Concreting has two compliance flags most tradies miss: formwork and falsework are high-risk construction work needing a SWMS, and operating a concrete placing boom needs a high-risk work licence. Add the footing-and-slab inspection and the brutal material-price and tax surprises, and here is the year-one reality.
Licences, cards and tickets
- White Card (CPCCWHS1001) to enter any site.
- High Risk Work Licence — PB class if you personally operate a concrete placing boom (a truck or trailer-mounted articulating boom that slews and luffs) — not line pumps or chute placement. Training and assessment with an RTO, 18+, with the licence application lodged within ~60 days of competency.
- Formwork and falsework are high-risk construction work — so a SWMS is legally required (see SWMS & High-Risk Construction Work), and a formwork contractor is expected to hold the relevant state registration (e.g. a NSW formwork contractor licence or qualified supervisor) and insurances.
- Building-work thresholds apply for direct-to-public work (e.g. NSW over $5,000); subbing to a licensed builder means they carry the primary licence but will demand your White Card, competence, insurances and HRW where relevant.
Starter kit and hire
Own day one: hand-finishing tools (trowels, edgers, groovers, bull float, screeds, kneeboards —
$600-1,200), layout and QA gear (laser level, stringline, squares —
$900-1,500), plus PPE including respiratory protection for cutting and grinding (silica — see Silica & Engineered Stone). Hire or subcontract: ride-on power floats and trowel machines, boom and line pumps (specialist pumpers), excavators and compaction for sub-base prep, and large engineered formwork systems (the builder usually provides and specifies). The rule: own what fits in the ute and small trailer; hire anything needing its own registration, an HRW licence or special maintenance. See Tooling Up.
$400-1,000), an entry concrete vibrator (
$800-1,500), a demo/cut-off saw (
Rates and work sources
Indicative 2025-26: residential plain slabs and driveways ~$50-75/m², reinforced ~$80-135/m²; an installed slab (materials + labour + margin) ~$100-150/m²; ready-mix supply ~$240-340/m³ standard (up to ~$450 high-MPa or decorative); labour-only to a builder ~$400-650+/day per person, or clearing ~$60-80/hr after materials direct to a homeowner. Work comes from residential slabs and driveways, small commercial (warehouse slabs, footpaths — subbie to builders or civil), and formwork packages under a licensed builder with an engineer's design.
The money traps — material volatility and tax
Two surprises bite hard:
- Never quote concrete at yesterday's rate. Ready-mix runs ~$240-340/m³ (up to ~$450 high-spec), and suppliers time-limit quotes — quote at last quarter's price and a rise before pour day comes straight out of your margin. Confirm the current plant $/m³ and delivery, and put an expiry date and a price-variation clause in the quote; build a small contingency into your rate for rises and wastage.
- The tax-and-super shock — no PAYG withholding, so the first tax bill and year-2 instalments can land together. Sweep at least 25-30% of every invoice to a separate account, register for GST promptly and do quarterly BAS (concreting revenue spikes fast on a builder's list). Self-fund super (see The Money Reality). Seasonality also bites — heat limits pour windows, and the northern wet season wipes slab schedules (see Seasonal Slowdowns & Cashflow).
The first inspection (footing and slab)
Before the pour, a certifier or council inspector checks: footing trenches (depth, width, bearing vs the engineer's drawings); reinforcement (bar and mesh size, spacing, laps, cover, chair density, tying); formwork (line, level, bracing, joint tightness against blow-outs); and services penetrations and termite barriers. If they are unhappy, you rectify (add chairs, correct laps, re-compact soft spots) and re-inspect, or the pour is rejected — and a failed inspection delays the builder's progress claim and sours the relationship fast. Schedule inspections early, be on site, and have the drawings and SWMS ready.
Common mistakes
- Wrong mix (MPa/slump/exposure class), under-reinforcing, or poor sub-base compaction → cracking and rejected pours.
- Operating a boom pump without the PB licence, or contracting direct above the state threshold unlicensed.
- A generic SWMS that does not reflect the actual site hazards.
- Quoting concrete at an old rate with no variation clause.
Know someone who needs this?
Keep reading
Was this guide useful?
Didn't find what you were looking for?
Spotted something wrong or out of date? Email us at hello@kilnguides.co.uk.
In crisis? Lifeline 13 11 14 ·