Do you have a residential or commercial project that’s about to commence in a week or two (or even in a couple of days from now?) Well, I guess you’ve already laid out the detailed design and engineering plans, as well as sourced the labor and basic materials. But, how about the ready-mix concrete? Well, finding the best and most reputable concrete suppliers in your area can help you not just save on money, but on time and effort too. So, no matter what the size, scope or type of your project, you must always strive to avail of the best price for your concrete requirements. Here are a couple of helpful hints on how to determine the right concrete supplier for your project.
Determine the Type of Concrete You Require for the Project
The first major step towards finding the right concrete suppliers for your project lies in determining the material you require for your project. When you’re well-versed and knowledgeable with the type, and amount, of material that’s needed for your project, as well as any close estimate, then you can easily ask for the quotes from different concrete suppliers.
If you live in a place where there are lots of concrete suppliers, well the good thing is that most of them would be willing to provide you with free quotes for the concrete mixture that you need.
However, you may first need to provide them with the exact amount of the material required for your project. After collecting or gaining a couple of quotes from various suppliers, you can them compare their prices, and then determine who among them is the most affordable.
To help you with the more tedious calculations, there are actually a lot of online concrete calculators that you can utilize to determine the exact amount of concrete materials that you need for your project.
But, to do this, you first need to know the width, length and height of the areas that are going to be filled with concrete. Once you find out these details, all you need to do is enter the details into the online concrete calculator, so that you will get the exact amount of concrete that’s required for your project.
But then again, you can also contact a professional concrete supplier for the details, and they will send their staff to evaluate your project’s requirements. After evaluating, the staff can then deliver the accurate amount of concrete as per your requirements.
The Parameters for Choosing Concrete Suppliers
Once you’ve determined the right type and amount of concrete that you require for your project, now’s the time to approach the different suppliers of concrete. Since there are many suppliers, it’s not necessary that the first one you meet is the best dealer.
You need to ensure that you search for multiple suppliers, and settle with the one who has good feedback from previous customers, and has a good reputation in the market. When contacting the supplier, provide them with the amount and type of concrete mixture that you require for your project.
You should also provide them with the details of the areas or locations where the concrete will be used. For example, if the concrete is to be used in a backyard, but there’s little or no way for the concrete truck to access it, then the price could increase because the truck may need to pour the material in your driveway, and from there it will be towed or transferred to the project site using different vehicles, or with manual labor.
But, before that happens to you, first check out if the concrete suppliers’ price is fair. Of course, you will want to ensure that the price of concrete falls within your range, so that you will stay in budget (although watch out for prices that are too low, or too good to be true, because this means that there may be something fishy either with the volume, or the quality of the concrete).
This explains why it’s wise to research more than one supplier, so you could compare prices, as well as learn the industry standard for the prices, and that you’ll know the baseline price (and quality) of the concrete delivered.
Also make sure that the supplier of concrete matches the scope of your project. Ideally, you will want to find concrete suppliers who specialize in the specific demands of your project. To do this, dig deeper into their portfolio of past projects, as well as their experience levels.
Ideally, the supplier should have samples of this on their official website (or even their Facebook page), although you may need to ask them directly for examples, or talk to their previous clients or colleagues who’ve worked with them in the past.
Again, this explains why it pays to do more in-depth research on customer satisfaction and company reputation, especially when you’re in search of reputable suppliers of concrete. Like, don’t just look at their website for this, because anyone can literally post stuff on their webpage.
If the supplier’s website (or even the Facebook and Instagram page) is not enough for you, well you could contact agencies like the Better Business Bureau, or any government agency or regulatory organization in your town or city that assesses and oversees business establishments or companies.
And, if you find out that there are clients who complain about this or that concrete supplier, remember that complaints are actually not a bad thing, as companies make mistakes, and not everyone can make all their customers happy.
But, the important thing is that you find out how the supplier reacted to the complaints, and how they managed to assuage their clients, and address their concerns or issues. Also keep in mind that the best suppliers of concrete in town get the job done precisely, and in less time and effort.
Yes, suppliers of ready-mix concrete (or just about any other construction supply or material) who have a good reputation will never sacrifice on quality, because they know that their stature is on the line!