How Much Does Concreting Cost? [2025]

Concrete is a versatile building material that can be used for house slabs, driveways, paving and much more. The cost of concrete is relatively affordable compared with other building materials, not only in terms of the material itself but also the ease of installation.

If you’re curious about adding some concrete elements to your home, but aren’t sure how much to budget - this page is for you. Read this guide on concreting costs in Australia to find out:

• How much do concreters charge?
• How much does concrete cost?
• Common types of concreting jobs
• What affects the cost of concreting jobs?
• Hiring a concreter
• Getting quotes for concreting costs

How much do concreters cost per hour?

Hourly rates for concreters vary throughout Australia, but on average, concreters charge about $70 to $150 per hour. While this rate may sound high at first, it’s typically well worth the cost as concreters use expensive equipment that speed up the concreting process, keeping the overall concrete cost per m2 or m3 down.

Concreters can provide many services, including:

• Mixing and laying concrete
• Laying house foundations
• Concrete cutting
• Cleaning dirty concrete
• Reinforcing concrete to strengthen it
• Pouring concrete into a framework to create a variety of structures
• Grinding, polishing and sealing concrete surfaces
• Creating different decorative effects with stencils and stamps

Different concreters will charge their rate based on their experience level. Some examples of concreter rates based on experience include:

• $60 per hour for a low-end concreter just starting after their training
• $70 - $100 for a mid-range concreter with 1–5 years’ experience
• $100 - $150 for highly experienced concreters with 5+ years’ experience

Because your concrete is a long-term investment, make sure you do your research and get multiple quotes from different concretors. Sometimes the cheapest option might not be the best one for your unique job, so it’s a good idea to have a chat with different tradies, and check their reviews from past customers. 

Read more: How much does concrete stencilling cost?

How much does concrete cost?

The cost of concrete itself can be anywhere from $50 to $170+ per square metre. General concreting costs for different concreting finishes should be in the region of:

• $50 - $75 per sq/m for spray-on concrete 
• $80 - $135 per sq/m for plain, reinforced concrete 
• $110 - $120 per sq/m for coloured concrete 
• $125 - $160 per sq/m for exposed aggregate 
• $120 - $170 per sq/m for stencilled concrete

It’s important to note that these prices are simply ballpark figures for concreting and could cost you more or less depending on a multitude of factors including but not limited to:

• The size of your job
• Amount of levelling required
• Your tradies experience
• Your geographical location
• The nature of your site

It can be hard to know what your job will need specifically in terms of concrete per m2. If you’ve done the measurements of your job already, you can use our concrete cost calculator to get an estimate of what you might pay.

For a standard concreting job, expect the cost to be in the region of: 

• $800 - $1,400 for a concrete patio 
• $3,500 - $4,500 for a small shed slab (6m x 9m) 
• $4,200 for a concrete driveway (roughly 60m2) 
• $6,000 - $9,000 for a stencilled concrete driveway (60m2) 
• $26,000 - $34,000 for a 20m x 20m concrete slab

Concrete prices are normally quoted per square metre (m2), but some concreters may quote concreting costs per cubic metre (m3). Expect to pay $200 to $300 for concrete per m3, or up to $350 per m3 for 40 MPa strength.

Read more: How much is the cost of concrete per m3.

Common types of concreting jobs 

Aussie concreters work on a wide range of projects, adding different finishes or designs depending on the job. Some examples of things a concreter can help you with include:

• Concrete pools: Concrete is a very stable and durable option for swimming pools. They offer weather-resistance, along with flexibility in shape and style, making them perfect for a long-lasting backyard retreat.

• Concrete driveways: A strong surface for driveways, concrete is available in a wide range of finishes, including stencilled, stamped and exposed aggregate

• Exposed aggregate concrete: Is a popular decorative effect achieved by adding stone to concrete, suitable for driveways, patios and pathways

• Concrete footpaths: Concrete’s a functional and attractive option for a footpath, either laid as a single layer or in individual blocks

• Concrete formwork: Timber or metal framework can contain a concrete structure while it hardens

• Concrete foundations: Every building needs a solid base, and concrete is the most common material used

• Concrete slabs: The perfect surface for slabs – durable, stable and cost-effective

• Spray-on concrete: A decorative feature that can make concrete more appealing

• Coloured concrete: Adding dyes to concrete allows you to spruce up any area, indoors or out

What affects the cost of a concreting job?

The cost of your concreting job will vary depending on the requirements of your particular job. When giving you a quote, a concreter will take into account things like: 

• Experience of the concreter: From a labourer fresh out of their trade to an experienced veteran of the industry, different jobs will need different skill levels. Naturally, more experienced tradies will charge more for their services

• Type of concrete: There’s a range of different concrete types that will be better suited for different jobs. Of these, some will cost more and others will be more budget-friendly. Different concrete types are often identified through variations in colours, finishes and strengths

• Job size and complexity: In general, anything that makes the concreting job harder or take longer, will increase the final price. Size is usually an easy one to estimate but complexity can often surprise people. Think about access to the work site or any extra like colouring or stencilling as examples

• Tools and machinery: Some jobs will require machinery and specialised tools. The more your job needs, the higher the bill. If you want to avoid surprises, it’s a good idea to ask your concreter about labour costs and the costs of specific machinery before agreeing to go ahead

• Concrete design: These days, concrete can be much more than just a grey slab of concrete. Stencils can be used to make the concrete look like other materials like brickwork. Colours can be added to the concrete to tailor it to your aesthetic and project. Stones can be added for extra texture and it can be polished, stamped or sprayed. Anything beyond a stock standard slab of concrete will cost more

• Permissions: Large projects (more than $5,000 worth of work) will usually require permission from your local council if you want to proceed. Make sure to check with your tradie and your local council if there are any permits or approvals you need to go ahead with your work. It’s also a good idea to make sure that the 10% GST that concreters are required to charge is added to the total. Otherwise, you may be hit with some extra costs

• Labour costs: Finally, the tradie will charge a fee on top of the cost of materials and equipment. These costs will usually be calculated separately but you can always ask for some estimates of the approximate length of the job and work it out from there

• Extras: It’s always a good idea to go over your quote with your tradie to make sure you understand what each item means. To make sure it’s an accurate reflection of your job, we recommend asking your concreting contractor if anything else will be required for the job. Any of these items should be added to the quote so that you can know what you’re paying for. Some examples include: fees for breaking up the concrete, removal of old concrete or soil, excavator hire, design work and drainage implementation

Hiring a concreter

When it comes time to hire a concreter, you need to make sure they are right for your job. Some questions to ask them include:

• Are you licensed for my project?
• What level of insurance do you have?
• Can you provide a written quote?
• Do you have references I can follow up on?
• Can I see photos of previous jobs?

Concreters are licensed on a state-by-state basis. All states except for Tasmania and the Northern Territory require either a dedicated concreting licence or a builder’s licence.

Today, concreters are specialising more than they did in the past. This is an important point to remember for a few reasons:

• You’re likely to get the most competitive quotes from specialists
• A specialist will probably do a better job than a general concreter for certain types of work
• A specialist will have the right equipment for their jobs, so you won't be paying extra for equipment they don't need on your job

For example, some concreters specialise in pouring slabs and other large concreting jobs. They’ll come in with large trucks and concrete pumps. Working quickly and efficiently, they’ll pour a slab in the most cost-effective manner. 

However, the same company would probably be a poor choice if you want to have your driveway resurfaced with a decorative finish.

Getting quotes for concreter costs

The best way of finding out your concreting costs is to get quotes from local concreters. Getting at least three quotes will give you a sense of what market rates currently are and give you options to choose from. You should also discuss your specific needs with each to make sure you’re confident that you’ll get a finished product that you’re happy with.

With hipages you’ll find a comprehensive directory filled to the brim with trusted, licensed concreters who can complete your concreting job – no matter the size or complexity. Hiring a professional through hipages will give you total peace of mind that your job is in safe hands.