Concrete pool decks in Aliso Viejo CA - a deck built to protect your pool edge
Cracked deck or chipped pool edge? We'll tell you whether to replace or resurface, then pour it with room to move.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Should you replace or resurface the pool deck at your Aliso Viejo house?
A concrete pool deck is the flat concrete around your pool that a crew forms, pours and finishes right in place, and in Aliso Viejo we either build you a new one or resurface the one you've got, depending on what's under it.
Most people call us because the deck has started cracking, flaking or pulling away at the pool edge, and they want to know if it's worth saving. The price mostly turns on the deck's size, whether the old concrete has to be broken out and hauled off, how easy it is to get into your backyard, and the finish you pick, which can be anything from a broom finish, the light grooves that give bare feet some grip, to a stamped concrete pattern. The schedule depends on the same tear-out, a check with the city on whether a permit's needed, and curing, the wait the new concrete needs to gain strength before you drag the lounge chairs back. Your estimate puts your own numbers on all of that.
How can you tell your pool deck needs work?
Cracks running across the deck
Cracks that wander across the slab instead of following the joint lines usually mean the joints were cut late, skipped, or the ground under the deck moved. If you leave them, water gets in and the pieces start to shift and chip at the edges.
Trouble at the pool edge
Cracked coping, which is the cap along the pool's edge, or caulk pulling away where the deck meets it usually means the deck is pushing on the pool as it moves. It's worth a look early, because fixing the pool's edge is a much bigger job than fixing the deck.
Flaking, rough or dusty top
A surface that's flaking, chalky or rough on bare feet usually points to a weak top layer, often from a pour in the midday heat or a rushed cure. It keeps wearing down, so at some point you're deciding between resurfacing and starting over.
How we build and resurface concrete pool decks
The first thing we settle is whether your deck needs replacing or just resurfacing, and I'll tell you honestly which one I'd choose if it were my pool. For a new deck we break out the old concrete, haul it off, then dig out and pack the base, the ground the slab sits on, because a deck poured over raked dirt settles right along with it. We set the forms, leave room for movement where the deck meets the pool edge, pour outside the midday heat, finish the surface, cut the control joints and let it cure before anyone walks on it. If the budget's tight, I'd rather you go with a plainer finish than skimp on the base, since nobody sees the base on day one but it's the part you can't fix later without tearing everything out.
A pool deck usually ties into other work around the yard. If you walk down to the pool from a patio or the back door, we can do the concrete steps construction so the steps and deck match, and if a pool house or equipment pad is in the plan, our slab foundation building gives it a base sized for what goes on top.
Get a written estimate for your pool deck
Once you send this, we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a free estimate at your house. There's no pressure to book, and you'll know what I'd do before you decide anything.
- Based in
- Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call about your pool deck?
From the first call to the last walk around the pool, here's who you'll deal with and what you get at each step.
Call and talk to me
When you call (949) 619-8302, you're talking to me, not a call center. We'll pick a time for me to come out and see the deck.
I measure and ask questions
I measure the deck, look over the concrete and the pool edge, and ask how you use the space, from quiet mornings to kids doing cannonballs. That's how I figure out what your deck actually needs.
Get a written estimate
You get a written estimate that spells out what's included, like tear-out, hauling and the finish. Having it all in writing makes it easy to line up against other bids.
We pour, cure, then walk it
We set the forms, pour the concrete and give it the time it needs to cure. Then I walk the finished deck with you before we pack up.
Why Aliso Viejo homeowners call All Star Aliso Viejo Concrete for pool decks
The owner comes out first
I look at every job myself, write the estimate and then work on site alongside our crew. The person who told you how the pool edge would be handled is the one standing there on pour day.
Raised on my dad's crew
I grew up pouring concrete with my dad and spent years on his crew before I started this business in 2023. He taught me that the work nobody sees matters most, and I still build every deck that way.
We're licensed and fully insured
All Star Aliso Viejo Concrete is licensed and fully insured. That counts for a lot on a pool deck, where the work sits right up against something expensive you already own.
Based right here in Aliso Viejo
We're based in Aliso Viejo and work across the cities around it in Orange County. That keeps me close enough to come out, measure and talk the job through in person.
On a pool deck, the parts that matter most are the base under it and the gap at the pool edge, and I'll walk you through both before you sign anything. Contact us and we'll set a time to look at yours.
Pool decks, pour day and permits in Aliso Viejo
The city's permit list from Aliso Viejo Building & Safety names patio covers and pools and spas, but not pool decks, so that list alone doesn't settle whether your deck needs a permit. We check with the city's building office on each job, handle the permit paperwork when one's needed and tell you up front whose name it goes under. Pour day has its own rules too. The city's water quality inspectors check that construction sites have stormwater controls in place, and city guidance keeps the washout from concrete chutes out of the street and the storm drains, so we keep ours out of both.
Most pool deck calls we get around here are about an older deck that's cracked or tired-looking next to a pool the owners want to keep, and the trouble usually shows up first at the edge. We see the same thing on jobs in Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo.
Questions about concrete pool decks in Aliso Viejo
Should I replace or resurface my concrete pool deck?
Resurface it if the concrete underneath is still sound, because replacing adds the cost of tearing out the old surface. A coating only holds up as well as the concrete it goes over, so a deck that's badly cracked, sunk or broken up is usually a replacement.
How much does a new concrete pool deck cost in Aliso Viejo?
Across the US, installing a concrete pool deck usually costs about $10.10 to $12.40 per square foot, which is a national market figure and not our price. Size, tear-out and finish move it most, and one cost guide points to a basic broom, exposed aggregate or rock salt finish, or a pattern cut in with joints and extra sawcuts instead of stamping, as ways to spend less. Your written estimate gives you the figure for your own deck.
Why does a concrete pool deck need control joints?
Control joints, usually sawn into the slab, give the concrete planned places to crack as it shrinks, so the cracks follow straight lines instead of running across the deck. The cut usually needs to happen within 4 to 12 hours after the pour, sooner or later depending on the heat and the mix, so it's fair to ask any crew when they plan to cut.
What causes cracks around a pool coping?
Usually it's the deck pushing on the coping as the concrete moves, because there's no flexible gap between them. One coping maker's guide calls for a gap with flexible sealant there, and says without it the deck can crack the coping and the bond beam, the thick top edge of the pool shell, or make chips break off, whether the deck is concrete, stone or pavers. The same guide says to check that joint every year and redo the caulk when it cracks or pulls away, since most of those caulks last five to ten years.
How do I keep my pool deck from getting too hot to walk on?
Go with a lighter color and a textured finish, because both usually stay cooler underfoot than a dark, smooth deck, and shade helps too. One deck coating company says a white deck stays cooler than a dark blue one and that a textured surface is slip resistant when the proper sealer goes on, so ask which sealer the crew plans to use.
Who is allowed to build a pool deck in California?
A contractor licensed by California's Contractors State License Board, whose C-8 concrete class covers forming, pouring and finishing flat concrete work like a pool deck. The board requires a license for building or altering a structure when the project needs a building permit, uses additional workers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials.
Related concrete work around your pool
Concrete steps construction
If people walk down from the patio or the back door to the pool, new concrete steps can match the deck and give everyone a steadier way down.
Slab foundation building
A pool house, cabana or equipment pad near the water needs a slab built for what sits on it, and that's work we pour too.
Service areas for pool decks near Aliso Viejo
All Star Aliso Viejo Concrete is based in Aliso Viejo, CA, and works across the cities around it in Orange County. This site has pages for 12 of them, including Laguna Hills and Lake Forest.
Send us photos of your pool deck
A few photos of the surface, the deck's rough size in square feet and whether you're leaning toward replacing or resurfacing let me show up already thinking about your job.
Aliso Viejo, CA