Concrete Overlays in Olympia, WA

Concrete overlays in Olympia: what to know

Moisture is the first reading. We walk the slab after several dry days, mark any section that holds water, and record each reading on the scope. A section that still reads wet keeps its coating on hold until the reading drops, and each reading is kept with its date. Cracks get separate treatment: fine ones are filled with a flexible filler, and wide ones are opened, cleaned, and patched in layers before the coat goes on.

An edge that meets the public right-of-way is held until the city answers. OMC 11.12.030 requires a use permit before work on city facilities in the right-of-way, and the chapter does not say whether a sidewalk panel or planting strip counts as a facility. Private sections proceed on their own schedule, and each held edge is marked and photographed so the file shows where the work stopped.

Permits and rules in Olympia

Before a coating plan is issued, we check the moisture log, the crack record, and each edge against the right-of-way line. We confirm with city permit staff whether a building permit applies to resurfacing, since the residential list does not name resurfacing. We ask Public Works whether a coat over existing slab counts as replaced hard surface, and we look up that answer before the stormwater totals are filed.

Rules change and vary by parcel, so we confirm the current requirements with the city before we start.

How we approach it

Log the moisture reading on each marked section before coating
Fill fine cracks and patch wide ones in layers before the coat
Ask Public Works whether an edge at the street counts as right-of-way work
Ask whether a coat over existing slab counts as replaced hard surface

For the full process, see our Concrete Overlays page.

Building in the cold months? See our guide to winter concrete pours.

Our concrete overlays work, serving Olympia

Examples of our work. We build concrete overlays in Olympia and the cities around it. See all of our work

Questions from Olympia homeowners

Can an Olympia overlay go over a slab that stays damp?

Not on a section that still reads wet. We hold the coating there, log the reading with its date, and move the work to a drier section until the reading drops. The dry sections proceed on their own timing.

Does an Olympia overlay that reaches the street need a permit?

Work in the right-of-way needs a use permit under OMC 11.12.030 for city facilities, and the chapter does not say whether a coat at a sidewalk panel or planting strip counts. We ask Public Works in writing before any edge that reaches the street is coated.

Does a new coat count as replaced hard surface in Olympia?

Olympia’s stormwater guidesheet counts new plus replaced hard surface against its 2,000 and 5,000 square foot lines. The excerpt we read does not say whether a coat over existing concrete is replaced surface, so we ask the city in writing and keep the answer with the job.