How to Choose a Concreter: A Practical Guide (2026)

Concreting varies a lot by state. In Queensland, Victoria, NSW, Western Australia and South Australia, residential concreting work above certain thresholds requires a builder's or contractor's licence. In Victoria that threshold is $10,000. In NSW it's $5,000. Always check the relevant authority for your state, because unlicensed work can void your home insurance and leave you with no legal recourse if the slab cracks or the driveway fails.

Licence verification is free and takes two minutes. Use the following registries:

• NSW: NSW Fair Trading licence search
• VIC: Victorian Building Authority (VBA) register
• QLD: QBCC licence search
• WA: Building and Energy licence register
• SA: Consumer and Business Services (CBS) licence search
• ACT: Access Canberra licence register

Insurance matters just as much. Ask for a current certificate of currency for public liability, minimum $5 million. A concreter working without it puts you at risk if a worker is injured on your property or neighbouring property is damaged.

Three quotes is the standard recommendation, and it holds up in practice. But a quote is only useful if every contractor is pricing the same scope. Write down exactly what you want before anyone comes to site: area in square metres, finish type, thickness, reinforcement, whether you need excavation, where the water will drain, and any special access issues like a narrow gate or a slope.

General market rates in 2026 for a broom-finished or trowel-finished standard slab run around $65 to $90 per square metre for straightforward residential work. A decorative finish such as exposed aggregate or coloured concrete typically falls in the $100 to $150 per square metre range. A typical single driveway of 40 to 50 square metres commonly totals somewhere between $4,000 and $9,000 depending on excavation, prep, finish and access. These are starting points only. Actual prices vary considerably by location, concrete supplier pricing, and the specific conditions on your site. A written quote from a contractor who has actually walked your job is the only number worth relying on.

Watch for very low quotes. If one price is 40% below the others, ask what has been excluded. Common shortcuts include thinner slabs, no reinforcement mesh, minimal base preparation, or pouring directly onto poor sub-grade without compaction.

Any concreter worth hiring will have a list of recent jobs you can physically visit or at least see photos of. Online portfolios are fine for a first impression, but ask if there is a driveway or slab nearby that you can drive past. This is normal practice, not an unusual request.

When speaking to past clients, ask these questions directly:

• Did the job finish on the agreed date, or close to it?
• Were there any cracks or finish issues after six months?
• If something needed fixing, did the concreter come back promptly?
• Would you use them again?

Checking Google reviews, ProductReview listings or the concreter's profile on a trades directory is useful background, but it is not a substitute for speaking to an actual past client. Look for consistent patterns across reviews rather than reacting to a single five-star or one-star entry.

For larger jobs, such as a structural slab for an extension or a new garage, ask whether the concreter has experience with engineer-specified work and whether they are comfortable liaising with your building surveyor or certifier. Not all concreters work at this level, and that is fine, but you need to know upfront.

Other warning signs that should make you pause:

• Reluctance to show a licence number or insurance certificate
• No fixed business address or phone number, only a mobile and a first name
• Pressure to sign or pay on the same day as the first visit
• Vague answers about concrete strength (MPa), slab thickness, or reinforcement type
• Offering to skip the council crossover permit to save time
• No mention of curing time or how the slab will be protected after pour

Curing is worth raising specifically. Concrete gains most of its strength over the 28 days after pouring. A concreter who pours and leaves with no curing membrane, hessian or wet cure plan is cutting a corner that directly affects the long-term durability of your slab, especially in hot or dry conditions common in Perth, Adelaide, and much of regional Queensland.

For any job over $1,000, you want something in writing. In most states, a written contract is legally required for residential work above a certain value. Even below that threshold, a simple written scope of works protects both parties.

A proper agreement should include:

• Full business name, ABN, and licence number
• Detailed scope: area, finish, thickness, reinforcement, concrete grade
• Start and estimated completion dates
• Total price and payment schedule tied to stages, not arbitrary dates
• What happens if variations are needed (for example, unexpected rock during excavation)
• Warranty terms and what they cover

Payment tied to stages is important. A reasonable structure might be 10% deposit at signing, 40% when formwork and reinforcement are complete and ready for pour, and the balance on satisfactory completion. Avoid schedules that front-load payments.

Licensing rules, permit requirements and building codes differ enough between states that it is worth knowing the basics for your location.

In all states, concrete driveways that connect to a public road typically require a council-issued crossover permit. This is the concreter's or homeowner's responsibility depending on your council, but either way the permit needs to exist before the pour. Ask about this early.