Ordering cement and aggregates by the pallet when you need bulk bags — or the other way round — costs money and yard time. How to size an order for the job in front of you.
Cement and aggregates are the highest volume, lowest margin lines on most jobs, so getting the order size right has a direct effect on both cost and site tidiness.
When bagged wins
Bagged cement suits jobs with limited storage, staged pours, or restricted access where a bulk delivery can't be placed safely. It's also the right call for anything that needs to be moved by hand through a property.
When bulk wins
Once you're into slab work, screeds, driveways or sustained blockwork, bulk bags of sand, ballast and sub-base reduce handling significantly. One bulk bag of sharp sand is roughly 850kg — plan your drop-off point before the wagon arrives.
Storage and shelf life
Cement is hygroscopic. Keep pallets sheeted and off the ground, and rotate stock. Ordering three months' worth to hit a price break is a false economy if half of it goes off.
Mix design basics
For general concrete work a 1:2:4 cement/sand/aggregate mix by volume is a common starting point, but always follow the structural spec where one exists. Postmix products are for fence posts and similar — they are not a substitute for structural concrete.
We supply bagged and bulk cement, sand, ballast, MOT Type 1 and postmix from our M8 depot, with same-day and next-day delivery across Greater Manchester.