Decorative concrete in South Burlington VT - a stone look built on a sound slab

Around Burlington, a stamped concrete patio usually costs about $10 to $18 per square foot. That's the going rate in the area, not our price. Reinforced concrete, with steel rebar inside to hold the slab together if it cracks, runs a little more per square foot, and I price overlays and other finishes on your written estimate.

Yes, if the slab underneath is sound, reasonably level and not still settling. On a good slab, one resurfacing guide puts the renewed surface at about 10 to 15 years. If the old concrete keeps scaling, flaking off in thin layers, an overlay on top will scale too, so I'd talk with you about replacing it instead.

It can be, and one material guide calls stamped concrete notoriously slippery when wet. On stamped finishes, we can add grit to the last sealer coat so your feet have more to grip. Please ask about it at the estimate, especially for steps or a walk to the door.

Keep magnesium chloride and calcium chloride de-icing salts off it through that first winter. Exposed aggregate, the finish with small stones showing at the top, is very prone to pop-outs, where bits of stone break loose, if it meets those salts early. If it's a spot you'd normally salt, plan for that before you choose it.

Yes, for larger jobs. Vermont requires a contractor to register with the state's Office of Professional Regulation before contracting with a homeowner for residential work over $10,000, labor and materials included. Above that amount, the contractor also has to sign a written contract with you before taking a deposit or starting work.

Not on a single-family home, because the city charges those a flat stormwater fee. Other properties pay by how much hard surface they have that rain can't soak into. On those properties a new patio can raise the fee, while an overlay on an existing slab adds no new surface.