Exposed Aggregate Concrete in Adelaide
Exposed aggregate driveways, alfresco areas, paths and pool surrounds, poured by an Adelaide owner-operator with 30 years on the tools. Most driveways and alfresco slabs land between $130 and $180 per square metre supplied and installed, with the final figure fixed after a free measure.
What you're paying for is the bit under the surface. Adelaide sits on reactive clay that moves with the seasons, so we compact and prepare the base properly, place the mesh where it belongs, cut the expansion joints at the right time and use a UV-stable non-slip sealer that handles a South Australian summer. You choose the stone blend from samples on site, we colour-match to anything existing, and the same crew that quotes the job pours it and leaves the site clean.
Call Val on 0411 555 359 or send the form below for a free measure and fixed written quote. We answer the phone, we turn up when we say we will, and the job comes with a written warranty.
Trendscape Total Building Solutions Pty Ltd · ABN 32 659 208 236 · Athelstone SA 5076 · Fully insured · Fixed quotes, no deposit-then-silence.
Want to see how a quote is built up? Our cost guide shows 15 itemised example quotes for driveways, paths, alfresco areas and pool surrounds.
Free Measure & Fixed Quote
Send a few details and Val will call you back to book a free measure (metropolitan Adelaide). You'll get a fixed per-metre quote in writing before anything is booked. Prefer to talk? Call 0411 555 359 or email trendscape2@bigpond.com.
Driveways & Crossovers — from $130/m²
Single and double driveways, council crossovers, paths and porches. 32 MPa concrete, SL72 mesh on chairs, compacted base, saw cuts the day after the pour so it cracks where we tell it to. Charcoal, grey, cream and custom blends. Supplied & installed, inc. GST.
Alfresco & Pool Surrounds — from $140/m²
Alfresco slabs, pool surrounds, coping and entertaining areas with the falls, drainage and trench grates designed in, not added later. Non-slip satin finish that stays cool underfoot and safe when wet. We build the pool surround, the retaining wall and the landscaping with the one crew. Supplied & installed, inc. GST.
Sealing, Repairs & Colour Matching
Adelaide sun kills cheap sealer in a year or two. We use a UV-stable, non-slip sealer and tell you when it's due again. Extending an existing driveway? We match the stone blend and colour to what's there. Stones lifting or a bad finish from another concreter? Ask us to look before you rip it up.
Exposed Aggregate in Adelaide: What to Know Before You Get Quotes
Exposed aggregate is a concrete mix with a chosen stone blend that is washed back after the pour so the stone sits proud of the surface. Done well it is the most hard-wearing finish you can put on a driveway, and it hides the tyre marks, oil spots and leaf stains that show on plain grey concrete. Done badly it patches, pops stones and cracks within a couple of winters. The difference is almost never the concrete. It is the base, the joints and the sealing.
What does exposed aggregate cost in Adelaide?
Most Adelaide driveways and alfresco slabs land between $130 and $180 per square metre supplied and installed, depending on the stone blend, the amount of excavation and how much old concrete has to come out. Coloured oxides, feature borders and steep or narrow access push it up. Every quote we give is a fixed price for the whole job, including removal, base, mesh, pour, wash, cut and seal, so there is nothing to add at the end.
Why does concrete crack in Adelaide?
Most of metropolitan Adelaide sits on reactive clay. It swells when wet in winter and shrinks in summer, which moves anything sitting on it. A driveway poured straight onto scraped clay will crack no matter how thick the slab is. We excavate to solid ground, lay and compact a rubble base, use SL72 or SL82 mesh on chairs so it sits in the middle of the slab, and pour to 100 mm for driveways. Control joints are cut within 24 hours of the pour at spacings that suit the slab, so when the concrete does shrink it cracks where we told it to.
How thick should a driveway be?
100 mm for cars, 125 to 150 mm with heavier mesh if a caravan, boat trailer or truck will sit on it. Paths and patios are 75 to 100 mm. If a quote does not state the thickness and mesh, ask.
Does exposed aggregate need sealing?
Yes. Sealer locks the stone in, stops oil and tannin soaking in and keeps the colour. We seal every job as part of the price. Expect to reseal every two to three years in full sun, longer under cover. It is a one-day job with a roller and the right product.
Is it slippery when wet?
No. The exposed stone gives it a slip rating well above smooth or burnished concrete, which is why it is the standard around Adelaide pools. Around a pool we use a smaller stone blend so it is comfortable underfoot.
How long before I can drive on it?
Foot traffic after 24 hours, cars after seven days, heavy vehicles after 28 days. We tell you the dates on the day of the pour.
Which stone blends work in Adelaide?
The popular choices here are the local quartz and river pebble blends in charcoal, sandstone, oyster and mixed tones. We bring samples to the site visit so you can see them next to your brickwork and roof, because the same blend looks different on every house.
Where we work
Athelstone, Campbelltown, Tea Tree Gully, Golden Grove, Norwood, Burnside, Magill, Mount Barker, the Adelaide Hills and across metropolitan Adelaide. Owner on every pour, 30 years of Adelaide concrete, fully insured. Call 0411 555 359 for a free site visit and fixed quote.