Decorative · Coloured & stencil

Coloured & Stencil Concrete

Coloured and stencil concrete gives you the look of pavers or a feature surface on one continuous slab, with no joints for weeds and nothing to lift or rock over time. We run colour-stable oxides through the mix or work them into the surface, lay the pattern over coloured concrete for a stencil finish, and seal it so the colour holds. The colour and the pattern are named on the quote, on a properly based and reinforced slab.

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Photo: coloured & stencil concrete job

Scope

What this job includes.

✓Coloured concrete, colour run through the mix or worked into the surface
✓Stencil and patterned finishes, brick, tile and cobble looks
✓Colour-stable oxides, not a thin surface stain that washes out
✓Sealed to hold the colour and protect it from UV and weather
✓One continuous slab, so no joints for weeds and nothing to lift

Our system: Coloured or stencil concrete with the colour and pattern named on the quote, sealed to hold the colour, on a compacted base with mesh sized to the soil, and the slab and footings guaranteed for 10 years.

How we quote it

Priced by the m², itemised line by line.

The m² and thickness, the site classification, the mesh and reo, the MPa, the base prep, the finish, control joints, and the guarantee. Not one round number for a slab.

The 7-line quote

1 Square metres and thickness. The price broken down by the m² and the slab thickness, 100 mm for a standard driveway, stepped up for reactive soil or vehicles. Not one round number for "a slab".
2 The site classification (AS 2870). The site classification, Class A through E, that the slab and footings are designed to. This is the line a cheap quote skips, and it is what decides whether the slab cracks or holds.
3 The mesh and reo. The mesh and reo named and sized, SL72 or SL82 and any bars, set to the soil classification or the loads the slab carries, never a one-size slab over loose fill.
4 The MPa and slump (AS 3600 / AS 1379). The concrete strength in MPa and the slump, ordered to AS 1379 and placed to AS 3600. "Concrete" with no strength named is the warning sign, not the number.
5 Base prep and vapour barrier. The excavation, the compacted base, and the vapour barrier under a habitable slab, each itemised, never a pour straight onto loose fill that lets damp through later.
6 The finish and sealing. The finish named, broom, exposed aggregate, coloured or honed, and the sealing on a decorative slab, so you know exactly what surface you are getting and what it costs.
7 Control joints and the guarantee. The control joints cut at the right spacing so it cracks on the line, and the 10-year guarantee on the slab and footings in writing, with the AS 2870 paperwork where the slab is structural.

If a quote doesn’t show these lines, you can’t compare it, and you don’t know what’s been cut.

How it runs

What happens, step by step.

Free measure and set-out

We measure the area, check the soil and the falls, mark out the slab and talk through the finish and the spec, then put a written by-the-m² quote in your hands.

Excavate to depth

We strip the topsoil and excavate to the right depth for the slab, the falls and the soil, and cart the spoil away, so the slab sits on solid ground and drains the way it should.

Compacted base and vapour barrier

We bring in and compact the road base in layers, then lay the vapour barrier under a habitable slab and lap it at the joins, because a slab is only as good as what is under it.

Form up and place the mesh and reo

We set the formwork to the line and the falls, then place the mesh and any reo on chairs to the design, so the steel sits in the slab, not on the ground.

Pour and finish

We pour the concrete to the named strength, screed it to level, and work the finish, broom, exposed aggregate, coloured or honed, the way you signed off on the quote.

Cure and cut control joints

We cure the slab so it reaches its strength instead of drying out and cracking, cut the control joints at the right spacing, seal a decorative finish, and hand over the guarantee in writing.

Insured, covered, guaranteed

The paperwork behind the price.

Public liability to $20M, and a 10-year slab & footings, all in writing, all on request.

We hold a Victorian Building Authority registration for the structural slab and footing work in Victoria, and we carry public liability insurance, so you are covered on site. House and shed slabs are designed to AS 2870 off a real site classification, and the concrete is supplied to AS 3600 and AS 1379 at a named strength. The guarantee is a 10-year written guarantee on the slab and footings, the part that cracks and heaves first, plus the manufacturer materials warranty on the genuine mix and the sealer. All in writing, with exclusions named.

Chapter 7 · Claims The registration, the cover, the guarantee Filming soon · 2 to 3 min

The cover, the guarantee, and how to check each one.

Questions, answered

Coloured & Stencil Concrete: common questions.

What is the difference between coloured and stencil concrete?

Coloured concrete has the colour run through the mix or worked into the surface for a solid tone, while stencil concrete lays a pattern, brick, tile or cobble, over coloured concrete so it reads like pavers without the joints and movement. Both are sealed and both cost roughly $100 to $160 a square metre. We will show you the colour and pattern range and name your choice on the quote.

Does coloured or stencil concrete fade?

The colour holds well when it is sealed and resealed, and a reseal every few years keeps it rich and protects it from UV and weather. A decorative finish left unsealed is the one that dulls and marks. Sealing is part of our quote, and we will tell you when a reseal is due. We use colour-stable oxides, not a cheap surface stain that washes thin.

Is stencil concrete cheaper than pavers?

Usually yes, and it has no joints for weeds to grow through and nothing to lift or rock over time, because it is one continuous slab. It gives the paver look for less, on a properly based and reinforced slab. We will price it against what you are comparing it to so you can see the difference.

Get a free, itemised quote you can actually read.

Tell us what you need. We’ll book a walkthrough and send a quote with the work itemised, not just a number.

✓ VBA Registered✓ Slabs to AS 2870✓ Licensed & insured✓ 130 five-star reviews✓ 10-year slab & footings