Volumetric Concrete vs Ready Mix
Both deliver concrete — but they work quite differently. Here's an honest comparison so you can decide which suits your project. Neither is universally better; it depends on the job.
How they work
Two different ways of delivering concrete
Ready mix
Concrete is batched and mixed at a ready-mix plant, then transported in a rotating drum on a mixer lorry. The drum keeps the concrete agitated on the journey, but the clock starts the moment it's mixed.
Volumetric
The raw materials — cement, aggregates, sand and water — are carried separately on one volumetric lorry and mixed on your site at the point of pour. Nothing is mixed until we reach you. See how it works.
Head to head
What's different in practice
Transport
Ready mix travels as wet concrete in a drum. Volumetric travels as dry ingredients and is mixed fresh on arrival.
Quantity flexibility
Ready mix is loaded for a set quantity — order too little and you pay a part-load charge; order too much and you pay for what goes back. Volumetric batches to the exact amount you pour, so you only pay for what you use.
Mixing
Ready mix is mixed at the plant. Volumetric is mixed on site, so it's genuinely fresh and the mix can be adjusted on the day if needed.
Delivery
Ready mix has a working time limit before it begins to set. Volumetric has no such race — the materials are separate until they reach you.
Typical applications
Both suit driveways, foundations, slabs, commercial and agricultural pours. Volumetric is particularly useful where the exact quantity is uncertain or where you want to avoid part-load charges.
Things to consider
Which is right for your job?
We're not going to tell you volumetric is always better — it isn't. If you have a large, well-defined pour with a precise quantity and a plant close by, ready mix can be a sensible choice. Where volumetric shines is flexibility: you only pay for what you pour, the concrete is fresh, and you can adjust the quantity on the day.
The best way to decide is to tell us about your project. We supply volumetric concrete and can talk you through whether it's the right fit for your pour — read the full advantages and benefits of volumetric concrete, or see how ready mix concrete in South Wales compares.
If you'd rather understand how the two methods differ before weighing up your own pour, our guide explains the difference between ready-mix and volumetric concrete step by step.
Ready to pour?
Tell us what you're pouring and where. We'll come out, measure up and send an itemised quote — usually within 48 hours.