Guide · Updated October 2026
Finishes compared
Five ways to finish the same slab, and the honest trade-offs between them.
In short
Plain concrete is the cheapest finish and the most durable per dollar. Coloured concrete adds tone without pattern. Exposed aggregate gives the best natural grip and hides wear best. Stencil gives the look of laid pavers with no joints, in 23 patterns. Stamped presses stone and timber textures into the slab. Sunshine Coast Concrete Services offers all five.
Related: stamped vs stencil in detail · all concrete guides
Side by side
| Finish | Relative cost | Grip | Upkeep | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plain | $ | Good if broomed | Lowest — no sealer to renew | Shed and garage slabs, house slabs, side paths, budget driveways |
| Coloured | $$ | As per surface finish | Re-seal 2–5 years | Driveways and alfresco areas that need to match the house |
| Exposed aggregate | $$$ | Best — from the stone itself | Re-seal 2–5 years | Sloped driveways, pool surrounds, steps, wet areas |
| Stencil | $$–$$$ | Good; non-slip additive available | Re-seal 2–5 years | Driveways, patios and paths wanting a paved look with no joints |
| Stamped | $$$ | Texture gives grip | Re-seal 2–5 years | Alfresco areas and feature paving wanting stone or timber texture |
Relative cost is shown as a band rather than a dollar figure because the driver is usually site access, excavation and area — not the finish. Ask for a written quote on your own site.
Choosing between them
If budget is the deciding factor
Plain concrete, broomed for grip, does the job and outlasts most coatings put over it. A well-prepared plain slab is a better outcome than a decorative finish over a poorly prepared one, every time. It can also be resurfaced decoratively later, so choosing plain now does not close the door.
If the surface gets wet
Exposed aggregate first, because the grip comes from stone rather than a coating and does not wear off. Otherwise any finish can be specified with a non-slip additive in the sealer — worth doing on pool surrounds, steps and any sloped driveway regardless of finish.
If it has to match the house
Coloured or stencil. Both are chosen against physical samples held up to your render, roof, paving and pool coping. Screens misrepresent concrete colour badly, so this is one decision not to make online.
If you want it to look like pavers or stone
Stencil for crisp grout lines and a laid-paver look with no joints to lift, settle or grow weeds — 23 patterns available. Stamped for actual surface texture you can feel, in stone, slate, tile and timber profiles. Stencil reads flatter and cleaner; stamped reads more natural and hides dirt better.
If it is a shed, garage or utility slab
Plain, trowelled smooth if you want to sweep it and floated or broomed if you want grip. Decorative finishes on a slab nobody looks at are money better spent on the driveway.
About this guide
Written by the Sunshine Coast Concrete Services crew, led by owner Nathan Carter (20+ years in concreting), from work on Sunshine Coast driveways, slabs and resurfacing jobs. Reviewed October 2026. Figures are general field guidance; where a slab is structural, your engineer’s design takes precedence.
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