Ready-Mix Concrete Order Checklist: Before You Dispatch
Answer first: order ready-mix only after yards, mix, access, unload time, washout, cancellation, and load-acceptance terms are written.
Dispatch gate
Order before truck
Write yards, mix, access, unload time, washout, cancellation, and load acceptance before dispatch
Answer first: do not order ready-mix concrete from only a price-per-yard quote. Before dispatch, the written order should show the final yards, mix design, delivery address, truck access, placement method, included unload time, wait-time rate, washout plan, cancellation cutoff, and who can accept or reject the load.
Use this order screen:
ready-mix order readiness =
measured volume + waste factor
+ mix design confirmation
+ delivery and placement method
+ unload window and wait-time policy
+ washout / returned-material / rejected-load terms
+ weather, inspection, and cancellation owner
If any line is blank, the order is not ready for dispatch. Start with the Concrete Volume Calculator, add the buffer from the Concrete Waste Factor Calculator Guide, price the delivered total with the Concrete Delivery Cost Calculator Guide, then record the supplier answer in the Concrete Quote Reviewer.
Sources and checks
This page is a ready-mix ordering worksheet, not engineering, code, testing, or legal advice. Confirm final mix, placement, testing, payment, and dispatch rules with the supplier, contractor, inspector, or engineer responsible for the job.
| Check | Source | How it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Ordering and scheduling | NRMCA ordering and scheduling guide | Keeps timing, truck spacing, site readiness, and responsibilities visible before dispatch. |
| Ready-mix order details | NRMCA CIP 31 Ordering Ready Mixed Concrete | Supports written quantity, strength, slump, aggregate, placement method, and contact details. |
| Water and field notes | NRMCA CIP 26 Jobsite Addition of Water | Reminds the buyer to name who can approve slump or water changes and how the ticket records them. |
| Yield and ticket questions | NRMCA CIP 8 Discrepancies in Yield | Separates measured forms, delivered yards, waste, ticket quantity, and returned material. |
| Supplier volume check | CEMEX ready-mix calculator | Cross-checks project volume before the supplier call. |
Concrete Estimator Hub is independent and is not affiliated with these organizations or suppliers.
Ready-mix order answer in one screen
Use this table before the truck is scheduled.
| Order line | What must be written | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Final yards | Required yards after waste and billable yards | A 2.4 yd3 job may be billed as 3 yd3 or may trigger a short-load fee. |
| Mix design | PSI, slump range, aggregate, air, fiber, color, pump mix | A cheaper yard price may exclude the mix the job actually needs. |
| Delivery address | Address, gate, driveway, street, or alley position | Delivery zone, truck route, and access risk affect the invoice. |
| Placement method | Direct chute, wheelbarrow, buggy, line pump, boom pump | Slow or difficult placement can trigger wait time or cold-joint risk. |
| Unload window | Included minutes and extra wait-time rate | A small crew can turn a cheap load into a wait-time bill. |
| Washout and surplus | Where truck chute, pump, tools, and leftover concrete go | Missing containment can create cleanup, disposal, or returned-material cost. |
| Dispatch risk | Cancellation cutoff, inspection, weather, load acceptance | The cost owner must be known before the truck leaves the plant. |
The winning quote is not always the lowest price per yd3. The winning quote is the one that is complete enough to survive pour day.
Order checklist
Copy this checklist into the supplier call or contractor scope.
| Item | Ready? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Project dimensions measured | Length, width, thickness, holes, steps, thickened edges, and deductions. | |
| Waste factor chosen | 5%-10% for simple flatwork; 10%-15% for uneven forms or high run-short risk. | |
| Billable yardage known | Actual yards, rounded yards, minimum load, or short-load rule. | |
| Mix details written | Strength, slump, aggregate, air, fiber, color, admixtures, pump suitability. | |
| Delivery and access confirmed | Truck location, chute reach, driveway access, street rules, pump or buggy. | |
| Crew and tools ready | Screed, rakes, forms, finish tools, helpers, PPE, water, and backup plan. | |
| Inspection and weather cleared | Approval status, rain/heat/cold call, and decision owner. | |
| Ticket terms clear | Arrival, batch time, water added, unload start/stop, signature authority. | |
| Washout and surplus plan set | Legal washout, returned concrete, secondary form, disposal, or cleanup. | |
| Cancellation and rejection terms written | Cutoff, wait-time, replacement load, returned material, and standby risk. |
If the job is in the Philippines, keep the order English-first unless your supplier requires another language. Pair the same checklist with the Philippines Concrete Supplier Quote Checklist for m3, PHP per m3, VAT, delivery, rain timing, and access questions. This is not a Tagalog locale page.
Supplier call script
Use one script for each supplier so the answers can be compared.
I am ordering ready-mix for [project type] at [address or area].
The measured quantity is ____ yd3 / m3 before waste and ____ after waste.
Please confirm in writing:
1. billable yards or m3 and any minimum-load rule
2. price per yd3 / m3 and delivered total
3. mix design, strength, slump, aggregate, air, fiber, color, or pump mix
4. delivery, short-load, fuel, tax, environmental, or admin fees
5. included unload time and wait-time rate
6. truck access, chute reach, pump/buggy/wheelbarrow assumptions
7. washout, returned concrete, and disposal policy
8. cancellation cutoff, weather rule, inspection delay rule, and load acceptance terms
If the supplier cannot send the delivered total in writing, keep the quote as incomplete in the Concrete Quote Reviewer.
Example: complete order vs yard-price order
Assume a 12 ft x 12 ft x 4 in patio needs 1.96 yd3 with a 10% waste factor.
| Quote line | Yard-price order | Complete order |
|---|---|---|
| Required yards | 1.96 | 1.96 |
| Billable yards | unknown | 2.0 |
| Price per yd3 | $165 | $165 |
| Delivery | unknown | $125 |
| Included unload time | unknown | 30 minutes |
| Wait-time rate | unknown | $2/min after included time |
| Access method | unknown | direct chute or 75 ft wheelbarrow route |
| Delivered screen | not comparable | $455 before tax and wait-time risk |
The second quote may look longer, but it is more usable. It gives the buyer a number, a placement assumption, and a way to compare pump, buggy, or wheelbarrow fallbacks before the truck is loaded.
Dispatch stop signs
Do not send the truck until these are resolved.
| Stop sign | What can happen | Page to use |
|---|---|---|
| Forms, base, or inspection are not ready | Cancellation, wait time, rejected load, crew remobilization | Concrete Cancellation Fee Guide |
| Truck cannot reach the forms | Pump, buggy, wheelbarrow, chute, access, or wait-time cost | Concrete Truck Chute Reach Guide |
| Wheelbarrow route is long or slow | Wait-time fee, cold joint, finish risk, unsafe handling | Concrete Pump vs Wheelbarrow Cost Guide |
| Mix details are verbal only | Wrong load, ticket dispute, replacement load | Rejected Concrete Load Fee Guide |
| Surplus has no destination | Returned concrete, washout, disposal, cleanup | Returned Concrete Fee Guide |
| Ticket signer is unclear | Acceptance, water addition, or quantity dispute | Ready-Mix Delivery Ticket Checklist |
Ready-mix order vs quote checklist
A quote compares prices. An order sends a truck. Keep the distinction clear.
| Stage | What you need |
|---|---|
| Quote | Yardage, price, delivery, minimums, fees, and comparison table. |
| Order | Mix, address, truck access, placement method, schedule, contact, and ticket owner. |
| Dispatch | Site readiness, inspection, weather decision, crew, tools, washout, and load acceptance. |
| Pour day | Ticket record, unload time, water notes, photos, signatures, and surplus handling. |
Use the Concrete Pour Day Checklist after the order is placed but before the truck arrives. If the supplier expects owner-supplied placement labor, use the Concrete Pour Crew Size Checklist to name the placement, screed, finish, ticket, washout, and backup roles.
FAQ
What information do I need to order ready-mix concrete?
You need the project volume after waste, mix design, delivery address, placement method, access plan, unload window, washout plan, cancellation cutoff, and who can approve ticket changes or reject the load.
Should I ask for price per yard first?
Price per yard is useful, but it is incomplete. Ask for the delivered total, minimum-load rule, delivery fee, wait-time policy, access assumptions, tax, and dispatch terms before comparing suppliers.
Can I change a ready-mix order after dispatch?
Sometimes, but the cost depends on supplier cutoff, batching, truck loading, delivery timing, and written terms. Confirm the cancellation and reschedule rule before the order is sent.
What happens if the ready-mix load is wrong?
Document the ticket, photos, timing, mix details, water notes, and decision owner. Use qualified professionals for testing or structural acceptance. This checklist only helps prevent avoidable ordering mistakes.
Next step
Before you dispatch, enter the delivered total, waste factor, access plan, wait-time policy, returned-material rule, and cancellation cutoff in the Concrete Pour Planner. Then keep the supplier's written response with the Concrete Quote Reviewer.
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Quote planning next step
Turn this guide into a concrete buying check
Run the matching calculator, then compare ready-mix, bagged concrete, delivery fees, access needs, and quote gaps before you buy materials or approve a contractor number.