New patio. Need input

My first question is are there expansion joints in those cuts? They are put in to avoid cracking. You can definitely see the difference in the concrete color. You could call him again. If you don't get any satisfaction, staining the concrete to blend the colors may be your next option.

Call him and tell him exactly what you told us. If he won't do anything to fix the situation depending on his reply that might be all you need to do.

Document everything. Every phone call, who you talked to, what time it was. Keep every receipt connected with this. You need a paper trail as that will help secure your position.

If this person or company licensed? If they are then the next step might be the BBB.

Small claims court that will take a long time 😮

They should go away once the concrete has fully cured. Usually 30 days. But do keep in touch with him in case they don't. Keep him aware of what is going on.

Let it fully cure and then see what happens. Keep him informed of what you see or progress of the curing. Take pictures and document on paper, better yet by texting, that way there is a 2 way trail.

Question - Do you intend leaving it as bear concrete (If you do it will stain as it will absorb anything that is spilt on it)? Do you intend to paint or finish it in any way? How about a sealer?

Hi Chris, I think that once fully cured , it won't look so obvious, you can try to seal the entire patio once it is cured and that will help too.

Concrete should be kept wet for several days. Then allowed to dry. I had my driveway redone and was told to do this and had no problems. There is a product to acid stain the concrete. The curing of the concrete and the drying of the acid stain are critical. For newly installed concrete, a minimum of 14 days of cure time is required, preferably 21 before an acid stain is applied. Once cured, you can use an acid stain. After the stain is applied, allow it to dry for at least 24 hours.

It's too late for this advice but I would have had him add a color powder to the ready mix so that when your concrete dries it would tone down any shade differences. Unfortunately, even when you have a ready mix pour there is no such thing as perfection in the color. Also, when you have ready mix delivered in batches (even from the same plant) there is normally slight variations.

To "fix" this you can add a border to the edges to hide layers. I would also ask for a price adjustment to offset some of the cost to do some cosmetic changes that will make it less noticeable.

Regarding the contract that both you and him signed:

Does the wording specify anything to do with 'to the customer's satisfaction'?

If he is honest with his paperwork, he should issue some kind of a receipt, as you the customer are entitled to one.

If he balks, then simply print a blank one off the internet, and get him to sign it verifying (include the date and amount) that you indeed have paid in full for the job.

It does take a month or so for the concrete to cure so it could continue to change colors. There's a common misconception that concrete is a perfect material with a perfect, even finish every time. It could be out of his control as he's not personally mixing it and batches vary.

If you're unhappy though, you should keep pursuing it with him until you're satisfied (but note there may be only so much he can do) or you could use a concrete stain to change the overall color.

First you need to water it down several times a day and let it "cure" and that can take 30 days. Honestly, once exposed to the weather, the concrete will not stay in this pristine condition / color. After 30 days, consider staining the concrete for a more uniform appearance. $16k is a drop in the bucket for that much concrete work. Tread lightly with the contractor. He didn't do anything wrong and is trying to please you. To bad this wasn't explained to you prior to signing the contract.

Yes, when we pay out thousands of dollars for a contractor's work, we want perfection. But the reality is, as others have stated, the chemical mix in every bag of concrete is never going to be exactly the same. Earth pigments, which create the grey of cement, are never as uniform as the man-made pigments in paints. This contractor has been trying to make you happy. Until this has finished curing, you won't know what you actually have as a finished results.

It may not match exactly and it will be a continual battle to achieve that, no matter who the contractor is.

So, ask yourself if you are being too picky, AFTER a month of curing time. Be honest with yourself, then if you feel that it's still not good enough then ask for a return of a few grand or a reduced cost job of staining the whole patio. There are some really cool stains that will make the patio look like oxcidized copper or other types of finishes.

Get ALL your receipts, print out EVERY text with contractor, and put this paperwork along with estimate/contract. Make plenty of copies and take this loser to court. Small claims court in your area may have a cap on what they could award you. If you hire an attorney to take your case and you won, that attorney is going to take 33-1/3 % (very rarely would an attorney take a percent less) of the award as their fee. You could lose and have to pay attorney and court fees. In any event, you may get an award but it probably wouldn't be $16,000. Does this contractor have insurance and is he/her certified? Did you check references? Checking the Better Business Bureau is a great reference. Did you pay him/her in full at the time of project completion? You could be out of luck on small claims court or give up several thousand dollars in attorney fees. I am not an attorney but common sense is a very helpful attribute to have (and I watch Judge Judy and Hot Bench) a lot. Perhaps you have learned an expensive lesson. I feel your pain. No one takes responsibility for poor or illegal wrongs anymore.