Concrete driveways in Traralgon

A plain concrete driveway of about 40 square metres costs roughly $2,600 to $6,000 according to a national cost guide verified in October 2026, and most of the price difference between quotes comes from base preparation, slab thickness and the finish. Around Traralgon, two kinds of job dominate: first driveways on new blocks in the growth areas north and east of town, and replacement of tired driveways on older homes across Traralgon, Morwell and Moe. Traralgon Concreting is an enquiry service; the concreter who quotes is an independent local business that sets its own price and terms.

When is a driveway worth replacing instead of patching?

A driveway that is still level with a few hairline cracks can usually be cleaned and sealed. Replacement starts to make sense when you see:

• panels that have dropped near the garage door so rain runs back toward the house
• one slab lifted above the next by tree roots, creating a trip edge
• wide cracks running diagonally across panels rather than along the joints
• broken edges where a trailer or ute regularly turns
• surface dusting and loose stones on a driveway that was poorly cured when it was poured

Cracks that follow straight lines at regular spacing are usually the control joints doing their job. Random cracking, sinking and ponding point to a base or design problem, and pouring fresh concrete over the same base tends to repeat it.

Driveway finishes compared

Finish	How it looks	Grip and upkeep	Published range
Plain broomed	Grey, lightly textured	Good grip; stains show on light grey	$75 to $150 per sqm
Coloured	Through-coloured or surface coloured	Needs a compatible sealer to hold colour	$95 to $200 per sqm
Exposed aggregate	Stones showing in the surface	Hides tyre marks; reseal every few years	$120 to $200 per sqm
Stamped or stencilled	Patterned to look like pavers or stone	Sealer can be slippery on a slope	$120 to $200 per sqm

The exposed aggregate guide goes into stone choice and sealing in more detail.

What should a driveway be built to?

The Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia datasheet on residential concrete driveways and paths is the plainest industry reference for homeowners. It says pavements for vehicles under 3 tonnes gross mass should be at least 100 mm thick, and 150 mm where vehicles between 3 and 10 tonnes use them. Most residential pavements use normal class concrete of at least 20 MPa, with a stronger mix recommended for heavier loads. Control joints are placed at no more than 3 metre centres, with panels kept close to square.

Ask each provider to put these items in writing:

1. Slab thickness, and whether the edges are thickened
2. Concrete strength and the supplier docket you will receive
3. Mesh size and how it will be held in the top half of the slab on bar chairs
4. Joint layout, including isolation joints against the house and garage
5. Fall, so water drains away from the building and toward the street or a pit

How a driveway job runs, step by step

1. Site check. The provider measures, checks levels from the garage floor to the kerb and looks for pits, meters, trees and soft ground.
2. Permit. Any work in the road reserve needs a Latrobe City works permit before it starts (see below).
3. Removal and excavation. Old concrete, topsoil and soft material come out. On highly expansive clay, the CCAA datasheet recommends a sub-base layer, in most cases 100 mm thick, under the pavement.
4. Formwork and steel. Forms are set to the agreed levels, mesh goes on chairs and isolation joints go against fixed structures.
5. Pour and finish. Concrete is placed, screeded and given the agreed finish.
6. Joints and curing. Saw cuts go in early, and the slab is kept moist or covered with a curing compound for at least 3 days.
7. Handover. The provider tells you when the driveway can carry a car, which is later than when it can carry foot traffic.

Latrobe City rules for the crossing

The driveway inside your boundary does not need a building permit, according to the Building and Plumbing Commission’s landscaping guidance. The section between your boundary and the road is different. Latrobe City’s works permit page lists construction and widening of driveways and vehicle crossings among road reserve works that may need a works permit. The council’s crossing policy says every vehicle crossing needs one and makes the property owner responsible for building and maintaining the crossing to the council standard drawing. The crossovers and concrete removal page explains the permit in more detail.

What a careful concreter will not skip

• Removing topsoil and soft spots instead of pouring over them
• Keeping the finished driveway below the house slab and clear of weep holes and the termite inspection zone
• Leaving drainage pits, meter boxes and stormwater connections accessible
• Isolating the slab from the house so movement does not crack either one
• Keeping the ready-mix truck off the mesh and not adding extra water to the mix on site

A provider who suggests pouring a thin topping over a cracked, sunken driveway, or who will not say how thick the slab is, is pricing a job that may fail early.

Local conditions in the Latrobe Valley

Traralgon Creek runs through the middle of Traralgon, and parts of the town were evacuated during flooding in June 2021, so fall and drainage deserve attention on low blocks. Morwell and Moe both grew around large Housing Commission building programs after the war, and widening an original driveway on one of those blocks brings the crossing permit into play. The Morwell and Moe area pages cover those suburbs, and the Traralgon concreting cost guide breaks down what pushes a driveway price up or down.

What to do next

Measure the driveway roughly, take photos from the street and from the garage, and note any trees, pits or slopes. Then send your driveway details through the quote form so an independent concreter can arrange a site visit and price it in writing.

Send a job enquiry