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Ready Mix Concrete Order Calculator

Work out ready mix concrete order instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Ready Mix Concrete Order Calculator

Ready mix is ordered on gross volume: the measured requirement plus a wastage allowance of five to ten percent for pump priming, spillage, over-dig and the concrete left in the drum. Dividing by truck capacity gives the number of loads, which matters because part loads usually attract a surcharge.

Formulas

Order volume

V order = net volume x (1 + wastage)

Loads and cost

Loads = ceil(V order / truck capacity); cost = V order x unit price

Worked example

With the default values below, Ready Mix Concrete Order Calculator returns Estimated concrete cost of $1,219.80. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Net concrete volumeminimum 0.1 m³
12 m³
Wastage allowanceaccepts 0–30 %
7 %
Truck mixer capacityminimum 0.5 m³
6 m³
Price per cubic metreminimum 0.01
95

Results

Estimated concrete cost
$1,219.80
Volume to order
12.84 m³
Truck loads required
3
Wastage allowance
0.84 m³

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Order volume
  3. 3Loads and cost
  4. 4Estimated concrete cost= 1,219.80
  5. 5Volume to order= 12.84 m³
  6. 6Truck loads required= 3
  7. 7Wastage allowance= 0.84 m³

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Ready Mix Concrete Order figure worked out?

V order = net volume x (1 + wastage). Ready mix is ordered on gross volume: the measured requirement plus a wastage allowance of five to ten percent for pump priming, spillage, over-dig and the concrete left in the drum.

Why not order exactly what is measured?

Running short mid-pour creates a cold joint, which is far more expensive to remedy than a small surplus. Ordering slightly over is standard practice.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 4 inputs: Net concrete volume, Wastage allowance, Truck mixer capacity, Price per cubic metre. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic worked example — replace them with your own site or project figures.

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