A concrete quote on acreage depends on things the concreter can’t see from the gate: where the boundary runs, what is buried, whether the shed needs approval and how a loaded truck gets to the pour. When those answers are missing, the quote comes back with assumptions in it, and assumptions turn into variations. An hour of preparation before the site visit gets you a firmer price and a faster start. This guide lists what to have ready, and where to find each piece.
Write the job down first
The NSW Government’s advice on getting quotes is to write a job brief no matter how small the project, and to give each contractor the same information. On a rural block the brief does a second job. It makes you decide things you may not have decided yet.
- What it is and where. A driveway, a shed slab, an apron or all three, with rough dimensions and the spot pegged or painted on the ground.
- What goes on it. Cars are one thing. A loaded float, a tractor or a water truck is another, and the concreter prices to suit the load.
- The finish. Plain broomed concrete, or something decorative near the house.
- Timing. When you want it done, and anything it has to line up with, such as a shed delivery.
If you are getting more than one price, the same page goes to everyone.
Property checks you can do before anyone visits
Most of what a concreter needs to know about the land is public and free to look up.
| Check | Where to find it | Ask yourself |
|---|---|---|
| Zoning and planning | Hawkesbury City Council’s property information page points to the NSW Planning Portal for key details such as land zoning. A section 10.7 planning certificate shows the zoning and planning controls, along with flooding and bush fire prone land. | Is any of the site flood affected or otherwise restricted? |
| Bush fire prone land | The NSW Rural Fire Service has an address check tool. It tells you whether the land is mapped, not how much risk you face. | If it is mapped, does the driveway need to carry a fire truck? |
| Underground services | Before You Dig Australia takes free enquiries. Its plans may not show detail inside your boundary, so it suggests a skilled locator for private services. | Where do the power, water, phone and septic lines run? |
| Road crossing | The Hills Shire Council says council consent is needed for works within the road reserve. Hawkesbury City Council’s driveway specification requires an agreement form and fee before a crossing is built. | Does the job touch the strip between my boundary and the road? |
| Approval | NSW Planning says a driveway, hardstand or paving may not need planning approval as exempt development. Hawkesbury’s outbuildings fact sheet says the same of an outbuilding that meets the state criteria. | Has council or a certifier confirmed which path my shed is on? |
| Boundaries | NSW Spatial Services says only registered surveyors can prepare survey plans. A fence is not always on the line. | Do I know where the boundary is where the concrete runs beside it? |
You don’t need every answer before you call. You do need to know which ones are still open, so the quote can say so.
Ready for a site visit?
Tell us what you have and what is still open. Quotes are free, itemised, and we aim to reply within 24 hours.
What the site visit looks at
On acreage concreting jobs the visit covers four things: access, levels, slope and ground conditions. You can make each of them quicker to assess.
- Access. Walk the route a truck would take from the road to the pour. Note gates, crossings, overhanging branches, tight bends and soft sections, and say if any of it is shared with a neighbour.
- Levels and slope. Point out where the finished surface has to meet something fixed, such as a shed floor, a garage or the road.
- Ground. Say what you know: rock near the surface, fill from an earlier job, a patch that stays wet.
- Water. Show where it runs in heavy rain and where it sits afterwards. Photos from the last downpour help.
Most acreage jobs need clearing, digging out and levelling before anything is formed up. Where the same crew does the earthworks and site preparation, what you say about the ground goes straight into the price.
Drawings and documents worth having
- Shed plans. If the slab is for a kit shed, have the supplier’s plans and any engineering. A shed slab is set out to the kit’s dimensions, so the plans decide the slab.
- Survey or site plan. Anything showing boundaries, levels and easements, even an old one.
- Approvals. A consent, a complying development certificate, or the written answer that none is needed.
- Service plans. The Before You Dig plans, and a sketch of the private lines you know about.
- Photos. The site, the access and the road entry, taken on the day you write the brief.
For a long driveway, add the length, where it starts and ends, and where it crosses a gully or drain. A crossing can be a substantial share of the price.
What you get back, and what can still change
A quote prepared this way should come back broken into stages, with clearing and excavation, base, formwork, steel, the pour and finish, and joints and clean-up each on their own line. That is how every Southo quote is written.
Some things can’t be known until the ground is opened. The NSW Government’s quote advice notes that unexpected site conditions, such as rock, can change the price. Ask how the quote deals with that. A straight answer at the start is better than a surprise halfway through. If something does change, the NSW rule is that variations must be in writing and signed by both you and the contractor.
Have these ready for the site visit
- Written brief with rough dimensions
- The area pegged or marked out
- Zoning and bush fire check done
- Before You Dig plans
- Shed plans or engineering
- Known boundaries and easements
- Truck route walked and noted
- Open questions listed
Sources
- NSW Government — Getting quotes for contractors
- NSW Government — Contracts for residential building work
- Hawkesbury City Council — Find Information on a Property
- NSW Planning Portal — Online Section 10.7 Planning Certificate Service
- NSW Rural Fire Service — Check if you’re in bush fire prone land
- Before You Dig Australia — For Homeowners
- The Hills Shire Council — Driveways: Vehicular Crossing Request
- Hawkesbury City Council — Driveway Specifications: Construction of Driveway Crossings (January 2016)
- NSW Planning Portal — Exempt development: Driveways, pathways and paving
- Hawkesbury City Council — Outbuildings (fact sheet)
- NSW Spatial Services — Surveying services
Checked 10 October 2026.
