Honed Concrete Cost in Brisbane (2026)
In Brisbane honed concrete is priced per square metre by area, grind level and aggregate, with the cool, low-sheen floor suiting the subtropical climate.
Your honed concrete details
Your estimate sits within the typical range.
Your estimate sits within the typical range.
Honed concrete gives a flatter, more refined look than exposed aggregate and is easier underfoot, but it can be more slippery when wet, so ask about an anti-slip additive for pool surrounds and steps.
Ways to save
- A light salt-and-pepper grind is the cheapest honed look and still modern, deep exposure costs more for the extra passes.
- Specify a honed finish before the pour, retrofitting a honed look to an unsuitable slab costs more and looks worse.
- Bundle honing of driveway, path and alfresco in one mobilisation of the grinding gear.
How we estimate this
Honed concrete in Australia typically costs around $90 to $150 per square metre supplied and laid in 2026, more than plain or exposed aggregate because of the grinding and sealing labour. A mid-size alfresco or driveway often lands around $3,500 to $9,000.
Pricing reviewed: October 2026.
What a honed concrete costs in Brisbane
Honed concrete in Brisbane is costed by the area, how far the surface is ground and polished, and the aggregate revealed, because honing grinds a cured concrete slab to a smooth, matte, flat finish showing the sand and fine stone, a specialist process dearer than a plain finish. The grind level is the main lever, as a light hone is cheaper than a deeper cut and higher polish, so the area and the hone level lead the figure.
A honed floor suits the subtropical Brisbane climate, because a smooth, light-toned honed surface stays cooler underfoot than dark tiles and gives a seamless indoor-outdoor flow from the living area to the alfresco that the warm climate encourages. It differs from exposed aggregate, which is washed to a rough, grippy texture often used outdoors, because a honed surface is smooth and better suited to a covered floor than a wet, open driveway. It also differs from a resurfacing overlay, which is a topping, as honing cuts the real slab. The humidity means the sealer is chosen to breathe and not trap moisture. Service labour near the national baseline keeps it a touch below the southern capitals. It is decorative concreting and grinding by a concreter or specialist rather than a licensed building trade, with a licensed builder for any structural slab.
Honing a concrete surface is decorative concreting and grinding by a concreter or specialist rather than a licensed building trade, so no building licence is required for the finish, though a structural slab is a concreter or licensed builder's work, with building work licensed in Queensland under the state regulator. For a Brisbane home, the clearest way to price honed concrete is by the area, the grind-and-polish level, and the aggregate, with the cool, low-sheen floor suiting the subtropical climate.
Compare against the national picture: Honed Concrete Cost in Australia →
Honed Concrete Cost in other cities
Frequently asked questions
How is honed concrete priced in Brisbane?
By the area, how far the surface is ground and polished, and the aggregate revealed, because honing grinds a cured slab to a smooth matte finish, so a light hone is cheaper than a deeper cut and higher polish in Brisbane.
Does honed concrete suit the subtropical climate in Brisbane?
Yes. A smooth, light-toned honed surface stays cooler underfoot than dark tiles and gives a seamless indoor-outdoor flow from the living area to the alfresco that the warm Brisbane climate encourages.
How is honed concrete different from exposed aggregate in Brisbane?
Honing grinds the surface smooth and is better suited to a covered floor, while exposed aggregate is washed to a rough, grippy texture often used outdoors on a wet, open driveway in Brisbane.
Do I need a licence for honed concrete in Brisbane?
No. Honing is decorative concreting and grinding by a concreter or specialist, not a licensed building trade, though a structural slab is a concreter or licensed builder's work, with building work licensed in Queensland under the state regulator.