| Work | Guide rate per m² | Worked example |
|---|
| Driveway, plain broom finish | $95 to $130 | 40 m²: $3,800 to $5,200 |
| Driveway, coloured concrete | $115 to $160 | 40 m²: $4,600 to $6,400 |
| Driveway, exposed aggregate | $130 to $185 | 40 m²: $5,200 to $7,400 |
| Shed and garage slabs | $110 to $150 | 36 m²: $3,960 to $5,400 |
| Concrete paths and footpaths | $90 to $130 | 20 m²: $1,800 to $2,600 |
| Patios and alfresco | $100 to $180 | 20 m²: $2,000 to $3,600 |
| Exposed aggregate concreting | $130 to $185 | 20 m²: $2,600 to $3,700 |
| Concrete removal and replacement | add about $35 | 40 m² driveway: about $1,400 on top of the new pour |
Published rates are a guide for budgeting. The price for your job is the one on the written quote after a site measure.
What moves a price within its range
- Size. A crew, a truck and a day cost much the same for 15 m² as for 40 m², so small jobs sit higher per square metre. Pairing a path with a patio or a shed slab brings the rate down.
- Access. If the chute reaches, good. If it does not, a pump or barrows are needed.
- Ground. Reactive clay west of the city needs more preparation than free-draining sand near the coast. Sloping lots need cut, fill or a thickened edge.
- Finish. Exposed aggregate costs more than coloured, and coloured more than plain. Stone choice widens the gap.
- The crossing. Council sets the thickness and finish between boundary and kerb, 100 mm minimum in Newcastle and 125 mm in Lake Macquarie. See the Section 138 guide.
- What is there now. Removing old concrete adds about $35 per m².
Comparing quotes fairly
Two quotes for the same driveway can differ by a third and both be honest, because they describe different slabs. Ask each concreter to state thickness, mesh, concrete strength, base preparation, joint spacing and what happens at the crossing, then hold the answers against the specification. The cheapest quote is often the thinnest slab.