Your trusted builders of concrete slabs in Townsville
At Platinum Concreting Townsville, we’ve poured hundreds of slabs across Townsville – from Annandale to Gulliver, from Hyde Park to Bushland Beach. We’ve worked on the reactive clays in Stuart, dealt with the drainage issues in Railway Estate, and navigated the slopes in Castle Hill. Every suburb’s got its own challenges, and we’ve seen them all.
When you’re building a new home, putting up a shed, or adding a granny flat out back, that slab is the one thing you can’t afford to get wrong. Because everything else – your walls, your roof, your finishes – they’re all sitting on top of it. Get the foundation wrong and you’re fixing problems for years.
We work with engineers. We do soil tests. We follow the specs exactly. And we pour slabs that last because we know what Townsville’s weather is gonna throw at them.
Let me walk you through what you need to know about getting a quality concrete slab in Townsville.
Types of Concrete Slabs We Pour in Townsville
Why Quality Slabs Matter in Townsville
Foundation for Your Entire Structure
Everything sits on your slab. Your walls, your roof, your tiles, your kitchen, your bathroom – all of it. When the slab moves, everything moves with it. Cracks appear in walls. Doors won’t close. Windows jam. Tiles crack. You’re fixing problems that started with a bad foundation.
Clay Soil Movement
Townsville sits on clay. Beautiful black soil that grows amazing gardens and causes absolute hell for concrete. When it rains, clay absorbs water and expands. When it dries out, it contracts. Your slab is sitting on this stuff, moving with it, fighting against it.
Cyclone and Wind Uplift Resistance
We’re in cyclone country. When wind speeds hit 150, 180, 200 kilometers per hour, your house needs to stay attached to the ground. That attachment happens at the slab. The hold-down straps, the bolts, the connections between slab and frame – they’re rated for wind load.
Drainage
Water is either your friend or your enemy in Townsville. When we get 200mm of rain in a day, that water needs somewhere to go. If it pools around your slab, it saturates the soil underneath. Clay expands. Slab heaves. Cracks form.
Termite Protection
Termites are everywhere in Townsville. They’re in the ground, looking for a way into your house. Your slab is the first line of defense. We install termite barriers as part of the slab construction – physical barriers, chemical treatments, whatever the specs require.
Built for Tropical Weather
Heat, humidity, rain, wind – Townsville gets it all. Concrete needs to cure properly in this climate. We pour early morning when possible, avoid the hottest part of the day, keep the slab moist during curing. The weather affects everything, and we plan for it.
What Concrete Slabs Cost in Townsville
Slab Size & Thickness: Larger or thicker slabs use more concrete, increasing costs. Residential slabs: ~100mm; commercial: 150–200mm.
Soil & Site Access: Poor or reactive soil and difficult access require stronger slabs, more steel, and special equipment, raising the price.
Engineering Requirements: Fees vary with complexity; house slabs or challenging sites require more engineering input.
Reinforcement Specs: More or heavier steel mesh and bar reinforcement increases costs.
Edge Beam Depth: Deeper edge beams need more excavation, concrete, and steel, affecting the quote.
Timeframe: Typically 1–3 weeks, including prep, pour, finishing, and curing; weather may cause delays.
Quality Assurance You Can Count On
Licensed & Insured: Fully licensed in Queensland with public liability and workers’ compensation for protection.
Compliance Certificates: Documentation provided for council sign-off and future property sales.
Workmanship Warranty: We fix any faults in our workmanship, following specifications precisely.
Engineer Specifications: No shortcuts—every steel placement, depth, and measurement is exact.
Proper Curing: Concrete is carefully cured in Townsville’s climate, ensuring strength and durability.
Local Experience That Matters
Extensive Townsville Experience: Hundreds of slabs poured across every suburb, familiar with local soil, slopes, and drainage challenges.
Suburb-Specific Soil Knowledge: Recognize patterns in soil, water tables, and tree root issues, preventing common problems.
Trusted Local Relationships: Established connections with engineers and certifiers for smooth project approvals.
Free On-Site Quotes: Detailed, no-obligation assessments with honest recommendations based on years of experience.
FAQs About Concrete Slabs in Townsville
How long does a concrete slab last in Townsville?
A properly engineered and poured slab should last 50 years or more in Townsville, even with our harsh tropical conditions. The key is getting the engineering right for our clay soils and using the correct concrete mix for the climate. I’ve seen slabs from the 1970s still going strong, and I’ve seen five-year-old slabs cracked to pieces because someone skipped the soil testing.
Can you pour concrete slabs during Townsville's wet season?
We can, but we’re careful about it. We watch the forecast closely and only pour when we’ve got a clear window – usually need at least 24 hours without rain after the pour. The wet season makes scheduling harder because you might book a pour and then get a storm roll through that morning. We’d rather delay a few days than rush a pour and have rain ruin your slab before it’s set.
What's the actual difference between a house slab and a shed slab?
House slabs are engineered for the building loads and designed to handle our reactive Townsville soils – they’ve got deeper edge beams, more reinforcement, and termite barriers integrated into them. Shed slabs are simpler because you’re not living on them and the loads are different. A shed slab might be 100mm thick straight through, while a house slab has 400mm to 800mm deep beams around the edges with waffle pods in the middle.
How soon can I start building on my new concrete slab?
You can walk on it carefully after about seven days, but I tell builders to wait at least 14 days before putting up frames and 28 days before any heavy loads. Concrete keeps getting stronger for months after it’s poured, but that 28-day mark is when it hits about 95% of its design strength. Rush it and you risk cracking the slab before your house even goes up.
What happens if it rains right after you pour my slab?
Light rain after the first few hours isn’t a disaster – we cover the slab with plastic and let it cure underneath. Heavy rain during the pour or right after is a problem because it can wash cement off the surface and weaken the concrete. That’s why we watch the weather radar constantly and why we sometimes postpone pours even when it looks clear – those afternoon storms in Townsville can come out of nowhere.
Do all concrete slabs in Townsville need to be engineered?
House slabs always need engineering because of our clay soils and cyclone ratings. Small shed slabs often don’t if they’re under 10 square meters and on decent ground. Anything in between depends on what you’re building and where – granny flats need engineering, carports usually don’t, commercial buildings definitely do. When in doubt, get it engineered – it’s a few hundred dollars that could save you thousands in repairs.
