Compare concreting & slab quotes properly
Slab quotes carry the widest hidden spread of any package — because they price what is under your block, and every quote assumes different ground. Level them before the concrete trucks are booked.
Tick the items each quote explicitly prices. Not sure or can’t find it? Leave it blank — that’s the point.
| Scope item | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete pump hire, per pour | |||
| Rock excavation priced (not "natural soil only" excluded) | |||
| Piering: allowance rate AND assumed quantity stated | |||
| Concrete grade & mesh per the engineer’s drawings (referenced by number) | |||
| Vapour membrane and termite system supply/install | |||
| Cut, fill, compaction certification and spoil removal | |||
| Wet-area set-downs and slab penetrations per plan | |||
| Pre-pour inspection attendance and rectification | |||
| Curing method specified | |||
| Site access assumptions stated (no "clear level access assumed") |
General guidance only — the checklist covers the most commonly missed items, not every line your slab and concreting package needs. Your drawings and engineering are always the final scope.
The items concreter quotes most often leave out
A blank in a quote is not "included" — it's "unpriced", and unpriced work comes back mid-build as a variation with no competition on the price. These are the lines to hunt for in every slab and concreting package quote before you sign:
Concrete pump hire, per pour
The most common slab blank in the country: $800–$1,500 per pour, several pours per build.
Rock excavation priced (not "natural soil only" excluded)
On shale or floaters, an unpriced rock clause is machine day-rates plus haulage, mid-dig.
Piering: allowance rate AND assumed quantity stated
A piering allowance at half the local rate makes a quote look $3k–$5k cheaper than it is.
Concrete grade & mesh per the engineer’s drawings (referenced by number)
A quote priced off "standard spec" instead of your engineering is a variation waiting for pour week.
Vapour membrane and termite system supply/install
Termite systems carry certificates your certifier will ask for — silence usually means excluded.
Cut, fill, compaction certification and spoil removal
Trucking spoil off site is real money; uncertified fill triggers redesign costs at slab stage.
Wet-area set-downs and slab penetrations per plan
Missed set-downs get fixed with screeds — paid by you, at fixing stage prices.
Pre-pour inspection attendance and rectification
Someone must stand the site ready for the certifier — a failed inspection is rebooking fees plus program drift.
Curing method specified
Cheap to include, structural to skip — a quote that mentions curing is a quote from a professional.
Site access assumptions stated (no "clear level access assumed")
That one assumed sentence converts to crane or labour surcharges announced on pour morning.
How to read your result
The comparison above is the first pass of the levelling method: make every quote answer the same scope list, then compare. When the tool finds blanks, don't cross that quote off — send each concreter their blank lines and ask for prices in writing. An honest contractor fills them in quickly; evasion ("we'll sort it on site") is information too. For the full line-by-line version across every item in your drawings, use the free levelling spreadsheet — and the quote comparison guide walks the whole method.