Find a trusted concreter in Perth

Sand, clay and pouring in Perth heat

Most of the coastal plain is sand, which drains well and makes a firm base once it’s properly compacted. The trouble starts when it isn’t. A path or driveway poured over loose fill can settle and crack, and sand washed out from under a slab edge by a leaking downpipe or a retic line leaves the concrete hanging. A good concreter compacts the base in layers and asks where the water goes.

Closer to the Darling Scarp, parts of Midland, the Swan Valley, Forrestfield, Armadale and Byford sit on clay that expands after rain and contracts through summer. On those blocks, slabs need a well-prepared base, the right reinforcement and properly placed control joints, and a big shed slab may need an engineer’s design.

Then there’s the weather. On a hot summer day with an easterly blowing, the surface of fresh concrete can dry faster than the slab underneath, which leads to cracking. Experienced concreters start pours at first light in summer, use a curing compound or keep the slab damp, and won’t pour when conditions are wrong. In winter, it’s rain that pushes jobs back.

Liquid limestone, exposed aggregate or honed?

Liquid limestone is the finish Perth is known for. It’s a concrete mix made with crushed limestone, which gives it a pale, natural look that suits pool surrounds and stays cooler underfoot than darker concrete. It’s softer and more porous than standard concrete, though, so it needs sealing and resealing, and it can stain. Iron-rich bore water is the usual culprit: if your retic runs on a bore, keep the sprinklers off the paving or expect orange marks.

Exposed aggregate is the common pick for driveways because it hides wear and gives good grip, while honed concrete, ground back to a smooth stone-like finish, suits alfresco areas. Near a pool, ask how the sealer will keep it slip-resistant when wet. And remember the crossover, the strip between your boundary and the road: your council approves it and sets the specifications.

Who checks concreters in WA

WA doesn’t license concreters for driveways, paths and patios. A concreter only needs builder registration for permit work valued at $20,000 or more, which you can confirm on the WA Online Licence Search. Otherwise, look the business up on ABN Lookup, get proof of public liability cover, and ask to see driveways they poured a few years back. Our WA licence checks page has more.

Concreting prices in Perth

Perth is often one of the cheaper capitals for plain concrete, so quotes tend to sit toward the lower end of the national $70–$140 per m² range for a slab laid on a prepared base with mesh. Exposed aggregate typically costs $100–$220 per m². A plain single driveway usually comes to $2,500–$6,000, a plain double $4,000–$9,000, and an exposed aggregate double $6,000–$12,000. Shed and patio slabs of 20 to 40 m² run around $2,000–$6,000, and pump hire adds $450–$800 if the truck can’t reach the pour.

For decorative finishes, pumps and break-out costs in more detail, see the concreting price guide.

How we match you with a Perth concreter

Send us the area, the finish and your suburb. We’ll match you with one local concreter who has passed our ABN, insurance and reviews checks, so you get one quote to read properly and no calls from businesses you never contacted.

See concreters in other cities or other trades in Perth, or go straight to a free quote.