Driveway cost in Australia
A standard double driveway runs $5,000 to $14,000 installed. But the section between your boundary and the road needs council approval — and the sub-base you can't see decides whether any of it lasts.
What a driveway costs in Australia
Driveways are priced per square metre of finished surface. Installed 2026 rates:
- Plain concrete — roughly $95 to $170 per m²
- Asphalt — roughly $85 to $160 per m²
- Pavers — roughly $80 to $150 per m² plus laying
- Exposed aggregate — roughly $100 to $200 per m², with Sydney running $170 to $220
- Honed, stamped or stencilled concrete — roughly $100 to $200 per m²
For sizing: a single driveway is around 20 to 30m², a standard double 50 to 60m². That puts a typical double driveway somewhere between $5,000 and $14,000 fully installed, and a 40 to 50m² exposed aggregate driveway around $5,000 to $9,000.
Labour accounts for 40 to 60% of a concrete driveway. Small jobs cost more per metre than large ones — a 15m² front path will always price worse per square metre than a 90m² driveway, and many concreters apply a minimum job charge of around $1,500 to $2,000 regardless of area.
Asphalt generally comes in 30 to 40% below plain concrete initially and can be driven on the same day rather than waiting for concrete to cure. But it needs resealing every three to five years at roughly $15 to $25 per m². Over two decades the gap narrows considerably.
The council approval nobody expects
Your driveway has two parts, and they're governed differently.
The section on your own land is generally yours to do as you like. The section between your boundary and the road — the crossover, or vehicle crossing — sits on council land and requires council approval. In NSW this runs under the Roads Act, and equivalent requirements apply across other states.
That means an application, a fee, and construction to the council's specification rather than yours. Councils typically dictate width, materials, levels and drainage for that section, and some require the work to be done by an approved contractor.
People discover this in one of two ways: at quote stage, or after pouring a driveway that council then requires them to modify. The first is considerably cheaper.
Ask any driveway contractor directly whether the crossover is included in their price and whether the approval is their responsibility or yours. A quote that goes quiet on the crossover has left something out.
What's under the driveway decides how long it lasts
The most consequential part of a driveway is the part you never see.
The sub-base — compacted road base under the surface — is what stops the driveway cracking as the ground moves beneath it. On reactive clay soils, which are widespread across Australia, ground movement between wet and dry seasons is substantial, and an inadequate sub-base guarantees cracking regardless of how good the surface looks on day one.
Reinforcement in concrete driveways does the same job from above. Steel mesh at the correct depth is not optional on a surface carrying vehicle loads.
This is where cheap quotes get cheap. Both items are invisible once the job is done and neither shows a problem for a year or two. If you're comparing driveway quotes, the sub-base depth and reinforcement specification are the two lines that actually differentiate them.
Removing an old driveway runs roughly $45 to $65 per m². If you're also replacing fencing, check whether either job needs retaining work — it's a common shared cost. Concrete pump hire, where a truck can't reach the pour, is commonly $450 to $650. Drainage, retaining and significant excavation are usually extra again. Ask for the rate quoted supplied-and-laid including preparation, so you're comparing like with like.
When a driveway isn't a driveway
The figures above cover a residential driveway serving one house. Some driveways are a different proposition entirely.
On a Newcastle dual occupancy project we've documented, the driveway and car spaces alone were estimated at around $30,000 — roughly ten times a modest single driveway. That's not the same product at a higher price; it reflects a longer run, hardstand areas, access for two dwellings and the site works underneath.
The same applies on acreage, sloping blocks, or anywhere the driveway is doing more than getting one car from the road to a garage. If your driveway involves length, gradient, drainage or turning areas, treat per-square-metre figures as a floor rather than an estimate. The full breakdown for that project is in our dual occupancy cost guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a driveway cost in Australia?
Plain concrete runs $95 to $170 per m², asphalt $85 to $160, pavers $80 to $150 plus laying, and exposed aggregate $100 to $200. A standard double driveway of 50 to 60m² typically lands between $5,000 and $14,000 fully installed.
Do I need council approval for a driveway?
For the crossover — the section between your boundary and the road — yes. It sits on council land and requires approval, with the council specifying width, materials, levels and drainage. The portion on your own property is generally not caught. Confirm with any contractor whether the crossover is in their price and who handles the application.
Concrete or asphalt?
Asphalt is 30 to 40% cheaper up front and can be used the same day, but needs resealing every three to five years at $15 to $25 per m². Concrete costs more initially and takes weeks to fully cure, but needs resealing only every five years or so. Over twenty years the difference narrows.
Why do driveway quotes differ so much?
Usually the sub-base and reinforcement, which are invisible once the job is finished. Compacted road base is what stops the surface cracking as reactive clay soils move between seasons. Two quotes with the same surface finish can specify very different amounts of what's underneath it.
Is exposed aggregate worth the premium?
It sits above plain concrete and well below natural stone. It offers better slip resistance than smooth concrete, holds up in Australian conditions, and needs resealing every two to three years at $12 to $18 per m². Premium imported stones add $15 to $40 per m² over standard river pebble.
Sources & further reading
- Australian per-square-metre driveway pricing cross-checked against 2026 published data from Australian concreting and paving contractors, including Western Sydney Trades, Concreters Hub, CoastCrete and Bitmac.
- Driveway estimate of approximately $30,000 for driveway and car spaces on a dual occupancy project contributed by James, a homeowner in Newcastle NSW.
- Vehicle crossing (crossover) approval requirements are set by local councils under state roads legislation and vary. Confirm requirements with your council before commencing work.
These figures are planning estimates, not quotes — read how we build our ranges, then confirm real costs with local, itemised quotes.