Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ Melbourne Concrete Experts. A quotation for Concrete driveways in Melbourne generally will take into account of the following factors:

• The size of your driveway
• The slope of your driveway or the area you want concrete
• How much excavation is required
• The choice of different concrete materials (plain, coloured, stamped, stencilled, exposed aggregate)
• Preparation of drainage (so that you abide by local council rules and don’t get fined)
• Site condition and the amount of preparing required for installation
• Rubbish removal and dirt removal (especially new homes with builder)
• The installation process, which involves more or less manual work for areas that machines can’t get into

A few things to note in terms of pricing:

• If your quotation is extremely low then all prices may not be factored in per square metre. Low per square meter pricing may just factor in labour only so when the whole price is added, it’s usually much higher on a per square metre basis.
• Our goal is to quote you an inclusive price per square metre however the final price is only known once we go on site and determined how much work is required.
• Additionally after seeing your site plan, taking measurement of your site and viewing site conditions – the final quote will be sent to you via email.

Be mindful if your quotation is too cheap compares with others.

To achieve that low price or unrealistic budget, lots of concreters will choose to cut corners, reduce quality of material and workmanship to maintain their profit margin. You may not notice any difference when the driveway is new, but later you may find your driveway cracks earlier than it should be.

There are a few factors you may consider to choose a reliable, trustworthy, reputable and good quality concreter:

• Prior cases done, before and after pictures, clients’ testimonials
• Knowledge of concrete driveway
• Planning and approaches they take to install your driveway
• Years of experience in concreting and driveway installations

Unfortunately it’s not if a new concrete driveway then eventually it will it crack. There are a few things that a qualified concrete will do to minimize the chance your driveway will crack:

• Prepare your site adequately prior to installation of driveway
• Install controlled joints
• Have strong steel base
• Cut to sections or install metal bar to allow concrete expansion and movement
• Have enough thickness of good quality concrete
• Allow at least 1 week drying before normal traffic and 14-30 days for heavy equipment. Try to avoid placing heavy machineries, tracks and skip bins on your concrete driveways

The thickness of a concrete driveway depends on a few factors such as the soil the driveway is being installed, the industry standards in your area, and if there is heavy vehicles on your driveways on regular basis.

For common expansive soils most contractors will install 7.5cm – 15cm of structural base and pour 4 to 6 inches of concrete. Heavy vehicles can cause sever damage to your driveway, so try to eliminate the need for these vehicles on your driveway where possible.

To minimise your chance of your new driveway cracking, try to stay clear of it:

• A minimum a week for normal traffic
• 14-30 days for heavy equipment
• and at least 30 days for heavy equipment or heavy trucks.

Moving vans and skip bins are extremely heavy, they can destroy a concrete driveway. Try to avoid allowing them on your concrete driveway when it’s possible.

Concrete driveways should be sealed to prolong its useful life. It’s recommended they need to be sealed at least every 2-5 years to maintain its fresh and new look, and to maximize its life.

There are generally 3 visits for the driveway process, which take about 1-2 weeks from start to finish:

1. Preparation of driveway
2. Pouring concrete
3. Sealing

With council crossing and footpath, there are extra steps of getting council approval and council officer’s site visit, which may cause some delays.

Therefore it’s recommended that paperwork with council to be done at the start of the process rather than later.

The process of installation of a driveway after acceptation of a quotation is normally as following:

• Site preparation including clearing the site, rubbish removal, site excavations, and drainage preparation
• Installation of controlled joint and metal frame and side boundaries
• Installation of concrete
• Preparation of concrete surfacing
• Waiting to dry

For council driveways, there will be applications for permit and site inspections and approval by council before and during installation of council foot pass and crossing:

• Cutting concrete gaps allowing concrete expansion and minimize cracking
• Apply transparent or color sealer
• What colors or design patterns are available

There are 4 type of driveways to choose from:

Plan, colored, stencil and stamped. There are various color you can choose and patterns for you to choose from – please contact us and we can send you specific samples for you to chose and help you with the choices.

FAQ Melbourne Concrete Experts. The driveway will dry in good weather conditions within a couple of days. It’s suggested to wait for at least a week before normal traffic on your driveway, this will ensure concrete is totally dried and strongly formed, and minimize the chance of cracking.

Try to avoid heavy equipment/vehicle for at least 30 days after installation.

Where possible, try to avoid moving vans and skip bins on your driveway as they are extremely heavy, and likely to destroy your driveway.

Yes, as part of the CDC or council approval process, you will need to do the footpath and crossing concreting. Your driveway contractor will coordinate with local council re application of permit, booking inspections with your local council and assist you with obtaining permit and approval from council.