Concrete Delivery Site Preparation Checklist: Access, Safety & Pour Readiness

Two overlapping guides used to split site readiness between DIY and trade audiences. This is the single canonical checklist. Use the short version on the concrete delivery day guide for the day-of rundown; use this page for the deep prep.

1. Site Access & Safety: Complete 48 Hours Before

Truck access is non-negotiable. A standard ready-mix agitator from our suppliers' plants weighs about 30–35 tonnes loaded. Get access wrong and the driver may be unable to discharge safely — waiting time then runs at $3–5/minute after the included 20–60 minutes unloading allowance.

• Measure truck path width. Plan for 3–3.5m clear width at the narrowest point: gate, fence posts, parked cars. Below that clearance, check whether you need a mini-truck.
• Check overhead clearance. Plan for 4–4.5m vertical. Watch for pergolas, verandah beams, tree branches, and power lines. The chute adds height when extended.
• Check ground load capacity. The truck must travel on firm ground. Soft lawn, wet clay, or fresh fill can bog a 30–35 tonne truck — use steel plates or crane mats, or keep the truck on hard standing and extend the chute.
• Remove obstacles from the truck path. Move vehicles from the driveway and street. Notify neighbours if the truck needs to park in front of their property.
• Keep open trenches clear. Stay at least trench depth + 1m away from open excavations, or fill and compact before delivery.
• Arrange a Hi-Vis spotter for all reversing (trade and any reverse-in residential pour). Drivers cannot spot for themselves. Use traffic management for roadside pours.
• Plan chute reach or arrange pump. Standard chute reach is a few metres from the truck. For pours beyond about 6m, hire a line pump or boom pump, or plan a wheelbarrow crew. Book 48+ hours ahead.

Power Line Clearances

Overhead power lines are the most dangerous hazard for concrete trucks and pump booms. If the voltage is unknown, stop and ask the network operator before positioning the suppliers' truck or pump.

2. Formwork: Complete 24 Hours Before

Concrete exerts approximately 24 kPa of lateral pressure on your forms at typical pour heights. That's 2,400 kg per square metre. Formwork that looks stable can fail when you start pouring. Brace everything.

• Set forms to correct level and grade. Check levels with a spirit level and string line. For driveways, set a 1:80 crossfall (12.5mm per metre) for drainage.
• Stake and brace formwork at 600mm centres. Drive pegs every 600mm for forms up to 200mm high. Add diagonal knee braces for corners. Shake the form; it should feel completely rigid.
• Apply form release oil. Coat all interior faces with form release oil or spray oil. Without this, stripping timber will chip and spall the concrete edge.
• Mark control joint locations. For slabs over 3m in any direction, plan control joints every 3m. Cut or tool within 24 hours of pour.

3. Base Preparation: Complete 24 Hours Before

• Compact subgrade to 95% density. Loose base is the #1 cause of cracked slabs. Run a plate compactor or wacker at least 2 passes in perpendicular directions. Jump on it; you should not feel any movement.
• Lay crushed rock base if required. For driveways and heavy slabs, lay 75–100mm of compacted 20mm crushed rock (DGB20). This improves drainage, reduces moisture movement, and adds sub-base support. Sydney clay soils especially benefit.
• Lay plastic membrane (if required). 200µm polyethylene sheet for all ground-bearing residential slabs. Overlap joins 300mm and tape. Turn up 150mm on all edges.

4. Reinforcement: Complete Day Before

• Lay mesh or reo to correct specification. SL72 mesh for residential floor slabs. F72 for light driveways. 12mm N-bar at 200mm centres for structural slabs or driveways with heavy vehicle access.
• Set bar chairs for correct cover. 40mm bar chairs for 100mm slabs, 50mm chairs for 125mm slabs. Place chairs at 800mm max spacing for mesh. Reo sitting on the ground provides zero tensile benefit.
• Check laps and tie wire at joins. Overlap mesh by at least one full square (200mm min). Tie laps with wire. Unsecured mesh shifts when concrete is poured and vibrated.

5. Discharge Plan: Chute, Pump, Wheelbarrow, or Mini-Truck

Decide how the concrete will move from the truck to the formwork before delivery day. A standard chute only reaches a few metres. If the truck cannot get close enough, choose between a pump, a mini-truck, or a wheelbarrow crew based on volume, distance, slope, and time.

• Wheelbarrow route: clear a flat path at least 900 mm wide, remove steps and trip hazards, and protect finished surfaces from spills.
• Crew size: a 50 L wheelbarrow needs about 20 trips per cubic metre. For more than 1–1.5 m³, use multiple barrows or consider a pump. Line up 2–3 helpers for anything over ~2m³, or any wheelbarrow discharge above 0.5m³.
• Waiting-time risk: slow barrowing can hold the truck beyond its unload allowance. Waiting charges ($3–5/minute after the included 20–60 minutes) are usually more expensive than planning the right discharge method upfront.
• After placement: start curing as soon as finishing allows. See the concrete curing time guide for walk-on, drive-on, and wet-curing timing.

For detailed crew sizing and trip counts, use the wheelbarrow concrete delivery guide.

6. Day of Pour: Morning of Delivery

• Release the order at least 1 hour before the scheduled delivery time — only once access is clear and the truck has sufficient space.
• Final walkthrough. Walk the entire pour zone. Check that bar chairs haven't been dislodged, formwork hasn't moved, and base is still firm. Five minutes of checking saves hours of remediation.
• Have tools staged and ready: screed boards, bull float, hand float, edger, broom (if broom finish), knee boards, and curing compound. Have the pump connected and primed before the truck arrives.
• Have crew on site before the truck arrives. Line up 2–3 helpers for anything over ~2m³. Current MixHub suppliers include 20–60 minutes unloading time from arrival; every delay after that costs $3–5/minute.
• Check weather forecast. Rain within 4 hours or above 35°C means rethink the delivery. See the rain guide and hot weather guide.
• Arrange washout. Provide a washout area or skip — chutes cannot be rinsed onto the street. Wheel wash if the truck exits to a public road. Washout is separate from returned-concrete disposal (~$350/m³ when over-ordering); measure accurately with the maps-based volume calculator.
• Never add water to the mix to make it easier to place — see the adding-water guide.
• Lightly moisten the base. Dampen the subgrade to prevent it drawing water from the mix. Never pour on standing water or puddles.

Full Pre-Pour Checklist

Work through this list. If a line isn't ticked, sort it before the load is released — not on the morning of the pour.