When Should You Hire a Concrete Pump?
Why hire a concrete pump? You need one whenever transporting concrete manually with wheelbarrows slows down your pour, threatens premature curing, or impedes site access. A standard line pump transfers 1m³ of wet concrete in under two minutes through a flexible pipeline up to 150 metres. You should hire a concrete pump if your pour site is over 20 metres from the volumetric truck, involves steps, narrow side alleyways, or if you’re transporting more than 3m³ of concrete.
Offloading mixed concrete directly from a volumetric truck to the pour keeps your aggregate consistent and protects the subgrade from heavy wheelbarrow traffic. Whatever your project – laying ground beams for a rear extension or pouring a garage slab – pumping will cut your pour times from hours to minutes.
Custom Concrete: Volumetric Supply & Pump Services
Operating since 2005, Custom Concrete provides volumetric site-mixed concrete and dedicated pump hire for all projects, from DIY to commercial developments. Mixing on site guarantees exact volume and grade requirements with no waste. Paired with our line and boom concrete pumps, we place wet concrete up to 150 metres from the truck or over structural obstacles at rates up to 1 m³ per minute.
Why Not Use a Wheelbarrow? The Case for Concrete Pumps
Volumetric site-mixed concrete starts its hydration reaction the moment water hits the cement powder. If you then take two hours to wheelbarrow a load across a site, the last batch placed will not bond correctly with the first.
A ground line pump discharges fresh mix at top slump directly into your formwork at 1㎥per minute. A concrete pump gives you continuous placement which eliminates cold joints, provides structural uniformity, and simplifies final screeding.
Line Pump vs. Boom Pump – Which Do You Need?
Choosing between a line pump and a boom pump is determined by whether you have an issue with path obstruction or you need vertical lift.
- Line Pumps (Ground Line) – These lay flexible rubber hoses along the ground to reach points up to 150 metres from the delivery truck. Best for ground-level slabs, shed bases, domestic rear extensions, and sites with direct ground-level entry through houses or side gates.
- Boom Pumps – Using a remote-controlled hydraulic arm, boom pumps lift concrete up and over obstacles up to 72 metres high or wide. Essential if you’re pouring over rooflines, commercial floor decks, retaining walls, or sites where ground hoses would block active access routes.
Ground Line Pump | Hydraulic Boom Pump | |
Best Used For | Domestic extensions, rear gardens, footings | High-level pours, over-wall reaches, heavy slabs |
Horizontal Reach | Up to 150 metres (via ground hose) | Up to 72 metres (articulated arm) |
Setup Clearance | Minimal (fits standard street parking) | Requires wide footprint for outrigger stability |
Pour Rate | Up to 60㎥ per hour | Up to 90㎥ per hour |
Obstacle Clearance | Winds through doors/gates | Lifts directly over structures/rooflines |
Preparing Your Site for Concrete Pump Delivery
Site preparation determines the efficiency of your pour. Before the volumetric truck and pump arrive on site, there are four things to prep: parking access, ground stability, hose clearance, and a washout station.
- Parking Access – A ground line pump vehicle requires at least 8 to 10 metres of straight road clearance, while a boom pump needs up to 12 metres plus extra lateral space for hydraulic outriggers.
- Ground Stability – Make sure that the ground surface is capable of supporting heavy axle loads. A boom pump should never be positioned on uncompacted backfill or soft verges.
- Line Pump Route Clearance – Clear a straight, unobstructed path from the pump setup point to the pour area. If you’re running ground hoses through a house or a tight side passage, lay down plywood sheet protection early and remove light fixtures or fragile obstacles along the walkway.
- Washout and Water Access – Every pump needs to be flushed through with clean water at the end of the pour. Provide an active mains water supply on site and set up a contained washout area, such as a lined wash bag, mortar tub, or soil trench, to collect residual aggregate and cement slurry.
Concrete Pump FAQs
Got a tight pour schedule or restricted access? Here are answers to the questions we get asked most regularly.
Our ground line pumps process 40–60m³ per hour, while our boom pumps reach outputs up to 90m³ per hour. Actual placement speed depends on your team’s ability to take and level the mix.
Boom pumps need a 12m x 6m footprint. Outrigger point loads can reach up to 15–25 tonnes depending on boom length. Your site team should provide stable, compacted hardstanding; we supply heavy-duty outrigger spreader plates to distribute loads safely across tested ground.
We build delivery windows around your placement plan. If a site delay happens mid-pour, the operator agitates the pump hopper and cycles wet mix through the line periodically to stop hydration set in the pipeline. Standard setup and pour times are built into your quote.
Calculate Your Mix & Book Your Concrete Pump Hire
Use the Custom Concrete Calculator to input your slab or trench dimensions, select your mix grade, and request line or boom pump hire in one step.
Would you like to talk to one of our concrete specialists about pump hire, or volumetric concrete? Call us today on 01525 861899