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Plain concrete on the Sunshine Coast

Broom and trowel finished grey concrete for the jobs where the surface has work to do: side runs, service areas, sheds and the slabs nobody photographs but everybody uses.

$80 to $110 per m², supplied and laid. Prices may vary with site conditions and variations; the written quote after a site measure is fixed.

Plain concrete is where the difference between concreters shows, because there is no decorative stone to carry the eye. What is left is the flatness of the surface, the straightness of the edges, the cleanness of the joints and whether the slab is still doing its job in twenty years.

The same standard, a simpler surface

Every plain slab is formed and poured to the same base, steel and jointing standard as an exposed aggregate driveway: compacted base to suit the ground, membrane where required, mesh on chairs, control joints cut in the right places, falls set to drainage. The finish is a broom drag for grip outdoors or a steel trowel for covered areas. The full build up is on the specification page.

Where plain concrete is the right call

  • Side runs and service strips beside the house, where covenants rarely reach and budgets matter.
  • Under sheds and house extensions, where the slab is structure, not decoration.
  • Bin pads, clothesline pads, paths behind the fence line; see paths and footpaths.
  • As the base for future surfaces: a properly poured grey slab can take tiles or pavers later.

What it costs

Plain concrete is the most economical surface in the range, and the rates guide shows where broom and trowel work sits against coloured and exposed finishes. Prices may vary with site conditions and variations; the written quote after a site measure is fixed.

Plain grey concrete with a broom finish for grip
Plain grey, broom finished for grip

Where we pour plain concrete

Baringa, Beerwah, Bells Creek, Buderim, Caloundra, Coolum, Golden Beach, Kawana, Landsborough, Maleny, Maroochydore, Mooloolaba, Mountain Creek, Nambour, Nirimba, Noosa, Palmview, Palmwoods, Peregian Beach, Sippy Downs and across the region: where we work.

How a job runs

Five stages, each signed off before the next

  1. 01

    Site measure

    The block, the levels, the access and the ground, measured on site. Finishes compared against your house in daylight, not from a brochure.

  2. 02

    Written quote

    One fixed written quote for the scope measured. Any crossover or covenant approvals your job needs are identified here, before anything is booked.

  3. 03

    Form and set out

    Boards to string lines, levels checked twice, base compacted to suit the ground, steel on chairs. The day that decides how the job turns out.

  4. 04

    Pour and finish

    Poured, screeded and finished in one continuous operation, timed for the weather. The finish you chose, applied when the surface is ready for it.

  5. 05

    Cure and handover

    Concrete is kept curing, joints are cut on time and sealing follows once the surface has settled. Care and reseal intervals are covered at handover.

Questions

Plain concrete questions

Is plain concrete allowed for driveways in the new estates?

Often not for the street facing driveway. Estates like Aura and Harmony carry design covenants that generally rule out undecorated grey driveway finishes. Behind the building line, for side runs, sheds and service areas, plain concrete is usually fine. Check your release's design guidelines; what applies to your block is confirmed before anything is booked.

Broom finish or trowel finish?

Broom finish drags fine lines across the surface for grip and is the outdoor default. Steel trowelling closes the surface flat and smooth, which suits covered areas and floors that will be walked in socks rather than boots. Outside and uncovered, grip wins.

Is cheap plain concrete a false economy?

Cheap concrete usually means thin concrete on a poor base with light or no steel, and the coast's sandy and reactive soils find it quickly. Plain concrete here is poured on the same base, steel and jointing standard as the decorative work; only the finish is simpler.

Next step

One fixed written quote, after a proper site measure.

Call (07) 4158 1000 Get a quote