How to Quote Concreting Jobs

Why accurate quoting is the foundation of a profitable concreting business

Concreting is one of the most cost-sensitive trades. The materials are heavy, the window to place and finish is tight, and a pour that goes over time or over budget on a single day can wipe the margin from the whole job. Your quoting system is the first line of defence for your profit.

The concreters who build strong businesses share a few habits: they measure accurately, price materials from current supplier rates (concrete prices shift quarterly), account for pump hire and site preparation honestly, and present the quote in a format that builds trust with the customer. The ones who struggle tend to ballpark the volume, forget the pump, and absorb site-prep costs they should have charged for.

This guide covers each decision in the quoting process with real 2026 Australian benchmarks so you can quote with confidence and protect your margin on every pour.

Step 1: Calculate your true cost per hour and per square metre

Before setting your rates, work out what an hour of your time actually costs the business. This is your loaded hourly cost, and it includes everything required to have your crew on site and ready to pour.

For a sole operator with one labourer, total annual costs typically land between $105,000 and $170,000. At 1,600 billable hours per year (allowing for rain days, travel, quoting, and holidays), your loaded cost per hour sits between $66 and $106.

Concreters typically translate this into a per-square-metre labour rate based on crew output. A two-person crew on a standard plain-finish driveway can place, screed, and finish approximately 30-50 square metres per day depending on complexity. At a loaded daily cost of $1,200-1,400 for the crew, that is $24-47 per square metre in labour alone, before materials, pump, or margin.

Your charge-out labour rate covers this cost plus your profit margin. A healthy margin for residential concreting is 25-35% on top of costs. Add material costs at current prices, and you arrive at the total per-sqm rate you quote to the customer.

Step 2: Choose the right pricing model

Most concreting work is quoted on a per-square-metre or project basis. Hourly pricing is the exception. Here is when each model works best.

Per-square-metre pricing

Best for: driveways, paths, patios, slabs, pool surrounds, and any flatwork where you can measure the area, specify the finish, and the site conditions are straightforward.

You measure the pour area, select the finish type, calculate the volume, price the materials at current rates, add labour and margin, and divide by the total square metres. The customer gets a per-sqm rate they can compare across quotes, and you get a clear margin per square metre that you can track across jobs.

This is the standard model for residential concreting in Australia. Most homeowners expect a per-sqm quote for driveways and paths, and most builders expect it for slabs.

Project-based pricing

Best for: complex jobs that combine multiple elements such as a driveway with exposed aggregate, plain-finish garage slab, retaining wall, and stepped footpath with handrail posts. Also suits structural pours, suspended slabs, and any work where formwork complexity, engineering requirements, or staging make a simple per-sqm rate misleading.

You price each element separately, account for formwork, reinforcement, finish types, and staging, then present a total project price with the breakdown visible. This model protects your margin when different sections of the same job carry different cost structures.

Hourly-plus-materials

Best for: small repair jobs, crack filling, patch work, grinding, removing and replacing a small section, and any work under 5 square metres where the per-sqm model gives an unreasonably high rate (because fixed costs like mobilisation and pump hire dominate the small area).

Charge $60-150 per hour depending on experience and location, plus materials at cost with a 15-25% markup. This model is also appropriate for demolition and removal of existing concrete, which is labour-intensive and hard to predict precisely.

Step 3: Benchmark against current market rates

These are 2026 installed rates (labour plus materials) for residential concreting in Australian capital cities. Use them to sense-check your own pricing. Rates below include standard site preparation, concrete supply, pump hire, and finishing.

Rates by finish type (national averages)

Regional variation

Sydney prices run 8-15% above Brisbane due to higher labour rates and material transport costs. Perth and Darwin carry premiums driven by remoteness and demand cycles. Regional areas are generally lower on labour but can be higher on concrete delivery due to distance from batching plants.

These are charge-out rates. Your loaded cost sits beneath them, and the gap is your margin and overhead recovery. If your rates are below these ranges, check that your cost calculation in Step 1 is complete. If you are above them, make sure you can articulate the value (better finish quality, included sealing, longer warranty, proven reliability).

Step 4: Price materials accurately

Materials are the largest single cost in most concreting quotes. Getting them right is essential because concrete prices shift quarterly and a 5% underquote on materials across a large pour can eliminate your profit.

Ready-mix concrete by grade

Prices are before GST and assume delivery within a standard metro radius. Add $80-180 for delivery depending on distance from the batching plant. Orders under 4 cubic metres attract a short-load fee of $50-200, scaling with how far below the minimum the order falls.

Reinforcement

Pump hire

Most residential jobs use a line pump. Boom pumps are warranted when the pour location is inaccessible by line or the volume is large enough that the faster placement rate saves crew time. Weekend and after-hours loading applies on most pump hire. Always confirm the minimum hire period (typically 3-4 hours) and whether travel is included.

Other material costs to include

Apply a markup of 10-20% on materials you supply. The markup covers handling, waste, procurement time, and the risk of price movement between quoting and pouring. Concrete itself carries a slim markup (10-15%) because the price is transparent. Reinforcement, formwork, and finishing products justify 15-20%.

Step 5: Know your common job benchmarks

These are 2026 price ranges for common residential concreting jobs in Australian metro areas. Use them as a sense-check against your own quotes.

Larger pours have a lower per-sqm rate because fixed costs (mobilisation, formwork setup, pump hire) spread across more area. A 20 sqm path carries the same pump hire as a 60 sqm driveway, so the per-sqm rate on the path will be notably higher. Quote accordingly, and explain this to customers who compare small-job rates to driveway rates.

Step 5b: Account for site conditions

Site conditions can add 15-30% to the base cost of a concreting job. Quoting them accurately is the difference between a profitable pour and one you wish you had priced differently.

Always inspect the site before quoting. A driveway that looks like 50 sqm of plain concrete on the phone can turn into 50 sqm on a slope with rock subgrade, tree roots, an existing driveway to remove, and a council crossover that needs a permit. Each of those conditions has a cost, and the only time to capture it is in the quote.

Step 6: Understand your licensing obligations

Licensing requirements for concreters vary by state. Working without the required licence can result in fines and make insurance claims difficult. Include the cost of maintaining your licence in your overhead calculation (Step 1).

In states with a dollar threshold, you still need the correct insurance and qualifications to operate professionally. The threshold is the point at which a formal licence application is required, not the point at which you need to be competent. Check your state authority for current requirements, as thresholds are reviewed periodically.

Step 7: Build a detailed line-item breakdown

The final step is assembling your quote as a clear, itemised document. Itemised quotes convert better because the customer can see where their money goes, and they reduce disputes because every element has a line and a price.

Worked example: 55 sqm exposed aggregate driveway, Brisbane

Scope: remove existing 55 sqm plain concrete driveway, excavate to 150mm below finished level, compact subbase, form, pour 100mm N25 exposed aggregate on SL82 mesh, finish, seal, and clean up. Flat site, good truck access, single pour.

That works out to $191.18 per square metre installed including GST. For an exposed aggregate driveway with full removal of the existing surface in Brisbane, this sits within the expected $150-200+ per sqm range when removal is included.

Key points in this quote: the volume calculation includes 5% waste (essential for exposed aggregate where you want consistent coverage and to avoid a short load mid-pour); the pump hire is a separate line so the customer sees it; the sealer is quoted but noted as a return visit after the 28-day cure; and each line item can be independently adjusted if the customer changes scope.

Seven common quoting mistakes concreters make

1. Underestimating volume. A 5% shortfall on a 6 cubic metre pour is 0.3 m3 of concrete you need delivered mid-pour. Short loads attract premium fees, and the cold joint between the first and second delivery weakens the slab. Always add 5-10% wastage.
2. Forgetting pump hire. Pump hire on a standard residential pour is $500-1,000. Absorbing this cost reduces your margin by $9-18 per square metre on a 55 sqm driveway. List it as a separate line item.
3. Quoting from old concrete prices. Ready-mix prices shift quarterly and have increased 4-6% annually in recent years. Always use current supplier quotes, and include an expiry date on your own quote (14-21 days is standard). Concrete supply is rising faster than CPI, and a quote from three months ago can be hundreds of dollars light.
4. Ignoring site preparation. Excavation, compaction, subbase, formwork, tree root removal, and existing concrete demolition are real costs. They can add 15-30% to the pour cost. If you absorb them to "keep the price down," they come directly out of your margin.
5. Quoting over the phone. A driveway that the customer describes as "about 50 square metres, flat, easy access" can turn out to be 65 sqm on a slope with a tree in the way. Measure the site yourself. The 30 minutes you spend on a site visit saves you from a quote that loses money.
6. Omitting return visits. Sealing, control-joint cutting, and any remediation work are return visits. Each one costs you half a day of labour and travel. If the quote says "sealing included" but you did not price the return trip, you are working for free on that visit.
7. Presenting a single lump sum. A quote that says "$10,500 for driveway" gives the customer one number to compare and no visibility into what they are paying for. An itemised quote builds trust, justifies the price, and makes variations easy to negotiate. When a customer asks "can we make it bigger?" you point to the per-sqm line and calculate the addition in seconds.