How long does a new driveway actually take?
From first site visit to driving on it — a realistic timeline for a residential exposed aggregate driveway in SEQ.
A typical residential driveway runs about two to three weeks from first site visit to vehicle traffic. Here's how that breaks down in real working days — and where the weather has the final word.
Week one — quote, design, lock-in
Day 1: on-site visit, measure-up, talk through options. Day 2–3: written quote in your inbox. Day 4–5: sample boards, finish selection, deposit-free sign-off. Council crossover work adds 1–3 weeks for permits — we lodge while quoting so it runs in parallel.
Week two — demo, prep, form-up
Old slab out, sub-base compacted, formwork built in steel and timber, mesh and bar chairs placed. This is the slow part — and the part most jobs get wrong. We don't pour until set-out has been checked twice.
Week three — pour, wash, drive on
Pour day starts at 6am. By lunchtime the slab is screeded and seeded. The retarder goes on; we come back the next morning to wash. Foot traffic at 48 hours, vehicles at 7 days. Sealer (if specified) goes on at 28 days once the slab has fully cured.