Concrete Pool Decks in Cambridge MA - a surface that grips wet feet and drains well
Slick spots, standing water or cracks along the pool edge? We pour decks that grip under bare feet and drain away from the pool.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does it take to build a concrete pool deck in Cambridge?
A concrete pool deck in Cambridge is the slab around your pool. We pour it so water runs away from the pool and the house, the surface grips under bare feet, and the deck can move with the seasons without pushing on the pool's edge.
Most people call us when an old deck has gone slick, cracked or started tipping toward the house, or when a new pool needs a deck around it. The price moves with the size of the deck, how much old concrete has to come out, how far we have to wheel concrete to reach your back yard, and the drains and finish you pick. A decorative concrete surface costs more than a plain broom finish, which is the light lines dragged across the top for grip. The schedule turns on the weather, any review the city needs before we start, and the curing time, the wait while the concrete gains strength before anyone walks on it. I put all of that in writing at the estimate, so the number you see matches the job you're getting.
How do you know your pool deck needs work?
Slippery when it's wet
If the deck feels slick under wet feet, the texture has usually worn smooth or a glossy sealer has filled it in. Around a pool that's a fall waiting to happen, and it only gets worse with every season of foot traffic.
Water pooling on the deck
Puddles that sit for hours mean low spots, or a slab that has settled and now falls toward the house or the pool. That water carries dirt into the pool, soaks toward your foundation, and freezes in the low spots every winter.
Cracks along the pool edge
Cracks running beside the coping, the cap along the pool's rim, usually mean the joint between the deck and the pool has failed and the deck is pushing on the edge. Left alone, that pressure can crack the coping itself, which is a much bigger repair than the deck.
Flaking or crumbling surface
When the top layer peels off in thin flakes, water has been getting into the concrete and freezing. Each winter takes a little more, and once the surface is rough and pitted it's hard on bare feet.
How we build a concrete pool deck
I start with your feet, because a pool deck gets walked on wet and barefoot, so we talk through how much grip you want and how hot a finish gets in the afternoon sun before anything else is decided. Next I plan the joint between the deck and the coping before we set a single form, so the deck can move without pushing on the pool edge. We work out where the water goes, setting the slope and any drains so it runs away from the house and the pool instead of washing dirt in. Then we dig down to firm ground, pack the subgrade, which is what the slab sits on, set the forms and the rebar, the steel that keeps the slab tied together, and pour early in the day so the top doesn't dry out weak and dusty in midday heat. We finish the surface, cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a chosen place to crack instead of a random one, and let it cure. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather keep the money in the base and go simpler on the finish, because nobody sees the base on day one, but a fancy surface on a base that settles just cracks in a fancier way.
A pool deck rarely stands alone. If your back door sits above the pool, we can build concrete steps down to it in the same plan so the rise and the finish match, and if you're adding a pool house or shed beside the deck, we pour its slab foundation too, with the pipes, drains and equipment pad worked out together so nothing gets cut in later.
Broom finish
The lines in the surface give bare feet something to hold, and it's the plainest, lowest-cost choice. It suits most family pools, especially in a lighter color that stays more comfortable in the sun.
Exposed aggregate
We wash back the top layer so small stones show through, which grips well and hides wear. It suits owners who want more texture and look, though some people find it rougher on bare feet.
Stamped or colored concrete
Patterns and color make the deck read like stone or tile, which suits a pool that's part of a finished yard. We keep real texture in the stamp, because a smooth pattern loses its grip once it's wet.
Get a written estimate for your pool deck
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day. I come out, measure the deck and write up a free estimate listing what's included and what isn't, with no obligation.
(617) 613-6953- Based in
- Cambridge, MA 02139
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call about a pool deck in Cambridge?
Here's how a pool deck job runs from your first call to the day you walk on it, and who you'll deal with at each step.
Call or send a message
Tell us about the pool, the deck you have now and what bothers you about it. We'll set a time for me to come out and see it.
I measure and write it up
I walk the deck, measure, check where the water runs and ask what you need. The estimate spells out what's included and what isn't, so you know what you're paying for before we start.
We handle permits and weather
Once you're ready, we sort out what the city needs and pick a pour day around the forecast. Rain or heavy heat on pour day weakens the top, so I'd rather move the date than pour into it.
We pour with me on site
Our crew does the work with me there while it gets done, from digging out to cutting the last joint. When the deck has cured, we clean up and hand it back to you.
Why Cambridge homeowners call M&K for pool decks
The owner at every estimate
I come out for every estimate myself, and I'm on site with our crew while the work gets done. The person who measured your deck is the one watching the pour.
In business since 2023
We've been in business since 2023, and I got there by setting forms and pushing wheelbarrows on a small crew until I could finish slabs myself. That's why I pay attention to the parts a finished deck hides.
Licensed and insured in Massachusetts
We're fully licensed and insured. Massachusetts requires anyone who bids on or works on an existing, owner-occupied home with one to four units to register as a Home Improvement Contractor, which covers most pool decks at a house you already live in.
Satisfaction guaranteed, checked at handover
Satisfaction guaranteed. Before we pack up, I walk the finished deck with you so you can see the joints, the drains and the edge by the coping before anyone jumps in.
The parts that decide how a pool deck holds up are the ones buried on pour day, so the first step is a look at yours. Send us a message or call (617) 613-6953 to set that up.
Pool decks and the work around them in Cambridge
In Cambridge, the Inspectional Services Department issues building permits to build, alter, repair or tear down a structure, and ordinary repairs don't need one. Whether your deck needs a permit depends on the job, so we check what yours needs with the city's building office, and when a permit applies we take it out ourselves as your contractor and keep it posted at the job site. The size and scope of the work also decide how the city looks at stormwater, the rain that runs off your yard. A larger project may need its own stormwater permit or a stormwater review by the Department of Public Works under the building permit, while a small one may have no city stormwater requirements at all, and we find out which applies before we set a pour date.
We're based in Cambridge and work across the cities around it, and a lot of the pools we see sit in snug back yards behind older houses, where getting concrete to the deck takes planning and a slab that tips the wrong way sends water at the foundation. We plan access and slope the same way on jobs in Somerville and Brookline, where the yards are just as tight.
Questions about concrete pool decks in Cambridge
What finish is safest around a pool?
The safest finish is one with real texture that stays comfortable underfoot, since a pool deck is wet and walked on barefoot. Broom, textured, exposed aggregate, coating and overlay finishes all grip differently, and very dark colors can get uncomfortable in the sun, so it pays to weigh grip and heat together when you choose.
How much does a concrete pool deck cost in the Boston area?
A concrete pool deck in the Boston area usually costs about $11 to $27 per square foot. Where yours lands comes down to the size, prep and finish we covered earlier on this page, and I'll give you your own figure after I've measured.
How do I keep a pool deck from cracking at the pool edge?
Leave a gap between the deck and the coping and fill it with flexible sealant, because one coping maker's guide says that without it the deck can push on the pool edge as it moves and crack it. The same guide says to check that joint every year and recaulk when it cracks, pulls away or breaks down, and most elastomeric caulk, a stretchy sealant, lasts five to ten years, so expect to reseal the edge long before the concrete wears out.
Who can get a building permit in Cambridge?
The city issues building permits to construction supervisors it licenses, and to homeowners working on a one- or two-unit house they live in or plan to live in. On our jobs, we take out any permit that applies as your contractor.
What kind of concrete holds up best for a pool deck in a Massachusetts winter?
Air-entrained concrete holds up better, because its tiny, evenly spread air bubbles give freezing water room to relieve pressure instead of breaking the concrete. A pool deck stays wet through freeze and thaw, so it's a fair question to ask any contractor whether the mix is air-entrained.
What is the best way to protect a new pool deck in its first winter?
Use sand instead of deicers, which is what concrete guidance for new paving advises through its first winter. A sealer can also cut down how much water and salt get into the concrete in some situations, but it won't fix a weak surface or make up for the wrong mix or poor curing.
Related concrete work around a pool deck
Concrete steps construction
If your back door or patio sits higher than the pool, poured steps get you down to it, with treads finished to grip the same way as the deck.
Slab foundation building
A pool house, changing shed or equipment enclosure needs a level slab of its own, and pouring it with the deck keeps heights and drainage working together.
Service areas for concrete work near Cambridge
M&K Cambridge Concrete Company is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and pours pool decks, steps and slabs across the cities around it. The 12 areas below each have their own page, from Newton to Arlington, and they aren't the only places we work.
Cambridge, MA
Book your pool deck estimate today
Have the deck's rough size, a sketch of the pool's layout and photos of any deck you have now ready, and we can talk specifics on the first call.