When one section sits higher than the next, you've got a trip edge on a surface people walk barefoot and wet. That kind of movement comes from underneath, so a coating won't fix it, and waiting usually means more slab to break out.
Chips in the coping
Chips or cracks in the coping often mean the deck is pushing against it with nowhere to go. It's worth catching early, because the repair gets a lot bigger once the damage reaches the pool structure under the coping.
How we resurface and pour concrete pool decks
I start with the deck you have, because some can be resurfaced and some can't, and there's no point selling you new concrete if a coating will do. On a new pour we break out the old slab, dig out the soft dirt and pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, so the deck doesn't settle with it later. Then we set forms, lay rebar, the steel that holds the slab together if it does crack, and pour early in the day so the heat doesn't dry the top before we can finish it. We give it a broom finish, a light texture that grips wet feet, and cut control joints, grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along instead of a random one. At the coping we leave a gap, and we come back on a later visit to seal it once the slab has had time to settle in. If the budget gets tight, I'll tell you to keep the base and go plainer on the finish, because a nice surface on a bad base is the first thing to crack.
A pool deck often ties into other work. Where the deck meets a back door or a raised patio, we can form concrete steps in the same pour so they match the new slab. If you're adding a cabana or pool house, it needs a slab foundation with thicker edges and more steel than a deck, and we plan the two together so they sit right next to each other.
Resurfacing the deck you have
This suits a deck that's sound underneath but worn on top, with hairline cracks, small chips or tired texture. It costs less and you're off the deck for less time, but it can't fix a slab that's moving.
Tearing out and pouring new
This suits a deck that has lifted, sunk, broken through or was poured tight against the coping. It costs more, but you get a new base, new joints and a proper gap at the pool edge.
What happens when you call about a pool deck in Covina?
Here's how a pool deck job goes with us, from the first call to the walk-through, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
- Step 01
Call and talk through it
Call (626) 412-8840 or send the form, and we talk through the deck, the pool and what's bothering you. Then I set a time to come out, look at the slab and measure it myself.
- Step 02
Get your written estimate
You get a written estimate that says what's included and whether I'd resurface your deck or pour a new one. If the job needs a permit, we take care of it before anything goes on the schedule.
- Step 03
Pour day and final walk
I'm on site for the pour, and we keep the work inside Covina's hours, since the city doesn't allow construction that bothers neighbors between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. or at any time on Sundays and public holidays. When it's done, we walk the finished deck with you before we call it finished.
Building a concrete pool deck in Covina
Covina requires a construction permit for all new construction, and its list names decks, patio covers and pool remodels, not concrete pool decks. The city's handout lists flat work and landscape as needing no permit, with a note that Planning Division approval is required, and the city's examples of projects that need Planning approval include landscaping and exterior changes, adding a patio or porch, and new pools and spas. So the list doesn't settle whether your deck needs a permit, and the city's Building and Safety office is where to ask. Before we schedule anything, we check whether your address is under the city or the county, since that decides which office we work with, and when a permit is needed we pull it as the licensed contractor and set up the inspections.
Swelling soil, the kind that grows when it's wet and shrinks as it dries, can make patio slabs and pools lift, tilt or shift sideways in parts of California. On that kind of ground a deck poured tight to the coping has nowhere to go, so on our new pours we dig out and pack the base and leave the gap at the pool edge, the same way we work on jobs in West Covina and Glendora.
Get a written estimate for your pool deck
We get back to you within one business day, then I come out to walk the deck and measure it, free and with no obligation. It helps to have the rough size in square feet and a few photos of the cracks or lifted spots ready when we talk.
Why Covina homeowners call Covina Concrete
I measure and quote it myself
I come out to look at your deck and write the estimate, and the crew that forms, pours and finishes has worked with me for years. That way nothing gets lost between what I quoted and what gets built.
Pouring concrete full time since 2013
I ran landscape installs before this and learned concrete from the finishers I used to hire. Thirteen years in, I plan a pool deck around the whole backyard, not just the slab.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured, and that matters here because Covina's permit technicians check a contractor's license before they issue any permit. If your deck needs one, there's no hold-up over who's allowed to pull it.
On a pool deck, the base and the room at the coping matter more than anything you'll see on day one, and I'd rather go over both with you beside the pool than after the pour. Contact us to set up a time.
Pool deck questions from Covina homeowners
Can my old concrete pool deck be resurfaced instead of replaced?
Yes, as long as the concrete underneath is a good candidate. Hairline cracks, worn texture and small chips are the kind of flaws a coating covers, while sections that have lifted, sunk or broken through mean the problem is under the slab. I check that on the estimate visit and tell you straight which way I'd go.
How much does a concrete pool deck cost in the Los Angeles area?
A concrete pool deck in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $4.50 to $10 per square foot installed, and that covers materials, labor and site prep. Where yours lands depends mostly on tear-out, the ground underneath and how easy your backyard is to reach. I measure your deck and give you a written estimate with the number for your job.
Why is there a caulked joint between the pool deck and the coping, and how long does the caulk last?
The joint lets the deck move without damaging the pool. One maker's guide says that without a gap and flexible sealant there, deck movement can crack or chip the coping and the bond beam, the concrete band along the top of the pool wall. The same guide says to wait at least 30 days after a pour before caulking, to check the joint every year and redo caulk that cracks, pulls away or breaks down, and that most elastomeric caulks, the rubbery kind, last five to ten years. That's why we seal it on a separate visit after your deck goes in.
How do I check a concrete contractor's license in California?
Look the contractor up on the Contractors State License Board website, which shows whether their license is active and what types of licenses they hold. Covina's permit office points homeowners to the same place, so it's worth a minute before you sign anything.
What causes a concrete pool deck to crack or lift?
Most cracking and lifting comes from movement under the slab or against the pool. The usual culprits are a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, ground that swells and shrinks like the soil mentioned above, a deck poured tight to the coping, or joints cut late or skipped. The estimate visit tells you whether yours is surface wear or something underneath.
Is there a way to keep a concrete pool deck cooler on bare feet?
A cooling coating can help. One coating maker says its product lowers surface temperatures by up to 38%, though results vary with the color you choose, the surface and the conditions. If a hot deck is your main complaint, bring it up at the estimate and we'll talk through whether a coating makes sense on yours.
Other concrete work around the pool
Concrete steps construction
A step down from the house to a wet pool deck is where people often slip, so solid poured steps with a gritty finish make it safer.
Slab foundation building
If you're planning a pool house, cabana or shed near the deck, it needs a slab foundation built to carry walls and a roof, not foot traffic.
Have us look at your pool deck
Call (626) 412-8840 or use the form, and one visit will tell you whether your deck is a coating job or a new pour.