Concrete driveways in Melbourne

Driveway, crossover, or both?

The driveway is on your property. The vehicle crossing (or crossover) is the part between your boundary and the road, across the nature strip and footpath, down to the kerb. They're often poured on the same day, but they're governed differently.

Say which you need, and whether it's a new driveway, a replacement, or a repair to cracked or sunken sections.

• Length and width, and any turning area or parking pad
• What's there now: grass, gravel, old concrete or pavers
• What will use it: cars, a caravan, a boat or a heavier vehicle
• Access for a concrete truck or pump
• Where rainwater goes now, and any pits or drains in the way

The crossover needs council's permit

Councils usually require a permit to build, widen, repair or remove a crossover, and set how it's built. In Glen Eira, for example, a vehicle crossing permit is needed to build, modify, repair or remove one, the property owner is responsible for building the crossing, the council's standard permit conditions apply, and a property in a heritage overlay or on an arterial road needs a planning permit first. Building one without a permit can mean having to rebuild or remove it.

Check your own council's website for its permit, fees and conditions before booking, and ask the concreter whether they'll apply for it or you will.

Permits and registration on your side of the boundary

The Building and Plumbing Commission says a building permit isn't required to build a driveway or lay paving. A driveway contracted on its own also isn't domestic building work, so the concreter doesn't legally need to be a registered builder, even above $10,000; the BPC still suggests using a registered building practitioner.

That changes if the driveway is part of a bigger contract, such as a new garage or carport. Planning rules can also apply in some areas, such as a heritage overlay, so check with your council.

Drainage and what's underground

A driveway changes where rainwater runs. The BPC notes that driveway and paving work can interfere with plumbing, such as drainage. Ask how the slab will fall, where the water will go, and whether a drain is needed across the driveway or at the garage, and who will do any plumbing.

Before excavation starts, use Before You Dig Australia (the same applies to fence posts and deck footings): it's free, and the companies that own pipes and cables nearby send plans of where they are.

Curing: when you can drive on it

Concrete gains strength over days, not hours, and the right wait depends on the mix, the weather and the site. Ask the concreter when you can walk on it and when you can park on it, and plan where the car goes in the meantime.

What the quote should cover

• Removing and disposing of the old surface
• Excavation and spoil removal
• Compacted base and its depth
• Steel reinforcement, and the concrete's strength
• Formwork, control joints and the finish (broom, exposed aggregate, coloured or plain)
• Drainage: falls, grates and connection to the stormwater system
• The crossover and council permit, if included
• Sealing, clean-up and when you can use it

Example brief

“Replace a cracked 1980s concrete driveway in Keilor East, about 18 m long and 3 m wide, plus a new crossover in the same position. Water pools near the garage door. Please quote removal, base, reinforcement, a broom finish, a grate drain at the garage, the crossover, and say who applies for the council permit.”

Before booking a concreter

• Council's vehicle crossing permit for any crossover work
• Your council's planning rules, if you're in a heritage area
• Drainage designed, and who does the plumbing
• Before You Dig Australia before excavation
• When you can walk and drive on it

Ready to describe it? Start a job request or browse concreting work. For paths and slabs, see the concreting guide. Availability depends on real postings, and registration must be enabled to submit.