We all know how the game goes. We do the hard work and build the solid base in construction but it’s going to get covered up. Our product is durable, but it’s not generally considered charming. Whether it’s in a commercial or residential setting, most developers and property owners are looking for a more finished look. That’s not something concrete generally offers. Our work might literally be the basis on which everything else stands, but it often gets covered up for aesthetics.
However, adding decorative concrete services, such as stamped concrete, is a great way a contractor can round out their business and provide a new channel of income.
A Whole Range of Projects
In over forty years of experience in the stamped and decorative concrete industry, we’ve worked with and consulted on a whole range of projects. There are projects like patios or driveways for single homes, but there are also those that involve business or municipal contracts that cover much larger areas - and of course, bring in much higher revenue.
That range of projects can make it suitable for any contractor. If you’re interested in focusing only on smaller installations, there’s definitely business waiting for you. At the same time, if you’re interested in a larger project, there’s plenty of opportunities for that too.
Residential projects can include driveways, sidewalks, entryways, and patios. Pool decks and garden paths are common, too. Larger-scale products can include parks or public squares as well as open areas in building complexes. Colored, polished and stamped concrete along with other decorative elements can be part of the services you elect to provide.
And there’s nothing that limits the product to the outdoors. Everything from a polished concrete floor for a billiard room to the vast expanse of a shopping mall is a product waiting for a qualified installer.
Market Size
There’s no doubt that the industry continues to grow and that this product, which is still relatively young, continues to become more popular across the world.
By 2022, the worldwide revenue from decorative concrete is expected to be nearly $13 billion. Twenty-two percent of that is in North America. It represents a growth rate of 6.66% from 2017 figures. That's a tiny fraction of the total cement market, which was already nearly $400 billion in 2016. It presents an opportunity to be part of a rapidly-growing field.
The Benefits You Can Offer
Customers like the price and reliability of concrete. Decorative concrete lets you offer all the normal benefits of concrete with the benefit of with great aesthetics. Decorative concrete allows you to turn concrete from part of the architecture into a real architectural feature. It’s no longer just a surface. It’s a design. It’s almost a work of art.
There are huge possibilities for the designs you can create. Just added color is one; polishing is another. And when you begin to talk about stamps, you can achieve the appearance of hewn stone, cobblestone, flagstone or even wood slats. Imagine how much happier a homeowner would be with the possibility of a driveway that looks like it’s straight out of colonial Williamsburg rather than something in a flat grey.
It’s also a reasonably priced alternative to other types of stone. It’s hard to speak accuracy about prices across North America, but generally stamped concrete comes in around the same cost of pavers. And that means it can be significantly less expensive than other types of stone. Also, in the long run, there’s less maintenance so there are greater savings.
The Benefits You Can Receive
What do you get out of all this? More business, of course. Offering this service makes you more attractive as a contractor. That means new jobs or bigger shares of other jobs since you can now complete more of the project.
If you’re not already stamping concrete, a whole new area of business is open to you that’s closely related to what you’re already doing. Our research shows that there are over 30,000 Google searches a month for “stamped concrete” in the U.S. alone. It’s a huge market and there’s still a lot of space for new providers.
Of course, in addition to the business and revenue, there’s the satisfaction of knowing that your clients love the work you’ve done for them. We don’t always get to experience that when we do a regular concrete job; we just do the install and then someone else comes along to cover it up with something that looks better. Even when regular concrete work is installed, it’s not too likely we’re going to hear “it’s so beautiful.” But with decorative work, we can receive a little more positive feedback.
Difficulty Level
Decorative concrete does require a bit more learning and additional talents and tools compared to a plain concrete installation. However, one of the most important factors is placing the stamping, which is tied directly to how fast the concrete dries. So for anyone who’s already experienced in pouring surfaces, the learning curve isn’t too high.
As far as additional tools, a wide variety of stamps are available to produce the final design. Other than that, the equipment is almost identical to those you’d use on any job.
From there, it’s just learning and helping your employees learn how to do the work, and it’s something you can teach and share among yourselves. While it’s not usually recommended as a DIY project, for anyone who is accustomed to contract work it’s not a huge step to be able to do the work well.
Decorative concrete, whether it’s polished, stamped or some other finish brings an element of beauty to our work. Even after more than four decades in existence, it’s continuing to grow in popularity. It can be a great way to grow your contracting business, whether you’re a large or small operation.
