Concrete is the top choice of many Australians for their driveways, and it’s easy to understand why. Aside from their aesthetic appeal and relatively low cost, there are many advantages of concrete over gravel, asphalt, stone, or block paving. If you’re still undecided on what driveway to add to your property, read on to know the benefits of concrete driveways and their associated costs in Melbourne, Victoria.

If you want to learn more about concrete driveways, check out our resources:

1. How Much Does a Concrete Driveway Cost

2. Asphalt vs Concrete Driveways: Why Concrete Is Often the Better Choice

3. How Long Does It Take for Driveway Sealant to Dry?

4. Concrete Driveway Installation

5. What Are The Most Common Types of Concrete Driveways?

6. Modern Concrete Driveway Ideas

Benefits And Costs In Melbourne, Victoria

Benefits And Costs In Melbourne, Victoria

What are the benefits of concrete driveways?

Where do we begin? There are tons of benefits to concrete driveways which is why it’s such a popular choice for Australians. Concrete pathways are:

#1 – Extremely durable

Because of their high load-bearing capacity, concrete driveways are extremely durable and can handle heavier traffic loads compared to blocks, gravel, or asphalt. The structural strength and integrity of concrete are unmatched, and they can last anywhere from 25 to 50 years if they are well-built and maintained.

#2 – Aesthetically pleasing

Aside from their strength, the sleek industrial look of concrete is also aesthetically pleasing. Concrete driveways are visually versatile and come in a wide array of designs and colours. Aside from plain concrete, you have the option to go with coloured, exposed aggregate, or pave cut concrete.  This pathway can greatly increase the curb appeal of your property and even increase your home’s resale value.

Benefits And Costs In Melbourne, Victoria

Benefits And Costs In Melbourne, Victoria

#3 – Low maintenance

Compared to asphalt, gravel, and block paving, concrete driveways are the easiest to clean and maintain. Dusting and sweeping it is fast and easy, and a quick power washing can do wonders to remove any oil or stain from your pathway.
Aside from regular cleaning, there’s hardly any other maintenance involved with keeping the driveway. If you want to extend the lifespan of your pathway, you can get it resealed every few years for a small cost.

#4 – Affordable and cost-efficient

Some people might think that concrete driveways are expensive, but that’s actually not the case. When you consider the overall lifecycle expense of concrete versus aggregate, these driveways still come out cheaper because of the low to no maintenance cost. Concrete is a cost-efficient option that will save you money in the long run. You can get a standard 18 square-meter pathway installed for as low as $1,100 in Melbourne.

#5 – Good for temperature control

Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of concrete driveways is that they perform well even in extreme weathers. Especially in Melbourne where summers can get extremely hot, the heat reflectance of concrete is a marked advantage over the heat absorption of asphalt.
Under the summer heat, the binders in the asphalt have a tendency to melt, causing an asphalt driveway to become sticky, malleable, and dented. This is why asphalt pavements only have half the service life of a concrete pathway in Australia.

#6 – Safe

Finally, concrete is a much safer option compared to gravel driveways that can cause tripping hazards. Concrete makes a stable and safe driving or walking surface and has ample traction to avoid slipping.

How much does a concrete driveway cost in Melbourne?

On average, it costs $60 to $85 per square meter to install a plain driveway in Melbourne, Victoria. For a small, single-car driveway that’s 3m wide and 6m long, you can expect to pay around $1,080 to $1,530 to commission a pathway. This is just a basic cost that covers the materials and basic labour. Some single-car driveways can cost as high as $3,500.

What factors affect the cost of a concrete driveway construction?

Several factors can affect the cost of laying down your concrete driveway such as:

#1 – Size

The main factor that affects the cost of a concrete pathway is the size. The larger the size of your driveway, the higher the cost of construction. Below are some typical driveway sizes and how much they cost.

Size No. of cars Cost
18 square meters 1 $1,080 – $1,530
36 square meters 2 $2,160 – $3,060
54 square meters 3 $3,240 – $4,590

#2 – Slope

It’s easier to lay down concrete on a flat surface. If you have a sloped driveway, you can expect to pay $10 to $30 more per square meter than the standard price of the driveway construction. For a single-car driveway, the average cost of installing a concrete slab on a slope ranges from $1,260 to $2,070.
Benefits And Costs In Melbourne, Victoria

Benefits And Costs In Melbourne, Victoria

#3 – The base condition

The above quotes assume that we are building a concrete pavement on a good quality soil base. If your front yard has grass and has poor dirt material that needs to be cleared, excavated, and compacted, expect the costs to go up to account for added labour and equipment costs. A standard one-car driveway in this case can cost around $1,500 to $2,500.

If there is an existing concrete slab where you want your driveway installed, the cost can go both ways. If the slab is in poor condition and needs to be removed, we’ll have to bill you for the slab removal which costs about $35 to $50 per square meter on top of the installation of the new driveway.

On the other hand, if the concrete is in good condition and it only needs to be resurfaced, prices can significantly go down to $400 to $1,000 for a single-car driveway. Contact us at 1300 366 343 to know whether we can build your new driveway over the existing slab.

#4 – Decor

A plain concrete driveway is the cheapest among your driveway options. However, you might be interested to explore coloured or other more decorative options. Below are the average costs based on the type of concreting.

Type Cost
Plain concrete $60 – $85
Coloured concrete $75 – $95
Exposed aggregate concrete $100 – $150
Paved cut concrete $100 – $150
Stenciled concrete $100 – $200

Can I DIY a concrete driveway?

The answer is yes, but we strongly advise against it. While you can mix your own concrete and lay it down in your driveway, you risk achieving a weaker concrete mix that won’t cure to the correct strength. The result is a concrete driveway that cracks faster and lasts significantly shorter compared to the lifespan of professionally poured concrete.

Levelling and smoothing the concrete also takes experience so you risk getting an uneven driveway if you’re not skilled enough. We’ve seen several DIY driveways gone wrong and it just ends up doubling the cost due to us having to remove the initial concrete pour.

How much does the maintenance cost?

Cleaning a concrete driveway is practically free. You just use a broom or a water hose, and this should be enough to maintain it for the most part. If you do get oil or tire stains, you can use regular soap and water together with a stiff brush. For particularly tough stains, you can buy a specialised driveway cleaning solution from a general merchandise store.

To further extend the lifespan of your concrete, you can have it resealed every few years to create a barrier against pollutants. It costs around $10 to $16 per square meter to get your pathway resealed. That’s around $180 to $288 for the standard driveway size. Resealing is recommended to be repeated every 5 years.

Concept Concrete is Melbourne’s most trusted concreter. For a high-quality concrete driveway with competitive prices, give us a call at 1300 366 343 or get a fast, free, obligation-free quote through our website. Concept Concrete services all of metropolitan Melbourne and offers up to a 78-month warranty for our pathways.

For all your concrete needs in Melbourne, call us at 1300 366 343 or contact us through our website.