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Concrete driveways across Melbourne's east.
Exposed aggregate first, then plain, coloured and permeable. Replacements for driveways that have cracked, lifted or worn through — and new driveways on rebuilds and knockdowns.
Got it — thanks.
We'll be in touch shortly to arrange a time to come and look at the job. If it's urgent, give us a call.
01 — Finishes
Four finishes, and one of them is usually wrong for your block.
Most people arrive having decided on exposed aggregate, and most of the time they're right. But the block, the fall and how much upkeep you actually want all change the answer.
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Exposed aggregate
The stone in the mix washed back so it sits proud of the surface. Grippier underfoot than a trowelled finish, hides marking well, and it's what most people picture when they picture a good driveway. Needs resealing every couple of years to keep looking sharp.
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Plain and stipple finish
The straightforward one, and there's nothing wrong with it. Costs less per square metre and takes less upkeep. A stipple finish rolls a fine texture into the surface, which is what gives you grip on a long or steep drive without the resealing that exposed aggregate asks for.
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Coloured concrete
Oxide through the mix rather than a coating on top, so the colour goes all the way through and doesn't wear off in the wheel tracks. Worth looking at where you want the drive to sit quietly against the house.
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Permeable concrete
An open mix that lets water through to the ground instead of running it to the kerb. On tight infill blocks a permeable driveway can help meet the site permeability your planning scheme requires — worth raising early, because it can affect whether a plan gets approved.
02 — Your quote
The five lines that decide what your driveway actually is.
These go on every quote we write. If the other two quotes you're holding don't state them, ask — the answers are the comparison.
Excavation and base depth
How much gets stripped out, and how deep the compacted crushed rock goes back in. On reactive clay this is the layer that decides whether the slab stays flat.
Slab thickness
Stated in millimetres. A drive carrying a caravan, a boat trailer or a work ute needs more than one carrying a hatchback.
Reinforcement
The mesh grade, and the fact it sits up on bar chairs inside the slab rather than lying on the base doing nothing.
Concrete strength
The MPa of the mix. Concrete is sold by strength and you cannot tell one from another by looking at the finished job.
Control joints and falls
Where the joints get cut and how far apart, plus which way the water runs — set out before the pour, not discovered afterwards.
03 — Replacing an old drive
Most driveways out here aren't tired. They've failed.
A 30-year-old drive that's cracked across the middle, lifted at the joints or worn through in the wheel tracks usually isn't a surface problem. Something under it moved, or there wasn't enough under it to begin with.
- Break out and cart away the old slab — not pour over the top of it.
- Excavate to depth, then compact the base back in properly.
- Set the levels so water leaves the house, the garage and the crossover.
- Photograph the base and the mesh before the pour, so you can see the part you'd otherwise never see.
- Tell you honestly if the slab is sound and a repair or resurface is the better spend.
04 — Driveways we've poured
Recent driveway work.
05 — Driveway questions
Worth asking before you sign anything.
How much does a concrete driveway cost?
It's driven by area, access, what has to come out first, the finish you choose and how much site work the fall demands. A straightforward replacement on a flat block and a steep drive with a retaining wall are not the same job even at the same square metreage.
We quote on site, in writing, at a fixed price — and the quote states the spec, so it's worth something when you hold it next to the others.
How long before I can drive on it?
You'll be walking on it well before you're driving on it, and concrete keeps gaining strength for weeks after it looks finished. We'll give you the actual dates for your job and your mix rather than a rule of thumb — driving on it too early is one of the easiest ways to damage a brand new slab.
Do you have to remove the old driveway?
Nearly always, yes. Pouring a thin layer over a slab that has already cracked or moved just transfers the problem up into the new concrete, usually within a season or two. If the existing slab genuinely is sound, we'll tell you.
Will the new drive match my crossover?
Not exactly — the crossover was poured at a different time with a different batch, and concrete never matches perfectly across pours. If the crossover is also damaged or the levels don't work, replacing both at once is usually the tidier and cheaper option. See crossovers and footpaths.
Can you do the alfresco or path at the same time?
Yes, and it's normally the cheaper way to do it. The setup, the crew and often the truck are already there. We'll quote both on the one visit so you can decide with real numbers rather than guessing. See alfresco and pool surrounds.
06 — Get a quote
Free on-site quote for your driveway.
We'll come and measure it, talk through the finishes, and put a fixed price in writing with the spec on it.
- Phone
- 04XX XXX XXX
- Based in
- Ringwood, Victoria
- Covering
- Melbourne's east & south-east
- Insured
- $20M public liability
- ABN
- 41 700 862 143
Got it — thanks.
We'll be in touch shortly to arrange a time to come and look at the job. If it's urgent, give us a call.