A quick guide to laying concrete for your DIY project

This is not meant to provide comprehensive instructions and there may be conditions specific to your site to take into consideration. If you need advice our team will be happy to help or see our Help & Advice page.

Safety first Wet concrete can cause burns to the skin, so make sure you are wearing the right protective clothing – waterproof gloves, long-sleeved clothes and trousers, waterproof safety boots and eye protection. 

Get the right tools Spade, shovel, tape measure, string line, wooden pegs, spirit level, finishing trowel / float, builder’s T-square, wheelbarrow, wooden tamping bar, lump hammer, levelling beam, wooden planks, polythene sheeting.

Prepare the area Dig the space for your concrete and prepare the wooden formwork to securely hold the mix in place. Allow 100mm depth for the concrete (depending on your project) and another 100mm for a hardcore base. The top of the formwork should be level with the finished concrete surface. Consider issues such as damp proofing, drainage and run-off water (25mm fall for every 2m length).

Create a sound base Ensure the ground beneath the space where the concrete will go is level and very compacted. Line the area with a 100mm layer of hardcore (aggregate or stones) and tamp down firmly to give a solid base.

Do your calculations Measure and calculate the amount of concrete you will need using our concrete calculator. Double check your measurements to be certain to order the right amount as miscalculations can be expensive. If you need advice our team will be happy to help.

Order your concrete You can order online or call us to place your order. We can normally deliver within 48 hours with a 2-hour delivery slot. Ask for advice on preparing for the delivery or see our Help & Advice page. Concrete should not be laid in very cold or wet conditions, so choose carefully when you want to do the job.

Get set for delivery Give yourself plenty of time to prepare for receiving, laying and finishing the concrete. Ready-mix concrete typically has a working time of a couple of hours, after which it begins to go off, so you need to work fast. We have a section on our Help & Advice page  – preparing for your delivery – which you may find useful. 

What’s the access like? A typical mixer truck is 3m wide and weighs over 20 tonnes, so we can’t always pour directly from the truck into your space. You can use a temporary container (e.g. a large skip) to transfer the concrete quickly to avoid ‘waiting time’ charges. We allow up to 30 minutes for our vehicles to be on site. If you need longer than this, please let the team know when you place your order. 

Depending on the location and volume, transfer options include hiring a mini-dumper, hiring a concrete pump line – we offer a concrete pump line service in certain locations – creating a wooden chute or wheelbarrows. As a guide,1m³ of concrete equates to approximately 25 wheelbarrows. When considering manpower it’s also worth noting that 1m³ weighs approximately 2.4Tonnes.

Levelling and smoothing As the concrete goes into your space, push the mix into all corners of the footings and formwork, tamping it down into place with a wooden beam. Then use a straight beam to level the surface, using a steel trowel to shift the concrete around and achieve a smooth finish.

Completion Once the concrete is laid, cover it with polythene sheeting to stop it curing too quickly (which may cause cracking). A spray-on curing agent may be used to reduce curing time, increase durability and seal the surface. Allow at least a week for the concrete to cure, and more if the weather is cold and wet. Full strength is typically achieved after one month.