Concrete pool decks in Bellingham WA - built with room to move at the pool edge
Cracked, flaking or tired concrete around your pool? We'll tell you whether to resurface or pour new, and build it to protect the pool's edge.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Should you resurface or replace your concrete pool deck?
A concrete pool deck is the poured slab around your pool that meets the coping, the cap along the pool's edge, and at Craftsman Bellingham Concrete Company we build new decks and resurface sound old ones for homes in Bellingham, WA.
Most calls come when an old deck has started to crack, sink or flake, or when a new pool needs a deck around it. The price moves with the deck's size, whether the old concrete comes out or can be resurfaced, how much work the ground underneath needs and the finish you choose. The schedule turns on any permit, the tear-out and the curing time before you can use the deck, and the written estimate gives you your own figure with the scope spelled out.
How can you tell your pool deck needs work?
Cracks along the pool edge
Cracks or flaking where the deck meets the pool usually mean the slab is pushing against the edge with no room to move, or the seal in that joint has failed. Left alone, the movement can work into the pool's edge itself, and that costs far more to repair than the deck.
Sunken or tilted sections
A section that has dropped, or water that pools on the deck or runs toward the house, usually means the ground underneath has settled. Over time more water gets under it, so the low spot grows and the raised edges become a trip hazard for wet feet.
A rough, flaking top
A surface that has gone rough and dusty or is peeling in thin layers often means the top was weakened when it was poured or has worn down from water and freezing. If the slab underneath is still level and solid, resurfacing may still work, and waiting until it cracks through can rule that out.
How we build and resurface concrete pool decks
I start at the pool edge, because that's where a badly built deck does the most harm, and if your old deck is sound I'll tell you whether resurfacing makes more sense than a new pour. For a new deck we break out the old concrete, dig down to firm ground and pack a base, since the subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, is what keeps it from settling later. We set the slope so water runs away from the pool and the house, lay rebar, the steel that holds the slab together if it does crack, and pour early in the day so there's time to finish the top properly. A broom finish gives bare feet some grip when the deck is wet, and we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give cracks a planned place to form, before the concrete sets hard. At the coping we leave room for the deck to move, then let the concrete cure, the slow hardening that gives it strength, before anyone uses it. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather you keep the base and choose a plainer finish, because a finish can be redone later and the ground under the slab can't be fixed without tearing it out.
A pool project often reaches past the deck. When the back door sits above the pool, our concrete steps construction gives you a safe, even way down, and a pool house or equipment shed sits best on a level floor from our slab foundation building.
New poured deck
This suits a deck that has sunk, cracked through or slopes toward the pool or house, because the fix has to start with the base underneath. It's also how we build around a new pool.
Resurfacing a sound deck
This suits a deck that's level and solid but worn or stained on top, since a new surface over good concrete costs less than tearing it out. I'll tell you plainly at the visit whether yours qualifies.
Broom, exposed aggregate or stamped
A broom finish is the simplest and gives good grip, and exposed aggregate, with small stones showing at the surface, adds texture without much added cost. Stamping looks like stone or tile but raises the price, so a pattern laid out with the joint lines can give you a look on a tighter budget.
Get a written estimate for your pool deck
We reply within one business day and set a time for me to come out, look at your deck and pool edge, and measure. The written estimate is free, and there's no pressure to book.
Call (360) 312-3799- Based in
- Bellingham, WA 98225
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
What happens when you call about a pool deck in Bellingham?
Here's how a pool deck job runs from your side, from the first call to the walk-through at the end.
Call or send the form
Thank you for reaching out. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out to the house.
I look, measure and ask
I look at the deck, the pool edge and where the water runs, measure, and ask how you'll use the space. You get a written estimate that spells out what's included, so you can see what you're paying for before you decide.
We sort out the permit
Once you're ready, we check whether your lot is in the city or the county and handle the permit side with that office when the job calls for it. If you'd rather apply yourself, we'll give you what you need from our side.
We pour, finish and explain care
Our crew prepares the ground, pours and finishes the deck, then cleans up the yard. Before we leave, I walk you through caring for the new concrete, including when the edge joint can be sealed.
Why Bellingham homeowners call Craftsman Bellingham Concrete Company for pool decks
The owner comes to your house
I come out to look at each job and give the estimate myself, and then I work the job alongside our crew. The person who looked at your pool edge is the one making sure it's built that way.
A Bellingham business since 2020
I learned the trade pouring walks and patios for neighbors, and in 2020 I made it a full business here in Bellingham. Six years on, we're known for careful groundwork and estimates that say plainly what's included.
Licensed and insured for your project
We're licensed and insured. That matters around a pool, where our crew is working right next to your house, your pool and your yard.
The edge joint is the part of a pool deck I'd most like to see in person, so please contact us or call (360) 312-3799 and I'll arrange a visit.
Pool decks and the work around them in Bellingham
If your house sits in the Lake Whatcom watershed, check the hard-surface rules before you settle on a deck size. A city planning staff report says single-family lots there face a higher standard for hard surfaces and stormwater runoff, and that adding hard surface past the allowed amounts, generally 300 or more square feet, means the entire site has to meet the engineered or forested stormwater method. A concrete deck is hard surface, so we'll look at what you have now and what you'd add, and I'd ask you to confirm the current rules with the city before we plan the pour. The city also has rules for work near wetlands, streams and the shoreline, so a lot that backs onto water is worth checking early too, and we'll check that for you.
On older pool decks around Bellingham, and on jobs in Ferndale and Lynden, the trouble we find is usually underneath. A deck that has sunk near the pool or tips water toward the house was often laid on raked dirt, so we judge every deck by what's under it, not just the top.
Questions about concrete pool decks in Bellingham
Call (360) 312-3799How much does a concrete pool deck cost in Bellingham?
Across the US, installing a concrete pool deck usually costs about $10.10 to $12.40 per square foot. That's a national figure for a new installed deck, not our price, and yours moves with the size, any tear-out, the base work and the finish. I'll give you your own figure in the written estimate after I've seen the site.
Where do I apply for a pool deck permit in Bellingham?
If your property is inside Bellingham city limits, you apply to the City of Bellingham, which takes building and land-use applications by email at permits@cob.org. Many Bellingham addresses are actually in unincorporated county, so check where your lot sits first, and we'll check that with you. We work on both sides of that line across Whatcom and Skagit counties and handle the permit paperwork with the right office when the job calls for it.
How do I keep a concrete deck from cracking my pool's edge?
Leave a gap between the deck and the coping and fill it with flexible sealant. One coping maker explains that a deck shifts with heat, settling and freezing and thawing, and without that gap the movement can crack or flake the coping and the bond beam, the concrete band it sits on. Whoever you hire, ask how they build the gap and whether it runs all the way around the pool and through the full depth of the deck.
Can I resurface my old pool deck instead of replacing it?
Often you can, if the old concrete is a good candidate. Laying a concrete coating over an existing deck is a cost-effective way to refresh the surface and fix imperfections, but it depends on the slab underneath being solid. Before you choose a new pour, I'll look at yours and tell you which way I'd go.
What is the best way to make a concrete pool deck last through freezes?
Ask for a mix with entrained air, a network of tiny, evenly spread air bubbles that leave room inside the concrete so freezing water doesn't build up pressure. Concrete with a lot of entrained air and little water in the mix takes a very long time to soak through to the point where freezing harms it, while a low-air, wetter mix can get there quickly. Ask any installer whether the deck mix includes entrained air, and I'll go over ours with you at the estimate.
How long does the caulk around a pool deck last?
Most elastomeric caulks, the flexible sealant in the edge joint, last five to ten years, so plan on resealing in that window. One coping maker advises checking the joint every year and replacing the caulk when it cracks, pulls away or wears out. The same guide says to wait at least 30 days after the pour before caulking, so the concrete can cure and shrink first.
Related services around your pool
Concrete steps construction
Worn or uneven steps between the back door and the pool are a tripping risk with wet feet, so new poured steps make the way down safer.
Slab foundation building
A pool house, changing room or equipment shed needs a level, well-drained slab under it, poured on a packed base so the floor sits flat and square.
Service areas for concrete pool decks
Craftsman Bellingham Concrete Company is based in Bellingham, WA, and builds pool decks across Whatcom and Skagit counties. These 9 cities, from Blaine to Mount Vernon, have their own pages, and we work in other cities nearby too.
Bellingham, WA
Send us photos of your pool deck
If you send a rough size, a few photos of the old deck and whether you're inside city limits, I can come out ready to talk through resurfacing or a new pour.