how much does it cost to install colored concrete

The cost of colored concrete will vary between $4.00 - $15.00 per square foot depending on whether you're installing a colored concrete floor, patio, driveway, or stamped concrete.

How much does a colored concrete floor cost?

A smooth troweled interior colored concrete floor will cost approximately $4 - $5 dollars per square foot to have professionally installed.

What's included in that cost?

  • Integral concrete color (comes in various colors depending on where you purchase it)
  • A 4" thick concrete floor
  • Fibermesh reinforcement in the concrete
  • Labor to pour and smooth trowel finish the concrete
  • Sawed contraction joints

What is the cost of a colored concrete patio slab

The basic cost to have a colored concrete patio installed is $7 - $9 dollars per square foot.

Included in that price is:

  • Basic forming with 2 x 4's or 1 x 4's
  • Integral concrete colorant
  • A 4" thick concrete patio slab
  • Wire mesh or rebar reinforcement
  • Labor to pour and broom finish the concrete
  • Sawed or hand jointed contraction joints
  • Clear acrylic concrete sealer

what is the cost of a colored concrete driveway

The cost to have a basic broom finish colored concrete driveway installed ranges from $7 - $12 dollars per square foot.

Included in the cost is:

  • Forming with 2 x 4's or 2 x 6's depending on depth of driveway
  • Wire mesh or rebar reinforcement
  • Integral concrete colorant
  • 4" to 6" thick concrete
  • Labor to form, pour, and broom finish the concrete
  • Sawed contraction joints
  • Clear acrylic or penetrating sealer

how much does stamped colored concrete cost

The cost to have stamped colored concrete installed will be $12 - $18 dollars per square foot on average.

That cost will include:

  • Forming with 2 x 4's or 2 x 6's
  • Integral concrete colorant
  • 4" thick concrete slab
  • Wire mesh or rebar reinforcement
  • Labor to pour and stamp the concrete with one stamp pattern
  • Clean and seal the concrete
  • Sawed contraction joints

What's not included in the cost of colored concrete

For the range of prices I gave you above on different types of colored concrete, there are some other costs to consider that should be considered but will vary on each project such as:

  • Gravel and sub-base preparation - price will be different on every type of project
  • Using a vapor barrier under the concrete - can range from $.25 - $1.00 per sq ft
  • Using styrofoam under the concrete - price will vary depending on thickness of styrofoam
  • Concrete more than 4" thick will add to the sq ft price depending on much is added
  • Very small projects under 200 - 300 sq ft could add to the sq ft price
  • Building codes specific to your area may add to the sq ft price
  • Labor rates and material costs could add to the sq ft price
  • Any demolition needed will add to the sq ft price

There's a lot of variables that could add to the sq ft prices I gave you above.  These are some general costs and facts for you to consider. 

Each project is unique and will have a unique sq ft price depending on what you are doing and who you hire.

Use these prices as a guideline but be prepared to get higher or lower prices depending on where you live.

is colored concrete more expensive?

Colored concrete is more expensive than regular concrete.

How much more is dependent on what integral colorant you choose. 

Each integral color, whether it's powder form or liquid form, has a slightly different cost.

Most integral concrete color powder costs between $40 - $80 dollars per bag. One bag of color is added per yard of concrete on most colored concrete projects.

To see what colors are available you can download this concrete color chart.

can you buy colored concrete?

You don't really buy colored concrete. You purchase regular concrete and add the color to it.

You can purchase integral concrete color on Amazon HERE.

This integral concrete color is in powder form and can be used with bag mixes or ready mix concrete.

If you're using ready mix concrete, you usually purchase the color and bring it to the concrete batch plant for them to add to the concrete truck when they batch out the concrete. 

This way the color gets mixed into the concrete really good. If you add the colorant on the job-site, just make sure the mixer driver spins the drum at least 100 revolutions to let the color thoroughly mix into the concrete.

does colored concrete fade over time?

Yes, colored concrete can fade over time.

But that's usually because the sealer is wearing off or degrading due to heavy sun exposure and it needs to be re-sealed again.

A topical solvent based acrylic concrete sealer like Foundation Armor's AR350 will really make the color show the best and minimize any fading.

You will need to maintain the sealer by cleaning and re-sealing every 2 - 3 years to keep the colored concrete looking like new. 

Penetrating and water based sealers will also work but don't make the colors pop as well as a solvent based sealer does.

see how i clean and re-seal colored stamped concrete

IN CONCLUSION:

There are a lot of variables to consider when checking the prices of colored concrete.

You can see ranges or prices for colored concrete from $4.00 to $18.00 and more depending on what kind of concrete project you're doing. 

Use this page as a guideline to compare colored concrete costs in your area, but keep in mind, the above costs are what I charge and can be a lot different in your area for many reasons.

For more information and cost information, you can consult with me by joining THE CONCRETE UNDERGROUND and ask me questions in there.

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