Exposed aggregate concrete cost in Australia (2026)
Updated , rebuilt monthly. Public ranges extracted 17 Oct 2026.
Published cost guides give $110 to $160 per m² for exposed aggregate in Australia in one guide and $120 to $200 per m² in another (published cost guides, checked 17 Oct 2026), so the guides do not agree. For South Australia the two guides we hold also differ (see the by-city table). We have no ballpark figures from the Reply Test yet, so the by-city table shows published ranges next to our listing medians, which are Google ratings and review counts and not prices. Updated 17 Oct 2026.
What published cost guides say
| Region | Range | What it covers | Source | Rates as of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | $120 to $200 per m² | typical $160 | What's The Damage | October 2026 |
| Australia | $4,800 to $9,000 per job | driveway, size not stated (typical $6,500) | What's The Damage | October 2026 |
| Australia | $110 to $160 per m² | inc GST | Yakka Labour | October 2026 |
| Australia | $2,500 to $3,400 per job | short single, about 20 m2 | Yakka Labour | October 2026 |
| Australia | $5,000 to $7,200 per job | standard single, about 45 m2 | Yakka Labour | October 2026 |
| Australia | $6,600 to $9,600 per job | double, about 60 m2 | Yakka Labour | October 2026 |
| Australia | $11,000 to $16,000 per job | long or turning bay, about 100 m2 | Yakka Labour | October 2026 |
| Australia | $110 to $200 per m² | headline range on the source's cost guide index | Yakka Labour | 2026 |
| Adelaide | $100 to $145 per m² | city table, GST not stated | Yakka Labour | October 2026 |
| Australia (regional, unspecified) | $100 to $155 per m² | city table, GST not stated | Yakka Labour | October 2026 |
| Brisbane | $110 to $155 per m² | city table, GST not stated | Yakka Labour | October 2026 |
| Canberra | $120 to $165 per m² | city table, GST not stated | Yakka Labour | October 2026 |
| Darwin | $130 to $185 per m² | city table, GST not stated | Yakka Labour | October 2026 |
| Hobart | $115 to $160 per m² | city table, GST not stated | Yakka Labour | October 2026 |
| Melbourne | $120 to $165 per m² | city table, GST not stated | Yakka Labour | October 2026 |
| Perth | $105 to $150 per m² | city table, GST not stated | Yakka Labour | October 2026 |
| SA | $130 to $175 per m² | summary row, river pebble and crushed granite combined | The Quote Yard | April 2026 |
| SA | $130 to $165 per m² | river pebble | The Quote Yard | April 2026 |
| SA | $140 to $175 per m² | crushed granite | The Quote Yard | April 2026 |
| SA | $3,200 to $4,600 per job | single car, about 20-25 m2, river pebble or crushed aggregate | The Quote Yard | April 2026 |
| SA | $6,000 to $9,500 per job | double car, about 40-50 m2, river pebble or crushed aggregate | The Quote Yard | April 2026 |
| Sydney | $125 to $175 per m² | city table, GST not stated | Yakka Labour | October 2026 |
Sources disagree
- $110 to $160 per m² · Yakka Labour · Australia · inc GST · rates as of October 2026
- $120 to $200 per m² · What's The Damage · Australia · typical $160 · rates as of October 2026
We do not average or blend these. Treat each as one guide's view, and ask your own quotes to show their scope.
Sources disagree for South Australia
- $130 to $175 per m² · The Quote Yard · SA · summary row, river pebble and crushed granite combined · rates as of April 2026
- $100 to $145 per m² · Yakka Labour · Adelaide · city table, GST not stated · rates as of October 2026
The two ranges barely overlap. We do not average them.
Exposed aggregate by city
| City | Concreters on our list | Median Google rating | Median review count | Ballpark figures given in reply to our standard enquiry (1) | Published cost guides (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney NSW | 53 | 5.0 / 5 | 11 | No figure yet | $125 to $175 per m² (Yakka Labour, Sydney, October 2026) |
| Melbourne VIC | 65 | 4.9 / 5 | 12 | No figure yet | $120 to $165 per m² (Yakka Labour, Melbourne, October 2026) |
| Brisbane QLD | 101 | 4.9 / 5 | 13 | No figure yet | $110 to $155 per m² (Yakka Labour, Brisbane, October 2026) |
| Perth WA | 38 | 4.8 / 5 | 18 | No figure yet | $105 to $150 per m² (Yakka Labour, Perth, October 2026) |
| Adelaide SA | 39 | 4.6 / 5 | 18 | No figure yet | $100 to $145 per m² (Yakka Labour, Adelaide, October 2026) $130 to $175 per m² (The Quote Yard, SA, April 2026, range across home sizes) |
(1) Ballpark figures given in reply to our standard enquiry (the Reply Test) are not collected yet, so no median is shown. A ballpark figure is not a written quote.
(2) Published cost guides: one entry per source, with the date it gives for its rates. A range from one state is shown only against that state's cities.
Listing medians are the Google rating and review count of the concreters on our list in each city. They describe the businesses, not prices.
No ballpark figures have been collected yet, because the Reply Test has not run. We hold 0 written quotes so far. A city gets its own page, built from both, when it reaches 10 prices.
What homeowners report
- Exposed agg 100 mm thick with mesh and sealer is around 150+ a sqm (WA, 2025-04). Source thread
- 85 m2, 100 mm, F72 mesh, exposed, just shy of 14k inc GST (about 165 a m2) (Melbourne SE, 2024-07). Source thread
- 150 a m2 quoted, excavation 4k on top (SA, 2026-10). Source thread
Unverified reports from public forum threads. They are never part of a range.
What changes the price
- Aggregate type. Ask which stone is quoted, since the stone is part of the price.
- Thickness and mesh. A 100 mm slab with F72 steel mesh is a common quote spec, and thicker or heavier mesh adds cost.
- Sealer. Some quotes include sealing and some do not.
- Washing the surface back. Ask who does it and when on the day, since it is part of the labour you pay for.
- Excavation, pump and removal. One SA quote added $4k for excavation on top of the per-square-metre price.
- Edges, drainage and joints. Cut joints and falls take labour that a bare rate hides.
- Council crossover.
The crossover is a separate check
A driveway that crosses the footpath usually needs a vehicle crossing permit from your council, and the fee is separate from the concrete. Councils differ, so check yours in the permit table.
Common cost questions
How much does exposed aggregate cost per square metre in Australia?
The table above shows what concreters on our list gave in each city.
How much more is exposed aggregate than plain concrete in Australia?
We do not have enough prices yet to give a difference for any city.
Is exposed aggregate worth it?
It looks different from plain concrete and costs more. One SA homeowner wrote "That exposed agg is cooked" about a failed job (r/AusRenovation, October 2026), so ask to see a job the concreter laid near you at least a year ago.
Does exposed aggregate crack?
Any slab can. Joints, a proper base, mesh on chairs and curing decide how much. Ask the quote to name them.
Do I need a permit for an exposed aggregate driveway in Australia?
If the driveway crosses the footpath you usually need a vehicle crossing permit from your council. Fees differ by council: see the permit table.
Does an exposed aggregate concreter need a licence in your state?
Ask for the number and look it up on your state register. The guide to hiring a concreter links to each one.
Compare concreters near the job
Concrete driveway cost · Concrete slab cost · Polished concrete cost · Concrete cost per m² cost. Want to know who replies to enquiries? See the Reply Test. Think a figure is wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- What's The Damage: concreting cost 2026 (whatsthedamage.com.au/concreting-cost), rates as of October 2026, extracted 17 Oct 2026.
- Yakka Labour: concrete driveway cost guide (yakkalabour.com.au/cost-guides/concrete-driveway-cost), rates as of October 2026, extracted 17 Oct 2026.
- Yakka Labour: cost guides index (yakkalabour.com.au/cost-guides), rates as of 2026, extracted 17 Oct 2026.
- The Quote Yard: concrete driveways SA (www.thequoteyard.com.au/services/concrete-driveways-sa), rates as of April 2026, extracted 17 Oct 2026.
Every range above is printed on the source page named here, on the date given. We extracted them on 17 Oct 2026. Where two sources print different ranges for the same job, we show both.