Coloured concrete in Logan
Updated October 2026
Coloured concrete is the cheapest way to make a driveway look deliberate. Oxide is added through the mix so the colour runs the full depth rather than sitting on top, which means wear does not expose a grey patch underneath. Charcoal, slate, sandstone and the warmer earth tones all suit the brick-and-render mix of houses across Logan. We connect you with experienced, insured local concreters who pour it. We are a referral service, not a concreting business.
What coloured concrete costs
Guide pricing only. Coloured concrete typically runs about $95 to $200 per square metre installed in 2026, against roughly $75 to $150 for plain grey. The oxide itself is a modest part of that. Most of the difference is the care the finish demands, because colour shows every inconsistency a grey slab forgives. Get a fast quote for a real number.
Where it earns its place
- Front driveways on newer homes at Logan Reserve, Park Ridge, Flagstone and Yarrabilba, where a charcoal driveway against a light render is the current look
- Alfresco slabs and patios, where a darker floor reads as an outdoor room rather than a slab
- Paths and pool surrounds, usually in a lighter tone that stays cooler underfoot
- Replacement driveways on older homes around Beenleigh, Springwood and Daisy Hill, where colour lifts a 1970s or 1980s frontage for very little extra
Through-colour, dry shake and stain
- Through-colour oxide is mixed into the concrete at the plant. It is the most durable option and the one most quotes mean by coloured concrete.
- Dry shake colour hardener is broadcast onto the surface and worked in. It gives stronger colour and a harder wearing surface, and it is more common on commercial floors.
- Surface stains and tinted sealers colour existing concrete. They are a refresh rather than a finish, and they wear where the traffic is.
Getting the colour right the first time
Colour is the part of this job people regret, and almost always for the same reasons. Wet concrete looks nothing like cured concrete. Oxide dries lighter. A sample card indoors is not the same colour in Queensland sun. Two loads from different batches can vary slightly, which shows most on a large continuous pour.
So before you order: look at a cured sample panel or a finished job in the same oxide, outside, in daylight. Ask the concreter to order the whole job in one batch run where the size allows it. Expect some natural variation and mottling, because that is what concrete does. And remember efflorescence, the white bloom that can appear in the first months, shows up more against a dark colour. It usually weathers off.
Sealing and upkeep
Colour holds better under a sealer, and a darker driveway in full sun will fade over the years regardless. Ask what sealer is included, how many coats, and what the reseal interval and cost look like. Also ask about the finish texture: a broom finish on dark oxide hides marks better than a smooth trowelled surface, which shows every scuff.
The job underneath still decides the outcome
Colour does not change the fundamentals. Base preparation, mesh, thickness and jointing are what keep a driveway together, and site classification under the Australian standard is done per block to set them. The crossover between your boundary and the kerb is Logan City Council's land and a new or altered crossover usually needs the council's approval, so check the requirements with the council. In Queensland, building work valued over $3,300 generally requires a QBCC licensed contractor, and the approval rules sit in the Building Regulation 2021, applied by the council and private building certifiers. Before any digging, a free Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) enquiry.
Coloured, exposed or plain
If you want texture and stone, exposed aggregate is the finish to price. If you want a clean single tone, coloured concrete does it for less. Plenty of jobs use both: a coloured base with exposed aggregate borders, or a coloured driveway with an exposed entry path. If the budget is tight, plain grey with a good broom finish and tidy joints still beats a cheap decorative job.
Ready to compare prices? Get a fast quote.
Frequently asked questions
Will the colour fade?
Some fading is normal over years of Queensland sun, more so on dark tones. Through-colour oxide fades far less visibly than a surface treatment, because the colour is not a layer that can wear through. A maintained sealer slows it down.
Why does my new coloured driveway look patchy?
Mottling and slight variation are normal in coloured concrete. A white bloom in the first months is usually efflorescence and generally weathers away. If the variation is stark between sections, ask whether the job came from more than one batch and raise it with the concreter early.
Can I colour my existing driveway?
Only with a stain or tinted sealer, which sits on the surface and wears. For a lasting colour the concrete has to be poured with oxide in it.
Does coloured concrete get hotter underfoot?
Dark tones do, which matters around a pool or on a patio you walk on barefoot. Lighter sandstone and limestone tones are the usual answer there.