Covered spa area with glass fencing and screens
A Berwick outdoor area with a verandah, concreting, glass fencing and decorative screens around a spa.
Concreting & paving
Once you know where the car parks and where people walk, you can plan the driveway, paths and paved areas around them. We lay them across Melbourne’s south-east, in plain, coloured or exposed aggregate concrete, or in pavers.
Driveway, path or paved area
Which of these is closest to your job? Each one changes what goes underneath, and the finish on top.
A driveway for the cars you have now, and any you might add. How many cars, and does a trailer or caravan park there too?
A new home that needs its driveway before you move in. The date you get the keys sets the timing. See a driveway for a new home.
Paths to the bins, the clothesline or the back gate, along the lines people already walk.
A flat spot for an outdoor table. A rough size helps, or the number of chairs it should fit.
A cracked or uneven driveway or path to replace. The old concrete has to come out first.
Concrete finishes and pavers
A driveway and a side path don’t have to match, so you could have exposed aggregate on the driveway and plain concrete down the side.
Levels, drainage and the old concrete
A lot of the job happens before anything is poured or laid. The ground needs digging out, levelling and a slight slope, so rain runs away from the house.
We’ll go through who does the digging, where the rain will drain to and who takes the old concrete away. If you’d like the surface sealed, say so.
If a fence or garden is going in too, plan them together. See how to plan a backyard project.
What sets the cost of concrete and paving
Prices aren’t listed here. Most of the cost comes from the size of the area, then the finish and what the ground needs underneath.
What you choose
- AreaA bigger area takes more concrete or pavers, and more ground to dig out and level first.
- FinishColour and exposed aggregate each add a step to a plain pour. Pavers are laid piece by piece, which takes longer.
- Pattern or bordersA pattern, curved edges or a border in a second colour mean more cutting and fitting.
- SealingA sealer goes on once the surface is finished, so it adds materials and time.
What the site brings
- Levels and slopeA steep driveway, or a yard that falls away, means more digging and more care with the levels.
- Access for the truck or pumpIf the concrete truck can’t reach the spot, the concrete has to be pumped or barrowed in, which adds to the cost.
- What’s there to removeOld concrete, pavers or turf have to come up and go before anything new goes down. Breaking up an old slab is slow work.
- Ground and drainageSoft or wet ground may need a deeper base. Water that pools near the house may need a drain built in.
A look at driveways and paving
Grey crazy paving around a courtyard tree
Irregular grey stone paving laid through a courtyard with an opening around a tree.
Landscaping with decking and aggregate driveways
Sandringham landscaping with aggregate driveways, Merbau decking, retaining walls, garden beds, a side gate and privacy screening.
How a job works
Ask for a quote.
Describe the job in a few lines, and we’ll get in touch to hear more.
Explore the options.
We’ll usually visit, look at the space with you and measure up. Then we’ll go through what could work, and why.
Agree the work.
You’ll get a quote to read in your own time. Ask about anything that isn’t clear before you say yes.
Build and hand over.
We build the job as quoted, then walk you through the finished work and how to look after it.
Where we work
Lysterfield, Rowville, Wheelers Hill, Berwick, Narre Warren South and nearby suburbs.
Driveway questions
Exposed aggregate or coloured concrete for a driveway?
Coloured concrete is one even colour. Exposed aggregate has small stones showing on top, so it looks speckled and feels rougher underfoot. Look at both on real driveways before you decide, because a small piece doesn’t show the whole effect.
Pavers or concrete for a driveway?
Either can take a car if the base underneath is built for one, so ask us how we’d build it. After that, it’s about looks. Concrete is one continuous surface, while pavers are separate pieces with joints between them.
Should I tell you my budget?
If you have one, yes. A rough figure will do. It lets us suggest options that fit, rather than pricing something you’d need to cut back.
Tell us about your project.
Send what you know so far. We’ll ask about the rest.
Get a quote