Car park and commercial paving crew

Business owners, body corporates, strip-mall landlords, property managers and builders needing a paving subcontractor.

Quoted per job or per square metre, with larger contracts and ongoing maintenance work for property managers giving more regular income.

• Site management and organising a crew
• Estimating materials and costs
• Operating or coordinating machinery

• Check your state's contractor licensing and any requirement for larger commercial jobs
• Workers compensation insurance once you hire, and a safety plan such as a safe work method statement (SWMS) for site work
• Traffic management and council permits if working near roads
• Startup costs rise quickly if you buy rather than hire: a work truck or tipper, trailer, compaction equipment, tools, insurance and a materials buffer, and a paver or roller adds much more
• Cash flow while waiting on payment, since materials and wages are paid up front
• Check requirements for white card (construction induction) training

Estimates suggest startup costs typically sit around $80,000 to $400,000, depending on whether you hire or buy machinery. Buying a truck, trailer, compaction gear or a paver and roller pushes costs toward the top end. Insurance and a materials buffer also add up.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated around $10,000 to $50,000, depending on job size, how many crews you run and how steady the work is. That is revenue before wages, materials and machinery hire, so cash flow matters while you wait for payment.

Check your state's contractor licensing and any requirements for larger commercial jobs. Also check white card training, workers compensation once you hire, a SWMS for site work, and traffic management or council permits if you're working near roads.