Concrete Slabs & Footings In Bendigo

Concrete Slabs & Footings Experts

Trusted concreting in Bendigo - quality finishes, fair pricing, and over 12 years of local experience

A concrete slab is the foundation everything else sits on, so it is the one job where cutting corners costs you the most later. Peak Concreting Bendigo pours house slabs, shed and garage floor slabs, extension slabs and suspended slabs, along with the footings that carry them, right across the Bendigo region. Every slab is engineered for the ground it sits on, which matters here because Bendigo's reactive clay soils move with the seasons and will crack or heave a slab that has not been prepared for them. We work to the relevant Australian Standards, AS 2870 for residential slabs and footings and AS 3600 for the concrete itself, with a properly compacted base, the correct reinforcement, a vapour barrier where needed and control joints in the right places. Steve has been pouring slabs and footings across the region for over twelve years, so you get sound advice on thickness, reinforcement and drainage, plus a fixed written quote before any work starts. Call Steve on 0485 032 128 for a free site assessment and quote.

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0485 032 128

Peak Concreting Bendigo

The concrete slabs and footings we pour

Peak Concreting Bendigo pours the full range of slabs, from the foundation under a new home to the floor of a backyard shed. House slabs are the most engineered of them, tying together the footings, reinforcement and floor into a single raft that supports the whole build, and we pour these to suit the site classification and the builder's engineering. Shed and garage floor slabs are a common request across Bendigo blocks, giving you a clean, hard-wearing surface for storage, a workshop or a vehicle, and they can be finished smooth, with a broom texture for grip, or sealed to keep dust down. Extension slabs tie a new room, alfresco or granny flat onto an existing home, where matching levels and joining cleanly to the old slab takes care. Where the ground falls away or a floor needs to sit above the ground, we also form and pour suspended slabs on formwork and beams. Underpinning all of these is the footing, which is the part of the job most people never see but the part that carries the load into stable ground. We pour strip footings under walls, pad footings under posts and point loads, and thickened edge beams as part of a raft slab, along with footings for decks, sheds, carports, retaining walls and fences. Getting the footing right for the soil and the load is what stops the structure above it moving, so we never treat it as an afterthought.

Peak Concreting Bendigo

How we engineer a slab that will not move

A slab that lasts starts with understanding the ground it sits on. Much of the Bendigo region has reactive clay soils that swell when wet and shrink when dry, which is exactly the movement Australian Standard AS 2870 is written to deal with, so slab thickness, edge beam depth and reinforcement are all matched to the site classification rather than guessed. We begin by stripping the topsoil and organic material, then form up and lay a compacted crushed-rock or sand base that we compact in layers so there are no soft spots for the slab to settle into. A polythene vapour barrier goes down under house and habitable slabs to stop ground moisture rising through the concrete. Reinforcement is sized to the job: SL72 or heavier mesh sheets set on bar chairs for slabs, and trench mesh or bar cages in the footings and edge beams, all positioned so the steel sits within the concrete where it does its work. We pour to the specified slab thickness, commonly around 100mm for domestic floor slabs and thicker for loaded or structural slabs, and dig footings to the depth the soil and load require. The concrete itself is a mix specified to AS 3600, and once it is placed we screed it level, float the surface, cut control joints at planned spacings so any shrinkage cracks along neat lines, and then cure it slowly by keeping it damp or applying a curing compound. That slow cure over the first days is what develops full strength and prevents the surface crazing and early cracking you see on rushed pours.

Peak Concreting Bendigo

Why Bendigo builders and homeowners trust Peak Concreting

Slabs and footings are structural work, so who pours them matters. When you call Peak Concreting Bendigo, Steve is the one who assesses the site, sets out the job and runs the pour, not a subcontractor you never meet. Over twelve years pouring across Bendigo, Eaglehawk, Kangaroo Flat, Strathfieldsaye and the surrounding towns, he has developed a real feel for the local ground, from the reactive clays that demand careful edge beams to the rockier sites around the older goldfields suburbs where excavation takes longer. That local knowledge means fewer surprises once the dig starts. We work in cleanly with builders on new homes and extensions, following the engineer's details to the letter, and we are just as comfortable pouring a standalone shed or garage floor for a homeowner. You get a fixed written quote that sets out the thickness, reinforcement and preparation included, honest advice if we think the ground needs more work than expected, and a site left tidy at the end. We are fully insured, we pour to the relevant Australian Standards, and we stand behind every job. For most customers it is that combination of structural know-how and straight dealing that makes them call us back for the next stage and recommend us to others.

Peak Concreting Bendigo

What a concrete slab costs in Bendigo

Slabs are priced by the square metre, with the rate driven by the thickness, the reinforcement, the amount of excavation and how much footing and edge-beam work the site needs. As an indicative guide for the Bendigo area, a straightforward shed or garage floor slab typically runs from around $60 to $85 per square metre supplied and laid, while a fully engineered house slab with deeper edge beams, heavier reinforcement and a vapour barrier costs more per square metre because there is far more steel, concrete and preparation in it. To put the common question about a twenty by twenty foot slab in context, that is roughly thirty-seven square metres, so a plain shed slab of that size sits in the low thousands, more if the ground needs significant cut and fill or the footings have to go deep. The bigger cost drivers are almost always below the surface: the site classification and how reactive the clay is, the depth of the footings, the volume of spoil to remove, access for the concrete truck and pump, and whether the site is level or sloping. Ready-mixed concrete is ordered by the cubic metre, and a good pour plans the volume so there is no waste and no cold joints. Rather than give you a rate that changes once we dig, Steve assesses the site in person and gives you a fixed written quote that spells out exactly what is included. Call 0485 032 128 for a free assessment and quote.

Peak Concreting Bendigo

Poured slab or pre-cast pavers: which is right for the job

A question we hear a lot is whether it is cheaper and better to lay a poured concrete slab or to use pre-cast slabs and pavers, and the honest answer depends on what the surface has to do. For a structural application such as a house floor, a shed, a garage or an extension, a poured, reinforced slab is the only real option, because it forms a continuous, engineered raft that carries load and resists the movement of reactive clay in a way that individual pavers laid on sand simply cannot. Pavers can shift, rock, sink and let weeds through the joints over time, and they are not designed to carry a building. For a purely decorative path, courtyard or small patio with no structural load, pre-cast pavers or slabs can be quick to lay and easy to lift later, and the up-front material cost can look cheaper, though a poured slab usually wins on longevity and on having no joints to maintain. The other consideration is thickness and footings: a poured slab lets us build in the exact reinforcement, edge beams and footing depth the ground and the load call for, which is not possible with a paver system. As a rule, if anything is being built on it or driven over it, pour a slab; if it is a light-duty decorative surface you might want to change later, pavers can suit. Steve will look at what you are trying to achieve and give you the honest recommendation rather than the dearest one.

Related Concreting Services

Concrete Driveways in Bendigo

From plain broom finishes to exposed aggregate and coloured driveways, we build on a compacted base with steel reinforcement so your Bendigo driveway carries weight and resists cracking for decades. Fixed written quotes and honest local workmanship.

Concrete Retaining Walls in Bendigo

Concrete sleeper, core-filled block, poured reinforced and panel retaining walls, engineered for the load with proper footings, steel and drainage. Fixed written quotes and walls built to hold Bendigo's slopes and reactive clay.

Concrete Repairs in Bendigo

Crack, spalling, pitting and sunken-slab repairs, plus resurfacing for tired but sound concrete, with an honest call on repair versus replace. Fixed written quotes and repairs that fix the cause, not just the symptom.

TESTIMONIALS

What Our Concrete Slabs & Footings Customers Say About Us

The Process

3 Step Process For Your Concrete Slabs & Footings Needs

Free Quote

Call Steve to describe the job. He visits to measure up, check access and ground, then gives you a fixed written price.

We Prepare

We excavate the site, compact the base, set formwork and steel mesh, then pour and finish your concrete the way you chose.

Finish Up

We cut control joints, cure the slab properly, strip the formwork and clean the site, leaving a durable finish built to last.

Concrete Slabs & Footings In Bendigo

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Everything you need to know about our Concrete Slabs & Footings In Bendigo

Is it cheaper to lay concrete or slabs?

It depends on the job and what you mean by slabs. For anything structural, a house floor, a shed, a garage or an extension, a poured, reinforced concrete slab is both the correct choice and usually the better long-term value, because it forms one engineered surface that carries load and copes with Bendigo's reactive clay. Pre-cast pavers or pavers laid on sand can be cheaper to buy for a light decorative area, but they can shift, sink and let weeds through, and they are not built to carry weight. Steve will tell you honestly which suits your situation. Call 0485 032 128 for advice and a quote.

How much does it cost to do a 20 by 20 concrete slab?

A twenty by twenty foot slab is roughly thirty-seven square metres. As an indicative guide, a plain shed or garage floor slab of that size in the Bendigo area typically sits in the low thousands supplied and laid, while an engineered slab with deeper footings, heavier reinforcement and a vapour barrier costs more. The real price depends on excavation, the site classification, footing depth, access for the truck and pump, and whether the ground is level. Steve measures and assesses the site, then gives you a fixed written quote. Ring 0485 032 128 to arrange it.

How much is a cubic metre of concrete in Australia?

Ready-mixed concrete is ordered by the cubic metre, and the supply price varies with the strength of the mix, the volume ordered and delivery, so it is best confirmed at the time of the job. On a slab job, though, the concrete supply is only one part of the cost: excavation, base preparation, formwork, reinforcement, the pour, finishing and curing all sit alongside it. That is why we quote the whole job as a fixed price per square metre rather than just the concrete. Call 0485 032 128 and describe the slab for an accurate quote.

What thickness should my concrete slab be?

It depends on what the slab is for and the ground beneath it. A typical domestic floor or shed slab is often around 100mm thick, while structural house slabs use thicker edge beams and heavier reinforcement set out by an engineer to suit the site classification under AS 2870. Slabs that carry heavier loads, such as a workshop floor or a driveway that doubles as hardstand, are poured thicker again. Steve will recommend the right thickness and reinforcement for your job and put it in writing in the quote, so nothing is left to guesswork.

How long before I can build on or use a new slab?

A slab is generally firm enough to walk on and continue work within a day or two, but concrete keeps gaining strength for weeks after the pour. For most building work, framing can begin within about a week once the slab has cured enough, but the concrete does not reach close to its full rated strength until around 28 days. Curing it slowly over the first days by keeping it damp is what builds that strength and prevents surface cracking. Steve will give you a clear timeframe for your specific slab when he quotes the job.

Do you pour footings as well as slabs?

Yes. Footings and slabs go hand in hand, and we pour both, including strip footings under walls, pad footings under posts and point loads, thickened edge beams as part of a raft slab, and footings for decks, sheds, carports, retaining walls and fences. Getting the footing depth and reinforcement right for the soil and the load is what stops the structure above it moving, so we treat it as a core part of the job rather than an add-on. Call 0485 032 128 and describe what you are building for a quote.