Find the real cost of concrete per cubic metre. Start with a quoted rate, add short-load fees, levies and other charges, and see what you will pay per m³ once it is delivered.
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Delivered Cost Per m³
A$0
Bag shelf prices usually include GST, and supplier schedules often do not, so check before you compare.
This concrete cost per m³ calculator shows the price you really pay for each cubic metre, which can be a long way from the headline rate. It is built around supplier fees, so it is most useful for small and medium orders.
Need the volume first? Use the Concrete Volume Calculator, or the Concrete Quantity Estimator for a whole job. For the price of a finished slab, including labour and base, see the Concrete Slab Price Estimator.
A rate per cubic metre is only the start. It is the price of the concrete at the plant or chute, and suppliers often add other charges. The figure that matters is the total you pay, divided by the concrete you get.
On a full truck, the two numbers are close. On a small load, they can be far apart. A A$380 rate can turn into more than A$600 per m³ on a 1 m³ order, because the short-load fee is spread over very little concrete.
This matters for two reasons. It helps you set a realistic budget, and it lets you compare suppliers fairly. A supplier with a lower rate and a higher short-load fee can end up costing more on a small job.
Published prices vary widely, partly because they do not all measure the same thing. Suppliers rarely publish their list prices, so these are guides from cost websites.
| Source | What It Covers | Price Per m³ | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| What's The Damage | 25 MPa delivered, supply only, national | A$300 to A$480, typically A$380 | November 2026 |
| What's The Damage | 25 MPa supply only, Melbourne, with GST | A$315 to A$505, typically A$400 | November 2026 |
| Yellow Pages | Standard mixed concrete, national | A$400 to A$450 | April 2026 |
| New Life In Australia | 25 MPa, before delivery and pump | A$210 to A$250 | October 2026 |
The New Life In Australia figures are much lower than the others. Those prices are before delivery and pump hire, its page calls them indicative, and it says exact list prices are not published. Treat that row with care, and do not budget from it alone. The tool starts with the What's The Damage figure, because it is the most recently verified, and it is stated as a delivered, supply-only price.
Whichever figure you start with, a phone quote is the only one that counts. Prices depend on your suburb, the mix, the plant and the day.
Stronger concrete uses more cement, so it costs more. Two published guides show that pattern, though their levels differ.
| Strength | Yellow Pages | New Life In Australia | Common Use Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 MPa | A$400 | A$180 to A$220 | Footpaths, garden edging |
| 25 MPa | A$410 | A$210 to A$250 | House slabs, driveways |
| 32 MPa | A$430 | A$250 to A$300 | Heavy-duty driveways, structural slabs |
| 40 MPa | A$450 | A$300 to A$380 | Structural and commercial work |
Yellow Pages shows a steady step of A$10 to A$20 per m³ between grades. New Life In Australia shows bigger steps. Either way, going up one grade usually costs less than a single short-load fee.
The strength is not a place to save. It comes from your plans, your council or an engineer. For the meaning of N20, N25 and N32, read our guide to concrete grades.
Only one of our sources breaks the price down by city. These are indicative figures from New Life In Australia, before delivery and pump hire. They are useful for comparing one city with another, but they sit below the national ranges above. The page also says rural areas are commonly quoted 15 to 25% higher.
| City | 20 MPa | 32 MPa And Above | Delivery Radius |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne | A$170 to A$210 | A$250 to A$320 | 40 km |
| Sydney | A$185 to A$230 | A$270 to A$350 | 50 km |
| Brisbane | A$180 to A$225 | A$260 to A$340 | 45 km |
| Perth | A$200 to A$280 | A$290 to A$380 | 30 km |
What's The Damage lists 25 MPa at A$315 to A$505 per m³ in Melbourne, including GST, which is well above the Melbourne row here. That is a good reason to get a real quote. Distance from the plant also matters, because supplier schedules charge extra cartage past a set distance.
This is the biggest factor for small jobs. This table uses a A$380 rate with the Holcim Melbourne fees, a 4 m³ short-load limit and A$3.50 in levies. The variable surcharge is left out, and GST is not added.
| Order Size | Short Fee | Total | Cost Per m³ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 m³ | A$240 | A$624 | A$624 |
| 2 m³ | A$160 | A$927 | A$464 |
| 3 m³ | A$80 | A$1,231 | A$410 |
| 4 m³ | A$0 | A$1,534 | A$384 |
| 6 m³ | A$0 | A$2,301 | A$384 |
| 7 m³ On 6 m³ Trucks | A$240 | A$2,925 | A$418 |
Notice two things. First, the cost drops quickly up to the short-load limit, then stays flat. Second, it rises again at 7 m³, because the second truck carries only 1 m³. A small extra amount can bring the short-load fee back. Sometimes it is cheaper to trim or top up the order, or to ask about a larger truck. iSeekPlant lists standard agitators at 6 to 8 m³.
Yellow Pages reports that Eureka Concrete in Ballarat quotes A$407 for 1 m³ of 20 MPa, A$583 for 2 m³ and A$795 for 3 m³. By our arithmetic, that is about A$407, A$292 and A$265 per m³. The same pattern shows up, with the price per m³ falling as the load grows.
Large suppliers publish their service fees by region. Here are four current examples. All exclude GST, and each applies only to its own region. These are the schedules loaded into the calculator.
| Fee | Holcim Melbourne | Holcim Perth | Holcim South East Qld | Boral Tasmania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short Load | Under 4 m³, A$80/m³ | Under 4 m³, A$50/m³ | Under 4 m³, A$90/m³ | Under 3 m³, A$70/m³ |
| Fixed Levies Per m³ | A$3.50 | A$2.00 | A$2.50 | A$13.44 |
| Free Unloading Time | 30 minutes | 45 minutes | 30 minutes | 30 minutes |
| Waiting After That | A$2.95 a minute | A$3.75 a minute | A$3.50 a minute | A$3.00 a minute |
| Extra Cartage | A$2.85/km/m³ past 20 km | A$4.00/km/m³ past 20 km | A$3.00/km/m³ past 15 km | A$3.00/km/m³ past 20 km |
| Late Cancellation, Small Pour | A$525 | A$400 | A$500 | A$750 |
| Effective | 1 May 2026 | 1 May 2026 | 1 July 2026 | 1 July 2026 |
The sources are Holcim Melbourne, Holcim Perth, Holcim South East Queensland and Boral Tasmania. The cancellation row is for the smallest pour size in each schedule, and each has its own notice rules.
The fee applies to the part of the truck you are not using. For example, a 2.5 m³ load with a 4 m³ limit is 1.5 m³ short. At A$80, that adds A$120.
Holcim lists an environment levy in each region, plus a toll levy in Melbourne. The tool includes those fixed amounts. Holcim also lists a Production and Transport Surcharge that is updated fortnightly, with no fixed figure, so the examples leave it out. Ask your supplier for the current amount and add it to the Levies box. Boral's Tasmanian schedule lists its surcharge at A$13.44 per m³, subject to change. Yellow Pages separately reports a much lower Boral transport charge of A$1.34 per m³ from July 2025, so check the current figure.
Sites far from a plant pay extra per km and per m³. Waiting time starts once the free unloading time is up. On a job with a slow pump or a small crew, those minutes add up.
A special mix or a weekend pour can add a lot per cubic metre. Use the Mix Extras box in the calculator for these. The Perth Saturday figure is our likely reading of a table that was hard to read, so check it.
| Extra | Holcim Melbourne | Holcim Perth | Holcim South East Qld |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 mm Aggregate | A$26 | A$12 | A$10 |
| Slump Above 80 mm, Per 20 mm | A$4.20 | A$8 | A$5 |
| Oxides And Fibres | A$10.50 | A$8 | A$15 |
| Saturday 12 pm To 4 pm | A$42 | A$55 (likely reading) | A$45 |
Holcim's Melbourne schedule also lists A$6 per m³ for Saturday from 6 am to 12 pm, so an early start can cost much less than an afternoon pour. Boral Tasmania charges nothing extra on Saturday mornings, and A$60 per m³ from 12 pm. Holcim says water should not be added on site to increase slump, so ask for the slump you need when you order. See its ordering tips for more.
Core fill and block work often use 10 mm aggregate. The Concrete Block Wall Calculator covers those quantities.
Bagged concrete costs far more per cubic metre. The Bunnings listing for Dingo MaxPRO shows a 20 kg bag at A$14.44, and says 108 bags make one cubic metre. That comes to about A$1,560 per m³. New Life In Australia gives a similar A$1,000 to A$1,800 per m³.
So even a heavily charged 1 m³ short load, at about A$624, is less than half the price of bags. So why buy bags at all? They can still suit a very small job, because the total is what counts:
Each bag also has to be carried, mixed and placed, and that effort rises quickly. Our Concrete Bag Calculator helps with the count. For a mix made from cement, sand and gravel, use the Concrete Mix Calculator.
Ready-mix is sold by the cubic metre, while slabs are often priced by the square metre. To change one into the other, multiply the cost per m³ by the thickness in metres.
So A$400 per m³ at 100 mm is A$40 per m² for the concrete alone. At 150 mm, it is A$60 per m². That is well below a laid slab price, because a laid price also covers the base, steel, forms, labour and finishing. Comparing the two directly is a common mistake. For a full build-up, use the Concrete Slab Price Estimator.
A quick phone call gets you a much better number if you ask the right questions.
Enter the answers in the calculator, and you will have a true cost per m³ for each supplier. Holcim suggests ordering at least a week before delivery, and lead times vary by region.
The calculator adds each charge, then divides by the order.
For a slab, the order is length × width × thickness, plus your waste allowance, rounded up to 0.1 m³. The tool assumes full loads first, with only the last load short. Your supplier may split it differently. Dollar figures are rounded to the nearest A$1.
These examples use the calculator's own output, with a A$380 rate and Holcim Melbourne fees unless stated. GST is not added. They only show how the maths works.
The concrete is A$950. The load is 1.5 m³ short of 4 m³, which adds A$120, and levies add about A$9. The total is A$1,079, or A$432 per m³. That is A$52 more per m³ than the quoted rate.
The short-load fee disappears. The total is A$1,534, or A$384 per m³.
The second truck carries just 1 m³, so 3 m³ is charged as short, at A$240. The total is A$2,925, or A$418 per m³. It is worth asking whether one larger truck could take the full order.
With 10% waste, the order is 3.3 m³. That is 0.7 m³ short, which adds A$56. The total is A$1,322, or A$400 per m³.
A site 8 km past the free zone adds A$114. Fifteen minutes of waiting adds A$44. A 10 mm mix at A$26 per m³ adds A$130. With levies, the total is A$2,206, or A$441 per m³.
Supplier A quotes A$370, with a A$90 short-load fee and A$2.50 in levies. Supplier B quotes A$395, with a A$50 fee and A$2 in levies, and both have a 4 m³ limit. Supplier A comes to A$925, or A$463 per m³. Supplier B comes to A$894, or A$447 per m³. The higher quoted rate is A$31 cheaper overall.
Wet concrete can burn skin and eyes, so wear gloves, long sleeves and eye protection. Cutting or grinding hardened concrete creates dust that can contain silica. Read Safe Work Australia's silica guidance first. Our How We Calculate Concrete page explains how we use these figures.
What's The Damage lists 25 MPa ready-mix at A$300 to A$480 per m³ delivered, typically A$380, in November 2026. Yellow Pages gives A$400 to A$450. Small orders can cost far more per m³ once fees are added.
It depends on short-load fees. In one Yellow Pages example, a Ballarat supplier quotes A$407 for 1 m³ of 20 MPa. With A$380 concrete and Holcim Melbourne fees, 1 m³ comes to about A$624.
A truck still has to be sent, whatever it carries. So suppliers charge a short-load fee on the undelivered part. Four published schedules set the limit at 3 or 4 m³, with fees of A$50 to A$90 per m³ short.
Usually a full load, or an order at or above the short-load limit. In our example with a 4 m³ limit, the cost per m³ falls from about A$624 at 1 m³ to about A$384 at 4 m³.
Yellow Pages lists 32 MPa at about A$20 more per m³ than 25 MPa. New Life In Australia shows a gap of about A$40 to A$50. Get a price for your exact mix, as the grade comes from your plans.
It varies. What's The Damage says its rate is delivered to the chute, while New Life In Australia gives prices before delivery. Always ask for a delivered price, including all levies.
Per m³, ready-mix is much cheaper. One 20 kg bag at A$14.44 and 108 bags per m³ comes to about A$1,560 per m³, against about A$624 for a 1 m³ short load in our example. Very small jobs can still suit bags.
About 108 bags of 20 kg, according to the Bunnings listing for Dingo MaxPRO. Check the yield on your own bag.
It is an extra charge per m³ that some suppliers add on top of the rate. Holcim says its surcharge is variable and updated fortnightly, so the tool leaves it out of its examples. Boral Tasmania lists A$13.44 per m³.
Not always. The Holcim and Boral fee schedules exclude GST. The What's The Damage Melbourne page includes it. Bunnings shelf prices include it. Check each figure before you compare.
Compare the delivered cost per m³, not the headline rate. Enter both rates and short-load terms in the calculator. A lower rate can end up dearer on a small order.
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Prices reviewed November 2026. Sources: What's The Damage, Yellow Pages, New Life In Australia, Holcim, Boral, Bunnings, iSeekPlant and Safe Work Australia, linked in the sections above. Published prices and fees are third-party figures that change over time, and they apply to the regions named. The default order examples are ConcreteCreek planning settings. Results are estimates and not quotes, so confirm all prices and fees with your supplier. See our Disclaimer and Calculator Methodology.