The LGW Group

Wright Readymix is proud to be a member of The LGW Group, a coalition of leading concreting and construction experts in Wales and the South of England.

The LGW Group consists of four highly regarded and well-established construction specialists. It is the only group in the region that handles every part of the concreting process, from metal deck profile floor installation to concrete screed and brick and block delivery. The group can even supply you with precast concrete products, such as stairs and block and beam flooring, as well as decorative cast stone products such as decorative window cills and balustrades.

As part of the group, Wright Readymix is responsible for delivering concrete, liquid screed, and concrete pumps to both commercial and residential projects in the South. We handle projects both big and small, working with other members of The LGW Group to ensure you get the best service possible. These members are:

Bristol Brick Company

The LGW Group's latest venture, Bristol Brick Company is a new, £10 million concrete block and brick facility based in Avonmouth.

Bristol Brick Company was born from the desire to provide a local, independent company where customers could source high-quality and fairly priced concrete blocks and bricks, with exceptional service to match!

It is the first plant in the UK to be powered by industry-leading ROMETA® technology, and bricks and blocks ranging from 3.6 - 30N/mm2 (Unit Strength) will be available. Manufacturing trials are forecast to begin in October.

inside bristol brick company

Mexboro Concrete

One of the oldest and most established concreting companies in the UK, Mexboro has over fifty years’ experience manufacturing precast concrete and architectural cast stone products.

Along with decades of specialist knowledge, they have a state-of-the-art factory with computerised mixing, mould and pattern making, steel assembly, finishing, and quality control departments. The resulting components are at a quality that’s second to none.

Mexboro has an extensive range of standard structural components, including precast stairs and concrete balustrading, but can also create bespoke pieces of all complexities. No matter your requirements, Mexboro has the tools and expertise to create stunning pieces that will last.

mexboro concrete truck

Prodeck-Fixing Ltd

Since 1992, Prodeck-Fixing Ltd has been providing comprehensive metal decking services across the UK and Europe.

They work closely with top European steel manufacturer Tata Steel to ensure their composite and non-composite flooring and roofing is exceptionally strong and long-lasting.

Thanks to thirty years of skill and expertise, you can rely on Prodeck for all your metal decking needs. As accredited members of FASET, they also supply air mats and safety netting for working at height, so you can rest assured that only the very best working standards are observed on your project.

prodeck fixing metal decking

We are the right people for you – let’s work together!

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Are Recycled Aggregates Cheaper Than Natural Gravel?

12th May 2026

When you are planning a driveway sub-base, a garden path, or a shed base, the choice between recycled aggregates and natural gravel is one of the first decisions you will face. Both materials are widely available in the UK, but ordering the wrong one is easy to do. They look similar on a price list but behave differently on site, and specifying one where the other was needed can result in poor drainage, an unstable base, or a surface that does not meet the brief.

The cost gap between the two goes beyond the unit price. There are key differences to know:

Recycled aggregate is exempt from the Aggregates Levy; virgin stone is not.
Haulage distances for recycled material are often shorter, keeping costs lower.
Natural gravel delivers more consistent drainage and finish for visible surfaces.

Our bulk bag aggregates and gravels are available in 17 options, and our team are on hand to confirm the right specification before you order.

Here is what you need to know before you choose.

The Cost Difference Between Recycled & Virgin Aggregate

Recycled aggregate carries a built-in cost advantage that goes beyond the unit price. The Aggregates Levy applies to virgin quarried material, not to recycled aggregate, and, according to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the current rate is £2.16 per tonne as of April 2026. That exemption is a real saving that suppliers can pass down the chain [1].

Natural gravel in bulk bag quantities usually runs between £60 and £100 per bulk bag, depending on type, delivery distance, and demand. Recycled crushed concrete comes in at lower prices, often by a meaningful margin on large volumes. Recycled aggregate is also sourced from demolition and excavation waste close to the point of use, which keeps haulage costs below those of quarried stone brought from further afield.

For a broader breakdown of what affects ready-mix pricing in the South West, our ready mix concrete prices guide covers volume, mix type, and delivery variables in detail.

How Recycled & Natural Gravel Actually Perform

Recycled aggregate performs well in structural applications, such as sub-bases, fill material, and compacted bases, but it behaves differently from natural gravel in certain conditions. For load-bearing and compaction, recycled crushed concrete is a reliable choice when properly laid and compacted. The Department for Transport's (DfT) Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways (SROH) states that recycled or primary materials, or any combination of the two, are permitted for reinstatement provided they meet the relevant performance and compositional requirements [2].

Drainage is where the two materials start to diverge, and natural gravel is the more reliable choice where free-draining performance is a design requirement. Recycled aggregate varies more in particle size and composition, so drainage rates are less uniform. Longevity follows a similar pattern. Natural gravel retains its properties over time, while recycled aggregate's mixed composition can lead to greater batch variability.

For a practical look at how recycled and natural aggregate behave on a live commercial project, our 80m3 ready mix concrete & concrete pump case study from Ferndale shows how material specification and site conditions interact on a real pour.

Matching the Right Aggregate to Your Project Type

The Environment Agency (EA) and Waste and Resources Action Programme’s (WRAP) Quality Protocol for aggregates from inert waste sets out the end-of-waste criteria that recycled aggregate must meet before it enters general construction use. Once a producer meets those criteria, the material ceases to be classified as waste and becomes a specified product on equal footing with quarried aggregate. The approved applications are wider than many buyers assume, covering sub-base, capping, general fill, pipe bedding, drainage, hydraulically bound mixtures, concrete, and asphalt [3].

Recycled aggregate is well-suited to:

Sub-base layers for driveways, paths, and hard-standing areas.
Backfill, general fill, and earthworks where a decorative finish is not required.
Shed bases and utility areas where the surface will be covered or concealed.

Natural gravel is the better choice when:

The surface will be visible, and the decorative finish matters.
Consistent drainage performance is a design requirement.
The project involves planting beds, path edging, or landscape features.

Combining both materials works well on larger projects. A recycled aggregate sub-base with a natural gravel top layer gives cost efficiency at depth and reliable performance at the surface.

If your project involves a driveway or hard-standing with a gravel surface finish, our guide to how to use bulk bag gravel for driveways to help curb appeal covers installation, depth, and material selection in full.

The Sustainability Case for Recycled Aggregate

Using recycled aggregate diverts material from landfill and reduces demand for quarried stone. Both outcomes carry real environmental weight.

Using recycled aggregate diverts material from landfill and reduces demand for quarried stone. In November 2025, Nuclear Restoration Services confirmed that over 15,000 tonnes of concrete from the decommissioned Sizewell A nuclear power station had been crushed, tested, and certified to the WRAP Quality Protocol before being transported to Sizewell C. The material is being used as a sub-base for foundation platforms, preventing 28 tonnes of CO₂ emissions and keeping almost 800 vehicle movements local [4].

For domestic and commercial projects, the principle holds at a smaller scale. Choosing recycled aggregate where performance requirements allow it reduces the extraction of virgin materials and lowers a project's carbon footprint without compromising the result. The important caveat is to source from a reputable supplier who can confirm the material meets the Quality Protocol standard, as not all recycled aggregate is equal in quality or consistency.

Three Questions to Ask Before You Order Aggregate

Before the Quality Protocol existed, recycled aggregate was difficult to specify with confidence. That has changed. There is now a clear framework for when recycled material is appropriate, how it should be sourced, and what performance to expect.

The decision comes down to three practical questions:

What does the surface need to do: bear load, drain freely, or finish well?
What volume are you ordering, and does the levy saving make a material difference?
Can your supplier confirm the recycled aggregate meets the Quality Protocol standard?

Wright Readymix supplies bulk bag aggregates and gravels across the South West and South Wales, with 17 aggregate options available for domestic and commercial projects. The team can advise on the right material for your application before you order, whether that is recycled crushed concrete for a driveway sub-base or natural gravel for a visible garden surface. Five concrete plants across Bristol, Avonmouth, Newport, Cheddar, and Paignton keep delivery distances short, and logistics well managed.

Call 0117 958 2090 or get in touch to discuss your aggregate requirements and arrange delivery to the site.

External Sources

[1] GOV.UK, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), Rates and Allowances — Aggregates Levy (2026): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowances-aggregates-levy/rates-and-allowances-aggregates-levy

[2] GOV.UK, Department for Transport (DfT), Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways (SROH) (2020): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6839b437210698b3364e86f7/reinstate-works-after-doing-streetworks.pdf

[3] GOV.UK, Environment Agency (EA), Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), Quality Protocol, Aggregates from Inert Waste (2013): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65fd7426f1d3a0001132add0/CD1.Y_Quality_Protocol.__Aggregates_from_inert_waste.__End_of_waste_criteria_for_the_production_of_aggregates_from_inert_waste._WRAP_October_2013..pdf

[4] GOV.UK, Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS), Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), Sizewell a Concrete Reused at Sizewell C (2025): https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sizewell-a-concrete-reused-at-sizewell-c

Should You Put Rebar in Concrete Footings and Why?

07th May 2026

Concrete has a structural limitation that remains unchanged regardless of mix design or finish quality. It handles compression well, the downward force of load-bearing onto a footing. What it cannot resist on its own is tension. The pulling, flexing force generated by ground movement, uneven loading, and freeze-thaw cycles working on the structure from below. Without reinforcement, that tension finds the weakest point in the pour, and that point becomes a crack.

For anyone planning a deck, small extension, or outbuilding, understanding when rebar for footings is necessary and how to install it correctly removes the guesswork from a decision that determines whether the structure performs for decades or starts showing its weaknesses long before it should.

This guide covers when reinforcement is required under UK Building Regulations, how to achieve the right spacing and cover depth, and the installation mistakes most likely to cause problems on site.

What Rebar Actually Does Inside a Footing

Rebar spreads concentrated loads across the full width of a footing, preventing stress from accumulating at a single point. In a strip footing carrying a wall, that matters every time the load above is uneven, which, in practice, it almost always is. Reinforcement steel embedded in the pour also carries tensile loads, binding the footing together and preventing cracks from forming or widening underground movement or thermal stress.

Approved Document A sets out the Building Regulations framework for structural design in England. Section 2E covers foundations of plain concrete and defines the specific ground conditions under which they are permissible. Where those conditions are not met, whether due to poor ground, significant load, or stepped formations, the document directs designers to Eurocode 2 and the associated British Standards for reinforced concrete work. Plain concrete is not compliant in those situations [1].

The Ground Conditions That Make Reinforcement Necessary

Not every footing requires reinforcement. For very light structures on stable, well-draining ground, plain concrete to grade ST2 or GEN1, as referenced in Section 2E of Approved Document A, may be adequate, provided the ground meets specific conditions. There should be no non-engineered fill, no wide variation in ground conditions within the loaded area, and no weaker or more compressible ground at depth that could affect stability.

Where those conditions are not met, the case for reinforcement grows quickly. Stepped foundations must overlap by at least twice the height of the step or the foundation thickness, whichever is greater. On clay soils subject to shrinkage, foundation depth must reach at least 750mm on low-shrinkage clay and 1.0m on high-shrinkage clay, depths at which ground movement forces are significantly higher than a plain pour can reliably handle. Any project requiring Building Regulations approval should have the footing specification checked against these requirements before work begins.

Where ground conditions, load, or site complexity take the project outside the Section 2E provisions, reinforced design under Eurocode 2 applies. If you are working without a structural engineer, the safer default is to treat reinforcement as standard rather than optional. The cost of the steel is modest compared to the cost of a footing that fails.

Thermal movement and freeze-thaw cycles also affect how concrete performs over time. Our guide to is pouring concrete in winter for footings safe in the UK? covers the conditions most likely to compromise a slab or footing in cold weather.

Rebar Spacing & Concrete Cover Guidelines

Rebar placed incorrectly does little. Two measurements govern whether reinforcement actually works: spacing and concrete cover.

For typical domestic footing applications, horizontal bars are usually spaced at 200–300mm centres, with additional bars placed at right angles to form a grid where the footing is wide. Bunching bars together without adequate spacing prevents concrete from flowing through the cage and bonding correctly.

Concrete cover is the minimum thickness of concrete between the surface of the rebar and the outer face of the footing. It serves three purposes:

Protecting reinforcement from frost.
Accommodating thermal movement.
Preventing corrosion.

According to Designing Buildings, atmospheric carbon dioxide diffuses through concrete over time, reacting with calcium hydroxide to reduce the concrete's pH. Plain cement concrete has a pH of around 12.5, at which steel is stable. When carbonation drives pH below 11.5, corrosion becomes possible. Once steel corrodes, it expands, and the surrounding concrete spalls. For commercial foundations in typical UK ground conditions, a minimum cover of 40-50mm is standard practice, increasing where soils are aggressive or sulphate-bearing. Chairs or spacers placed under and alongside the rebar cage before pouring are the only reliable way to hold cover consistently across the full footing [2].

Getting the mix right before you pour is as important as placing the steel correctly. A guide to laying concrete yourself covers preparation, mix selection, and finishing in detail.

The Installation Errors Most Likely to Cause Footing Failure

Most footing failures involving reinforcement come down to a small number of errors rather than wrong specification. Getting the preparation right matters as much as the steel itself.

These are the mistakes worth checking before you pour:

Placing rebar directly on the ground eliminates cover and exposes steel to moisture from day one.
Using rebar too close to the footing face leaves less than 40mm cover and creates a corrosion path.
Omitting crossbars leaves parallel bars that distribute load in only one direction.

When combining rebar with ready mix concrete, use a mix with a maximum aggregate size of 20mm to allow concrete to flow through the cage without bridging. A slump class of S3 or S4 suits most reinforced domestic footing applications. Soil conditions are also regularly overlooked. A specification that works on firm, well-drained ground may be inadequate on clay-heavy or waterlogged sites. If ground conditions on your site are anything other than straightforward, the complete guide to concrete footings covers ground assessment in more detail, and speaking to a structural engineer before you pour is always time well spent.

Specify the Right Mix & Pour It with Confidence

Reinforcement done properly provides the structural integrity to last the life of the building above it. Position the cage correctly, hold the cover, use the right mix, and the concrete and steel work together as they should. Cut corners on any of those points, and the footing will perform below what the project demands.

Wright Readymix supplies ready mix concrete across the South West and South Wales, with mixes specified for reinforced domestic and commercial applications. With five concrete plants and a team available 24/7, the business has the capacity and experience to support projects from small self-build footings to large-scale commercial pours.

Call 0117 958 2090 or get in touch to discuss your footing mix requirements and delivery logistics.

External Sources

[1] GOV.UK, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (2018 to 2021), Structure: Approved Document A: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/structure-approved-document-a

[2] Designing Buildings, The Construction Wiki, Concrete to Cover: https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Concrete_to_cover

Is It Cheaper to Pour Concrete or Use Concrete Blocks?

22nd April 2026

When the budget is tight, the question of cheaper concrete comes up early. Should you pour ready mix concrete or lay a concrete block wall? Both methods use concrete, but the costs behind them are quite different. Concrete costs catch many builders out. You price up materials, forget about equipment hire, underestimate the labour, and suddenly a job that looked affordable is running over budget.

Material prices, labour rates, equipment hire, even long-term maintenance... these all affect the calculation for your project. A driveway and a garden wall do not follow the same cost logic, and choosing the wrong method can add hundreds to a job that should have been straightforward. Use our concrete volume calculator below to determine the exact amount of concrete required for your project.

This article covers the full cost breakdown, with realistic UK figures to guide your decision before work starts on site.

What Do Concrete Materials Actually Cost?

Ready-mix concrete is priced per cubic metre. According to Checkatrade, the average cost of ready-mix concrete in the UK is around £120 per m³, with prices ranging from £100 to £160 per m³ depending on your region, grade, and supplier. Delivery adds a further £100-£200 on top of that. For a typical domestic foundation measuring 6m x 0.6m x 0.3m, you would need roughly 1.1m³, putting material and delivery costs combined at around £210 to £375 before any equipment or labour is factored in [1].

Concrete blocks are priced per unit. A standard 440 x 215 x 100mm dense aggregate block costs between £1.50 and £2.50 at builders' merchant prices. For the same foundation run, you would need considerably more blocks than that figure suggests once you account for mortar, waste, and coursing. At a small project scale, the per-unit cost of blockwork can appear lower, but the volume required often closes that gap quickly.

At medium scale, poured concrete becomes more cost-efficient. Ready-mix is ordered in bulk and priced accordingly, so larger pours benefit from a lower effective cost per m³. Blockwork does not scale in the same way, and material costs rise proportionally with each additional course.

For a more detailed look at how ready-mix concrete is priced in the UK, including grade variations and supplier considerations, our ready mix concrete prices guide covers the full breakdown.

The Real Cost Difference Sits in Labour & Equipment

Pouring concrete requires less skilled labour than laying blocks, but carries higher equipment costs. Hiring a mixer, vibrating poker, and shuttering can add £150-£300 or more to a domestic job, with pump hire pushing costs higher still. The work is also faster, which keeps day-rate labour costs lower overall.

Blockwork is more labour-intensive and requires a skilled tradesperson, typically charging £150-£250 per day. A job that takes one operative a day in poured concrete could take two days of skilled blockwork. According to the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS), construction labour costs are forecast to rise 15% between Q1 2026 and Q1 2031, with 62% of professionals surveyed expecting an uplift in the next 12 months. A shrinking skilled workforce is a key driver, and blocklaying sits squarely in the trades most affected [2].

For DIY projects, blockwork is more forgiving than managing a ready-mix pour, which has a narrow working window and less room for error. However, if you are weighing up whether to manage the pour yourself or bring in a professional, our guide to the dangers of DIY concrete pouring is worth reading before you commit.

Maintenance & Durability Catches Builders Out Long Term

Poured concrete, when correctly specified, has a long service life with minimal maintenance. According to the Concrete Centre's (CC) guide to BS 8500, concrete is designed for intended working lives of 50 or 100 years, with many project specifications adopting 60 years as standard. Achieving that lifespan depends on selecting the right exposure class, strength grade, and cement type for the conditions the structure will face. Get those decisions wrong, and maintenance costs will follow [3].

Concrete blocks perform well in above-ground applications such as walls and retaining structures. Individual units can be replaced without disturbing the surrounding structure, making localised repair more straightforward than remedying a cracked slab. However, mortar joints are a potential weak point over time, particularly in exposed or wet conditions where freeze-thaw cycling can accelerate deterioration.

For both methods, the long-term cost case is the same: correct specification at the outset is cheaper than remedial work later. For a practical look at the most common causes of concrete deterioration and how to address them, our guide, troubleshooting concrete cracking: common causes & fixes, covers the key failure points.

Proven Tips to Keep Your Build Costs Down

There are practical steps you can take to keep costs down, whichever method you choose.

Use these three principles to control costs on site:

Plan your pour volume carefully to avoid ordering more concrete than the job requires.
Combine methods where it makes sense, such as pouring a concrete base and using blocks for the wall above it.
Choose the correct mix grade or block type for the application rather than over-specifying.

Ordering ready-mix concrete in a single pour is more cost-efficient than splitting delivery across multiple smaller loads. Each delivery carries a minimum charge, so consolidating your order saves money. For blockwork, buying in full packs from a builders' merchant reduces waste and unit cost compared to buying loose.

So, Which Method is Cheaper?

Before the figures are available, it is easy to assume that one method is simply cheaper than the other. Once you account for materials, labour, equipment, and the structure's lifetime, the answer depends on what you are building and at what scale. For larger pours, foundations, and slabs, ready-mix concrete is usually the more cost-efficient choice once labour time and equipment are factored in. For smaller above-ground structures or projects where a skilled labourer is already on site, blockwork can be cost-competitive.

Wright Readymix supplies ready-mix concrete and concrete blocks to domestic and commercial projects across Bristol, Avonmouth, Newport, Cheddar, and Paignton. With five concrete plants across the South West and South Wales, a 24/7 team, and the backing of The LGW Group, we are well placed to advise on mix specification, volume, and the most cost-effective approach for your project.

Call 0117 958 2090 or get in touch to discuss which option suits your project and budget.

External Sources

[1] Checkatrade, What Is the Cost of Ready Mix Concrete per M³: https://www.checkatrade.com/blog/cost-guides/ready-mix-concrete-cost/

[2] Building Cost Information Service (BCIS), Beyond Materials: Why Labour Costs Remain a Key Pressure Point for Construction: https://www.bcis.co.uk/insight/beyond-materials-why-labour-costs-remain-a-key-pressure-point-for-construction/

[3] Concrete Centre (CC), How To Design Concrete Structures Using Eurocode 2, BS 8500 for Building and Civil Structures: https://www.concretecentre.com/getmedia/89d9767b-4a4b-468c-8f78-cd05c8294b21/MB_FD_HowToGuide_Feb24.aspx

Is Cast-In-Place Concrete Better Than Precast Concrete Blocks?

13th April 2026

Concrete or concrete blocks? It's one of the most common specification debates in UK construction, and one of the most consequential. Get it wrong, and you're dealing with mortar joint failure, differential settlement, or foundations that aren't suited to your ground conditions. These are costly problems that are far harder to fix once the build is underway.

Both materials have a legitimate place on-site. The real question is which is right for your specific application, ground type, and programme. Cast-in-place concrete and precast concrete blocks perform very differently below ground versus above it. Understanding that distinction is what separates a sound specification from an expensive one.

This guide covers strength, build time, cost, and foundation suitability, so you can make the right call before work starts.

What is Cast-in-Place Concrete?

Cast-in-place concrete, also known as poured or in-situ concrete, is batched at a plant, delivered by mixer truck, and poured directly into formwork on site. Once set, it forms a single, continuous structure with no joints or bonding interfaces. This gives it a significant structural advantage for foundations, retaining walls, and ground slabs.

Ready-mix concrete can be specified across a wide range of applications, from trench-fill foundation work to high-strength structural pours. The British Ready Mixed Concrete Association (BRMCA) requires members to hold product conformity certification under either the Quality Scheme for Ready-Mixed Concrete (QSRMC) or the British Standards Kitemark Scheme, both approved to BS EN ISO 9001, ensuring every pour is produced and tested to an independently verified standard [1].

What Are Concrete Blocks?

Concrete blocks are precast units manufactured off-site and delivered ready to lay. They're a familiar material for groundworkers and bricklayers, and are widely used in:

Cavity wall construction
Below-ground masonry and retaining walls
Internal partition walls
Above-ground load-bearing walls

Blocks vary considerably in density and compressive strength. Dense aggregate blocks are suited to structural and load-bearing applications, while lightweight thermal blocks are typically used above ground where insulation values matter.

Concrete blocks are also manufactured using recycled aggregates in many cases. This makes them one of the more environmentally considered masonry options in above-ground construction. Our team supplies dense aggregate and lightweight blocks, each tested to British Standards for compressive strength, fire performance, and thermal value, so the right specification is straightforward regardless of application.

Strength, Durability, & Build Time. Which Material Actually Performs?

For most structural applications, cast-in-place concrete has a clear performance advantage. A well-specified pour produces a monolithic structure capable of resisting hydrostatic pressure and differential ground movement. These are two failure conditions that mortar-jointed construction is significantly more vulnerable to, particularly in below-ground applications.

The National House Building Council (NHBC) Standards 2024 (Chapter 4.3) specify designated mix GEN1 ST2 as the minimum concrete grade for strip and trench fill foundations. Plain unreinforced concrete must cure for at least four days before substructure masonry can proceed. However, reinforced concrete mixes require a full seven days without loading. These are Technical Requirements that NHBC-registered builders must meet, not advisory benchmarks [2].

Above ground, dense aggregate blocks offer a further advantage that is often overlooked: fire resistance. Dense concrete blocks are tested to BS EN 771-3 for aggregate concrete masonry units and are widely specified for party walls, compartment walls, and other above-ground applications where Building Regulations Approved Document B fire performance requirements apply [3].

On programme, the two methods suit different stages:

Both methods are sensitive to cold weather, but only ready-mix concrete can be ordered with accelerated mixes or admixtures to maintain workability and strength gain in low temperatures.
Blocks require no formwork. Laying can begin as soon as materials arrive, a genuine advantage for above-ground work.
Cast-in-place concrete requires formwork to be struck and NHBC curing periods observed before loading.
For irregular or non-standard designs, poured concrete is more adaptable and often faster overall.

Our article on can you pour ready mix concrete in the rain? outlines practical steps for working in marginal site conditions.

What Concrete & Blocks Actually Cost to Build With

Block and poured concrete costs depend on more than the price per unit. Concrete blocks typically have a lower material cost, but the overall project cost depends on:

Labour time and skill level required for laying.
Supervision requirements to maintain line and level.
Formwork materials and, where needed, pump hire for poured concrete.
Programme length and associated preliminaries.

For larger pours, ready-mix concrete offers meaningful economies of scale. A single delivery can cover a substantial area far more quickly than an equivalent block-laying programme. Our ready mix concrete prices guide sets out the key factors that influence material costs and how to approach budgeting.

Before committing to a specification, our concrete volume calculator can help you estimate quantities accurately and avoid over-ordering. For smaller domestic pours where a full ready-mix delivery would exceed requirements, we also offer a MiniMix service. This is a practical solution that keeps waste and costs to a minimum.

Suitability for Different Foundations & Ground Conditions

For the majority of UK foundation applications, cast-in-place concrete is the standard specification. Approved Document A (Structure) requires foundations to transmit loads safely without excessive settlement, specifying concrete at grade ST2 or GEN1 to BS 8500-2 in non-aggressive soils [4]. Strip and trench fill foundations must have a minimum thickness of 150mm and be taken to at least 450mm depth to avoid frost action, with greater depths required on shrinkable clays:

750mm on low-shrinkage clay.
900mm on medium-shrinkage clay.
1,000mm on high-shrinkage clay.

Concrete blocks can be used in certain foundation wall applications, but ground conditions are a deciding factor. In soils with:

Poor drainage or high-water tables.
Shrinkable subsoils with a Modified Plasticity Index of 10% or greater.
Uneven load distribution across the footprint.

Differential movement at mortar joints makes block construction a less reliable choice below ground. Where non-engineered fill or significant ground condition variation exists, specialist design is required regardless of the material. Our concrete for foundations page covers foundation types and specifications in more detail.

Above ground, blocks are well-established for cavity walls, partition walls, and retaining structures where conditions are stable. A competent contractor will typically use poured concrete below ground and blocks above. Where there is any uncertainty around load-bearing design or ground conditions, consult a structural engineer before committing to a specification.

Which Concrete Solution Is Right for Your Project?

Choosing between cast-in-place concrete and concrete blocks doesn't have to be complicated, but it does require the right information at the right stage of the project. Specify early, specify correctly, and the material will do exactly what it's designed to do. Leave it too late or default to habit, and the cost of correcting the decision rarely stays within the original budget.

Wright Readymix supplies ready-mix concrete for domestic and commercial projects across Bristol, Avonmouth, Weston-Super-Mare, and the surrounding region. We combine local knowledge of site conditions with the supply capability of the wider LGW Group. For further guidance on mix selection, the concrete grades guide is a useful next step.

Call 0117 958 2090 or get in touch to discuss your concrete specification and project requirements directly with our team.

External Sources

[1] British Ready Mixed Concrete Association (BRMCA), Technical Excellence: https://brmca.org.uk/quality_assurance.php

[2] National House Building Council (NHBC), The NHBC Standards 2024 (Chapter 4.3): https://nhbcprod.blob.core.windows.net/shared/CC2981-NHBC-Standards-2024-aw-digital-version-lr-151223.pdf

[3] GOV.UK, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (2018 to 2021), Fire Safety: Approved Document B: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-approved-document-b

[4] GOV.UK, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (2018 to 2021), Structure: Approved Document A: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/structure-approved-document-a