Find Verified Concreters Across Australia
Use this TradeRefer concreting hub to compare driveway and slab costs per square metre across Australian cities, understand licensing requirements, and connect with verified local concreters for your residential or commercial project.
Concreting Cost Guide Australia
Concrete costs vary by mix grade, thickness, reinforcement, finish, and site access. Use these city-by-city benchmarks to evaluate any quote before committing.
Typical Rate
$50–$150
/m² (plain finish)
Double Driveway
$3.5k–$8k
approx 50m², plain finish
Best Practice
2–3
written quotes with specs
| City | Plain (per m²) | Driveway (double) | House Slab | Exposed Agg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | $75–$150/m² | $4,000–$8,000 | $6,000–$15,000 | $90–$170/m² |
| Melbourne | $65–$140/m² | $3,500–$7,500 | $5,500–$14,000 | $80–$160/m² |
| Brisbane | $65–$130/m² | $3,500–$7,000 | $5,000–$13,000 | $80–$150/m² |
| Perth | $70–$145/m² | $3,800–$7,500 | $5,500–$14,000 | $85–$165/m² |
| Adelaide | $60–$130/m² | $3,200–$7,000 | $5,000–$13,000 | $75–$150/m² |
| Canberra | $75–$150/m² | $4,000–$8,000 | $6,000–$15,000 | $90–$170/m² |
| Hobart | $70–$140/m² | $3,800–$7,500 | $5,500–$14,000 | $85–$160/m² |
| Darwin | $80–$160/m² | $4,500–$9,000 | $7,000–$17,000 | $95–$180/m² |
Common Concreting Job Costs
Concreting Services We Cover
TradeRefer's concreting hub covers driveways, slabs, paths, pool surrounds, exposed aggregate, and decorative concrete finishes.
Before You Hire a Concreter
Use these checks to avoid underspecified concrete, missing permits, and inadequate curing.
Confirm concrete grade and reinforcement specs
A residential driveway should use N20 or N25 concrete at 100mm thickness minimum with SL72 or SL82 mesh. A reputable concretor will specify the concrete grade, mesh type, and slab thickness in writing. If a quote doesn't mention these, ask before proceeding.
Understand control joint placement
Concrete cracks — the goal is to control where. Control joints should be placed every 3–4 metres in driveways. Concretors who skip control joints often end up with cracking patterns that can't be easily repaired. Always ask how many joints are planned and where.
Get a driveway crossing permit before work starts
Most councils require a vehicle crossing permit for any new or modified driveway at the street boundary. The permit must be obtained before concrete is poured. A good concretor will advise you to get this before starting — if they don't mention it, ask.
Ask about curing procedures
Proper curing significantly affects concrete strength and durability. Curing compound, wet hessian, or plastic sheeting should be applied after pouring. Avoid concreting in extreme heat without adequate curing provision — a professional concretor knows to adjust for Australian summer conditions.
Find Concreters by City
Browse the major Australian cities where TradeRefer has concreting businesses listed, then drill into suburb-level pages from there.
Get 3 Free Concreting Quotes
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Concreting Licensing Requirements by State
Structural concreting (slabs, footings) requires licensed builders or registered practitioners in all Australian states. Decorative and non-structural work has lower thresholds.
VIC
In Victoria, concreting work over $10,000 requires a registered building practitioner. Structural slabs and footings require engineering sign-off and building permit.
NSW
In NSW, concreting work over $20,000 requires a contractor licence from NSW Fair Trading. Structural work requires an owner-builder permit or licensed builder.
QLD
In Queensland, concreting work over $3,300 requires a QBCC licence under the Concreting trade category.
WA
In WA, concreting for structural purposes requires a building services registration. Decorative and non-structural concreting is largely unregulated.
SA
In SA, structural concreting requires a licensed builder. Decorative concreting does not require a specific licence.
TAS
In Tasmania, structural concrete work requires a registered building practitioner under the Building Act 2016.
ACT
In the ACT, structural concreting requires appropriate building licencing. Non-structural work is generally unregulated.
NT
In the NT, structural concreting requires an NT Build licence. Non-structural decorative work does not require licensing.
Verified concreting businesses
TradeRefer helps homeowners find ABN-verified concreting contractors instead of relying on unchecked listings — particularly important for structural slabs where compliance and quality directly affect your property value.
Compare costs before you call
Use this hub to understand typical concreting rates per square metre across Australian cities so you can benchmark quotes and identify underspecified proposals before signing anything.
Australia-wide local discovery
Navigate from this national concreting guide into city and suburb-level pages to find verified concreters in the specific area where your project is located.
Concreting: Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Australia?
A standard concrete driveway costs $65–$150/m² depending on thickness, reinforcement, finish, and location. A double driveway of ~50m² typically costs $3,500–$7,500. Exposed aggregate and decorative finishes cost more than plain broom-finished concrete.
How thick should a concrete slab be for a driveway?
Residential driveways should be a minimum 100mm (4 inches) thick with SL72 or SL82 mesh reinforcement. For areas with heavy vehicles or truck access, 125–150mm with rebar reinforcement is recommended. Thicker slabs are needed for reactive soils.
How long does concrete take to cure?
Concrete reaches about 70% strength in 7 days and full strength at 28 days. Light foot traffic can resume after 24–48 hours. Vehicles should wait at least 7 days. In cold weather, curing slows significantly — your concretor may use curing compounds or covers.
What is exposed aggregate concrete?
Exposed aggregate concrete has the top layer of cement paste removed (by washing) to reveal the stones within the mix. It's popular for driveways, paths, and pool surrounds as it provides a decorative finish with natural slip resistance. It costs 15–25% more than plain concrete.
Why does concrete crack?
All concrete eventually cracks due to shrinkage, thermal movement, or ground movement. Control joints are deliberately placed every 3–4 metres to direct cracking. Cracks wider than 3mm or that are heaving or sinking indicate a structural issue requiring assessment.
What is the difference between concrete and cement?
Cement is an ingredient in concrete. Concrete is the final product made by mixing cement, sand, aggregate (gravel), and water. Portland cement is the most common binder. Ready-mix concrete (delivered by truck) is specified by strength grade — residential driveways typically use N20 or N25.
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