Formworks made from different materials are used for concrete works to hold the concrete in place until it hardens sufficiently to form the desired shape. It has been a practice to specify the type of formwork to be used basing on the availability of formwork materials, cost, safety during construction and sometimes on the surface quality of the finished product without considering the formwork influence on the surface strength and durability of concrete. In this manuscript, investigation results on the influence of formwork materials on the quality of surface concrete are presented. It has been established that the rate of water absorption of formwork materials among other factors has an influence on the concrete strength. Further, it is being recommended to use formworks which can absorb water from the concrete surface so as to increase the strength of concrete at the surface and hence the durability of concrete structural members.