Melbourne builders and developers pricing a commercial driveway, a council-compliant crossover or an industrial apron need a concrete driveway cost breakdown that reflects how the work actually prices in 2026 — not a homeowner-shaped $/m² average lifted off a national comparison site. This piece is written for builders, project managers and civil contractors. Commercial driveways, council crossovers, industrial aprons and exposed aggregate. Ranges, not single numbers, because a driveway costed without the council spec is a coin flip. Every figure below is indicative — quote off drawings.
About this piece
Ranges drawn from Cinerari’s own recent Melbourne commercial driveway, crossover and industrial apron pricing in 2025–2026, cross-referenced with publicly available cost data from Master Builders Victoria, Rawlinsons benchmarks, and current published council crossover specifications across Melbourne metropolitan councils. Every figure is indicative and must be re-quoted against drawings, council spec and site conditions before entering a contract.
Cost variables
What actually moves commercial driveway cost
The concrete driveway cost you’ll pay on a Melbourne commercial site is driven by five variables. Ignore any of them and the number in your budget won’t survive contact with the site.
Slab thickness is the biggest lever. A residential driveway is typically 100mm. A light commercial driveway is 125–150mm. Heavy commercial with truck traffic is 175–200mm. Industrial aprons with forklift and container-yard traffic run 200–250mm+. Every 25mm of thickness is meaningful volume and reinforcement across a driveway of any size.
Reinforcement for commercial and industrial pours is usually structural mesh or N12/N16 bar rather than SL72 residential mesh. On heavier aprons, top-and-bottom mats are standard. Reinforcement schedule is set by the engineer against the loading assumptions — get the loading right at design stage and reinforcement stays reasonable; get it wrong and it doubles.
Base preparation is what determines whether the driveway lasts 30 years or cracks in three. Class 3 crushed rock at 100–150mm compacted, properly graded, tested to spec, sitting on a compacted subgrade. Skimping the base to save $3/m² is the single most common way commercial driveways fail early. It shows up in cracking, rutting and settling that then requires full replacement.
Council crossover requirements add both cost and program time. Every Melbourne council publishes a vehicle crossing specification and requires a permit. The work between kerb and property boundary must meet that standard — different thickness, different reinforcement, sometimes different concrete strength. Traffic management, road opening, kerb rebuild and reinstatement of nature strip all sit inside crossover cost.
Finish and joint pattern — plain broom finish is cheapest. Exposed aggregate, coloured concrete, saw-cut decorative patterns and specialty finishes each add cost. Joint pattern (contraction, expansion, isolation) is often under-specified on smaller commercial jobs and shows up later as random cracking.
By driveway type
Cost by driveway type — commercial, crossover, industrial, exposed aggregate
| Driveway type | Spec | Indicative $/m² |
|---|---|---|
| Light commercial driveway | 125mm, mesh, plain finish | $120–$160 |
| Standard commercial driveway | 150mm, structural mesh, plain | $130–$180 |
| Heavy commercial driveway | 175–200mm, N12 bar | $170–$230 |
| Industrial apron (standard) | 200mm, structural reinforcement | $190–$280 |
| Industrial apron (heavy-duty) | 250mm+ dry-shake / hardener | $260–$340+ |
| Exposed aggregate finish upcharge | Over plain finish | +$20–$45 |
| Coloured concrete upcharge | Over plain finish | +$15–$35 |
Ranges are Melbourne metro and assume reasonable access, standard site prep and no exceptional finish or drainage requirements. On tight urban sites, in-CBD works, or restricted-access industrial precincts the numbers will move upward.
Crossovers
Council crossovers — the compliance load
A vehicle crossover is the concrete section between the kerb and the property boundary. On any Melbourne commercial or industrial site, the crossover is council-controlled work — it sits in the road reserve, it has to meet the local council’s vehicle crossing specification, and it needs a permit. Skipping the permit process is not a shortcut you can take; the work is inspected and non-compliant work has to be removed.
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✓
Permit application to council — engineering drawings, site plan, traffic management if road opening is required. -
✓
Kerb and channel rebuild — most crossovers require the kerb to be broken out, rebuilt with drainage retained, and a proper transition formed. -
✓
Council-spec slab — typically 200mm minimum with structural reinforcement to the council standard. Different from the driveway inside the boundary. -
✓
Traffic management — where the crossover fronts a live road, TM plan and traffic controllers are required during works. -
✓
Nature strip reinstatement — turf, mulch or paving reinstated to council specification after work completes. -
✗
Skipping the permit — council inspection finds the work, orders removal, and the builder pays twice.
| Crossover type | Typical scope | Indicative cost |
|---|---|---|
| Residential single crossover | 3–3.5m wide, standard council spec | $2,500–$5,500 |
| Residential double crossover | 5–6m wide, larger kerb rebuild | $4,000–$8,500 |
| Commercial crossover | Heavy-duty spec, wider entry, TM required | $4,500–$12,000+ |
| Industrial crossover | Truck-rated, 250mm+, drainage upgrades | $8,000–$25,000+ |
Council permit fees are typically $200–$800 depending on the council and the scope of the crossing. Traffic management on a live road can add $1,500–$4,000 to a small commercial crossover job. On multi-lot subdivisions with multiple crossovers, unit rates come down substantially — but the compliance overhead per crossover doesn’t.
Why this matters
Melbourne councils inspect commercial crossovers. Work that doesn’t meet the council’s engineering standard gets ordered out and rebuilt — at the builder’s cost, not the concreter’s. Pricing a crossover by lifting a per-metre rate off a residential driveway comparison site is the fastest way to blow a commercial project’s civil budget by 40%. Get the council spec first, quote against it, build to it.
Need a commercial driveway or crossover priced properly?
We quote off drawings and against the specific council’s crossover spec — not off a national $/m² average.
Get a driveway quote
or call 0400 692 550
Industrial aprons
Industrial aprons — where the money goes on heavy-duty pours
Industrial concrete aprons — the pavement outside a warehouse, factory, container yard or distribution centre — are engineering objects, not surface finishes. On a properly designed industrial apron, cost is driven by four things.
Loading assumption. An apron rated for forklift traffic is very different from one rated for B-double access with static rack post loads. Rack post loads especially concentrate stress. Get the loading wrong and the slab moves — cracks, joint pumping, panel failure.
Slab thickness and reinforcement. 200mm minimum for standard duty, 250mm+ for heavy duty. Top and bottom reinforcement is standard on heavy-duty aprons. Fibre-reinforced concrete (steel or macro-synthetic fibre) is common as either primary or supplementary reinforcement, and changes the cost line.
Joint layout. Industrial aprons live and die by joint discipline. Contraction joints at correct spacing, doweled construction joints, isolation joints around columns and fixed structures. Get the joint layout wrong and the concrete cracks randomly — random cracks are essentially uncontrolled failure points that then get worse under traffic.
Surface finish and curing. Steel-trowelled finish, dry-shake surface hardener, cured for the specified duration under specified conditions. This is finishing crew labour and it has to be sized to the pour so every square metre gets the right treatment before it sets. Skimping on finishing labour is where good industrial slabs turn into bad ones in the last four hours.
“We had a 1,200 m² industrial apron for a Wyndham distribution facility. Cinerari sized their finishing crew properly, cured to the spec we wrote, joint layout came off the engineer’s drawings without argument. Two years on it’s holding up under B-double traffic with no cracking.”
— Melbourne developer (project client)
Finishes
Finishes — exposed aggregate, coloured, plain
Finish adds to concrete driveway cost in two ways — direct material cost (specialty aggregate, oxide colouring, hardeners) and finish labour cost. Both scale with driveway size but not linearly.
The trap on commercial exposed-aggregate work: aggregate consistency across the pour. Different batches of stone can look different on the finished surface, and if the driveway is one continuous stretch, batch matching becomes real work. On smaller driveways you can pour off one delivery. On larger commercial jobs, spec aggregate carefully and confirm the supply chain before pour. (See commercial driveway builds we take on.)
Coloured concrete is straightforward if the oxide is dosed at the batching plant and the mix is consistent. Site-added oxide is where colour inconsistency shows up. Ask the supplier where the colour is going in.
Base + drainage
Base preparation and drainage — the invisible cost line
Every commercial concrete driveway that fails prematurely fails at the base, not at the slab. Class 3 crushed rock, properly compacted, on a properly prepared subgrade — that’s the recipe. Two things get skimped in a hurry: base thickness and compaction.
On a standard commercial driveway we specify 100–150mm compacted crushed rock, depending on subgrade condition and loading. On reactive clay subgrades common across Melbourne metro, base thickness may need to increase or a geotextile fabric may be added between subgrade and base. On growth-corridor sites where subgrades are variable, the geotechnical report drives the base spec — read it, don’t ignore it.
Drainage is the second invisible cost. Water sitting under or against a concrete driveway shortens its life dramatically. On commercial sites with any grade, cross-fall to a proper collection point matters. On flatter sites, additional surface grates or ag-drain may be needed. Cost for proper drainage integration: usually 5–12% of the driveway cost. Cost for skipping it: eventual full replacement.
“Cinerari didn’t try to cheap out on the base. Class 3 to the spec, compacted, tested. Their crossover work went in first-pass with the council. Would’ve been easy to shave $2k off the quote by skipping half the base prep — they were straight with us about why they weren’t going to.”
— Site manager, Melbourne commercial project (project client)
What to do
- Confirm the loading assumption early — vehicle types, weights, static rack loads if applicable.
- Get the geotechnical report and factor subgrade into the base spec.
- Pull the specific council’s crossover engineering standard before pricing the crossover.
- Interrogate joint layout on commercial and industrial slabs — random cracking is preventable.
- Never sign a commercial driveway contract against a national $/m² benchmark alone. Quote off drawings and against the council spec.
Commercial driveway or industrial apron to price?
Send drawings, council spec if it’s a crossover, and geotechnical if you have it.
Get a driveway quote
or call 0400 692 550
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does a commercial concrete driveway cost per square metre in Melbourne in 2026?
For a standard commercial driveway (150mm slab, mesh reinforced, standard finish) the indicative range is $130–$180 per square metre supplied, placed and finished. Heavy-duty industrial aprons (200mm+ with heavy reinforcement) sit at $190–$280+/m². All figures are indicative and must be quoted off drawings and council requirements.
How much does a council crossover cost in Melbourne?
Residential crossovers typically $2,500–$5,500. Commercial crossovers $4,500–$12,000+. Industrial crossovers $8,000–$25,000+. Council permits, inspections and traffic management are additional. Each Melbourne council has its own engineering standard.
Why do commercial concrete driveways cost more than residential?
Three reasons — thicker slab (150–200mm vs 100mm residential), heavier reinforcement, and council compliance including engineered crossovers. Commercial driveways also carry drainage, joint pattern and expansion joint requirements that residential driveways don’t.
What is an industrial concrete apron and what does it cost?
An industrial apron is the heavy-duty concrete area outside a warehouse, factory or distribution facility that takes truck and forklift traffic. Standard-duty aprons $190–$280/m²; heavy-duty aprons with 250mm+ slab and dry-shake surfaces sit higher. Priced against loading assumptions and joint layout.
Do I need a permit for a Melbourne concrete driveway?
For work inside your property boundary, generally no permit is required beyond compliance with the National Construction Code. For a crossover — the section between the kerb and the boundary — you need a council vehicle crossing permit. Each Melbourne council has its own specification.
What thickness should a commercial driveway be?
150mm is standard for light commercial vehicle traffic on a properly prepared base. For heavy vehicles, truck movements or B-double access, engineered specifications typically run 175–200mm+ with heavier reinforcement. Council crossover thickness is usually 200mm minimum.
Does exposed aggregate cost more than plain finish?
Yes. Exposed aggregate typically adds $20–$45/m² over a plain broom or float finish, depending on aggregate type and coverage. Coloured exposed aggregate and specialty finishes sit higher. The premium is finish labour and specialty aggregate cost, not slab spec.
Sources
- Standards Australia — AS 3600 Concrete structures, AS 3799 concrete industrial floors
- VicRoads — vehicle crossing and pavement specifications
- Master Builders Victoria — commercial construction guidance
- Victorian Building Authority — construction compliance
- Australian Bureau of Statistics — construction industry price indexes
- Engineers Australia — pavement design guidance
Luke leads Cinerari Contracting, a Melbourne civil and reinforced concrete subcontractor working with builders, developers and civil contractors across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. Cinerari prices commercial driveway, crossover and industrial apron work against engineer’s drawings and specific council specifications — not national benchmarks.