How wide should a concrete path be?

900mm is the practical minimum for one person. 1.2 metres lets two people walk side by side or someone pass a wheelbarrow or pram, and 1.5 metres suits a wheelchair or walker with room to turn. Entry paths to a front door usually look best at 1.2 to 1.5 metres.

Is there a minimum charge for a small path?

Yes. Small jobs still need a truck, a crew and a minimum concrete load, so anything under about 10 square metres is priced as a small job rather than by the square metre. We will tell you the number up front.

Will a concrete path be slippery in winter?

Not with the right finish. A broom finish gives grip in the wet, which matters on shaded side paths where moss and algae build up. We avoid smooth trowelled finishes on anything you walk on outdoors.

Can you do steps as part of the path?

Yes. Formed concrete steps, landings and low retaining to get a path up a bank are all part of what we do. We set the risers even so nobody trips, and put a texture on the treads.

Do paths need reinforcing?

A path carries far less weight than a driveway, so 75mm to 100mm with fibre or light mesh is usually right. Where a path crosses a service trench, soft fill, or gets driven over by a mower or ride-on, we reinforce it properly.

How long does a path take?

Most residential paths are a one to two day job. Dig out and box on the first day, pour and finish on the second, or both in one day for a short run with good access.

Can you get a mixer truck down the side of my house?

Usually not, and that is normal for path work. We either pump the concrete or barrow it in from the truck on the street. Barrowing takes longer and adds labour, which is why access is the first thing we look at when we quote.

Do you repair or replace cracked paths?

We replace them. Patching a cracked or lifted path rarely holds, because the cause is usually roots or ground movement underneath. We take out the failed section, fix what caused it, and pour back to a proper joint line.

Broom finished concrete path running along the side of a Tauranga house

Tauranga & the Western Bay

Concrete Path Experts in Tauranga

Entry paths, side paths, washing line runs, steps and accessible footpaths. Set out with the right fall, finished with grip, and edged clean against your lawn and garden.

✓Small jobs welcome. Most paths are done and dusted in one or two days.

✓Tight access sorted. We pump or barrow where a truck cannot get in.

✓Non slip broom finish as standard, and the lawn edges left tidy.

Get a price on your path

Four details is all we need. We get back to you the same working day to book a time that suits.

Getting it right

A path looks simple until the water sits on it

Paths are small jobs that go wrong in predictable ways. Poured dead flat so puddles sit on the surface. Falling back toward the house instead of away from it. Finished too smooth, so the shaded run down the side of the house turns green and slick every winter. Or poured straight over roots that lift it within a couple of years.

We set a crossfall of around 1 in 50 so water runs off to the garden rather than pooling, keep the level below the weatherboards and the damp proof course, and cut joints at sensible spacing so any movement follows a line instead of wandering across the middle.

Width matters more than people expect. Walk your route with a tape before we come out, and think about whether a wheelbarrow, a pram or a mobility scooter needs to get through.

Width guide

What each width is actually comfortable for.

One person, back of the house900mm

Two abreast, wheelbarrow, pram1.2m

Wheelchair or walker, room to turn1.5m

Front entry path, generous feel1.5m+

Get a price for your run

What we pour

Every kind of path around a house

Front entry paths

From the drive or the gate to your front door. Usually the widest path on the property, and the one worth spending a bit extra on for an exposed aggregate or coloured finish.

Side paths

Down the side of the house to the back yard, often in the shade and up against the cladding. Broom finish for grip, and set low enough to keep clear of the damp proof course.

Washing line & shed runs

A dry, mud free route to the line, the shed, the bins or the clothesline gate. Small, cheap, and the job people say they should have done years ago.

Steps & landings

Formed concrete steps up a bank or down to a lower lawn, with even risers, textured treads and a landing where the run needs breaking up.

Accessible paths

Wider runs, gentle gradients and level landings for a wheelchair, walker or mobility scooter. Handy when a family member is coming home from hospital or moving in.

Replacing cracked paths

Lifted, cracked or sunken sections taken out, the cause dealt with underneath, and poured back to a clean joint line rather than patched over.

Path pricing

What a path costs in Tauranga

Paths cost more per square metre than a driveway. There is far more boxing and edging for the area covered, and the concrete usually has to be barrowed or pumped in. Supplied and laid, GST included.

Broom finish path

75mm to 100mm, fibre or light mesh

$130–$180/m²

Exposed aggregate path

Front entry paths, washed and sealed

$175–$240/m²

Formed steps

Per step, including boxing and reinforcing

$350–$650

Small job minimum

Anything under about 10m², crew and truck included

from $1,800

Concrete pump

Where a truck cannot reach the back of the property

$700–$1,200

Saw cut joint and clean edge detail on a new concrete path in Tauranga

Save money by combining jobs

Most of the cost of a small path is getting a crew, a truck and a minimum load of concrete on site. If you are thinking about a path, a patio and a shed pad, doing them in one visit is a lot cheaper than three separate trips.

Quote the lot at once

Indicative pricing only. Subject to change due to many factors (materials, site, access, and more). For an accurate quote, we must come visit your site.

How it runs

In and out in a day or two

Walk the route

We walk it with you, agree the line, the width and where the water needs to go, then mark it out so you can see it before we dig.

Dig and box

Turf and topsoil stripped, base compacted, boxing set to the falls, reinforcing in. Spoil goes straight in the trailer, not on your lawn.

Pour and finish

Pumped or barrowed in, screeded, edged and broomed for grip. Joints cut once it has gone off hard enough.

Tidy and reinstate

Edges backfilled and topsoil raked back so the lawn grows in flush, path swept, tools and offcuts gone.

Path questions

What people want to know about paths

Send anything else through with your quote request and we will answer it straight.

Ask us in the quote form

+How wide should my path be?

900mm works for one person out the back. 1.2 metres lets two walk side by side or a wheelbarrow through. 1.5 metres suits a wheelchair or walker, and looks right for a front entry path.

+Is there a minimum charge?

Yes. A small path still needs a crew, a truck and a minimum load of concrete, so anything under roughly 10 square metres is priced as a small job rather than per square metre. We tell you that number up front, no surprises.

+Will it be slippery in winter?

Not with a broom finish, which is what we use on anything you walk on outside. Shaded side paths still grow moss and algae over time, so a water blast every couple of years keeps the grip up.

+Can you build steps too?

Yes. Formed concrete steps, landings and low retaining to get a path up or down a bank. Risers set even so nobody trips, treads textured, and a landing put in where a long run needs breaking up.

+Does a path need reinforcing?

Less than a driveway. 75mm to 100mm with fibre or light mesh is usually right. Where it crosses a service trench or soft fill, or a ride-on mower will go over it, we put proper mesh in.

+How do you get concrete down the side of the house?

Either a pump over the roof or the fence, or barrowed in from the truck on the street. Barrowing is slower and adds labour, so access is the first thing we look at when we price the job.

+Can you patch a cracked path instead of replacing it?

We would rather not. Patches rarely hold, because the cause is usually roots or ground movement underneath. Taking out the failed section, fixing what caused it and pouring back to a clean joint lasts far longer.

+Will the lawn be wrecked?

There will be some marking where the barrow runs, but we lay boards where we can, backfill the edges and rake topsoil back so the grass grows in flush with the new path. Anything we damage badly, we tell you about.