How much does exposed aggregate cost in Perth? (2026 prices)

Let's not muck about. In 2026, exposed aggregate concrete in Perth runs $100 to $150 per square metre, supplied and laid. A standard residential driveway — decent size, reasonable access, standard river-pebble mix — usually lands somewhere around $120 to $135 a square metre once everything's said and done.

So for a typical double driveway of about 40m², you're looking at roughly $4,800 to $5,400 all in. A bigger job, say 80m² of driveway plus a path around the side, will usually come in a touch cheaper per metre because the fixed costs get spread further.

Those are real, supplied-and-laid numbers — not the bare "concrete only" rate some mobs quote to look cheap. When you ring around, the single most useful thing you can do is make sure every quote is for the same thing: stone supplied, slab laid, edges done, and the surface sealed. More on that further down, because it's where most people get stung.

Three things move the needle on an exposed aggregate quote. Get your head around these and you'll understand exactly why two quotes for the "same" driveway can be a grand apart.

1. The size and shape of the job. Big, open, square slabs are efficient to pour and finish — the rate drops. Small, narrow, or fiddly jobs with lots of edges and curves take the same setup time but cover less ground, so the per-metre rate climbs. A 15m² front path will always cost more per metre than a 90m² driveway.

2. The aggregate you choose. Standard local river pebble is the value option and looks great. Premium and imported stones — black granite, white quartz, honey-gold, crushed glass blends — cost more to buy and can add $15 to $40 per square metre. The decorative finish is where exposed aggregate earns its keep, so it's worth picking a stone you actually love rather than saving $300 and regretting it for fifteen years.

3. Site prep and access. This is the quiet one. If we have to excavate, cart away an old cracked slab, bring in fill and compact it, or barrow concrete 30 metres because a truck can't get near the pour, that all adds up. A flat, clear, truck-accessible block is the cheapest job there is.

Here's how the numbers tend to shake out across the jobs we do most around the Mandurah–Yanchep corridor and the wider Perth metro. Treat these as honest ballparks, not gospel — every site is different.

Notice the pattern: the rate drops as the job gets bigger, because the cost of getting the crew, the truck and the gear on site is much the same whether we pour 15 metres or 90. If you've got a path and a driveway to do, doing them in one hit is almost always cheaper than two separate visits.

The slab rate is only part of the story. Here's what catches people out — none of it is dodgy, it's just real work that a too-cheap quote has quietly left off.

• Excavation & removal — digging out and carting away an old slab or soil can add $500–$2,000 depending on volume and tip fees.
• Fill & compaction — a proper compacted road-base sub-base is what stops your slab cracking in five years. Skimping here is the number-one cause of failures we get called to fix.
• Reinforcement — steel mesh is standard on a driveway that takes vehicle weight. If it's not in the quote, ask why.
• Sealing — exposed aggregate must be sealed to lock the stones and bring out the colour. Budget for it up front, then a reseal every 3–5 years (closer to 3 near the coast — Scarborough, Trigg, Cottesloe — where the salt air is brutal on sealer).
• Access barrowing — if the truck can't reach the pour, we barrow it, and that's labour.

We get called out to repair other people's exposed aggregate all the time, and it's almost always the same story: someone took the cheapest quote, and the cheap quote cut a corner you couldn't see on paper.

None of this means you should pay over the odds. It means you should compare like for like: same slab thickness, same mesh, same sub-base, same seal. When every quote covers the same scope, the prices usually land within a few hundred dollars of each other — and then you can choose on the crew you trust, not the number that looks too good to be true.

For most Perth homes, yes. Per square metre it sits above plain grey concrete but well below natural stone or premium pavers — and it gives you the decorative look without the weeds, ant-sand and shifting that pavers bring. It's hard-wearing, handles our UV and salt air well when it's sealed properly, and it's low maintenance: a hose-off and a reseal every few years is about it.

Where it really pays off is kerb appeal and resale. A tidy exposed aggregate driveway is one of the cheapest ways to lift the front of a house, and buyers notice it. Spend the money on the prep and the stone, get it sealed, and it'll still look the goods long after a cheap plain slab has gone grey and cracked.

If you want a straight number for your place, the quickest way is to measure your area and send us the rough dimensions — we'll give you an honest supplied-and-laid figure, prep and seal included, with no surprises on the invoice.