How to Hire the Right Concrete Supplier

Getting the concrete right is critical to the success of construction projects, whether it’s a DIY driveway, or a commercial build. The responsibility for concrete quality and reliability sits full squarely with your supplier. So, if you want to avoid costly mistakes, checking out your available options is important. In this article we consider how to hire the right concrete supplier.

Which Kind of Concrete is Best?Concrete delivery is either ready-mix, or volumetric:

• Ready-Mix Concrete. As the name suggests, ready-mix concrete is mixed at a remote batching plant before it is transported to the site of the pour in an agitator truck. We would recommend that concrete is not transported more than 90 miles in this way, as there is a danger of it beginning to cure before it arrives.
• Volumetric Concrete. The volumetric truck carries the raw materials for your required concrete mix to the site. The truck then becomes a mobile batching plant. Site-mixed concrete is produced fresh, exactly where you need it. There’s no problem with multiple batches as they can be mixed sequentially.

Deciding between ready mixed and volumetric concrete really comes down to weighing the range of benefits provided by each.

5 Considerations When Looking For a Concrete Supplier

We’ve put together 5 things to look out for when weighing up which concrete supplier to give your custom to.

1. Do They Have Good Customer Feedback

It’s easy enough for a supplier to say they have a great reputation, but how do you check whether it’s true? The best way is to read the customer reviews on their website, or on an aggregator feedback site like TrustPilot or Google Online Reviews. If there are no reviews to be found, you could ask the supplier to provide some.

2. Where Will They Deliver To?

Not every concrete supplier is willing to deliver to residential locations. These sites are often difficult to navigate, and it takes planning and communication on both sides to ensure that there’s clear access, or that concrete pumps can be hired if access is particularly difficult. Where you require only a small volume of concrete, ready-mix suppliers will tend to add a surcharge, so you should check this out before committing.

3. How Many Years Have They Been Trading?

The number of years a concrete supplier has been trading gives you a good indication of the quality of their service, and the competitiveness of their pricing structure. Established suppliers will know the industry well, and there’s a good chance that their staff are knowledgeable too, which means that they’ll be able to offer valuable guidance and advice if you need it.

4. Do They Have The Experience You Need?

Take a bit of time to find out what kind of projects they’ve been involved in as a supplier. Check out the sectors they have experience in, as well as the volumes and range of mixes they have produced. If you hire a supplier that has worked in your sector, you’re buying in their expertise as well as their concrete. They’ll be able to alert you to any problems you may encounter, or enhancements that might benefit you.

5. Are They Eco-Friendly

In the past, concrete has been a large contributor to CO2 emissions, but the industry is in the process of cleaning up its act. Which is important in construction because increasing numbers of clients want to know that their suppliers are using the most sustainable materials available. Talk to any potential supplier about their net zero planning, and the type of cement that they are using.