Types of Concrete Mix and Their Uses

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

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