Coloured Concrete Hamilton

At Hamilton Concrete Contractors we lay coloured concrete across Hamilton and the Waikato, on driveways, patios, paths, pool surrounds and interior floors. Oxide pigment goes through the mix at the plant, so the colour runs the full depth of the slab. A chip or a scratch shows the same colour underneath, which is the difference between concrete that is coloured and concrete that has been painted. We finish it broom, float or trowel depending on where it sits.

We also put colour onto the surface as a dry shake hardener where a job wants a denser, harder wearing top. Colour reads differently wet and dry, in sun and in shade, so we go through the range on your section rather than off a chart indoors. We pour at 20 MPa over 100 mm of compacted GAP20 with 665 mesh on chairs. We measure the area, agree the colour and put the price in writing.

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Tell us the area and the colour family you are leaning towards, and what the concrete has to sit next to. Roof colour and cladding matter more to the final choice than most people expect.

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Coloured Concrete

Coloured Concrete Work We Lay

Six kinds of coloured job cover almost everything we quote. Driveways bring in the most work and outdoor living areas carry the most colour decisions, so those two lead. It is part of the full range of concrete finishes we pour in Hamilton.

Coloured Concrete Driveways

Colour earns its place on a driveway that has to sit with a dark roof or dark cladding, and that is the reason most people give us for choosing it over plain grey.

Pigment carried through the mix means a chip shows the same colour underneath, so the driveway keeps its tone as it wears. We pour at 100 mm as standard and 150 mm where a boat, a horse float or a truck lives on it.

Coloured Patios and Outdoor Living Areas

Outdoor living areas are where we lay the most colour by area, because a patio is seen from inside the house all year and grey reads cold against timber and planting.

Warmer oxides work with cedar, brick and schist. Charcoals work with black joinery and dark cladding. Cladding clearance decides the level before the colour is even chosen, since weatherboard, fibre cement and plaster want 150 mm between the cladding and a paved surface.

Coloured Paths and Steps

Paths and steps are the easiest colour work we do, because a narrow run pours off a single load and that removes the main cause of shade variation across an area.

A coloured path also does a practical job. It reads as a defined route and does not disappear into the lawn edge, which matters on a section where the path to the front door is an access route and has to hold grip when wet.

Coloured Pool Surrounds

Around pools we lay colour with texture worked into it, because a smooth coloured surface beside water is the one place a decorative finish can become a hazard.

Lighter oxides stay cooler underfoot in summer than charcoals do, which is worth knowing before choosing a colour for a north facing surround. We fall the area away from the water and set joints around the coping.

Oxide Through the Mix or Dry Shake Hardener

Two ways of getting colour into concrete come up in every quote we write, and they give different results, so it is worth understanding both.

Oxide through the mix colours the whole slab and is what most residential work uses. A dry shake hardener is broadcast onto the fresh surface and worked in, giving a denser, harder wearing top with stronger colour, which suits floors taking traffic. We tell you which one your job actually wants.

Colour Selection and What Changes It

Choosing the colour is the part of the job we spend most time on with customers, and the samples matter less than where you stand when you look at them.

Wet concrete looks nothing like cured concrete. Colour in full sun looks nothing like the same colour in shade, and it changes again once a sealer goes on. We look at samples on your section, in the light the finished slab will actually sit in, before anything is ordered.

Colour on Pour Day

How We Pour and Finish Coloured Concrete

Five stages, and the colour decision is locked before any of the others start.

Colour Selection on Your Section

We bring samples to the site and look at them where the slab is going, against your roof, cladding and planting. Colour chosen indoors under artificial light is the most common regret on this kind of work.

Written Quote and Colour Method

The quote names the colour, whether it is carried through the mix or applied as a hardener, the slab depth and the base. The batch is ordered against that.

Base, Mesh and Formwork

We dig to depth, compact 100 mm of GAP20 in layers and lift 665 mesh on chairs so it finishes 30 to 40 mm below the surface.

Pour, Colour and Surface Finish

Coloured concrete is placed and finished in one continuous operation wherever the volume allows, because a cold joint between two loads is where a shade difference shows most.

Joint Cut, Damp Cure and Seal

Control joints are cut at 3 metre centres to a quarter of the slab depth, and the slab is damp cured for seven days. Curing evenly matters more on colour than on grey, because uneven drying leaves the shade uneven too.

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Coloured Concrete Prices in Hamilton

Coloured concrete in Hamilton runs $120 to $170 per square metre installed. That sits above a plain or broom finish at $100 to $150, because the pigment is an added cost in the mix and coloured work takes more care on the day to keep the shade even.

For comparison on the same slab, exposed aggregate runs $130 to $200 and over, and stamped work runs $150 to $220. Colour is the least expensive way to move a slab away from grey.

These numbers are a guide for August 2026 and not a quote. We measure the area on site, confirm the colour with you in daylight, and the price comes back in writing.

Coloured concrete work	Guide range (Aug 2026)
Coloured concrete, oxide through the mix	$120 to $170 / m²
Plain or broom finish on the same slab	$100 to $150 / m²
Exposed aggregate on the same slab	$130 to $200+ / m²
Stamped concrete on the same slab	$150 to $220 / m²

What Moves the Price of a Coloured Slab

Colour depth. Stronger and darker oxides need more pigment per cubic metre than pale earth tones do, and the pigment is priced by dose.

Method. Oxide through the mix and a dry shake surface hardener are different products and different labour. The hardener is worked into the surface on the day, which adds time on site.

Area and pour continuity. An area that can be poured off one load in one operation is the cheapest and the most even. Splitting a pour adds a cold joint and the care needed to manage it.

Slab thickness and steel. 100 mm suits cars and foot traffic. Heavier vehicles need 125 or 150 mm and heavier reinforcing, and colour does not change that.

Finish. Broom, float and trowel finishes each read differently in colour and take different time on the day.

Ground. Hamilton ground changes over short distances. Ground that moves needs heavier steel or a designed layout, settled at the site visit.

Sealing. A sealer deepens the colour and is optional. It is priced with the job.

The council crossing. Where the work reaches the kerb, the crossing must match the existing footpath, so the colour stops at the boundary.

How It Holds Up

What Decides How Coloured Concrete Ages

Six things that decide whether a coloured slab still looks deliberate in ten years.

Colour Runs Through the Slab

Oxide carried through the mix colours the whole slab, full depth. Surface stains and paints wear back to grey at the wheel tracks within a few years. Pigment through the mix wears to the same colour it started as, which is the entire argument for doing it this way.

One Batch Where the Volume Allows It

Shade varies between batches of concrete. We order the whole area off one batch wherever the volume allows and pour it in one continuous operation, because the visible difference between two loads is far larger than the difference within one.

Efflorescence Shows More on Colour

Efflorescence is the white bloom that salts leave when moisture carries them to the surface. It happens on all concrete and it is simply more visible against colour. A proper damp cure produces a denser, less permeable surface, which is the main thing that reduces it.

The Cure Changes the Final Shade

How a coloured slab is cured changes the colour it ends up. Patchy drying leaves patchy shade, and plastic laid unevenly over a fresh coloured slab prints its own pattern into the finish. We cure evenly across the whole area for the full seven days.

Joints Cut at 3 Metre Centres

Coloured concrete cracks the same way grey concrete does, and a crack is more obvious across a deliberate colour. Control joints go in at 3 metre centres, cut to a quarter of the slab depth, within 24 hours in warm weather and 48 in cold.

We Say When Colour Will Not Sit Right

Some colours fight what is already on the section, and some areas get too little light to carry a dark oxide. Where a colour is going to look wrong or disappear, we say so at the sample stage rather than after three cubic metres of it has been delivered.

Weathering and Ground

How Coloured Concrete Weathers in Hamilton

Coloured concrete asks one thing of a contractor that grey concrete does not. It has to look even, and evenness is decided by things that happen after the colour is chosen.

The first is the batch. Pigment is dosed against cement content at the plant, and two loads mixed minutes apart still differ slightly. Within one load the colour is consistent. Across a cold joint between loads it is visibly not. So the size of the pour, not the colour itself, is what usually determines whether an area reads as one surface.

The second is the cure. Concrete gains its strength and its final shade as it hydrates, and that reaction needs moisture held in the slab. Uneven curing gives uneven colour, permanently. Seven days of damp curing is the position we work to, and on coloured work it does a second job as well. A denser, less permeable surface is what limits efflorescence, the white bloom left behind when moisture carries dissolved salts to the surface and evaporates. Concrete New Zealand describes removing efflorescence by stiff brushing or with dilute hydrochloric acid at one part in ten, noting that the acid treatment takes a thin layer of concrete with it. On a coloured slab that thin layer matters, which is why preventing the bloom beats removing it.

The third is the ground, and it is the Hamilton part. Hamilton is founded on the Hinuera Formation, described in Council geotechnical work as interbedded coarse alluvium, pumice gravels, peat and silts, and as highly variable laterally and with depth. A crack across a coloured slab is far more visible than the same crack in grey, so the base preparation and the joint layout carry more weight on this finish than on any other. The Waikato District counted 85,968 residents at the 2023 Census, up from 75,618 five years earlier, and much of that growth sits on platforms where the ground under one end of a slab is not the ground under the other.

Reviews

Google Reviews From Hamilton Concrete Customers

Google reviews from customers, pulled live from our profile.

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Based on 10 reviews

Amit Sharma

My driveway was cracked all over and needed replacement as it was very old and worn off. I called Hamilton Concrete Contractors for a quote and consultation. Olly came over the next day to have a look and suggested the solution that best suited to my driveway's condition. I really liked the friendly vibes from Olly and he sounded like he genuinly cared. I got 3 more quotes from other companies but they were very transactional in my opinion. I liked Olly's approach and vibe so decidied to go ahead with him. He did an exceptional job for me and I am happy with the service.

kritika arora

We had an outstanding experience with Hamilton Concrete Contractors. The team was professional, punctual, and highly skilled. They handled our concrete project from start to finish with great precision, ensuring a smooth and durable finish. Their attention to detail and quality workmanship was excellent, and they kept the site clean and safe throughout the process. Communication was clear and consistent, and all our questions were answered promptly. We are extremely happy with the results and highly recommend Hamilton Concrete Contractors for any residential or commercial concrete work in Hamilton.

Seyi Oluokun

Tested and trusted. They have proven that they are reliable for any construction project. Highly recommended to all and sundry.

abah boniface

They are absolutely reliable, they kept to the agreement and they delivered the job smoothly

Damilola Oscar (J Hanameel)

One of the best at this. I am very excited to work with them. You can trust them too, I strongly recommend!

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Before You Pick a Colour

Coloured Concrete FAQs

What people ask before they commit to a colour that runs the full depth of the slab.

What does coloured concrete cost in Hamilton?

$120 to $170 per square metre installed. That is above a plain or broom finish at $100 to $150, because pigment is an added cost in the mix and coloured work takes more care on the day. On the same slab, exposed aggregate runs $130 to $200 and over and stamped runs $150 to $220. Colour depth, the method and how much of the area can be poured off one load move the number. Guide ranges, quoted in writing after a site visit.

Does the colour go all the way through the concrete?

With oxide through the mix, yes. The pigment is added at the plant and the whole slab is coloured, so a chip or a scratch shows the same colour underneath. That is the difference between coloured concrete and a stain or paint applied to the surface, which wears back to grey in the wheel tracks. A dry shake hardener is the exception, since it colours a dense surface layer rather than the full depth.

Will the colour fade?

Oxide pigments are stable and the colour does not wash out, but the surface changes. Traffic, weathering and UV all soften the appearance over time, and the slab will look different at five years than at five weeks. Because the colour runs the full depth, wear exposes more of the same colour rather than grey underneath. A sealer deepens the colour and slows the surface change, and it needs renewing.

Why does the shade vary across my slab?

Almost always the batch. Pigment is dosed against cement content, and two loads mixed minutes apart differ slightly. Within one load the colour is consistent, across a cold joint between loads it is visibly not. Uneven curing does the same thing, which is why we damp cure the full area evenly for seven days. We order off one batch wherever the volume allows, and tell you before the pour where a join will fall.

What is the white bloom on my coloured concrete?

Efflorescence. Moisture in the slab dissolves salts, carries them to the surface and evaporates, leaving them behind. It happens on all concrete and it is just more visible against colour. Concrete New Zealand describes removing it by stiff brushing or with dilute hydrochloric acid at one part in ten, and notes that the acid takes a thin layer of concrete with it. Preventing it with a proper damp cure is better than removing it.

What thickness and mix do you use for coloured work?

100 mm minimum at 20 MPa or stronger, over 100 mm of compacted GAP20, with 665 or 668 mesh lifted on chairs to finish 30 to 40 mm below the surface. 150 mm on soft or clay ground and where heavier vehicles park. Colour has no effect on the structure of the slab, so it is designed for what sits on it and coloured separately.

Can you match a colour I have seen somewhere?

Close, not exact, and it is worth being straight about why. The same oxide at the same dose looks different depending on the cement, the sand, the finish, the cure and the age of the slab you are comparing it to. We can identify the colour family and get near it. We look at samples on your section in daylight before anything is ordered, because that is the only comparison that means anything.

Can the coloured concrete run out to the kerb?

Up to your boundary, yes. The vehicle crossing itself cannot. Hamilton City Council requires the crossing material to match the existing footpath, and the existing footpath to be removed and reconstructed in the same material, so the crossing gets built in whatever is already there. We mark on the plan where the colour stops at quoting stage so the change is not a surprise on pour day.

Free Coloured Concrete Quotes

Get a Free Coloured Concrete Quote

Tell us the rough size of the area and the finish you are after. We come out, measure it and send the price in writing. Call 07 808 6940.