Concrete patio construction in Bellingham WA - a slab that drains away from your house
Water collecting by the back door or an old slab cracked and sinking? We build patios that shed water and crack along planned lines.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What goes into building a concrete patio in Bellingham?
Concrete patio construction in Bellingham means we dig out and pack the ground, set forms to a slope, then pour and finish a slab, plain or stamped, with or without steel inside, so you get a flat outdoor floor that sends rain away from your house.
Most people call us because an old patio has sunk or cracked, water keeps pooling against the house, or there's bare ground off the back door. The price mostly turns on the size in square feet, how much digging and base work your ground needs, whether you choose a plain finish or stamped concrete, and whether the slab gets steel reinforcement. The schedule depends on the weather, because we plan pours around rain and cold. It also depends on whether your project needs a permit, which we check with you before anything is booked. Your written estimate lists each of these, so you can see what you're paying for.
How do you know your old patio needs replacing?
Water pooling near the house
If rain runs toward your foundation and sits there, the slab usually settled or was poured falling the wrong way. Every wet season it waits puts more water against your wall and under the slab, so it tends to sink further.
Cracks running every direction
Random cracks across the middle often mean the base gave way or the joints were cut late or skipped. Once a crack opens, water and roots get in, and the edges start to chip and lift.
One edge sinking lower
A corner or side that has dropped usually sits on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed. The step it leaves is easy to trip on, and it rarely gets better on its own.
How we handle concrete patio construction
First I mark out the patio with you, and before any digging we agree on the slope that carries water away from the house and where the joints will go. That includes the strip of joint material along the house wall, which keeps the slab from bonding to the wall so each can move on its own. Our crew then digs down to firm ground, the subgrade the slab rests on, and packs a gravel base in layers, because loose dirt raked level settles and takes the slab with it. We set the forms to the slope and add rebar, the steel bars that hold a slab together if it cracks, when your job calls for it. We pour early in the day so the top doesn't dry too fast and turn weak and dusty. After finishing, we cut control joints, straight grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, before it can crack somewhere nobody chose. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather you spend it on the base than on a fancier surface. Nobody sees the base on day one, but it decides whether the patio stays flat.
A patio often ties into other work around the yard. If you'd like a pattern that looks like stone or brick, our stamped concrete services can go on the same slab. If you need a path from the driveway or side gate, our concrete sidewalk building work lets us plan both pours together so the levels meet cleanly.
Plain broom finish
A broom finish is a light brushed texture that gives your feet grip when the patio is wet, which counts for a lot here. It suits most homeowners who want a solid, practical slab at the lower end of the cost.
Stamped finish
Stamping presses a stone, slate or brick pattern into the fresh concrete, and it suits a patio you plan to entertain on. It costs more per square foot than plain concrete, so we price both if you're undecided.
Steel reinforcement
Rebar or wire in the slab suits softer ground, larger patios or a slab that will carry a hot tub or heavy planters. It adds cost, and I'll tell you at the site visit whether your patio needs it.
Get a written estimate for your new patio
Tell us the rough size in square feet and whether you'd like plain or stamped. We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out, and the written estimate is free with no obligation.
Call (360) 312-3799- Based in
- Bellingham, WA 98225
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call about a patio in Bellingham?
Thank you for considering us. Here's how a patio job runs, from your first call to the walk-through after the pour.
Call or send the form
We get back to you and set a time for me to visit. It helps to know whether your home is inside city limits or in the county, because that decides which office handles any permit.
I measure and check drainage
I look at the ground, measure, see where your roof water runs and ask how you'll use the patio. Your written estimate spells out the base work, finish, reinforcement and joints, so nothing comes as a surprise.
We prepare, pour and finish
Once you're ready, we sort out the permit side with the right office, prepare the ground, then pour and finish on a day the forecast allows. On pour day, the concrete truck needs a clear path to the back of your house, so we'll talk through access ahead of time.
Walk through care together
Before we leave, I walk you through how to look after the new concrete. We clean up so your yard is as tidy as we found it.
Why Bellingham homeowners call Craftsman Bellingham Concrete Company for patios
The owner estimates and pours
I come out to look at every job and write the estimate, and then I work the job alongside our crew. The person who agreed the slope and joint layout with you is there to see it goes in that way.
Known for groundwork since 2020
I learned the trade pouring walks and patios for neighbors on weekends, and in 2020 it became a full business. In six years we've built our name on the base, drainage and joints, because those can't be fixed once the concrete is down.
Licensed and insured, easy to check
We're licensed and insured. Washington requires every construction contractor to register with the state, and you can look up any contractor's registration and workers' comp account with L&I's Verify tool before you sign.
When you're ready, please request an estimate or call (360) 312-3799, and have the patio's rough size in mind.
Concrete patios, permits and rain in Bellingham
The city's Permit Center takes building and land-use applications in Bellingham, and the city's permit levels start above 300 square feet of new or replaced impervious surface. A concrete patio is hard surface, so its size matters, along with anything else you're paving at the same time. Whether your patio needs a permit is something we'll check for you. We confirm whether your property is inside city limits or in the county, and when the job calls for a permit we handle the paperwork with that office. If you'd rather apply yourself, we'll give you what you need from our side.
Heavy rain is the other local fact, and it makes drainage planning the part of the job we spend the most time on. We look at downspouts, lawn grades and the house wall before we set the slope, and we plan the same way on jobs in Ferndale and Sudden Valley.
Questions about concrete patios in Bellingham
Call (360) 312-3799How much does a concrete patio cost in Bellingham, WA?
Pouring a concrete patio in Bellingham usually costs about $6 to $13 per square foot, for a plain or stamped slab, with or without reinforcement. That's the usual market range, not our price, and pricing here runs close to Seattle's while dropping in rural areas. Your own figure comes on the written estimate after I've seen your ground.
Why does a new concrete patio have cut lines, and will it still crack?
The straight lines are contraction joints, and they're there so the shrinkage cracks that concrete forms as it dries happen along those lines instead of across the middle. Fiber added to the mix doesn't reinforce the slab, but it does reduce cracking. We lay out the joint lines with you before the pour.
Is it normal for water to puddle on a new patio after rain?
Yes, small puddles are normal, because concrete guidance expects some standing water, called birdbaths, even on a patio sloped for drainage. What isn't normal is water running back toward the house. We set the slope to carry water away from your wall, and if you're seeing more than small puddles we'll check that for you.
How do I protect a concrete patio from freezing weather?
Start with the mix, because concrete with entrained air, tiny evenly spread bubbles, has room to relieve pressure as water in it freezes. You can ask whether the patio mix includes entrained air before the pour is booked. The most common frost damage, a flaking surface called scaling, is linked to de-icing salt, so I'd talk with you about salt before the first freeze.
What is the best time of year to pour a patio in Bellingham?
The best time is a stretch when the forecast stays above 40°F after the pour, because concrete guidance treats air at or expected below 40°F during the protection period as cold weather conditions. That period is the time fresh concrete has to be kept from the cold. We watch the forecast through it before we set your pour date.
Where do I apply for a patio permit in Bellingham?
Inside city limits, permit applications go to the city's Permit Center, which takes them by email at permits@cob.org. If your property is in the county instead, that office handles it. Either way, we can take care of the paperwork for you.
Related services for your patio project
Stamped concrete services
Choose this when you want your patio to look like slate, flagstone or brick while keeping the solid base and drainage of a poured concrete slab.
Concrete sidewalk building
Worth adding when you'd rather not walk through wet grass to reach the new patio, since a walk from the driveway or gate keeps mud off the slab.
Service areas for concrete patio work
Craftsman Bellingham Concrete Company is based in Bellingham, Washington, and builds patios across the 9 areas listed here, including Blaine and Mount Vernon. We also work in other nearby cities, so please ask if yours isn't on the list.
Bellingham, WA
Tell us about the patio you want
A visit before you settle on a finish lets me see your ground first, so the estimate covers the base your yard actually needs.