Selling concrete online can be a valuable opportunity for builders’ merchants, ready-mix suppliers, landscaping businesses and specialist construction suppliers.
Concrete is used for foundations, slabs, paths, driveways, bases, floors and countless other construction projects. Customers increasingly research materials and prices online before contacting a supplier or placing an order.
However, concrete is not a typical ecommerce product.
A customer doesn’t usually start by thinking, “I need 2.4 cubic metres of concrete.” They start with a project. They know the size of the slab, foundation or base they need to create and then need to work out how much concrete that requires.
That makes calculation one of the biggest challenges — and opportunities — when selling concrete online.
This guide explains how to sell concrete online, how to structure your product offering and how to make it easier for customers to calculate what they need.
Is selling concrete online a good business?
Concrete is required for a huge range of construction and landscaping projects.
Potential customers include:
- Builders
- Contractors
- Landscapers
- Homeowners
- Property developers
- Groundworkers
- Driveway installers
- Construction companies
- Garden designers
- DIY customers
Depending on your business, you could sell to customers ordering a small quantity for a garden project or much larger commercial and construction jobs.
Concrete also has a strong local component because delivery distance, access and timing can have a significant effect on the practicality and cost of an order.
That can make local SEO and online ordering particularly valuable.
Decide what type of concrete you’ll sell
There are many different types and grades of concrete.
Your range might include:
- Ready-mix concrete
- Standard concrete
- High-strength concrete
- Foundation concrete
- Concrete for slabs
- Concrete for footings
- Fibre-reinforced concrete
- Rapid-setting concrete
- Decorative concrete
- Screed
- Concrete repair products
The exact products you offer will depend on your target market.
A specialist supplier might concentrate on ready-mix concrete for domestic projects, while another business could focus on trade and construction customers.
Explain concrete specifications clearly
Concrete can be confusing for customers who don’t work with it regularly.
Your product pages should clearly explain important information such as:
- Strength class or grade
- Intended application
- Mix specification
- Setting characteristics
- Delivery method
- Minimum order
- Available quantities
- Recommended applications
Don’t assume that every customer understands technical concrete terminology.
If a particular product is designed for foundations, slabs or another specific application, explain that clearly.
Make the ordering unit obvious
Concrete can be sold according to volume rather than as a traditional individual product.
Depending on your business, you might sell:
- Cubic metres
- Half loads
- Full loads
- Minimum delivery quantities
- Fixed-volume deliveries
- Ready-mix deliveries
Make it completely clear what the displayed price represents.
A customer should know whether a price is:
- Per cubic metre
- Per delivery
- For a minimum quantity
- For a particular mix
Confusing pricing can quickly lead to abandoned orders or customers contacting you for clarification.
Choosing an ecommerce platform
Selling concrete online requires an ecommerce platform that can cope with specialist pricing and delivery requirements.
When evaluating platforms, consider:
- Product management
- Search engine optimisation
- Measurement-based pricing
- Quantity pricing
- Product variations
- Delivery zones
- Minimum order quantities
- Local delivery
- Collection
- Payment options
- Quote requests
Concrete is particularly well suited to measurement-based ordering because customers generally know the dimensions of the project rather than the final volume required.
WooCommerce can be useful when you want flexibility around specialist product pricing.
If you’re using WooCommerce, we’ve also published a dedicated guide covering how to price concrete by volume:
WooCommerce Concrete Calculator: How to Price Concrete by Volume (2026 Guide)
The biggest problem: calculating how much concrete is needed
This is one of the most important problems to solve when selling concrete online.
Customers may know that they need to pour:
- A driveway
- A patio
- A shed base
- A garage floor
- A foundation
- A concrete slab
But they may not know how much concrete that represents.
The basic calculation is:
Volume = Length × Width × Depth
For example, a slab measuring 6 metres by 4 metres with a depth of 0.1 metres requires:
6 × 4 × 0.1 = 2.4 cubic metres
That’s straightforward mathematically, but expecting every customer to perform the calculation themselves creates unnecessary friction.
An online calculator can ask for the project dimensions and automatically calculate the required volume.
If you’re using WooCommerce, our WooCommerce Concrete Calculator guide explains how to use this type of volume-based calculation for ecommerce pricing:
Depth is just as important as area
Customers often think about the size of a project in terms of its length and width.
But concrete requirements also depend heavily on depth.
A 20 square metre area at 50mm depth requires a very different volume from the same area at 150mm depth.
Your website should therefore ask customers for all three measurements where appropriate:
- Length
- Width
- Depth
You can then turn those measurements into a volume and price automatically.
This is much easier for a customer than forcing them to understand cubic metre calculations before they can order.
Allow for wastage
Concrete projects aren’t always perfectly predictable.
There can be additional material requirements due to:
- Uneven ground
- Variations in depth
- Spillage
- Site conditions
- Measurement inaccuracies
- Changes during installation
A small allowance can help reduce the risk of ordering too little.
However, wastage requirements will depend on the project.
A simple rectangular domestic slab is very different from a complicated construction project with irregular dimensions.
Make any assumptions used by your calculator clear to customers.
Don’t confuse concrete volume with project requirements
The calculated volume is only one part of planning a concrete project.
Customers may also need to think about:
- Reinforcement
- Sub-base
- Formwork
- Access
- Pumping
- Finishing
- Curing
- Labour
- Delivery timing
Your website doesn’t necessarily need to provide every service, but useful information about the overall process can make customers much more confident about ordering.
Sell complementary products and services
Concrete customers may also need additional products.
Depending on your business, you could sell or provide:
- Reinforcement mesh
- Fibres
- Damp-proof membrane
- Plastic sheeting
- Formwork materials
- Expansion joints
- Concrete tools
- Sealants
- Curing products
- Delivery services
- Concrete pumps
- Installation services
This can increase order values and make your business more useful to customers planning a complete project.
Delivery is critical
Concrete is not an ordinary parcel delivery.
Timing and access are extremely important because ready-mix concrete needs to arrive and be used within an appropriate timeframe.
Your website should clearly explain:
- Delivery areas
- Delivery dates
- Delivery time windows
- Minimum quantities
- Vehicle access requirements
- Site access
- Pouring requirements
- Delivery charges
- Waiting-time charges
- Cancellation policies
Customers need to understand these details before ordering.
Local delivery can be a competitive advantage
For many concrete suppliers, local delivery is a major part of the business.
That creates a strong opportunity for local search marketing.
Potential searches include:
- Ready mix concrete near me
- Concrete delivery
- Ready mix concrete delivery
- Concrete suppliers near me
- Concrete for driveways
- Concrete for foundations
- Concrete delivered
- Concrete calculator
A strong local website can turn these searches into quote requests and orders.
Make access requirements obvious
A concrete delivery vehicle may require considerably more access than a normal courier.
Explain whether customers need:
- Suitable road access
- Adequate vehicle clearance
- A suitable delivery location
- Space for the mixer
- A prepared site
- Specific access widths
If you offer concrete pumping, explain when that service may be appropriate.
This information can prevent failed deliveries and expensive surprises.
Create useful concrete content
Concrete customers have many questions before ordering.
That gives you plenty of opportunities to create educational content.
Potential topics include:
- How much concrete do I need?
- How to calculate concrete volume
- How much concrete do I need for a slab?
- How much concrete do I need for a driveway?
- How thick should a concrete driveway be?
- How thick should a concrete slab be?
- Ready-mix concrete vs mixing concrete yourself
- How long does concrete take to cure?
- What concrete mix do I need?
- How much does ready-mix concrete cost?
- How to prepare for concrete delivery
These searches can bring potential customers to your website while they’re planning a project.
Make quoting easier for larger projects
Not every concrete order should necessarily be a simple automated checkout.
Large or complicated projects may require:
- Site assessments
- Detailed quotes
- Specific mix requirements
- Pumping
- Multiple deliveries
- Trade pricing
- Customer-specific arrangements
Consider combining online ordering for straightforward jobs with quote requests for larger projects.
This gives customers the convenience of ecommerce without forcing complicated jobs into a rigid checkout process.
Build trust with accurate information
Concrete is a technical product, and mistakes can be expensive.
Your website should therefore provide accurate and easy-to-understand information about:
- Mix specifications
- Strength
- Coverage
- Delivery
- Minimum orders
- Product suitability
- Lead times
- Returns and cancellation
- Contact details
Customer reviews and testimonials can also be valuable, particularly for larger purchases.
Marketing your concrete business
Once your online store is ready, you need to attract customers who are actually planning concrete projects.
Useful channels include:
- Search engine optimisation
- Google Shopping
- Paid search
- Local SEO
- Email marketing
- Trade partnerships
- Content marketing
- Social media
SEO can be especially valuable because concrete searches often reveal exactly what the customer is trying to build.
Someone searching for “concrete for driveway delivery” is already much further through the buying journey than someone searching for “concrete”.
Frequently asked questions
Can you make money selling concrete online?
Yes. Concrete can be sold to homeowners, builders, landscapers, contractors and commercial customers. Profitability depends on product margins, delivery costs, competition, minimum order sizes and the geographical area you serve.
How should concrete be sold online?
Concrete is commonly priced according to volume, often in cubic metres. Your website should make it clear what quantity is included in the displayed price and what delivery requirements apply.
How do customers calculate how much concrete they need?
The basic calculation is length × width × depth. The resulting figure gives the required volume when the measurements are in consistent units.
How much concrete do I need for a slab?
That depends on the slab’s length, width and depth. Multiplying those three measurements gives the approximate volume required. An allowance may also be appropriate depending on the project.
Should I sell concrete by cubic metre?
Volume-based pricing can make sense because the amount of concrete required is directly related to the volume of the project. Make sure customers understand whether your displayed price is per cubic metre, per load or subject to a minimum quantity.
Is WooCommerce suitable for selling concrete?
WooCommerce can be suitable for concrete suppliers because it can be extended to support volume-based pricing. A calculator can allow customers to enter project dimensions and automatically calculate the resulting volume and price.
Conclusion
Selling concrete online is not simply about putting a list of concrete mixes on a website.
Customers are usually starting with a project rather than a quantity. They know the dimensions of the slab, driveway, foundation or base they want to create, and they need your website to translate those measurements into an order.
A successful online concrete business combines clear product specifications with transparent delivery information, useful project guides and a simple calculation process.
If you’re using WooCommerce, our guide to WooCommerce Concrete Calculators explains how to handle volume-based pricing and allow customers to calculate the concrete required for their project:
For concrete suppliers selling by volume, removing the calculation work from the customer can turn a complicated enquiry into a much simpler online purchase.
Leave a Reply