How much does concreting cost in Cairns?
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Hiring concreters in Cairns starts with one thing: the finish (plain, coloured or exposed aggregate), the slab thickness and access for the truck set the price. The weather sets the calendar: Cairns Aero averages 436.1 mm in February but only 26.9 mm in August (BOM). Flats and apartments are 17.0% of local dwellings, more than the state's 12.5% (ABS 2021), which changes access and approvals. The table below prices 14 concreting jobs for Cairns, with low, typical and high figures, followed by local notes on timing, rules and suburbs.
Comparing cities, or after the Australia-wide picture? See the national guide: Concreting cost in Australia.
Detailed Pricing — Concreting Cost in Cairns 2026
Marking out a car park, warehouse floor or loading bay? See our line marking cost guide for Cairns.
| Service | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain concrete slab (per sqm) | $81/sqm | $120 | $160 |
| Coloured concrete (per sqm) | $105/sqm | $150 | $215 |
| Exposed aggregate (per sqm) | $130/sqm | $175 | $215 |
| Stamped / stencilled (per sqm) | $130/sqm | $165 | $215 |
| Polished concrete — polish existing slab (per sqm) | $65/sqm | $120 | $185 |
| Spray-on resurfacing (per sqm) | $54/sqm | $70 | $86 |
| Driveway — plain (typical 40 sqm) | $2,800total | $4,850 | $6,500 |
| Driveway — exposed aggregate | $5,200total | $7,000 | $9,700 |
| Concrete path / footpath | $81/sqm | $120 | $175 |
| Concrete patio / entertaining | $86/sqm | $135 | $195 |
| Shed slab (typical 20 sqm) | $1,625total | $2,375 | $3,775 |
| Old concrete removal (stand-alone, incl. disposal) | $32/sqm | $65 | $110 |
| Ready-mix concrete, 25 MPa delivered (supply only, per m³) | $325per cubic metre | $410 | $520 |
| Polished concrete — new slab poured + mechanical polish (per sqm) | $175/sqm | $225 | $280 |
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Get Cairns quotes →Prices include GST. Based on Cairns metro area, October 2026. Outer suburbs may vary.
What to Know About Concreting Work and Cost in Cairns
Greater Cairns is home to 153,425 people (ABS 2021 Census), strung along the coast from Palm Cove and the northern beaches through the city and Edge Hill to the southern estates at Mount Sheridan, Bentley Park and Edmonton. A concreter working the whole area spends real time on the Captain Cook Highway and the Bruce Highway, so ask whether travel is charged.
The calendar is tropical. Cairns Aero averages 2,019.1 mm a year, with 436.1 mm in February and 26.9 mm in August (BOM), and the cyclone season runs from November to April (QRA). Planned concreting goes best in the dry; storm and emergency work takes priority in the wet.
Rules sit with Cairns Regional Council and the State: CairnsPlan 2016 overlays (flood, coastal, bushfire, acid sulfate) can apply to a lot, and the Property Report tool shows which. Ask the concreter who handles any permit and whether it is in the price.
What Affects Concreting Costs in Cairns
Wet season scheduling
Cairns Aero records 2,019.1 mm of rain in an average year, and the bulk of it lands from January to March: 404.8 mm, 436.1 mm and 424.3 mm (BOM, Cairns Aero). By August the monthly average is down to 26.9 mm. Concreting that needs dry ground or dry surfaces is easiest to schedule from June to October; in the wet, ask the concreter how rain days are handled before you sign.
Heat that barely lets up
December and January average a 31.5 °C maximum and even July nights hold at 17.2 °C (BOM, Cairns Aero). That keeps concreting in demand almost all year, so the practical saving is in timing: book well before the hottest stretch, and ask whether the price changes if the job slips into it.
What Cairns homes look like
Separate houses make up 71.0% of occupied Cairns dwellings, below the 74.8% across Queensland, while flats and apartments are 17.0%, well above the state's 12.5% (ABS 2021 Census). Apartment jobs bring body-corporate rules, lifts and parking into the price; a house brings yards, roof space and longer runs.
How to Save Money on Concreting Cost in Cairns
- Book outdoor concreting for June to October, when Cairns Aero averages under 50 mm a month, rather than January to March.
- Get concreting sorted before December; Cairns maximums average 31.5 °C from then into January.
- In an apartment, check body-corporate rules, parking and lift bookings before the concreter arrives.
- Get three written quotes with the same scope, so the Cairns prices line up item by item.
- Ask what the quote leaves out: call-out, disposal, travel past the northern beaches or south of Edmonton.
- Photograph the job and send it with the request so the quote starts closer to the real scope.
Frequently Asked Questions — Concreting Cost in Cairns
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 →