Exposed aggregate and liquid limestone, supplied and laid
Exposed aggregate is concrete with the surface fines washed or brushed away once the slab has partly cured, so the stones in the mix show on top. Liquid limestone is a decorative concrete made from crushed limestone and cement. It pours and cures like concrete but has no stone texture on the surface. Both are poured on site for driveways, paths, alfresco areas and pool surrounds.
IBP Paving supplies and lays both, alongside the brick and concrete pavers we have laid around Perth for over 20 years from Landsdale. Most Perth results for this search are concreters or suppliers. Because we lay poured finishes and pavers, we can tell you plainly which one suits your job. It is part of our paving services across Perth.
Source: Boral, Exposed Aggregate Concrete FAQs; Limecrete, A Homeowner's Guide To Liquid Limestone; CoastCrete, Liquid limestone Perth guide.
Exposed aggregate or liquid limestone
| Exposed aggregate | Liquid limestone | |
|---|---|---|
| Surface | Stones show through; finer or coarser depending on how far it is exposed | No stone texture; steel trowel, sand broom, heavy broom or salt finish |
| Colour | White, cream, grey and black bases; Boral alone lists 28 WA mixes | Cream limestone tones |
| Heat | Reflects less sun than light cream liquid limestone | Light cream reflects more sun |
| Driveways | Suits cars | Heavy 4WDs, utes and boat trailers can mark the surface |
Choose your colour from a real sample rather than a screen. Decorative mixes use natural quarry stone, so some variation between batches is normal. Exposed aggregate can also be honed or polished, and a coarse exposure can feel rough underfoot, so ask for a finer exposure where people walk barefoot.
Source: Boral exposé WA range and FAQs; Limecrete, Exposed Aggregate Perth; CoastCrete, Liquid limestone Perth guide; Perth Landscape Guys, Aggregate Concrete Perth.
Poured or pavers: the trade offs
Freo Stone, a WA supplier, says it plainly: "All poured concrete from any installer is likely to crack." Control joints make the cracks follow planned lines, and Australian industry guidance treats a 0.3 mm crack as acceptable. Before you choose a poured finish, weigh these points.
- Access. A slab cannot be lifted for pipes, cables, reticulation, pool plumbing or lighting. It is cut and patched, and the patch may not match. Pavers lift out and go back.
- Ants and weeds can come up through cracks. Joint filler goes into cracks once they appear, not before.
- Later additions. Poured panels are not factory controlled, so an extension poured later may not match the original.
- In its favour. Limecrete points to one continuous surface with fewer joints for weeds, and no individual units to settle out of line.
There is a middle ground: exposed aggregate finish pavers. Freo Stone's engineered limestone pavers in colours such as Abrolhos and Metro are blasted to show Western Australian aggregate, and Remastone makes a fine grade Exquisite range in 400 x 400 and 600 x 300 mm. We can lay these ranges like any other paver, following each maker's own bedding instructions, because they differ. Freo Stone suggests pavers over any area likely to need access later.
Source: Freo Stone, Poured Aggregate and Liquid Limestone and W.A. Made Limestone Pavers; Remastone, Exposed Aggregate pavers; CCAA, Residential Concrete Driveways and Paths.
Perth soil, salt, heat and council crossovers
Soil. Much of the northern corridor sits on deep grey Bassendean sand, the coastal strip on Spearwood sand over limestone, and the eastern suburbs on clay. Liquid limestone needs the same compacted road base and reinforcement as structural concrete, so pouring straight onto sand is a red flag. On reactive clay, industry guidance calls for at least 100 mm of road base, not sand.
Salt and heat. Within about 1 to 2 km of the ocean, salty wind drives efflorescence, the white salt bloom. Within 1 km of the coast, industry guidance extends curing from 3 days to 7, and CoastCrete says homes within 1.5 km usually need their first reseal a year earlier. Concrete should not be placed above 35 degrees, and needs precautions above 30, so Perth summer pours start early.
Council crossover rules
Councils differ on what can go between your boundary and the road:
- Joondalup: exposed aggregate is allowed on the crossover, but the apron and kerb must be grey premix concrete.
- Stirling: liquid limestone or exposed aggregate crossovers "may be approved" if they meet AS 1379.
- Canning: exposed aggregate is accepted, but a liquid limestone crossover is not.
- Nedlands: exposed aggregate is allowed, but is reinstated in grey concrete if the city or a utility removes it.
We check your council's current rules before we quote a crossover. More on the basics is in what is a crossover.
Source: City of Wanneroo soil mapping; Perth Groundwater Atlas; CCAA; CoastCrete; council crossover guidelines for Joondalup, Stirling, Canning and Nedlands.
How we lay exposed aggregate and liquid limestone
- Excavate, compact the ground and lay road base, with a fall away from the house.
- Set the thickness for the load: at least 75 mm for paths and patios, 100 mm for cars under 3 tonnes. Decorative finishes benefit from mesh one or two sizes heavier.
- Place control joints at no more than 3 m centres in roughly square panels, with isolation joints against the house, existing paving and pits.
- Pour, expose the stone by washing, brushing or a surface retarder, then cure for at least 3 days.
- Seal after 21 to 28 days, and record the sealer so a compatible one is used next time.
Runoff goes to the garden or a soakwell. On steep driveways, crushed angular stone grips better than smooth river pebble.
Around pools, keep the texture fine for bare feet and ask for the tested slip rating. Pavers for wet barefoot areas should meet at least P4. Freo Stone advises getting written confirmation from your pool builder that movement from the concrete will not void the pool warranty, because panels boxed in by the house or walls can only move toward the pool. See pool paving for paver options.
Source: CCAA, Residential Concrete Driveways and Paths; Boral FAQs; CoastCrete; CMAA and Midland Brick, Surface Requirements for Pavers; Freo Stone.
Exposed aggregate and liquid limestone prices in Perth
These are indicative Perth industry ranges published by other Perth businesses, supply and lay per m2. They are not our price list; we quote per job after measuring.
| Finish | Indicative range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Exposed aggregate | $110 to $160 per m2 | Handmade Concreting, 2026 |
| Exposed aggregate | $95 to $145 per m2 | CoastCrete, 2026 |
| Liquid limestone | $80 to $130 per m2, before site preparation, formwork or pump hire | CoastCrete, 2026 |
Driveways sit higher than paths because of the extra thickness and reinforcement. We found no published Perth supply and lay range for exposed aggregate pavers, so those are quoted per job.
Plan for upkeep too. Published advice is to reseal every 2 to 4 years, and to wash gently rather than with high pressure, which can lift the sealer. Our sealing and cleaning service covers it.
Source: Handmade Concreting, Exposed Aggregate Cost Perth 2026; CoastCrete, Liquid limestone Perth guide; Boral FAQs.
When another surface suits better
Choose pavers for a driveway with services underneath or an extension planned. For a cool, classic Perth pool surround, limestone paving is the usual alternative. For outdoor living areas see patio and alfresco paving, and for narrow side runs see garden paths. Call 0449 020 336 and we will talk you through it.
