Columbus Concrete
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Decorative concrete in Columbus NE - a finish that holds up through Nebraska winters

Plain gray slab cracked or pooling water? We pour textured, patterned and stained concrete on a base and slope planned to last.

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Stamped concrete patio with a tan and charcoal stone pattern beside a house and fenced lawn.
  • Licensed and fully insured.
  • Free estimates at your property.
  • We respond within 1 business day.

Decorative concrete finishes we pour

  • Exposed aggregate

    We wash back the top of the fresh concrete so the stone underneath shows. It's grippy underfoot and hides dirt, so it suits patios, walks and pool edges.

  • Stamped and patterned concrete

    We press a stone, brick or tile pattern into the surface while it's still soft. It suits patios and front walks where you want that look in one slab.

  • Textured finishes

    A textured finish, like a broom finish, leaves fine ridges that give your feet and tires grip when it's wet or icy. It's a simple choice that still looks finished.

  • Stained concrete

    Color goes into or onto the concrete so the slab reads brown, tan or gray instead of plain. It suits patios and covered spots where you want a warmer look.

What is decorative concrete, and what will my job involve?

Decorative concrete is a slab built with a finished look you pick when the job is planned, and in Columbus, NE we pour it for patios, walks and driveways that need to look good and get through freezing winters.

Most people call because the old slab is cracked, sinking or pooling water, or because a new patio is going in and plain gray isn't what they pictured. The price moves with the size of the area, the finish you pick, how much digging and base work the ground needs and whether old concrete has to be broken out and hauled off, and the schedule turns on the weather and the condition of the ground. If the budget's tight, I'd cut back on the finish before the base, because nobody sees the base on day one but it decides whether the pattern cracks and sinks later. Your estimate gives you your own number, and if you've already settled on a pattern, our stamped concrete services page goes deeper.

Decorative concrete, from the dig to the finish

I look at where water runs and how you'll use the slab before we talk finishes, because drainage keeps decorative work looking good. The same stained finishes go on indoor slabs when we do concrete floor installation.

  • Dig out and pack the base

    We dig out and pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, so your new slab doesn't settle along with the dirt.

  • Plan the slope and runoff

    We slope the slab away from the house and plan where downspouts and snow piles end up, so water drains off instead of pooling.

  • Forms, steel and walls

    Where the yard drops off, we can add a concrete retaining wall, then set forms and rebar, steel that holds a cracked slab together.

  • Pour and finish

    We avoid pouring in midday heat, which leaves a weak, dusty top, and press or wash the finish while the concrete is still soft.

  • Cut joints and let it cure

    We cut control joints, grooves that pick where the slab cracks, then let it cure, the wait while it gains strength, before anyone uses it.

Why Columbus homeowners pick Columbus Concrete

I started out pouring pads, walks and steps for neighbors, learning from people who'd done it a lot longer. We're known for getting the ground work right before any concrete shows up, and I want you to know what you're paying for before we start.

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  • The owner on site for the pour

    The person who writes your estimate is the person running the pour. Our crew does the work with me on site, so the plan we agreed on is the plan that gets built.

  • Licensed and fully insured

    Nebraska requires contractors to register with the Nebraska Department of Labor, though the state says that alone doesn't promise good work, so ask any contractor how they prep the ground.

  • Full time in Columbus since 2023

    We've built this business on driveways, patios and steps for homeowners around here, and the promise on every job we pour is simple. Satisfaction guaranteed.

What happens when you call about decorative concrete?

We plan your job around how you'll use the space, the weather and the condition of the ground, and you'll know what's included before anything gets dug up.

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or call (531) 400-9011

  1. Call or send the form

    Call (531) 400-9011 or send the form with the area's size and the finish you have in mind, and we'll set a time to come out.

  2. I come out and measure

    I come out myself to look at the spot, measure it and ask how you plan to use it, and I check where the water runs.

  3. You get a written estimate

    It spells out what's included, like base work and hauling. On pour day I'm there with our crew, and we walk the finished job with you.

Overhead view of a light gray concrete driveway with dark edging and a black car, bordered by green lawns.

Get a free estimate for your decorative patio, walk or driveway

Tell us the size of the area, where it is and the finish you're leaning toward, and we'll reply within one business day. I'll come out for a free on-site estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.

(531) 400-9011

Decorative concrete questions we hear

How much does a stamped concrete patio cost?

Across the US, installing a stamped concrete patio usually costs about $24 to $29 per square foot. That's a national figure for the work, not our price, and your own number comes on the estimate after I've seen the spot.

Can you pour concrete in cold weather in Columbus?

It can be done, but it needs a plan to protect the fresh concrete. A Michigan concrete trade group counts it as cold weather once the air falls to 40°F, or is expected to, because cold slows setting and fresh concrete can freeze before it gains strength. An Illinois trade group adds that a slab placed on frozen ground is likely to settle unevenly and crack after the thaw, so I'd rather wait than pour on frozen ground just to keep a date.

How do I take care of new concrete in its first winter?

Use sand for traction instead of deicers during the first winter, which is what the Michigan trade group advises. After that first winter, the same group says to keep magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, fertilizer and water-softener salt off the concrete.

Should I seal my decorative concrete?

A sealer can help keep water and salt out in some cases, but it isn't a fix for a weak surface. The right mix and proper curing come first, and a sealer goes on top of that, not in place of it.

What is the best way to keep decorative concrete from cracking in freezing weather?

Ask whether the mix has entrained air, which is tiny air bubbles spread evenly through the concrete that give it room to relieve pressure as it freezes. It's a fair question for any contractor, us included, and it works alongside the base and drainage we plan first.

How long does new concrete take before I can drive on it?

You can walk on a new slab well before you can drive on it, and the wait for both comes down to curing, the time concrete needs to gain strength. Cold weather slows setting, so a cool-season pour means a longer wait, and I'll tell you when it's ready for feet and for cars when we walk the finished job.

Decorative concrete permits and jobs in Columbus

The Columbus City Hall Engineering Department issues paving permits, and its list names sidewalks, driveway replacement or addition and parking extensions, so I'd treat a stamped or stained driveway or walk as paving work. The list doesn't name decorative concrete, though, so whether a patio or other slab needs a permit isn't settled until someone asks the department. Under a paving permit, the final inspection of the forms has to be scheduled 48 hours before the concrete appointment, and the city's paving permit request form lists a fee of $0.00. Before we start, we check with the city about your job, and if a permit is needed, we help you get it lined up so the paperwork doesn't hold up the pour.

Most decorative work we see around Columbus is a back patio or a front walk where roof runoff and shoveled snow have to go somewhere, and we see the same on jobs in Schuyler and other cities nearby. If you're not sure we cover your place, give us a call and ask.