Red brick-pattern spray-on paving laid over a concrete driveway, photographed low to the surface
The short answer
Spray paving in Perth is priced per square metre, and the rate moves with five things: total area, how much preparation the slab needs, pattern and colour complexity, site access, and sealer specification. Preparation is the biggest swing - two identical-sized driveways can differ by around 40 per cent purely on prep. Nobody can price your job accurately from a photo, so get a measured written quote.
Spray paving is quoted per square metre, but the rate is not fixed - it moves with preparation, complexity and access. Two 100 m² driveways can differ by 40 per cent for entirely legitimate reasons.
Rather than publish a number that would be wrong for most readers, here is the anatomy of the price.
Key takeaways
- Priced per square metre, but the rate is not fixed.
- Preparation is the largest single variable in any quote.
- Bigger areas earn better per-metre rates; small jobs carry mobilisation cost.
- Compare quotes on measured area, itemised prep, sealer coats and cure times.
1. Area, and the economics of scale
Mobilising equipment, masking and setting out costs roughly the same on 40 m² as on 140 m². Small jobs carry a higher per-metre rate; large jobs get better rates.
This is why combining the driveway with the path and courtyard in one visit is usually cheaper than doing them in two.
2. Preparation - the biggest variable
A clean, sound slab needs a pressure clean and prime. A slab with an old failed coating, heavy oil saturation, spalled edges and active cracking needs grinding, chasing, filling and rebuilding first.
- Pressure clean and degrease: standard on every job
- Grinding back a previous coating: significant added labour
- Crack chasing, filling and edge rebuilds: priced by linear metre
- Organic growth treatment on shaded areas
3. Pattern and colour complexity
A single-colour large-format layout is quicker than a two-tone random flagstone with cut borders. Feature borders, multiple colours and inlays all add setting-out time.
4. Access and site conditions
Steep Hills driveways, laneway-only access, strata working windows and tight courtyards all add time. So does protecting adjacent surfaces - glass, render, pool coping and planting all need masking.
5. Sealer specification
A driveway carrying vehicles needs a heavier traffic-grade system than a covered alfresco. Non-slip additives on pool surrounds add material and an extra application pass.
How to compare quotes fairly
Ask every quoter for the same four things and the comparison becomes simple.
- The measured area in square metres they have priced
- Exactly what preparation is included, itemised
- Number of sealer coats and whether non-slip is included
- Cure times and when you get vehicle access back
The comparison that matters
The relevant benchmark is not another overlay quote - it is the cost of replacing the slab. Resurfacing consistently lands at a fraction of demolition-plus-repour, which is the entire reason the trade exists. Request a written quote and we will measure it properly.
What a fair quote should itemise
A quote that is one line and one number cannot be compared with anything. Ours separates the work so you can see what you are buying.
- Measured area in square metres, per area (driveway, path, alfresco)
- Preparation: pressure clean, degrease, grinding, crack chasing, edge repairs
- System and finish: pattern, colour, number of coats
- Sealer: type, number of coats, whether non-slip is included
- Cure and access times: foot traffic and vehicle traffic
Ways to bring the price down honestly
- Quote all areas in one visit rather than returning later
- Choose a single-colour large-format pattern over multi-colour with cut borders
- Deal with oil stains and moss before we arrive where you safely can
- Book outside peak summer if your timing is flexible
The benchmark that actually matters
The useful comparison is not another overlay quote - it is demolition, cartage and a new pour. Resurfacing consistently lands at a fraction of replacement, which is the whole reason the trade exists. Request a measured quote and we will price the slab you actually have.
Frequently asked questions
- Why won't you give a price per square metre over the phone?
- Because preparation drives the rate and it cannot be assessed from a description. We can talk through the range on the phone, then measure on site and put a fixed figure in writing.
- Is a small courtyard cheaper per square metre than a driveway?
- No - it is usually dearer per metre. Set-up, masking and mobilisation cost much the same regardless of area, so small jobs carry a higher rate.
- Do you charge extra for preparation?
- Preparation is itemised in the quote rather than hidden. Standard cleaning and priming is included; grinding off a failed coating or rebuilding spalled edges is priced separately so you can see it.
- Why is one spray paving quote thousands cheaper than another?
- Almost always preparation, sealer coats or both. Ask each quoter for measured area, itemised prep and coat count and the gap usually explains itself.
