Stamped Concrete Contractor in Spokane Valley, WA

Stamped concrete contractor in Spokane Valley, WA, pouring colored and textured patios, walkways and backyard spaces built for the Valley's severe freeze-thaw rating. Raven Buildings forms, pours, colors and stamps decorative concrete across Spokane Valley, from Opportunity and Greenacres to University and Trentwood, with our own crew. We use an air-entrained mix, a compacted base and planned control joints so the pattern lasts through winter, not just the first summer.

Stamped concrete work we do

• Patios: colored and stamped patios in stone, slate, brick and wood-plank style textures
• Walkways and steps: front walks, side-yard paths and landings that match the patio
• Fire pit and seating areas: a durable, continuous surface around outdoor living space
• Borders and accents: stamped bands around broom-finish slabs and driveways
• Replacement: tear-out and re-pour of cracked or scaling patios

Built for Spokane Valley's climate

Spokane Valley adopts its own climate and design criteria in its building code (SVMC Chapter 24.40, Table R301.2(1)). For flatwork, these are the numbers that count:

• Weathering: severe. That's the City's rating for exterior concrete, which is why mix design matters more here than in milder parts of the state
• Air freezing index: 1,232, with a winter design temperature of 10°F
• Frost line: 24 inches. Patios don't need footings, but any post, pergola, wall or roof structure built with the patio does
• Ground snow load: 39 psf. That matters if you plan to cover the patio later

Here's how we build for it:

• Air-entrained mix: Washington's residential code (IRC Table R402.2) requires air-entrained concrete of at least 3,500 psi for porches, steps and similar exterior slabs where weathering is severe, with 5 to 7 percent total air
• Tougher where deicers are used: ACI 332, the American Concrete Institute's residential concrete code, puts exterior concrete exposed to moisture and deicers in its most severe freeze-thaw class, at 4,500 psi at 28 days and a maximum water-cement ratio of 0.45
• Base and drainage: compacted gravel under the slab and a slope away from the house, so water doesn't sit and freeze under or on the patio
• Control joints: planned so cracks land in joints instead of across the pattern. See our control joint guide

Deciding between materials? Our stamped concrete vs. pavers guide compares the two for local winters, and our concrete psi guide explains mix strength.

Drainage and swales in Spokane Valley

A stamped patio adds hard surface, and the City treats it that way. Spokane Valley's stormwater code (SVMC 3.80) lists patios and walkways as impervious surfaces. A few local points to plan around:

• Many Valley lots have swales. The City says there are more than 7,000 privately owned swales in Spokane Valley, many with drywells. Under SVMC 22.150.100, owners have to keep drainage easements open and maintain the swales on their property and in the adjacent right-of-way
• Don't pour over a swale or drainage easement. We lay out the patio so it drains to lawn or landscaping, not into the house, a neighbor's yard or a buried drywell grate
• Large projects get City review. SVMC 22.150 lists grading over 500 cubic yards and new impervious surface over 5,000 sq ft (other than for single-family and duplex lots) as regulated activities. A typical backyard patio is far below that, but large commercial hardscape is not

Permits in Spokane Valley

An uncovered patio poured at grade usually doesn't need a building permit in Spokane Valley:

• City exemption: Spokane Valley amends the building code exemption (SVMC 24.40.040) to cover decks, sidewalks and driveways not more than 30 inches above the lowest adjacent ground within 6 feet horizontally, as long as no guardrail is required, they aren't over a basement or story below and they aren't part of an accessible route
• Work in the street right-of-way is different. If a walkway ties into the public sidewalk, curb or driveway approach, the City requires a right-of-way permit, usually with a traffic control plan. Questions go to the Permit Center at 509-720-5240
• Still applies: setbacks, easements, HOA rules and anything raised high enough to need a guard. A roof over the patio is a structure and needs its own review

Caring for stamped concrete

• No deicers the first winter: use clean sand for traction on new concrete
• Skip magnesium chloride and ammonium-based products: the concrete paver industry (CMHA) says magnesium chloride and CMA can chemically degrade concrete, and ammonium-based products should never be used on any concrete surface
• Reseal when it needs it: the ASCC Decorative Concrete Council says to reseal stamped concrete when water stops beading or the color fades. As a rule of thumb, high-traffic, sunny areas need it every two to three years and lighter-traffic areas every four to five
• Don't over-seal: the Council warns that resealing every year for a high gloss builds up on the surface and causes problems

More in our concrete sealing guide.

What stamped concrete costs

Raven's current patio pricing, including site prep and the pour:

• Stamped: about $18 to $30 per sq ft
• Broom finish: about $12 to $20 per sq ft
• What moves the price: the size of the patio and whether a pump truck is needed to reach the spot

Stamped walkways, steps, borders and driveway work are quoted per project after we see the site. Our concrete patio cost guide has more detail.

Why Spokane Valley homeowners call Raven

• Concrete is our core trade: our own crew forms, pours, colors and finishes. See our concrete flatwork services
• We know the Valley: swales, right-of-way rules and the City's own permit exemptions, not just the City of Spokane's
• Straight answers: written quotes that say what's included

Get a stamped concrete quote in Spokane Valley

Send us your patio size, the pattern and colors you like and your address, and we'll quote it. Call 509-350-2016 or request a free quote. In Spokane Valley we also pour concrete driveways, build retaining walls and put up metal buildings. Across the city line, see our Spokane stamped concrete page and our work in Liberty Lake.

Sources

• Patio pricing: Raven Buildings' current rates for the Spokane area
• Spokane Valley Municipal Code 24.40, Building Codes (24.40.040 exemptions and Table R301.2(1) climate criteria)
• Spokane Valley Municipal Code 22.150, Stormwater Management
• Spokane Valley Municipal Code 3.80, Stormwater Utility (impervious surface definition)
• City of Spokane Valley, Swale Maintenance Guidance
• City of Spokane Valley, Right-of-Way Permits
• Washington State Residential Code 2021, Chapter 4 Foundations (Table R402.2)
• Tennessee Concrete Association, ACI 332-20 Highlights (exterior concrete mix requirements)
• CMHA, The Effects of Deicing Chemicals on Interlocking Concrete Pavers
• ASCC Decorative Concrete Council, Sealing Stamped Concrete