Getting the best concrete cutting in Dunedin comes down to matching the saw to the job, whether that is a floor saw through a reinforced slab, a hand saw for a doorway in a tight space, or a core drill for a plumbing penetration. Concrete cutting in Dunedin covers residential, commercial and industrial work, from decorative cuts on a driveway through to structural openings and full concrete removal. Lungleys Concrete Cutting and Accurate Cutting Ltd both work across the city and the wider Otago region, and one operator below is based in Invercargill and travels north for Otago jobs.
1Lungleys Concrete Cutting
Lungleys Concrete Cutting has been cutting and coring concrete across Dunedin and the surrounding Otago region since Arthur Lungley founded the business in 1990, and it is now run by director Kurt Patten from Reid Road. The team takes on residential, commercial and industrial work, from a single doorway to large scale demolition and trench cutting. It suits anyone who needs a clean opening made in an existing floor, wall or driveway with minimal disruption to the structure around it.
Services
- Floor sawing for demolition cutting, trench cutting and large scale control cuts
- Hand sawing for detailed work where a floor saw cannot reach
- Core drilling for plumbing, electrical and HVAC installations
- Chase cutting of channels for plumbing systems and electrical cabling
- Window and door openings cut in concrete, brick and block walls
Highlights
- Established in 1990 by Arthur Lungley and now led by director Kurt Patten
- Core barrels stocked from 12mm through to 650mm diameter
- Hand saws rated to cut up to 400mm of reinforced concrete
- Flush cutting saws that finish smooth against existing walls and floors
- Decorative cutting and door rebate work alongside structural cutting
Location & Contact
Name: Lungleys Concrete Cutting
Address: 37 Reid Road, Dunedin 9012
Phone: 027 495 4968
Website: lungleys.co.nz
2Accurate Cutting Ltd
Accurate Cutting Ltd is a Dunedin owned and operated concrete cutting and drilling business with more than 25 years behind it, working out of Shiel Hill on commercial, industrial and residential jobs. Its cutting and sawing operators are NZQA qualified, and the company runs Brokk robotic demolition equipment alongside its saws and core drills. That mix suits fit outs, alterations and demolition work as much as a one off cut at home.
Services
- Commercial and residential concrete sawing, cutting and drilling
- Wire, wall and hand sawing
- Soff cutting of new slabs, same day
- Road and asphalt sawing
- Concrete x-raying and reporting on rebar in concrete
Highlights
- Locally owned and operated with more than 25 years in the trade
- Concrete cutting and sawing operators hold NZQA qualifications
- Brokk 160 robotic demolition machine used for removal work
- Rebar reporting used when assessing earthquake prone buildings
Location & Contact
Name: Accurate Cutting Ltd
Address: 253 Highcliff Road, Shiel Hill, Dunedin 9013
Phone: 0800 288 4848
Website: accuratecuttingltd.com
3Bailey’s Concrete
Bailey’s Concrete is the trading name of K.J. Bailey Ltd, a family business that began when Ken Bailey started bricklaying in Dunedin in 1955 and added concrete cutting under his son David in the 1970s. David is still at the helm, with his children Mat and Rachel involved in the day to day running of the company. Alongside cutting and coring the company supplies and pumps concrete and runs its own diggers, which suits a job that needs more than the cut itself.
Services
- Concrete cutting with diamond saw blades through heavily reinforced concrete
- Early entry soft cutting to stop new slabs cracking
- Core drilling for ventilation and plumbing openings
- Concrete supply by mini truck and concrete pumping
- Excavation, trenching and site preparation
Highlights
- Family owned and operated in Dunedin for more than 60 years
- Concrete cutting added to the business in the 1970s under David Bailey
- Cutting work runs from roading and bridges to residential decorative cuts
- Mini concrete trucks used for narrow driveways and tight residential sites
Location & Contact
Name: Bailey’s Concrete
Address: Dunedin
Phone: 03 474 0387
Website: kjbailey.biz
4Cut and Core Concrete Cutting
Cut and Core Concrete Cutting is an owner operator business run by Craig Cayford, who spent eleven years cutting concrete in Melbourne before returning to Dunedin. The work spans large commercial projects and small residential ones, with a free onsite consultation and quote before anything starts. It suits customers who want the person who quotes the job to be the person who turns up and does it.
Services
- Core drilling from 12mm to 450mm diameter, vertically and horizontally
- Hand sawing for demolition and doorway penetrations in reinforced concrete or brick
- Road sawing for concrete slabs, asphalt, factory floors and driveways
- Trench cutting for plumbers’ pipes and electricians’ cables
Highlights
- Owner operated, with Craig Cayford quoting and carrying out the work
- Eleven years working as a concrete cutter in Melbourne before returning to Dunedin
- Site Safe member, with worksite tidiness treated as part of the job
Location & Contact
Name: Cut and Core Concrete Cutting
Address: Dunedin
Phone: 027 288 2673
Website: cutandcore.co.nz
5Southern Concrete Cutting
Southern Concrete Cutting is based in Invercargill and lists Dunedin, Central Otago and the wider Otago region in its service area, so work here is travelled to rather than run from a local yard. The company grew out of Southern Concrete and Builders, founded by Doug North in the mid 1990s, and is now led by Trent and Ryan, with Ryan looking after the cutting and core drilling side. It suits a job where grinding, polishing or safety grooving is wanted alongside the cutting.
Services
- Wall and floor sawing for doorways, windows and structural changes
- Expansion cuts in slabs and driveways
- Core drilling for plumbing, wiring and renovation work
- Concrete grinding, from surface preparation to a full stone polish
- Safety grooving cut to improve traction underfoot
Highlights
- Site Safe accredited, with dust and splash control and site clean up included
- Grew out of Southern Concrete and Builders, founded by Doug North in the mid 1990s
- Diamond sawing equipment and core drills used across Southland and Otago
- Separate Cow Yard Grooving arm serving the dairy and farming sector
Location & Contact
Name: Southern Concrete Cutting
Address: Invercargill, servicing Dunedin and the wider Otago region
Phone: 0274 296 074
Website: southerncutting.co.nz
Concrete Cutting in Dunedin at a Glance
| Business | Based in | Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Lungleys Concrete Cutting | Dunedin | Established in 1990 by Arthur Lungley and now led by director Kurt Pa... |
| Accurate Cutting Ltd | Shiel Hill | Locally owned and operated with more than 25 years in the trade |
| Bailey's Concrete | Dunedin | Family owned and operated in Dunedin for more than 60 years |
| Cut and Core Concrete Cutting | Dunedin | Owner operated, with Craig Cayford quoting and carrying out the work |
| Southern Concrete Cutting | — | Site Safe accredited |
How to Choose the Right Concrete Cutting Contractor in Dunedin
- Match the machine to the job: floor saws for slabs and trenches, hand saws for confined spaces and doorways, core drills for round penetrations
- Check the rated cutting depth, because reinforced concrete cuts slower and a hand saw and a walk behind saw reach different depths
- Ask who controls the dust and slurry, and who removes the cut material once the job is finished
- Look for health and safety credentials such as Site Safe membership and NZQA qualified operators, which commercial sites usually require
- Ask whether the contractor can scan or x-ray for reinforcing and buried services before the first cut is made
Frequently Asked Questions About Dunedin Concrete Cutting
How much does concrete cutting cost?
Contractors quote per job rather than publishing a rate, because the price turns on the depth of the cut, how heavily the concrete is reinforced, how easy the site is to get gear into, and what happens to the slurry and the removed concrete. A free onsite consultation and quote is common practice, so it is worth having two or three concrete cutters look at the same job.
What is the difference between core drilling and saw cutting?
Core drilling makes a precise circular hole, usually for a pipe, a cable, a vent or a duct, and leaves a smooth round opening and a solid core of concrete. Saw cutting makes straight cuts, using a walk behind floor saw for slabs and trenches or a hand saw for walls, doorways and confined spaces. Most jobs use one or the other, and a fit out often needs both.
Do I need a building consent to cut an opening in a concrete wall?
Cutting a new door or window into a structural wall changes how the building carries load, so it usually needs a building consent and often an engineer’s input on the lintel and any propping. A minor cut in a non structural slab generally does not. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment sets out what does and does not need consent at building.govt.nz, and your cutting contractor will want the paperwork settled before booking the job.
Is concrete cutting dusty, and what about silica?
Dry cutting concrete releases respirable crystalline silica, which is why contractors wet cut where they can, use dust extraction, and wear respiratory protection. WorkSafe New Zealand publishes guidance on managing silica dust on site at worksafe.govt.nz. Wet cutting produces slurry instead of dust, so ask early how it will be contained and where it goes.
Can a new slab be cut without cracking it?
Yes, and that is what early entry soft cutting is for. Control joints are cut into a fresh slab within hours of the pour, before shrinkage stresses build up, so the slab cracks along the joint rather than wherever it likes. Timing matters, so book the cut when the pour is booked rather than afterwards.
How thick a slab can be cut?
It depends on the machine. Walk behind floor saws commonly reach around 300mm in reinforced concrete, hand saws can go deeper in the right conditions, and anything beyond that generally moves to wall sawing or wire sawing. Ask the contractor for the rated depth of the saw they plan to bring, and mention any reinforcing you already know about.
Which parts of Dunedin do these contractors cover?
Concrete cutting in Dunedin is mobile work, so the saws travel to the job rather than the other way round. The businesses on this page are based around the city, including Shiel Hill and Reid Road, and they cover the flat, the hill suburbs and the wider Otago region, with one team travelling up from Invercargill. If the site is outside the city boundary, say where it is when you call, because travel can affect the quote.
What does concrete x-raying or scanning do?
Scanning maps the reinforcing steel, conduits and services inside a slab or wall before anyone cuts, so a saw does not go through a live cable, a water pipe or a structural bar. It is also used to report on rebar when a building is being assessed or strengthened. Not every concrete cutter offers it, so ask when the cut is going into an unknown or older structure.
How We Chose the Best Concrete Cutting in Dunedin
Every business in this guide was found by searching for concrete cutting in Dunedin, then checked against its own website. Names, addresses and phone numbers are taken from the business’s own site rather than a directory feed, so what you see here is what they publish themselves. We also check that each one is actually based in or genuinely serving Dunedin, rather than a national operator running a local landing page. A business with no website of its own is not listed, because there is no primary source to verify it against.