How much does concreting cost in Adelaide?
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A new concrete driveway in Adelaide costs $2,400–$5,500 in a plain finish and $4,425–$8,300 in exposed aggregate. Broken down by area, plain concrete works out at $69–$140 per square metre and coloured concrete $87–$185. Anyone buying the mix direct will pay $275–$440 per cubic metre for 25 MPa delivered, before any labour. Putting a polish on an existing floor costs $55–$155 per square metre. The quote you get will turn on the finish, the mix strength, how far the barrows or pump line have to travel, and whether an old slab is coming out.
Comparing cities, or after the Australia-wide picture? See the national guide: Concreting cost in Australia.
Detailed Pricing — Concreting Cost in Adelaide 2026
Marking out a car park, warehouse floor or loading bay? See our line marking cost guide for Adelaide.
| Service | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain concrete slab (per sqm) | $69/sqm | $100 | $140 |
| Coloured concrete (per sqm) | $87/sqm | $130 | $185 |
| Exposed aggregate (per sqm) | $110/sqm | $145 | $185 |
| Stamped / stencilled (per sqm) | $110/sqm | $145 | $185 |
| Polished concrete — polish existing slab (per sqm) | $55/sqm | $100 | $155 |
| Spray-on resurfacing (per sqm) | $46/sqm | $60 | $74 |
| Driveway — plain (typical 40 sqm) | $2,400total | $4,150 | $5,500 |
| Driveway — exposed aggregate | $4,425total | $6,000 | $8,300 |
| Concrete path / footpath | $69/sqm | $100 | $145 |
| Concrete patio / entertaining | $74/sqm | $115 | $165 |
| Shed slab (typical 20 sqm) | $1,375total | $2,025 | $3,225 |
| Old concrete removal (stand-alone, incl. disposal) | $28/sqm | $55 | $92 |
| Ready-mix concrete, 25 MPa delivered (supply only, per m³) | $275per cubic metre | $350 | $440 |
| Polished concrete — new slab poured + mechanical polish (per sqm) | $145/sqm | $195 | $240 |
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Get Adelaide quotes →Prices include GST. Based on Adelaide metro area, October 2026. Outer suburbs may vary.
What to Know About Concreting Work and Cost in Adelaide
The City of Adelaide needs a vehicle crossing permit as well as a City Works permit for a new or changed crossover, and the applicant installs it to the City’s construction details.
Those details call for 32 MPa concrete and a kerb colour matched to the kerb beside it, with drains 1 m clear of driveways and street trees. A plain concrete path in our table is $69–$145 a square metre.
Adelaide concreting prices: driveways, decorative finishes and ready-mix
Concrete driveway cost in Adelaide
A plain concrete driveway of about 40 square metres is $2,400–$5,500 in Adelaide, typically $4,150. An exposed aggregate driveway is $4,425–$8,300, typically $6,000.
Coloured, polished and decorative concrete in Adelaide
Per square metre in Adelaide: plain slab $69–$140, coloured $87–$185, stamped or stencilled $110–$185, exposed aggregate $110–$185 and polishing an existing slab $55–$155.
Ready-mix concrete prices in Adelaide
Ready-mix concrete, 25 MPa delivered (supply only), is $275–$440 a cubic metre in our Adelaide table, typically $350. We don't publish a separate 32 MPa price. Laid and finished, a plain slab is $69–$140 a square metre.
These answers use the prices in the table on this page.
What Affects Concreting Costs in Adelaide
Driveways by finish
Plain concrete on a typical driveway sits around $4,150, and the same area in exposed aggregate around $6,000. Stamped or stencilled surfaces cost $110–$185 a square metre, the same band as exposed aggregate at $110–$185, so choose between them on looks and grip rather than price.
32 MPa and the price per cubic metre
Our table prices 25 MPa ready-mix at $275–$440 per cubic metre delivered. A 32 MPa mix costs more per load and is the usual pick where vehicles turn and park. The City of Adelaide's crossover standard specifies 32 MPa concrete unless the drawing says otherwise, so the strip at the kerb is often the stronger mix even when the rest is not.
Coloured concrete
Colour is mixed through the load or dusted on the surface, and the band is $87–$185 a square metre against $100 typical for plain. At the kerb, the City of Adelaide standard asks that kerb colour match the kerb next to it, in standard grey, Brighton Lite or charcoal grey, so a bold driveway colour may stop at the boundary.
Smaller homes and narrow side paths
Only 25.3% of Greater Adelaide homes have four or more bedrooms, well under the 34.8% national share, and 16.3% are semi-detached, row or terrace houses (ABS 2021 Census). Shared walls and narrow side paths can mean the truck cannot pull up beside the pour. Ask whether a pump or a team with barrows is priced in, as that can add a lot to a small slab.
A dry city with cool winter nights
Adelaide averages only 524.5 mm of rain a year, with June the wettest month at 72.1 mm and January the driest at 20.1 mm (BOM averages). Winter nights fall to around 7.6 °C in July, which slows the set and lengthens the wait before you drive on a new slab. In January, with days near 28.7 °C, the risk is the surface drying too fast.
Crossings in the City of Adelaide
In the city and North Adelaide, a new or modified driveway crossover needs a vehicle crossing permit as well as a City Works permit. The applicant builds the crossing to the City's construction standard, and checker plate drains must sit 1 m clear of driveways and street trees. Each suburban council has its own permit process, so ask yours before you book.
Polished floors
Grinding back an existing slab to a polish costs $55–$155 a square metre. A fresh slab that is poured and then mechanically polished costs $145–$240, which suits a home extension or a new studio floor where there is no slab to work with yet.
How to Save Money on Concreting Cost in Adelaide
- South Australia requires anyone who runs a business carrying out or organising building work for others to be licensed as a building work contractor, subcontractors included; get the number in writing and check it before work starts.
- Get the mix strength in writing, and if the driveway will take a car or a trailer, ask what a step up to 32 MPa adds to the quote.
- Book in autumn or spring, when Adelaide days are mild and the rain is light, to avoid both baking heat and the cold nights of July.
- Price the old slab removal separately at $28–$92 a square metre, so the breakout cost sits on its own line.
- Before choosing a colour, ask to see a finished driveway or a sample panel in daylight, because a tint cannot be changed once the slab has set.
- In an older semi-detached or row house, measure the narrowest point of the side access before you call for quotes; that one number decides whether barrows will do or a pump is needed.
A Morphettville homeowner needed a 4m² concrete slab (2m × 2m) poured and finished at the end of a carport, replacing a removed section — level ground, good access. Estimated at $800–$1,200.
Details anonymised. Range is our estimate at enquiry — final quotes vary with access, materials and condition.
Frequently Asked Questions — Concreting Cost in Adelaide
Our Methodology
These are independent estimates from public cost guides, marketplaces and industry rate data, and no tradesperson can influence them, so always get a few quotes. Last reviewed October 2026. Read our full methodology →