Cairns Concrete Driveways

Area and finish give us a starting figure, but site conditions often shift the price more than people expect. On hillside blocks, slope is a major factor, since steep drives can need extra digging, edge beams or retaining, plus a textured surface for traction. Soil plays a part too: reactive clay or soft alluvium might need a thicker base, rock makes excavation slower, and heavy wet-season runoff may call for more drainage. Access determines whether a truck can reverse up the drive or whether we need a pump or wheelbarrows, which is typical on older lots with tight side access. Taking out an existing driveway also adds to the total. We price every job after seeing it and break the quote down so you know what each part costs.

Most of our work is driveways, but we handle concrete for homes, businesses and light industry: patios, footpaths and garden paths, slabs for homes and sheds, footings, retaining walls, kerbs, pavers, hardstand and car parks, as well as decorative work, repairs and resurfacing. We also take care of the stages either side of pouring, from digging out and preparing the site to demolishing and removing old concrete that needs replacing. Not sure if a worn surface needs replacing or simply resurfacing? We will give you an honest assessment of what your slab needs.

Our service area takes in the inner suburbs such as Cairns North, Parramatta Park, Manunda, Manoora and Earlville, the western side including Edge Hill, Whitfield, Brinsmead, Redlynch and Freshwater, the northern beaches from Trinity Beach and Kewarra Beach to Clifton Beach and Palm Cove, and the south through Woree, Mount Sheridan, Bentley Park, Edmonton and Gordonvale. For jobs further out, availability depends on how big the job is and our current bookings. Let us know the address plus a line or two about what you need, so we can confirm timing and book a site visit.

We do. We regularly pour car parks, forecourts, warehouse and workshop floors, loading bays, turning areas, yards and machinery pads. Commercial concrete is specified differently from a home driveway: heavier loads call for thicker slabs and more steel, and the finish needs to stay safe for people and vehicles in the rain. Most of these projects follow an engineer’s design and AS 3600 where relevant. Timing matters too, because few businesses can close for long, so we can split the work into stages and keep part of the site running while other sections are poured and cured.

For most driveways, broom finishing is the sensible choice: it is economical, tough and keeps its grip in the rain. Exposed aggregate costs a bit more but offers even better traction and disguises wear, so many people choose it for steep drives and pool areas. Coloured and stamped concrete give you the greatest say over the look, which suits homes where the drive plays a big role in street appeal. If your block slopes, we would advise against a smooth steel-trowelled finish, because it becomes slippery in heavy rain and worse still once mould or algae start growing. We are happy to show you examples and suggest a finish that suits your slope and conditions.

Concrete hardens within a few hours but continues to gain strength for weeks. Walking on it carefully is generally okay after 24 to 48 hours, while vehicles need to wait around seven days. It reaches its full design strength at about 28 days. Hot weather accelerates the initial set, leaving less time for finishing and increasing the chance of surface cracks, so during the warmer months we start pours early and keep the concrete damp. Good curing is as important as a good mix, because concrete that loses moisture too fast, or takes a battering from a storm before it sets, ends up weaker, so we manage curing carefully and hand over aftercare notes written for your particular slab and pour day.

Yes, and removal is often a larger part of the work than people expect. We break up the old slab, whether it is a driveway, patio or path, truck the rubble away, remove any failed base material, then build a new compacted foundation for the pour. The cost depends on how thick the old concrete is, whether it has steel in it, how easily machines can reach it, and how much material goes to the tip or recycling. Older homes with limited access may need smaller equipment and extra hand work, which is why demolition and disposal appear as their own lines on our quote.