How to Prepare for Your Concreting Call

Before You Pick Up the Phone, Do These Five Things

Preparing for a concreting call takes about twenty minutes. Do it well and you'll get an accurate quote, avoid the most common misunderstandings, and make a much better decision about who to hire.

Here's what to have ready before you ring.

Know What You Actually Want (Not Just What You Think You Want)

This sounds obvious, but most homeowners call with a vague brief and end up on a second or third call just to get a firm number. The more specific you can be upfront, the faster everything moves.

Start by asking yourself a few questions. Is this a brand-new pour or are you replacing something that's already there? Do you want a plain broom finish, exposed aggregate, or a coloured concrete? Is the area level or does it slope? Will vehicles drive on it, or is it foot traffic only?

These details change the job significantly. A plain broom-finish driveway in Cannon Hill is a different scope to an exposed aggregate alfresco slab on a sloped block in Norman Park. Both are common requests around the Inner East, but they involve different preparation, materials and finishing time.

If you're genuinely unsure about finish options, that's fine too. Just be honest about it. A good contractor will walk you through the options on-site. But knowing whether you want something functional versus decorative saves a lot of back-and-forth.

Measure the Area (Even Roughly)

You don't need to be exact. But having a rough measurement makes a real difference to how useful a phone quote can be.

Grab a tape measure and pace out the length and width of the area you want concreted. Write it down. If the shape is irregular, break it into rectangles and measure each section separately.

Concrete is priced largely by square metre, so even a ballpark figure helps. A typical driveway in Bulimba or Hawthorne might run anywhere from 30 to 60 square metres depending on the block. A backyard entertaining area could be 20 square metres or 80. Without any measurement at all, any quote you receive is little more than a guess.

While you're out there, also note the thickness you might need. Driveways that carry standard passenger vehicles are typically poured at 100mm. If you're planning to park a trailer, a campervan or a concrete truck regularly, 125mm is more appropriate. Shed slabs and garage pads often sit at 100mm too, but a heavy workshop might call for extra reinforcement. You don't need to decide this on the call - just flag it as something to discuss.

Check Site Access and Conditions

Site access is one of the most underestimated factors in a concreting quote. It directly affects how the job is priced and how long it takes.

Walk around your property before you call and think about how a concrete truck and pump truck would get in. Is your driveway wide enough for a large vehicle? Is there a gate that needs to come off? Are there overhanging trees or power lines? In Morningside and Balmoral particularly, older blocks often have narrow side-access corridors and established trees close to the boundary.

Also consider the ground conditions. Has the soil been recently disturbed? Is there an old concrete path that needs to be removed first? Demolition and disposal of existing concrete is typically a separate cost, and it's worth knowing whether that's part of your scope.

If the site is on a slope - which is common across the Inner East, where blocks in Tingalpa, Norman Park and Hawthorne can drop sharply from front to back - mention it. Sloped sites may need formwork at different heights, retaining integration, or additional preparation.

Understand What a Quote Should Include

A written quote for a concreting job should itemise certain things. If it doesn't, ask.

At minimum, expect to see:

• The area to be concreted (in square metres)
• Concrete specification (strength in megapascals, typically 20MPa to 32MPa for residential work)
• Reinforcement (mesh or steel rebar, and at what spacing)
• Finish type (broom, exposed aggregate, spray-on sealer, etc.)
• What's included in site preparation (excavation, compaction, formwork)
• Demolition or removal of existing material, if applicable
• Payment terms and expected timeline

Some contractors include concrete sealing; many don't. Some include saw-cutting control joints; some charge separately. These aren't tricks - they're just variables. But knowing to ask about them puts you in a much stronger position.

As a rule of thumb, residential concreting jobs in Brisbane's Inner East typically fall between $85 and $150 per square metre for a standard broom-finish pour, depending on access, prep work and reinforcement requirements. Decorative finishes like exposed aggregate generally sit higher. Those are rough figures only - your specific site will determine the real number.

Think About Council Requirements and Stormwater

This is the part most homeowners skip, and it occasionally causes delays.

Brisbane City Council has rules around impervious surfaces - basically, hard surfaces that stop rainwater soaking into the ground. If you're adding a significant concrete area, particularly a driveway crossing the kerb or a large alfresco, you may need to consider stormwater drainage.

For a standard driveway crossover in Bulimba or Morningside, there are BCC requirements around how the kerb is cut and reinstated. That work is usually coordinated separately, and not all concreting contractors handle the council permit side. Ask your contractor directly whether the crossover work is included and who manages any council notification.

For backyard slabs, stormwater typically needs to be directed away from the house and toward an appropriate discharge point. A good contractor will plan drainage into the slab grade from the start. It's much harder (and more expensive) to fix after the fact.

You don't need to have all the answers here before you call. But being aware of the question means you can ask it - and judge whether the person you're talking to actually knows what they're doing.

A Closing Thought

The best conversations we have with homeowners are the ones where both sides come prepared. You know roughly what you want and where it's going; we can give you a number that actually means something.

You don't need a construction background to have a useful first call. You just need a tape measure, a few minutes in the backyard, and a clear idea of what's bothering you about your current setup (or what you're trying to build).

If you're in Bulimba, Hawthorne, Norman Park, Morningside, Cannon Hill, Balmoral, Murarrie or Tingalpa, and you've got a concreting job taking shape - even just an idea at this point - we're happy to talk it through. A conversation that takes ten minutes at the right stage can save a lot of time and money later.