Coloured concrete driveways in Ballarat.
Integral oxide colour mixed through the full slab depth at the batch plant - not a surface stain that wears off. Tones range from soft sandstone to deep charcoal, all chosen to age gracefully in Ballarat’s freeze-thaw climate.
Integral colour vs surface dye.
There are three ways concrete gets coloured. We only do one of them.
- Integral (in-mix) colour - what we do. Iron-oxide pigment is added at the batch plant before delivery. Colour goes the whole way through the slab. Survives surface scaling, polishing, and saw-cutting. Boral ColorMix and BCSands oxides.
- Dry-shake colour hardener - pigment broadcast onto the wet surface and trowelled in. Top 3-5mm only. Cheaper but vulnerable to surface scaling, very common in Ballarat from year 8 onward.
- Acid stain or surface seal - chemical surface treatment. Wears off in 5-10 years. Not what you want for a driveway.
Popular Ballarat colours.
Most Ballarat coloured-concrete jobs we do fall into four colour families:
- Charcoal / Cinder: the most popular 2024-2026 choice. Pairs with dark Colorbond (Monument, Basalt) and contemporary builds in Lucas and Alfredton.
- Sandstone / Honey: warm earth tones for brick-veneer and Federation revival homes. Common in Ballarat North and Lake Wendouree precinct.
- Terracotta / Brick Red: heritage-friendly, suits Ballarat’s many red-brick Edwardian homes. Cuthberts Road, Sturt Street West.
- Slate Grey: mid-tone neutral. The safest resale-friendly choice. Common in investment properties.
Finishing options on coloured concrete.
The colour is set in the mix. The finish is layered on top:
- Broom finish - classic textured, slip-resistant. Cheapest. Standard.
- Steel-trowel finish - smooth, polished look. Slippery when wet/frosty - we don’t recommend this for outdoor driveways in Ballarat.
- Stamped on top of coloured - creates a stone or paver pattern in the colour-matched concrete. Adds $25-$40/m².
Pricing.
Standard coloured concrete driveway, broom finish, ~50-80m² in Ballarat: $95-$130/m² fully installed. The colour adds $10-$25/m² over plain concrete depending on tone (light tones cost more - less waste oxide). Same engineering as plain or exposed aggregate: 100mm Class 3 base, SL92 mesh, 32MPa freeze-resistant concrete.
What changes the price.
- Light tones (white quartz, soft sandstone) cost more pigment per m³
- Custom colour matching to specific Colorbond or paver swatch - $200-$400 setup
- Two-tone borders (e.g. charcoal driveway with sandstone edge) - +20% for the second pour
- Reactive-clay sites in Wendouree or north Ballarat - +8-12% for upgraded reinforcement
Where we work.
Free coloured concrete quote.
Colour swatch books available on-site. Fixed-price quote in 48 hours.