Plain concrete driveways in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie

Plain concrete is what most of the region’s driveways are made of, and there is nothing apologetic about it. Grey concrete, a broom dragged across the surface for grip, tooled edges, saw cut joints. It costs the least of the three finishes, it is the surface City of Newcastle’s standard drawing calls for on the crossing, and on a steep block it is the finish that keeps a car and a person upright in the rain.

What a plain driveway costs

$95 to $130 per square metre, supplied and laid. A 36 m² single driveway comes out between $3,420 and $4,680. A 60 m² double sits between $5,700 and $7,800. If the old driveway has to be broken out first, add about $35 per square metre, which is covered on the removal and replacement page. Four things push a plain job towards the top of the range: a small area, because the crew and the truck cost the same for 20 m² as for 40; a pump where the truck cannot get close; clay ground that needs more base than sand; and the council crossing, which is thicker than the rest of the slab. The cost guide works more examples and the calculator prices your own dimensions.

What “plain” includes

It does not mean thin. The specification this site holds quotes to is a compacted base, 100 mm of 25 MPa concrete inside the boundary, SL72 mesh on chairs so it sits in the slab rather than under it, joints at no more than 3 metres, and a fall away from the garage. The council crossing is poured to that council’s own standard, 100 mm for Newcastle and 125 mm for Lake Macquarie. Ask any quote to state those five things. A cheap plain driveway is usually a thin one.

Where plain concrete is the right call

• The side driveway to a rear garage or a shed, where nobody looks at the surface and cost per square metre decides.
• Long runs on battleaxe lots, for the same reason.
• Steep driveways. The broom texture across the direction of travel is the best grip of the three finishes.
• Rental properties and pre-sale tidy ups, where a clean grey slab reads as new without a decorative bill.
• The crossing. Both councils prefer it, and Lake Macquarie will only ever reinstate a crossing in plain concrete.

The broom finish

After the surface is floated, a soft broom is pulled across it to leave fine parallel ridges. The ridges run across the slope, not down it. A lighter broom gives a smoother surface for a patio; a driveway gets a firmer texture. Edges are rounded with an edging tool so they do not chip, and the joints are cut once the concrete has set enough to hold a clean line.

Plain now, something else later?

Only in one direction. Colour has to go into the mix, so a grey slab cannot be turned into a coloured driveway afterwards without a topping. Stone cannot be exposed once the surface has cured, so exposed aggregate is a decision made before the truck arrives. What a plain slab can take later is a clear sealer to resist oil and tyre marks, though not on a Newcastle crossing, where sealer is not permitted.

Approval before the pour

The part of the driveway between your boundary and the kerb needs council approval whether it is new, wider or a replacement. The two councils use different applications and different standards; the Section 138 guide sets both out. Lodge before the concreter is booked, not after.

Have the driveway measured and quoted in writing: request a quote.