Concrete pool decks in Helena MT - a deck that grips when wet and sheds water
Slick spots, water pooling by the pool or cracks through odd corners? We build a deck that grips, drains and holds together.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What goes into a new concrete pool deck in Helena?
A concrete pool deck is the slab around your pool. In Helena, MT, we build it with a finish that grips wet, bare feet, a slope that sends water away from the house and the pool, and joints laid out to keep cracks out of odd corners.
Most people call because the old deck is slick, holds water or is cracking through, or because a new pool needs a deck around it. The price mostly comes down to the deck's size and shape, the finish and how many drains it needs. The schedule depends on the weather, whether the job needs a permit and the curing time before the deck can take foot traffic. I'll give you a figure for your own yard once I've walked it.
How can you tell your pool deck needs work?
Slick spots when it's wet
If bare feet slide on the deck after a swim, the surface has usually worn smooth or was finished too smooth to begin with. That doesn't get better on its own, and a slick patch on a pool deck is where somebody falls.
Water standing near the pool
Puddles that sit after a splash, or water that runs toward the house or back into the pool, usually mean the slab has settled or was never sloped right. The longer that goes on, the more water soaks the ground under the slab and the more dirt washes into the pool.
Cracks through corners and strips
Cracks that wander across narrow panels or start at a drain or a corner usually mean the joints were skipped, cut late or laid out poorly. Left alone, they take on water every winter, and the pieces start to lift or sink.
How we build a concrete pool deck
People cross a pool deck wet and barefoot, so grip and drainage come first, and I work out the finish, the drains and the joint layout with you before anything gets poured. Then we break out any old deck and dig down to the subgrade, which is the ground the slab sits on. We pack a firm base there so it won't settle and leave the slab thin in some spots and low in others. We set the forms with a steady fall away from the house and toward the drains, so splash water and rain leave the deck without carrying dirt into the pool. Rebar, the steel laid inside the slab, holds the pieces together if it cracks. We time the pour around the weather so the top doesn't dry out in the afternoon heat and go dusty later. Once it's finished, we cut the control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack, on the layout we agreed. Then we let it cure, the wait that lets the concrete gain strength before you use it. If the budget gets tight, I'll tell you to keep the money in the base and the drains and go plainer on the finish, because you can change a surface later but you can't fix what's under it without tearing the deck out.
A pool deck usually ties into other work in the yard. If your back door sits above the deck, we can build concrete steps down to it as part of the same plan. If you want a pool house or a changing room, we handle slab foundation building too, so its floor drains with the deck instead of into it.
Broom finish
A broom dragged across the wet concrete leaves fine ridges that give wet, bare feet something to grip. It suits most family pools and costs less than a decorative finish, which leaves more of the budget for the base and the drains.
Exposed aggregate or textured finish
Exposed aggregate shows the small stones in the mix, and textured or stamped finishes add a pattern. Both suit owners who want the deck to look like more than a plain slab, and we go over how each one feels underfoot before you pick.
Get a free estimate for your pool deck
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out myself, walk the yard and put together a free estimate, and there's no obligation to go ahead.
- Based in
- Helena, MT 59601
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
What happens after you call about a pool deck in Helena?
From the first call to the last cleanup, here's who does what, so you know what's coming before any concrete shows up.
Call or send the form
Tell us a little about the pool and the yard. We'll set a time for the two of us to walk it together.
Walk the yard with me
I come out myself, look at where the water runs now and listen to what you want from the finish, the drains and the joints. Your estimate is built on that walk, so you know the number before anything gets dug.
We pour, then clean up
If you go ahead, we take care of the permit when the job needs one and plan the pour around the weather. My crew and I do the work ourselves and clean up before we leave.
Why Helena homeowners call Helena Concrete for pool decks
The owner walks it and pours it
I come out to look at the job and write the estimate, then I work on it alongside a small crew. The person who agreed on where your drains go is the one standing there when they're set.
Since 2021, raised on Helena pours
We've been in business since 2021, five years now, after I spent years on my dad's crews pouring around Helena. He taught me to slow down on the prep, and the prep is what decides how a pool deck holds up.
Licensed and insured, easy to check
We're licensed and insured, and Montana requires every construction contractor to be licensed with the Montana Department of Labor & Industry. Ask anyone bidding on your deck for their license before you sign.
On a pool deck, the ground under it and the way water leaves it matter more than anything you'll see, so a site visit is the place to start. Call (406) 324-9341 or tell us about your pool.
Pool decks, steps and slabs in Helena
In Helena, the city's building official issues the permit required before you build, alter, repair, move or tear down a building or structure. That rule doesn't spell out pool decks, so we find out which office covers your address and take care of the permit paperwork when a job calls for one. If your plan includes anything that sits on footings, the city lists a frost depth of at least 42 inches to the bottom of the footing. We check that figure against the current rules when we look into your permit.
Helena winters are hard on new flatwork, the slabs like decks, walks and patios. Guidance for outdoor concrete says to use sand instead of deicers during the concrete's first winter, so that's what we tell you when we hand the deck over. We give the same advice on jobs in Helena Valley Southeast and Helena Valley Northwest, since we work across Helena and the cities around it in the valley.
Questions about pool decks in Helena
How much does a concrete pool deck cost in Helena?
The price comes from the deck's size and shape, the finish you pick, how many drains it needs and how much base work the ground takes, so I set the figure after I walk your yard. Curves and odd corners take more forming and more joints than a plain rectangle, and tearing out an old deck adds to the cost. If you're torn between two finishes, ask us to price both.
What is the best finish for a pool deck so it isn't slippery?
The best finish has enough texture to grip wet, bare feet and doesn't get too hot in the sun, because a pool deck has to do both. Broom, textured, exposed aggregate, coatings, overlays and decorative finishes all differ in traction and in how warm they get, and very dark finishes can get uncomfortable in full sun. That's why we weigh grip and color together with you before you pick one.
Why does joint layout matter on a concrete pool deck?
Joint layout decides where the deck is likely to crack, because irregular, narrow panels around curves, drains, columns and corners are the ones prone to cracking. A layout with fewer odd, narrow sections gives you a deck with less risk of cracks. A deck with a lot of curves usually needs more planning on paper than a plain rectangle.
How do I take care of the joint between my pool and the concrete deck?
Check it once a year and redo the caulk when it cracks, pulls away or breaks down, which is what one coping maker's guide calls for. That guide calls for a continuous gap around the pool's edge, running the full depth of the deck, and says most elastomeric caulks, the flexible kind, last five to ten years. On a new concrete deck, it says to wait at least 30 days after the pour before caulking, so the concrete can finish its first curing and shrinking.
Who issues building permits in Helena, and how do I apply?
The City of Helena's building official issues building permits. You apply through Civic Access, the city's online system, where you can also manage the permit and schedule inspections. If you hire us, the application is part of what we take care of when a job needs one.
How do I check a Montana contractor's license?
Look the contractor up in Montana's Licensee Lookup System, the state's main place to check a professional's license. Construction contractors in Montana have to be licensed with the Department of Labor & Industry, so anyone bidding on your deck should show up there.
Related services around your pool deck
Concrete steps construction
If your back door sits above the deck, solid concrete steps give wet, barefoot traffic an even way down instead of a worn wooden stair.
Slab foundation building
A pool house, changing shed or covered seating area needs its own slab foundation, and planning it with the deck lets the two share one drainage plan.
Service areas around Helena and the valley
Helena Concrete is based in Helena, Montana, and works across Helena and the cities around it in the valley. Four of those places have their own page here, including Helena Valley Southeast and Helena Valley West Central, and we work beyond that list too.
Send us your pool's shape and yard photos
Call (406) 324-9341 or send the form with the pool's shape, the finish you're leaning toward and a few photos of the yard, so I show up already thinking about your drains.