Why this matters more in Perth than most places
Concrete contractor quality varies massively in Perth. The combination of high demand (every property eventually needs concrete work), the relatively low barrier to entry (a ute, a mixer and a Bunnings account), and the Perth climate's harsh treatment of bad concrete creates a market where cheap operators can survive long enough to do real damage to client homes before disappearing.
Real story from this year: client called us in March after a contractor poured their driveway at $42/m². The job failed within 18 months — surface stones came loose, multiple cracks, the contractor wouldn't return calls. We re-poured the job for $9,800 — but they'd already spent $3,200 on the original. Total: $13,000 for a driveway that should have cost $9,500 the first time.
“The cheap quote always looks attractive on day one. It looks like a tragedy on day 600 when you're paying twice. Spend an hour vetting your concreter and you'll save the most expensive mistake on the property.
10 questions to ask before signing a quote
The vetting checklist. A contractor who gets bristly at these questions is showing you their answer.
- Can I see your current insurance certificate? — public liability ($10M minimum) + workers comp. Should be produced immediately, not "I'll send it later".
- What slab thickness and reo spec will you use? — 100mm minimum residential, 125–150mm for heavy vehicle. Steel mesh gauge specified. If they shrug, walk.
- Can I see jobs from 5+ years ago? — anyone can show photos from last month. The test is how their work ages.
- How do you handle joint placement? — they should describe saw-cut depth, spacing and timing. If "we put joints where they fit", walk.
- What's your sealer schedule? — at minimum, one penetrating coat at 28 days. Decorative finishes: two-coat schedule. Vague answer = vague execution.
- What's your payment schedule? — 10–20% deposit, balance on completion is standard. Over 30% deposit = walk.
- What warranty do you offer? — 5-year minimum on slab, 1-year minimum on finish work. Get it in writing.
- What's your ABN? — verify on ABN Lookup. Trade registrations should be 5+ years for an established contractor.
- Who'll be the on-site lead? — meet them. The person quoting often isn't the person pouring. Make sure they're the same or the lead has been on-site > 10 years.
- What's your finish handover process? — site clean-up, sealer guidance, written aftercare instructions. The end of the job matters as much as the start.
Red flags — walk away if you see these
DON'TDon't ignore these
- ✗Pressure to sign immediately'We can start tomorrow if you commit today' = they need cash flow more than they want your job. Real concreters book 4–6 weeks out.
- ✗No written spec sheetVerbal-only quotes. Vague inclusions. 'Standard concrete' with no specs. This is how surprise bills happen.
- ✗Deposit demand over 30%Industry standard is 10–20% on signing. More than 30% means you're financing their other jobs, and there's nothing stopping them from walking off with your deposit.
- ✗Insurance certificate not producedReputable trades produce this on first ask. 'I'll send it later' usually means they don't have current cover.
- ✗Recent ABN start dateLess than 2 years trading. Could be a new operator (fine) but also could be someone who burned a previous business under a different name.
- ✗No site visit before quotePhone-or-photo-only quotes miss prep issues. Every legitimate Perth concreter visits the site before locking in a number.
- ✗Quote dramatically below industry rangePlain concrete under $45/m² or exposed aggregate under $85/m² means cut corners somewhere — usually slab thickness, reo, or sub-base prep.
- ✗No subcontractor visibilityIf they're subbing the actual pour to someone else, you need to know who, and that person needs the same insurance + warranty cover.
Pricing — what reasonable looks like in 2026
| Question | Ideal answer | Red flag answer | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slab thickness for residential driveway? | 100mm with SL82 mesh | "Standard" or "whatever's normal" | Specifics = experience |
| Joint spacing? | 3–5m max, aligned to architectural lines | "We put them where they look right" | Process vs guess |
| How long until I can drive on it? | 7 days light, 14 days heavy | "A few days" or "next day" | Real concreters wait, cheap ones don't |
| Insurance certificate? | Produced immediately, current | "I'll dig it out" | Cover exists or doesn't |
| Warranty period? | 5–10 yr structural, 1–2 yr finish | "No warranty" or vague | Industry standard |
| Payment schedule? | 10–20% deposit, balance on completion | "50% now, balance after pour" | Standard vs cash-flow grab |
For full pricing detail by finish, see our 2026 Perth driveway cost breakdown.
Insurance, warranty, and what's actually enforceable
Reputable Perth concreters carry:
- Public liability insurance — minimum $10M coverage. Covers damage to your property, your neighbour's property, injury to visitors during the job.
- Workers compensation — covers their crew if someone's injured on your site. Without this, you can be liable for injury claims.
- Professional indemnity (sometimes) — covers errors in advice or design decisions. Less common for trades but worth asking about.
Verify all of these on the certificates. Numbers, expiry dates, insured-entity name (matches their ABN). A photocopied certificate from 2022 is worth nothing.
Warranties — what's actually enforceable:
- Written warranty in the contract — enforceable. Verbal warranties = enforceable in theory, almost impossible in practice.
- 5–10 year structural warranty on slab + sub-base — industry standard. Covers slab failure not caused by external factors.
- 1–2 year warranty on finish work — covers sealer breakdown, finish defects, surface failures.
- Statutory warranties under Australian Consumer Law — apply regardless of written warranty. Cover "reasonable expectations" — a driveway that fails in 5 years isn't meeting reasonable expectations.
Warranties only work if the contractor is still trading. Verify the business is established (5+ years ABN), insured, and reachable. Email + phone + physical address on the contract.
Reading reviews properly (and spotting fake ones)
Online reviews are useful but compromised. Some operators buy fake positive reviews. Some skirt by deleting negative ones. Some have a single bad review from a difficult client that doesn't represent their work. Here's how to read them properly.
TIPSWhat to look for in reviews
- ✓Specific job detailsReal reviews mention the job ('our 75m² driveway in Cottesloe'). Fake reviews are vague ('great service!').
- ✓Mix of 4 and 5 stars100% 5-star reviews with no critique is suspicious. Real businesses have occasional 4-stars from picky clients.
- ✓Reviewer profile depthClick through to the reviewer profile. Real reviewers have history. Fake ones often have only 1–2 reviews total.
- ✓Response to negative reviewsHow a business responds to criticism tells you more than the praise. Defensive = bad. Professional + corrective = good.
- ✓Recent reviews + older reviewsConsistent quality over years matters more than 50 reviews from one good week.
- ✓Cross-platform checkLook at Google Reviews + ProductReview.com.au + TrueLocal + Facebook. Pattern should be consistent across platforms.
Also: ask for direct references. Real contractors have happy clients who'll take a call. A quick 5-minute call to a recent client tells you more than 20 written reviews.
The pre-contract checklist
Before signing anything:
- Get 3 quotes from established contractors (5+ years ABN).
- Verify all 3 ABNs on ABN Lookup. Check trade registration status.
- Get insurance certificates from all 3. Verify currency and coverage amounts.
- Visit 2 jobs from each contractor (one recent, one 3+ years old).
- Call 2 references from each contractor.
- Get all 3 quotes with full spec sheet (slab thickness, reo, joint plan, sealer schedule).
- Compare apples-to-apples (same scope across all 3).
- Discuss the quote you're leaning toward with the other 2 contractors — sometimes they'll match terms.
- Get the contract in writing with all spec, warranty, payment schedule, start date.
- Don't pay deposit until contract is signed by both parties.
Time investment: 5–8 hours of evening calls and weekend site visits. Money savings on the right contractor: $2,000–$10,000+ depending on job size. Best ROI exercise in the entire renovation.
What we offer our Perth clients
Honest disclosure of what CoastCrete does and doesn't do — so you can compare like-with-like across the contractors you're considering.
- Free on-site quote — every job, no obligation. Same-week visit usually.
- Written quote within 48 hours — with full spec sheet (slab thickness, reo, joint plan, sealer schedule, payment terms, warranty).
- 10-year structural warranty + 24-month finish warranty — in writing on every job.
- $20M public liability + workers comp — certificates available on request.
- 15+ years trading in Perth — Richard's been on the tools since 2010, CoastCrete trading since 2018.
- 10–15% deposit on signing, balance on completion. No staged-progress invoicing.
- Direct line to Richard — not a call centre. The person quoting is the person managing your job.
- Aftercare instructions — written sealer schedule, maintenance guidance, ongoing support.
See why choose us for the full pitch, our concrete process for the standard job workflow, or get in touch to book a quote visit.
About Richard Marsh
Founder · CoastCrete · 20+ years on the tools
Richard founded CoastCrete in Perth after a decade of pouring driveways, alfrescos and pool surrounds across the metro. He writes the articles, answers the calls, and runs the crew personally on every job — so what you read here is the same advice he gives clients on-site every week.
Read more articles by Richard →Common questions
How many quotes should I get for a Perth driveway?
Three is the standard advice and it works. Less than three and you don't have enough comparison data. More than five and you're wasting everyone's time. The key is making sure all three quotes are for the same scope with the same spec.
What's a reasonable deposit for a concrete job?
10–20% on signing. Some contractors require a small mobilisation payment 1–2 weeks before start (covers materials and equipment hire) but that's separate from the deposit. Above 30% upfront is a red flag.
Can I get the contractor to use a specific concrete supplier?
Yes — usually. Most reputable Perth concreters have preferred suppliers but can swap. Hanson is the main residential supplier; Boral is the other major. Specific specifications (high-MPa mix, special pigments) might need a specific supplier.
What happens if a job goes wrong and the contractor disappears?
Statutory warranties under Australian Consumer Law still apply — pursue through the original ABN if it's still active. If the contractor has folded the business, your claim is against the directors personally for any breach of duty. Get legal advice. Lesson: vet thoroughly before signing.
Should I ask for a fixed-price contract or hourly?
Fixed-price for concrete jobs. Hourly-billing concreters are rare and usually means the scope wasn't properly defined upfront. Fixed-price with written spec is the standard.
How do I check that an ABN is legitimate?
Go to abr.business.gov.au. Enter the ABN. Check entity name matches the contractor, registration date (should be 2+ years for established), GST status (registered for GST = legitimate trading entity), and ASIC company status if it's a Pty Ltd.