Concrete flatwork is the bread and butter of every concrete crew. Patios, walkways, garage floors, slabs — done right, they last decades. Done wrong, they crack within the first winter. DSM Concrete Pros pours flatwork for residential and commercial across the Des Moines metro.
Flatwork We Pour
- Patios — basic broom finish or upgraded to stamped, stained, exposed aggregate
- Walkways + sidewalks — paths, garden walks, side yards
- Garage floors — full replacement, additions, new builds
- Pool decks — broomed, stamped, or salt finish — slip-resistant
- Basement floors — replacement or new pour over prep
- Equipment pads — HVAC, generator, shed, hot tub, fire pit
- Slabs — sheds, outbuildings, accessory dwellings
- Workshop floors — heavy-duty 6” pours for shops/garages
- Around-pool aprons — coordinated with pool installer schedule
Specs by Application
| Application | Thickness | Reinforcement | Mix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walkway | 4” | Fiber or wire mesh | 4,000 PSI |
| Patio | 4” | Fiber or wire mesh | 4,000 PSI |
| Pool deck | 4” | Wire mesh | 4,000 PSI |
| Garage floor (residential) | 4” | Wire mesh | 4,000 PSI |
| Hot tub pad | 6” | Rebar grid | 4,500 PSI |
| Shop floor (heavy use) | 6” | Rebar grid | 4,500 PSI |
| Shed/outbuilding | 4” | Wire mesh | 4,000 PSI |
All exterior pours: air-entrained mix (5–7%) for freeze-thaw resistance.
Finishes
- Broom finish — standard, slip-resistant, lowest cost
- Trowel finish — smooth, typical for indoor floors
- Salt finish — texturized for pool decks
- Exposed aggregate — decorative
- Stamped — patterned (see stamped concrete)
- Stained — colored after cure
- Polished — for interior floors
Pricing
| Scope | Range (per sq ft) |
|---|---|
| Standard broom patio/walkway | $7 – $10 |
| Garage floor replacement | $6 – $10 |
| Reinforced shop floor (6”) | $9 – $13 |
| Stamped or decorative patio | $11 – $18 |
| Equipment pad (small) | $200 – $600 flat |
Process
- Free site visit + written quote within 48 hours
- Schedule 1–3 weeks out in peak season
- Demo of existing slab if needed (1 day)
- Subgrade prep, forms, reinforcement (1 day)
- Pour, finish, cure (1 day + 28 days for full strength)
- Joint sealing and sealer application
Pool Deck Flatwork — Special Considerations
Pool decks are flatwork with three constraints regular patios don’t have:
- Slip resistance — pool deck surfaces require a textured finish (salt finish, broom finish, or anti-slip sealer additive) to meet most homeowner insurance and HOA standards
- Coping integration — the deck must tie cleanly into the pool coping without a trip lip; we coordinate with the pool installer’s schedule
- Drainage away from pool — minimum 1/4” per foot slope away from coping to prevent water reaching the pool through the deck
- Sealer selection — chlorine-resistant sealer is required; standard acrylic sealer fails inside 18 months on pool decks
Most West Des Moines and Ankeny new-construction pool projects we touch coordinate with one of the local pool installers — we time the deck pour for after the pool shell cure and before coping install.
Basement Slab Replacement
Older Des Moines neighborhoods — Beaverdale, Drake, Sherman Hill, Highland Park — frequently call for basement slab replacement. The scope:
- Remove existing slab (often plain 3” pour with no vapor barrier)
- Excavate to depth, evaluate drain tile condition
- Install 4–6” washed-rock base
- Lay 10-mil vapor barrier (Iowa moisture infiltration is significant)
- Pour 4” reinforced slab w/ fiber mesh or wire
- Saw control joints
A 1,000 sq ft basement slab replacement runs $6,500–$9,500 depending on excavation depth and rock import volume. The result is a basement slab good for the rest of the home’s life — replacing a slab is also the right time to add interior drain tile if the existing drainage is failing.
Outdoor Living Combinations
A common scope set we run as one project rather than three separate ones:
- Patio + walkway + steps to backyard
- Pool deck + outdoor kitchen pad + fire pit base
- Detached garage slab + driveway extension + walkway
- Sunroom slab + adjacent patio extension
Combining these scopes on a single pour saves on mobilization (one ready-mix delivery, one crew day, one site prep), often saving 15–25% versus running each as separate projects.
Common Flatwork Project Sizes
| Scope | Typical size | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Backyard patio | 300–500 sq ft | $2,100 – $5,000 |
| Walkway from drive to front door | 60–120 sq ft | $500 – $1,200 |
| Pool deck (rectangular pool) | 500–800 sq ft | $4,500 – $10,400 |
| Garage floor replacement (2-car) | 460 sq ft | $2,800 – $4,600 |
| Shop floor (24×40 reinforced 6”) | 960 sq ft | $8,600 – $12,500 |
Service Area
Flatwork across the entire Des Moines metro — Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale, Waukee, Clive, Altoona, Johnston, Grimes, Pleasant Hill, Norwalk, and Polk + Dallas County.