My brother-in-law lives in Hokowhitu, and last spring he spent about six weeks agonising over his new driveway. Not over whether to use concrete, that was settled, but over whether to pay the extra for exposed aggregate or stick with a plain broom-finished slab. He rang me twice a week with a new argument each time. I’ve been pouring driveways and paths around Palmerston North and the wider Manawatū for a long time now, so naturally I got the calls. In the end he made the right choice for his section, but the deciding factors weren’t the ones he started with. If you’re weighing up the same decision, here’s how plain concrete and exposed aggregate actually compare once you get past the showroom photos.
Same base, different top coat
Both finishes start out as exactly the same thing underneath: a properly prepared base, reinforcing mesh or steel, and a concrete pour. The whole job is identical right up until the last half hour, when the finishing happens.
- Plain concrete — finished with a broom or a light float, giving you that familiar grey, slightly textured driveway.
- Exposed aggregate concrete — the top layer of cement paste is washed off while the concrete is still green, revealing the stones in the mix underneath. You end up with a pebbled, decorative surface that grips better underfoot and has more visual warmth than plain grey.
That difference in process is where the price gap comes from. Exposed aggregate needs a more careful mix, more skilled finishing, getting the wash timing exactly right, and a sealer at the end. It’s more labour and more that can go wrong on the day, which is why it costs more. There’s no trick to it and no mystery markup, it’s genuinely a harder pour to get right.
What it actually costs per square metre
In the Manawatū right now, here’s roughly what you’re looking at for a straightforward flat pour with good access:
| Finish | Price per m² (incl. GST) | Typical 60m² driveway |
|---|---|---|
| Plain broom-finished concrete | $120–$180 | $8,000–$11,000 |
| Exposed aggregate concrete | $170–$260 | $11,000–$16,000 |
Those numbers assume a typical Hokowhitu-style double driveway of around 60 square metres. Add on for cartage, extra excavation, or an awkward-shaped site. The Manawatū’s flat terrain generally works in your favour here compared with a Wellington hill job, since base prep is usually simpler out on the plains.
How the two hold up on the plains
This is where my brother-in-law’s thinking actually shifted. On the plains you’re dealing with wind, driving rain and the odd hard frost, plus plenty of hot dry summer days. Both finishes handle that climate fine if they’re poured and cured properly, but there are real differences worth knowing before you sign anything:
- Grip: exposed aggregate wins. The textured surface is noticeably better in the wet, which matters on a sloped drive or if you’ve got kids on bikes.
- Hiding wear and stains: exposed aggregate hides tyre marks, leaf stains and general grime far better than a plain grey slab, which shows every oil drip.
- Maintenance: plain concrete is lower-fuss. Exposed aggregate needs resealing every three to five years or so to keep it looking sharp and stop stones working loose.
- Cracking: both will crack if the base is poor or the control joints are in the wrong spots. That’s a workmanship issue, not a finish issue, and no amount of decorative aggregate fixes a badly compacted base.
Whichever way you go, the base and the curing matter more than the finish you choose. A well-laid plain slab beats a poorly poured decorative one every time. If you’re still comparing driveway options and prices before you even get to the finish question, my rundown of concrete driveway costs in Palmerston North is a good place to start.
Getting a straight answer out of your concreter
Exposed aggregate is far less forgiving to lay than plain concrete, so the finisher’s skill matters more here than on almost any other part of the job. Ask to see recent local work, not just a portfolio photo, and talk to the owners if you can. Get itemised quotes that spell out the base depth, the reinforcing, the concrete strength, and, for exposed aggregate, the sealer and how often it needs redoing.
A good Manawatū concrete company will happily walk you through their mix design and their control-joint layout, and won’t dodge the question of what happens if the weather turns mid-pour. If they wave the questions away, keep looking. It’s also worth checking whether your driveway work touches the council berm or the vehicle crossing, because that can need sign-off from Palmerston North City Council — their guidance is on the Palmerston North City Council website.
So which one would I actually pick
If budget is tight and the driveway is purely functional, plain concrete is honest, durable and cheaper, and there’s nothing wrong with choosing it for exactly those reasons. If you want better grip, a surface that hides mess, and more kerb appeal, and you can stretch the extra 30 to 40 percent, exposed aggregate earns its keep, provided you’ll actually get it resealed on schedule rather than letting it slide. My brother-in-law went with exposed aggregate in the end, mostly for the grip on his slightly sloped drive, and two summers on he’s glad he did. It’s held its colour, the stones haven’t worked loose, and he hasn’t had to touch it since the first reseal.
Questions I get asked about Manawatū driveways
Is exposed aggregate more expensive than plain concrete in the Manawatū? Yes. Plain broom-finished concrete runs about $120 to $180 per square metre including GST, while exposed aggregate is roughly $170 to $260, so it typically costs 30 to 40 percent more for the same driveway.
Which lasts longer, exposed aggregate or plain concrete? Both last decades when the base and curing are done well. Exposed aggregate needs resealing every three to five years to stay looking good, while plain concrete is lower maintenance but shows stains and tyre marks more readily over time.
Does exposed aggregate give better grip than plain concrete? Yes. Its pebbled, textured surface offers noticeably more grip in the wet than a plain slab, which is why it’s popular for sloped Manawatū driveways and homes with young children.
My plain concrete driveway is cracking, should I patch it or replace it with exposed aggregate? If the cracking is a couple of hairline joints from normal shrinkage, a spot repair or resurface is usually enough. If the base has failed, or there’s widespread cracking and heaving, patching just delays a full re-pour, and that’s the point where switching finish to exposed aggregate makes sense rather than pouring plain concrete back over the same problem.
Does exposed aggregate suit an older character home? Around Hokowhitu, where a lot of the villas and bungalows date from the 1900s through to the 1930s, exposed aggregate’s warmer, textured look tends to sit better against the character of the house than a stark grey slab, though plain concrete finished well still works fine on plainer sections.