Concrete Work in Townsville

Broom (non-slip, standard outdoors), steel trowel (smooth, indoor), exposed aggregate, stamped/patterned, coloured and polished. Decorative finishes can add 30-100% to the base rate but replace the cost of a separate surface like pavers or tiles.

Look for crews who do concrete daily, not general handymen — finishing is a perishable skill and a two-hour window decides how the slab looks forever. In Townsville, ask for addresses of slabs poured a few years ago and look at the joints and edges, which is where poor work shows first.

Strongly. Frost can ruin an uncured pour, extreme heat causes plastic shrinkage cracking, and rain marks fresh surfaces. Good contractors watch forecasts and will delay a pour; be suspicious of anyone happy to pour into bad weather to keep the schedule.

Concrete is priced by area and thickness for slabs (per m² or sq ft), by volume for supply (per cubic metre/yard), and by the job for repairs. The concrete itself is often less than half the bill — formwork, reinforcement, sub-base preparation, finishing and access drive the labour cost.

Common rules of thumb: 75-100mm (3-4") for paths and patios, 100-125mm (4-5") for driveways and garage floors, more for heavy vehicles — always over a compacted sub-base with mesh or fibre reinforcement. Thin slabs on soft ground crack no matter how good the finish looks.

Plain concrete typically runs $65-95 per m² laid, coloured $75-110, and exposed aggregate $100-160. Site access, pumping and excavation add to the base rates.