Concrete Deck Waterproofing · CSLB #1060736
Commercial Concrete Deck Waterproofing in California
We waterproof concrete decks, walkways and podium decks on apartment communities, condominiums and HOA properties across the Bay Area, Central Valley, and Sacramento. Concrete itself sheds most of the water that falls on it. The leaks come through its cracks and joints, so a waterproof concrete deck depends on how those cracks and joints are sealed before and under the coating.
- CSLB #1060736 Licensed California contractor
- 9+ yrs Waterproofing decks on occupied buildings
- Cracks sealed first Joints and cracks done before the coating
- Commercial & HOA Apartments, condominiums & HOA communities
01 Why it matters
On a concrete deck, water gets in through the cracks
Concrete shrinks as it cures and moves with temperature, so slabs crack, and cracks keep opening and closing after they form. Water that would run off solid concrete goes straight down through those cracks and through the joints between pours. On an elevated walkway or a podium, it comes out underneath as white mineral streaks, rust stains from the reinforcing steel, or a wet ceiling in the garage or the room below.
A penetrating sealer does not change that. Sealers such as silanes soak into the surface and make the concrete repel water, but manufacturers state that they do not stop water entering through cracked surfaces. Sealing concrete deck surfaces helps where the slab is sound; it is not waterproofing where it is cracked.
So waterproofing concrete decks is mostly crack and joint work. Installation instructions for traffic coating systems are specific about it. Tremco’s instructions for its Vulkem deck coatings, for example, call for a shot-blasted surface with a concrete surface profile of CSP 2–4, routing shrinkage cracks 1/16 inch and wider, sealing them, and covering every crack and cold joint with a 6-inch-wide reinforcing detail coat before the full coating goes on. Skip those steps and the coating cracks along the same lines as the slab.
Concrete keeps water out until it cracks, and every slab cracks. The waterproofing has to be built over the cracks, not just over the surface.
02 The D&B difference
How we waterproof a concrete deck
The cracks are mapped first
We mark every crack, cold joint and control joint on the deck and note which ones show water underneath. They are repaired one by one, the way the coating manufacturer specifies.
The surface is prepared, not just cleaned
Coatings bond to a profiled surface. Old coatings, sealers and the weak top layer of the concrete are removed by grinding or shot blasting to the profile the system requires.
Walls, doors and drains are part of the system
The coating turns up the wall at a cove, runs under door thresholds and is detailed at every drain. Those are the places where a coated deck most often leaks.
03 · Service Areas
Where We Work in California
Every city links to a dedicated local page — crews, recent projects and compliance details for that area.
Sacramento Metro
20 cities
East Bay
28 cities
North Bay
14 cities
Central Valley
13 cities
South Bay & Peninsula
27 cities
Don’t see your city? We likely still cover it — call (916) 848-2728.
04 How a project runs
How the work runs, section by section
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01
Assessment
A free property assessment, scheduled within a week. We look at the surface, the cracks, the joints, the drains and the underside of the deck.
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02
Quote
An itemized quote within five business days, per square foot and per area.
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03
Surface preparation
Old coatings and sealers removed, concrete ground or shot blasted to the required profile.
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04
Cracks and joints
Cracks routed and sealed, control joints fitted with backer rod and sealant, reinforcing detail coat over cracks and cold joints.
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05
Coating
The membrane and textured top coats applied in the thicknesses the system lists, turned up the walls and detailed at doors and drains.
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06
Review
The finished deck checked with the property before it goes back into use.
05 Scope
What the work covers
Preparation Cracks and joints Membrane and top coats
- Removal of old coatings, sealers and weak surface concrete
- Grinding or shot blasting to the profile the coating requires
- Concrete repairs where the surface is spalled or the steel is exposed
- Cracks routed and sealed according to the system’s instructions
- Reinforcing detail coat over cracks and cold joints
- Control joints with backer rod and sealant
- Expansion joints detailed as the manufacturer specifies, not coated over
- Liquid-applied membrane with textured, slip-resistant top coats
- Cove and turn-up at walls, detail at door thresholds
- Coating detailed into drains and edges
- One color across all walkways and decks on the property
Built to current code: Manufacturer installation instructions and ICC-ES evaluation report of the installed system · SB 721 (Health & Safety Code 17973) and SB 326 (Civil Code 5551) where the element is supported in whole or in substantial part by wood · Title 24
06 Investment
What concrete deck waterproofing costs
Typical range: $25–$60 per square foot, the range we work in for balcony and deck waterproofing.
What sets the number
- Square footage of decks, walkways and podium areas
- Old coatings or sealers that have to come off
- Number and width of cracks and length of joints
- Concrete repairs at spalls and exposed steel
- Walls, door thresholds and drains to detail
- The coating system chosen
- Access, and keeping walkways open for residents during the work
Why cracks drive the price: coating an open surface is fast. Routing, sealing and reinforcing each crack and joint takes the time, and a deck with many cracks costs more than a deck of the same size with few.
Final pricing follows an on-site assessment. Request a free estimate — no obligation.
In the field
Waterproofing concrete walkways, decks and podiums
Coated walkways, a podium over parking, the underside of a leaking deck and a building finished end to end.
07 Project example
A recent concrete walkway waterproofing
The walkways had never been coated. Water ran across the slabs, worked through the cracks and collected at the unit doors. We ground the surface to remove the old sealer and the weak top layer, routed and sealed the cracks, covered each crack and cold joint with a reinforced detail coat, and then applied a full membrane and textured top coat, turned up the walls and run under the thresholds. Residents kept access to their doors throughout, with one section closed at a time.
Water had been sitting at our doors every winter. They sealed every crack before the coating went on, and the thresholds stay dry now. Property Manager · California apartment community
08 Case studies
Recent Projects, Documented
Real commercial properties — what the building needed, what we did, and what it delivered.
WaterproofingBalcony & Walkway Waterproofing — Sunset Park Apartments, SacramentoThe concrete had never been coated. Water sat on it, worked through the cracks and ran to the…View case study 
WaterproofingElevated Walkway Rebuild & Waterproofing — 96-Unit Apartment Community, Citrus HeightsThe walkways weren't leaking from the top. The low-slope roof above them had lost its edge metal and…View case study 
WaterproofingBalcony Waterproofing — Blue Apartment Building, VacavilleThe coating had not cracked. It had worn thin exactly where the debris line sat — along the…View case study 09 Client feedback
What property managers say
Water had been sitting at our doors every winter. They sealed every crack before the coating went on, and the thresholds stay dry now.
Another contractor offered to seal the concrete. These guys showed us the cracks from the garage side and explained why a sealer would not stop them.
The walkways stayed open the whole time. They closed one section, finished it and moved on.
10 FAQ
Questions about concrete decks and walkways
How do you make a waterproof concrete deck?
By preparing the surface to the profile the coating needs, sealing every crack and joint, and then applying a membrane and textured top coats that turn up the walls and are detailed at doors and drains. Without the crack and joint work, the coating cracks along the same lines as the slab.
Is sealing a concrete deck enough?
Only where the concrete is sound. A penetrating sealer makes the surface repel water and can limit salts getting in, but sealer manufacturers state that it does not stop water through cracked surfaces. Where the deck is over a room, a garage or another walkway, cracked concrete needs a membrane.
Can we get a waterproof concrete deck over garage parking?
Yes. Decks and podiums over parking are common on apartment properties, and they are where leaks show most clearly, as mineral streaks and rust stains on the garage ceiling. The work is the same in principle: surface preparation, crack and joint repair, and a traffic-rated membrane, detailed at drains and walls.
What about a waterproof concrete deck over living space?
Over occupied rooms there is no margin for leaks, so every crack, joint, drain and wall connection is sealed, and the coating system is chosen for the use and approved for the substrate. We look at the underside first where it can be reached, to see where water has already come through.
What are the main concrete deck waterproofing products?
Penetrating sealers that repel water without forming a film, liquid-applied membranes with textured traffic top coats, and sheet membranes under pavers or a topping slab. Which one fits depends on whether the deck is cracked, what is under it and how it is used.
What does waterproofing concrete patio areas involve?
For patios on grade, a sealer is often enough, because water that gets through runs into the ground. Where a concrete patio sits over a room, a garage or another level, it is a deck, and it gets a membrane.
Do you work on concrete bridge decks?
Bridge decks use the same families of membranes, but they are public infrastructure built to transportation agency specifications. We work on buildings: walkways, balconies, decks and podiums on apartment, condominium and HOA properties.
Does SB 721 or SB 326 apply to concrete decks?
Both laws cover elevated elements more than six feet above the ground that are supported in whole or in substantial part by wood, including their waterproofing. A concrete walking surface over wood framing, common on garden-style walkways, falls under them. A reinforced concrete slab carried by concrete is outside that definition.
How much does it cost to waterproof a concrete deck?
Typically $25–$60 per square foot. The number of cracks, old coatings to remove and concrete repairs move a deck within that range. The itemized quote follows a free assessment.
Are you exterior concrete deck waterproofing contractors near me?
We work across the Bay Area, Central Valley and Sacramento, with free property assessments scheduled within a week. Surface preparation, crack repair and coating come from one CSLB-licensed contractor (#1060736). Call (916) 848-2728 with the city, the number of walkways or decks, and whether there is parking or living space below.
11 Start here
Book a free concrete deck waterproofing assessment in California
Photograph the worst cracks from above and, where you can reach it, the same spot from below. Streaks, rust stains and drips tell us most of what we need before the visit. We schedule the assessment within a week and send an itemized quote within five business days.
CSLB #1060736 · 9+ years · Insured & Bonded · Commercial, multifamily & HOA properties across the Bay Area, Central Valley & Sacramento