Plain concrete driveways in Ballarat.
Broom-finish or steel-trowel-finish concrete. The most cost-effective driveway option in Ballarat, with the same structural engineering as a $150/m² exposed aggregate — only the surface treatment is different.
Plain doesn’t mean cheap engineering.
The cheapest driveway you’ll see in Ballarat is a builder pouring unreinforced 80mm concrete straight onto whatever was on the block, finishing off with a quick broom drag and walking away. That driveway will craze in 3 years and crack through in 5.
Our plain concrete driveways are visually the simplest finish but use the identical engineering we apply to $150/m² exposed aggregate jobs:
- 100mm Class 3 crushed-rock base compacted in 50mm lifts
- 0.2mm builder’s plastic vapour barrier under the slab
- SL92 mesh on bar chairs — not just sitting on the dirt
- 32MPa concrete with air-entrainment additive for freeze-thaw resistance
- Saw-cut control joints every 3m within 18 hours of pour
- 7-day wet hessian cure followed by sealer at day 8
The only thing that changes between plain and exposed-aggregate is the surface treatment in the last hour of pour. The slab underneath is built the same.
Broom finish vs trowel finish.
Broom finish (we recommend this 95% of the time). Plastic-bristle broom dragged across the wet surface to leave a fine texture. Slip-resistant when wet or frosted. The standard for Ballarat outdoor driveways.
Steel trowel finish. Smooth, polished, looks great in photos. Dangerously slippery when wet or covered in overnight frost — both common in Ballarat from May through September. We’ll do this for shed slabs or undercover areas but not for outdoor driveways.
When plain is the right call.
- Investment property — tenants don’t care about the colour, and it won’t move the rent.
- Resale-time refresh — replacing a failed driveway just before sale; plain is enough.
- Estate covenant doesn’t require decorative — older Ballarat suburbs (Sebastopol, Mount Pleasant) have no covenant.
- Side path or rear shed slab — not visible from the street.
- Tight budget — saves $20–$40/m² vs decorative options.
Pricing.
Standard plain concrete driveway, broom finish, ~50–80m² in Ballarat: $80–$110/m² fully installed. Reactive-clay sites (Wendouree, Mount Clear, Mount Helen) add 8–12% for upgraded reinforcement. Crossover concrete and council permit additional.
Plain doesn’t have to mean grey.
A small upgrade: integral colour at the batch plant, broom finish on top. Adds $10–$25/m² over plain grey but gives you a soft sandstone, charcoal or terracotta tone that hides oil staining and ages well. See coloured concrete for the full options.
Where we work.
Free plain concrete quote.
Same engineering, lower price. Fixed-price quote in 48 hours.