Cost planning guide
Concrete Price per m³ in Australia: What a Delivered Quote Includes
Concrete cost per m³ in Australia is the rate × ordered m³ plus short-load, waiting and after-hours fees and GST. Published fees by city and slab cost per m².
Published 2026-09-19 · Updated 2026-09-19 · BuildMeasure Editorial Team
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Use the Concrete Cost CalculatorConcrete cost per m³ in Australia: the short answer
Concrete cost per m³ in Australia is not one number. A delivered premix quote is the supplier's rate per m³ × the volume ordered, plus a minimum-cartage (short-load) fee on loads under 4 m³, levies and surcharges, waiting time, any after-hours surcharge, pump hire and 10% GST. On small pours the extras can rival the concrete itself.
For a slab, cost per m² follows from thickness: a 100 mm slab uses 0.1 m³ of concrete per square metre, so concrete cost per m² = 0.1 × the price per m³. That is the supply cost of the concrete only, not an installed slab price.
There is no reliable national or city average to quote, because the base rate depends on the mix, the plant, the distance and the day. What suppliers do publish is their fee schedule. The tables below use Holcim Australia's regional service-fee schedules, which show how much the extras vary between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Get the base rate per m³ from a written quote and use the Concrete Cost Calculator to add everything up.
Published concrete delivery fees by city
Every Holcim schedule below states that its prices do not include 10% GST. The minimum cartage fee applies to delivered loads under 4 m³ and is calculated on the undelivered part of the load. Waiting time is charged per minute once the free time on site runs out. Other suppliers set their own fees, so treat this as a worked reference for one supplier, not a market rate.
| Region (schedule effective) | Minimum cartage, load under 4 m³ | Free time on site | Waiting time after that | Environment levy | Saturday 6 am–12 noon surcharge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney Metropolitan (19 Aug 2026) | $80.00 per undelivered m³ | 30 min | $3.50 per min | $2.00 per m³ | $5.00 per m³, min 4 m³/load |
| Melbourne Metro & Mornington Peninsula (1 May 2026) | $80.00 per undelivered m³ | 30 min | $2.95 per min | $2.80 per m³ | $6.00 per m³, min 4 m³/load |
| South East Queensland, incl. Brisbane (1 Jul 2026) | $90.00 per undelivered m³ | 30 min | $3.50 per min | $2.50 per m³ | $10.00 per m³ |
| Adelaide (1 Jul 2026) | $90.00 per undelivered m³ | 30 min | $3.50 per min | $2.50 per m³ | $10.00 per m³, min 4 m³/load |
| Perth Metro (1 Jul 2026) | $50.00 per undelivered m³ | 45 min | $3.75 per min | $2.00 per m³ | $20.00 per m³ |
From Holcim's regional service-fee PDFs. Each schedule also lists a production and transport surcharge per m³ that is reviewed fortnightly, extra cartage beyond a set distance from the plant, returned-concrete and cancellation fees. Base concrete prices are not in these schedules.
Why small loads cost more per m³
Because the minimum cartage fee is charged on the undelivered part of a 4 m³ load, the smaller the order, the more that fee adds to each cubic metre. The table uses an example rate of $300 per m³ ex GST — an illustrative number you would replace with your quote, not a market price — and the Sydney minimum cartage fee of $80.00 per undelivered m³.
| Order | Concrete at example $300/m³ | Minimum cartage (4 m³ − order) × $80 | Subtotal ex GST | Effective per m³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 m³ | $300.00 | 3.0 × $80 = $240.00 | $540.00 | $540.00 |
| 1.5 m³ | $450.00 | 2.5 × $80 = $200.00 | $650.00 | $433.33 |
| 2.0 m³ | $600.00 | 2.0 × $80 = $160.00 | $760.00 | $380.00 |
| 3.0 m³ | $900.00 | 1.0 × $80 = $80.00 | $980.00 | $326.67 |
| 4.0 m³ | $1,200.00 | $0.00 | $1,200.00 | $300.00 |
Illustrative base rate. Levies, the fortnightly surcharge, waiting time, after-hours charges, pumping and GST are extra and should be taken from your own quote.
Slab cost per m²: thickness × price per m³
A square metre of slab 100 mm thick is 1 × 1 × 0.1 = 0.1 m³, so one cubic metre covers 10 m². Multiply the thickness in metres by the price per m³ to get the concrete cost per m² of slab. Use the Concrete Slab Calculator to get the exact volume for your dimensions first.
Slab thickness is a design decision for your engineer, builder or the relevant Australian Standard — the rows below are only there to show the arithmetic. An installed slab also includes excavation, a compacted base, formwork, reinforcement, labour, finishing and curing, which this figure leaves out.
| Slab thickness | m³ per m² | m² per m³ | Concrete cost per m² at example $300/m³ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 mm | 0.100 m³ | 10.0 m² | $30.00 |
| 125 mm | 0.125 m³ | 8.0 m² | $37.50 |
| 150 mm | 0.150 m³ | 6.67 m² | $45.00 |
| 200 mm | 0.200 m³ | 5.0 m² | $60.00 |
Cost per m² = thickness in metres × rate per m³. Replace $300 with your quoted rate, then add the delivery fees and GST from the quote.
Worked example: a 4 × 3 m patio slab in Sydney, checked by hand
The slab is 4 m × 3 m × 100 mm. Volume = 4 × 3 × 0.1 = 1.2 m³. With a 10% allowance: 1.2 × 1.1 = 1.32 m³, rounded up to 1.4 m³ on a 0.1 m³ order step (use your supplier's increment).
Concrete at the illustrative $300 per m³ ex GST: 1.4 × $300 = $420.00. Minimum cartage on the Sydney schedule: (4 − 1.4) × $80.00 = 2.6 × $80.00 = $208.00. Waiting time: if barrowing takes 50 minutes, 50 − 30 free = 20 minutes × $3.50 = $70.00.
Subtotal ex GST = $420.00 + $208.00 + $70.00 = $698.00. GST at 10% = $69.80. Total = $767.80. The environment levy and the fortnightly production and transport surcharge would appear as their own lines on top; they are left out here to keep the arithmetic readable.
Effective cost: $767.80 ÷ 1.4 = $548.43 per delivered m³, or $767.80 ÷ 12 m² = $63.98 per m² of slab. The 'rate × area' shortcut (12 m² × 0.1 m³ × $300 = $360.00) would have understated the delivered cost by more than half. The same 1.32 m³ in 20 kg bags would be 1.32 × 108 = 142.6, so 143 bags — which is why small pours often compare premix with bagged concrete.
Other lines to ask about before you book
The published schedules show the kinds of charges that turn a per-m³ price into an invoice. Ask for each one in writing and enter it in the calculator as its own line.
- After-hours and weekend surcharges: Holcim's normal hours are Monday to Friday 6 am to 4 pm; Saturday, evening, Sunday and public-holiday pours carry per-m³ surcharges, some with a 4 m³ per-load minimum.
- Returned concrete: Sydney $400.00 per m³ (or part thereof), Perth $275 per m³ for 0.5 m³ and over, Melbourne $210 per m³ with a 1 m³ minimum charge — a reason not to over-order.
- Cancellation: Sydney charges $300.00 for orders under 25 m³ and Perth $400.00 under 15 m³ when a pour is cancelled or delayed with insufficient notice.
- Mix changes: Sydney lists $5.00 per m³ per 20 mm of slump above 80 mm on N-class grades up to 40 MPa, and a $20.00 per m³ small-aggregate premium.
- Extra cartage: charged per km per m³ beyond a set distance from the nearest plant (for example 15 km from the nearest plant in South East Queensland and from the nearest Western Sydney plant, and 20 km in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth).
- Pump hire: not in the concrete schedule. Line or boom pumps are quoted separately, often with a minimum hire time — get the pump quote before comparing totals.
Common questions
Figures in these answers are Holcim published fees (ex GST, checked 19 Sep 2026) or clearly labelled illustrative rates.
- What is concrete cost per m³ delivered? — Rate per m³ × ordered volume, plus levies, surcharges, any minimum cartage on loads under 4 m³, waiting time and GST. On a 1.4 m³ Sydney pour the worked example comes to $548.43 per m³ at an illustrative $300 base rate.
- Concrete cost per m³ in Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane or Adelaide? — The base rate has to come from a local quote, but the fees differ by city: minimum cartage is $80.00 per undelivered m³ in Melbourne, $90.00 in South East Queensland and Adelaide and $50.00 in Perth on Holcim's current schedules.
- How much does a concrete slab cost per m² in Australia? — For the concrete alone, thickness × rate: a 100 mm slab uses 0.1 m³ per m², so $30 per m² at an illustrative $300/m³ before delivery fees. Installed slabs cost much more once base, formwork, reinforcement and labour are added.
- What is a short load fee? — A charge for delivering less than a full minimum load. Holcim calls it minimum cartage: it applies under 4 m³ and is charged on the undelivered part, so a 1 m³ load pays for 3 m³ of empty truck.
- Do concrete prices include GST? — Check each quote. Holcim's service-fee schedules state they exclude 10% GST, so add 10% to those lines.
Common mistakes
Most concrete budget surprises come from treating the headline rate as the price.
- Multiplying the exact volume by the rate and calling it the delivered total.
- Ignoring the minimum cartage fee on small loads — it can add more than the concrete costs.
- Adding GST to prices that already include it, or forgetting it on ex-GST trade schedules.
- Booking a Saturday or late-afternoon pour without checking the after-hours surcharge.
- Under-estimating unloading time: barrowing a load can run past the free minutes on site.
- Comparing suppliers on base rate alone when their cartage, levy and waiting-time rules differ.
Same project
Related measurement guides
Sources and limits
Check the project-specific details
- Holcim Australia — Concrete service fees (regional schedule index) — Index of current regional concrete service-fee schedules and the fortnightly production and transport surcharge notices (checked 19 Sep 2026).
- Holcim — Sydney Metropolitan service fees (effective 19 Aug 2026) — Ex GST: minimum cartage $80.00 per undelivered m³ under 4 m³, waiting $3.50/min after 30 min, levy $2.00/m³, Saturday morning $5.00/m³, returned concrete $400.00/m³, cancellation $300 under 25 m³, slump and small-aggregate fees (published prices checked 19 Sep 2026; prices change — get a written quote).
- Holcim — Melbourne Metro & Mornington Peninsula service fees (effective 1 May 2026) — Ex GST: minimum cartage $80.00 per undelivered m³, waiting $2.95/min after 30 min, levy $2.80/m³, Saturday morning $6.00/m³, returned concrete $210/m³ (published prices checked 19 Sep 2026).
- Holcim — South East Queensland service fees (effective 1 Jul 2026) — Ex GST: minimum cartage $90.00 per undelivered m³, waiting $3.50/min after 30 min, levy $2.50/m³, Saturday 6 am–12 pm $10.00/m³ (published prices checked 19 Sep 2026).
- Holcim — Adelaide service fees (effective 1 Jul 2026) — Ex GST: minimum cartage $90.00 per undelivered m³, waiting $3.50/min after 30 min, levy $2.50/m³, Saturday morning $10.00/m³ (published prices checked 19 Sep 2026).
- Holcim — Perth Metro service fees (effective 1 Jul 2026) — Ex GST: minimum cartage $50.00 per undelivered m³, waiting $3.75/min after 45 min, levy $2.00/m³, Saturday morning $20.00/m³, returned concrete $275/m³, cancellation $400 under 15 m³ (published prices checked 19 Sep 2026).
Review status: Formulas and worked examples checked by hand; measurement practice pending human trade review.
This guide supports planning only. It does not specify structural design, code compliance, or a supplier quotation.