Concreting Guides for Sydney Homeowners
Straight answers on driveways, slabs, finishes, costs and council approvals. Prices come from our live price calculator, and council rules are quoted from each council's own policies.
Planning & Costs
What a Concrete Quote Should Include, and Why Quotes Vary So Much
A checklist for comparing concrete quotes: thickness, grade, mesh, base preparation, excavation, joints, sealing, pump hire, council fees and exclusions.
3 min read
Concrete Pour Day: What Happens and How to Get Your Property Ready
What happens before, during and after a concrete pour, and a checklist for getting your property, cars and neighbours ready.
3 min read
Do You Need a Concrete Pump? Access, Costs and Alternatives
When a concrete truck can't reach the pour, how line and boom pumps work, what pump hire adds to a Sydney job, and when barrowing still makes sense.
3 min read
Driveways
Concrete or Pavers for a Sydney Driveway?
Concrete or pavers for your driveway? How they compare on base preparation, cost, repairs, weeds, stormwater and council rules in Sydney.
4 min read
How Long Before You Can Drive on a New Concrete Driveway?
When you can walk, park and drive heavy vehicles on new concrete, why concrete takes 28 days to reach its rated strength, and how to plan the week after your pour.
3 min read
Resurface or Replace? What to Do With an Old Concrete Driveway
When cleaning, sealing or resurfacing an old concrete driveway is enough, when it needs replacing, and what breaking out the old slab adds to the cost in Sydney.
3 min read
Driveways on Sloping Blocks: Grades, Transitions and Drainage
Maximum driveway grades under AS/NZS 2890.1, why transitions stop cars scraping, which finishes grip on a slope, and how drainage and cuts change the cost.
3 min readFinishes
Exposed Aggregate vs Plain Concrete Driveways: Cost, Grip and Upkeep
Exposed aggregate adds about $1,750 to a 40m² Sydney driveway. How it compares with a broom finish on grip, stains, sealing and council rules.
4 min read
Should You Seal a Concrete Driveway? Sealer Types and How Often
Which concrete driveways need sealing, how penetrating, acrylic and polyurethane sealers compare, when to seal new concrete and how often to reseal.
3 min read
Stamped Concrete: Pros, Cons and Long-Term Upkeep
Pattern-imprinted concrete looks like stone or pavers without the joints. What it costs in Sydney, how it's made, and the upkeep and council limits to know first.
3 min read
Coloured Concrete: How It Works and How to Choose a Colour
Oxide colour vs colour hardener vs stains, which colours hide dirt and heat, matching colour between truckloads, and what colour adds to a Sydney driveway.
3 min readConcrete Know-How
Why Concrete Driveways Crack, and Which Cracks Actually Matter
Most concrete cracks come from shrinkage and are cosmetic. What causes them, how control joints work, and the signs a crack points to a bigger problem.
4 min read
Reactive Clay Soil in Sydney: What It Means for Slabs and Driveways
Much of Western Sydney and the Inner West sits on reactive clay. How AS 2870 site classes work, and how slabs, driveways and paths are built to cope.
4 min read
N20, N25 or N32? Choosing a Concrete Grade
What the N in N20, N25 and N32 means, which grade suits paths, driveways, slabs and footings, and why the grade matters less than water added on site.
3 min read
Mesh or Rebar? How Residential Concrete Is Reinforced
What SL72 and SL82 mesh are, when a slab needs rebar, how reinforcement should be placed, and what steel does and doesn't do about cracks.
3 min read
How Thick Should Concrete Be? Paths, Driveways, Slabs and Shed Bases
Minimum concrete thickness for paths, driveways, garages and shed bases, how to work out the volume you need, and what extra thickness costs.
3 min read
Pouring Concrete in Sydney Heat and Rain: What Changes
How heat, wind, cold and rain affect a concrete pour, the temperature limits concreters work to, and when it's better to reschedule.
3 min readSlabs, Sheds & Pools
Concrete Slab for a Shed: Size, Thickness and Approvals
How big and thick a shed slab should be, moisture barriers, hold-down bolts, approvals in NSW, and what shed slabs cost in Sydney.
3 min read
The Best Concrete Finish for a Pool Surround
Broom, exposed aggregate, coloured or stamped concrete around a pool: how they compare on grip for bare feet, heat, chlorine and salt, and cost.
3 min readReady to price your job?
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