Paths are the least glamorous concrete on a property and the most walked on. In the growth suburbs of Thornton, Chisholm, Aberglasslyn and Huntlee the standard handover leaves the sides of the house in turf that turns to mud every winter, so a side path from the front to the back is often the first job after moving in. On the older streets of Maitland, East Maitland, Cessnock and Raymond Terrace it is a front path that has lifted at the joints, a rear path to the clothesline that never existed, or steps that have moved.
Small pours, honest pricing
Guide rate $90 to $130 per m² supplied and laid. The range is wide for a reason. A 12 m² path costs the same crew, truck and day as a slab three times the size, so on its own it sits at the top of the rate. Poured with a patio, a shed slab or a driveway it drops towards the bottom. If more than one job is on your list, mention all of them when you enquire so they can be quoted as one pour.
The path beside the house
The important path is the one against the wall. It goes in below the damp course, falls away from the building at a gentle grade, keeps weep holes, vents and the meter box clear, and is separated from the house with an isolation joint so the slab and the footings move on their own. Downpipes and taps are formed around. On the clay of Maitland, Morpeth and Tenambit a path that traps water against a house is the start of a damp problem, and a path that slopes towards the wall is worse than no path at all. The specification sets out the falls and joints a quote should state.
Thickness and steel
Residential paths are commonly 75 to 100 mm thick, and 100 mm with mesh wherever a wheelbarrow, a mower or a car might cross. Where a path doubles as the run to a shed or a second parking spot, it is built as a driveway. Joints are tooled or cut at close intervals, because a long narrow slab cracks across its width unless it is told where.
Footpaths on the street
The footpath along the front of the block is council’s. Maitland City Council builds its footpaths at 125 mm in 32 MPa concrete with a light broom finish and says an existing footpath crossed by a new driveway is not to be removed. Any work on it, in any of the three council areas, is a Section 138 matter and is covered in the Section 138 guide.
Finishes
Plain broom finish is right for side and utility paths. Front paths are often poured to match the driveway in exposed aggregate or coloured concrete. Where an old path is coming out first, removal adds about $35 per m².
Price the run with the calculator, read the cost guide for what moves the figure, then ask for a measure.
Rates on this site are guide figures for planning a budget. Your price is the written quote after the concreter has seen the block, and it can sit outside the guide where ground, access or a small area call for it.