A concrete pre-pour handoff should identify the approved drawing, measured pour zones, mixture references, access arrangements, crew responsibilities, delivery sequence and testing or release decisions. Keep these details on one dated revision. The crew should be able to match a quantity in the order to a location on the sketch and reach the person authorized to resolve a change.
The NRMCA and ASCC pre-construction checklist establishes a framework for assigning responsibilities before concrete construction. The shorter ordering and pumping checklists address supplier communication and placement logistics. The seven records below are a practical way to organize a small project’s handoff; they do not replace the full project conference, safety assessment or approved specification.
Reconcile your measured pour zones in the Concrete Calculator.
Put the approved scope and quantities on one revision
Identify the approved drawing and pour zones
Write the project identifier, drawing revision and location of each placement stage. Give every slab, strip or separate footing a clear zone name that also appears on the sketch. Mark boundaries and exclusions so two estimators cannot count the same area twice. If a revised drawing changes a recess or thickened edge, replace the affected ledger entry and make the change visible. A phone photograph of an earlier sketch should not become an alternative working version.
Reconcile the measured zone quantities
Calculate each zone from checked dimensions and state its units. Keep the geometric total separate from any agreed allowance for the actual conditions. Different depths need separate entries. If the excavation does not match the intended profile, refer that discrepancy to the responsible project person before recording a revised quantity. An allowance percentage does not establish that forms, base or design dimensions are acceptable.
A hypothetical two-zone quantity ledger
Assume Zone A is 20 by 10 feet and Zone B is 8 by 6 feet, both with a measured 4-inch depth and no overlap. Rectangular volume in cubic yards is length × width × (depth ÷ 12) ÷ 27. The 4-inch depth becomes one-third of a foot before multiplication. These dimensions illustrate the arithmetic; they are not recommended slab sizes or a structural specification.
| Measured zone | Dimensions (ft; depth in) | Volume (yd³) |
|---|---|---|
| A | 20 × 10; 4 | 2.469136 |
| B | 8 × 6; 4 | 0.592593 |
| Geometric total | Separate non-overlapping zones | 3.061728 |
| Illustrative 5% allowance | Planning assumption only | 0.153086 |
| Adjusted total | Before supplier order increments | 3.214815 |
The unadjusted total is 82.666667 cubic feet, or approximately 2.340859 cubic meters. Adding the explicitly hypothetical 5% allowance gives 3.214815 cubic yards. Retain the unrounded calculations and ask the supplier about its actual ordering increments; the six decimals in the ledger support reconciliation and do not suggest field measurements have that precision. Apply an agreed allowance once, not again when splitting deliveries.
Confirm the mixture references
Associate each zone with its approved mixture identifier and the project’s required acceptance criteria. Record which supplier confirmation and specification revision apply. Avoid choosing a new strength, admixture or slump solely because a quantity worksheet needs an entry. If two stages require different approved mixtures, keep their totals separate through the order and ticket check. Changes to the mixture belong with the people authorized under the project documents.
Make access and responsibilities explicit
Document the access and placement arrangement
The NRMCA, ASCC and ACPA pumping checklist asks the team to address pump configuration, ground conditions, utilities, power lines and site contacts before placement. Record who owns those reviews and reference the operator’s approved setup. Mark the agreed truck approach and washout location on the handoff sketch. This article does not set outrigger bearing capacity, power-line clearance or pump positioning; the competent project team must assess those conditions.
If access changes after the plan is issued, notify the supplier and placement contractor before dispatch. A locked gate, excavation or occupied staging area can invalidate a previously agreed route. Write down the contact who receives the notice and the revised confirmation. Keep a pump or delivery drawing with the handoff rather than relying on an informal description such as “use the side entrance.”
Assign crew roles and readiness checks
List the people responsible for receiving deliveries, directing site communication, placing and finishing, and protecting the completed work. Identify the supervisor who confirms readiness before the first stage. The pre-construction framework also covers form and reinforcement inspection and curing responsibilities; record the applicable approvals by reference rather than recreating their technical requirements in a short handoff. Open work should show an owner and a required resolution before release.
A handoff can identify a backup contact without assuming that person has authority to accept a design change. Distinguish the person who communicates an issue from the person who approves the response. For a homeowner arranging a small pour, ask the contractor and supplier which decisions each will make and put that agreement in writing before the truck arrives.
Coordinate the delivery and acceptance decisions
Record delivery stages and change contacts
The NRMCA and ASCC ordering checklist includes the start time, quantity, placement rate, truck spacing and emergency contacts. Agree those details with the supplier and placement team. A calculated volume cannot establish a safe or achievable delivery interval. Record which zone each stage serves, how the first delivery is confirmed, and how the team requests a changed quantity, cancellation or final cleanup load.
Discuss commercial conditions in the same supplier conversation: minimum load, waiting charges, short loads, returned material and after-hours service where relevant. Use the actual quote rather than a market-average price. Keep delivered concrete, pumping, labor, testing, disposal and tax as separate cost items. A material-price field in a calculator cannot reproduce the complete job quote or the supplier’s terms.
Compare the reconciled zone total with the Concrete Calculator before confirming delivery stages.
Name testing and acceptance responsibilities
Record the testing agency or responsible inspector, the agreed sample location and the person authorized to assess or reject a delivery. Retain the delivery-ticket reference with the stage record. Acceptance limits, permitted adjustments and retest procedures must come from the project requirements and agreed testing plan. A visual impression, a missing test result or a calculator output is not a substitute for the required acceptance process.
If a ticket, delivery quantity or mixture reference differs from the order, record the discrepancy and contact the designated decision-maker. Do not silently correct the ledger to make the paperwork agree. Preserve the original order and the documented resolution so later reconciliation can distinguish material delivered, material placed and material returned. The handoff is also a record of what changed during the work.
Close open items before release
Review the handoff with the affected crew and supplier contacts before the person responsible confirms the order. Check that every outstanding item has a decision or a clearly defined hold point. Issuing a handoff while a critical access, approval or testing question remains unresolved can leave different participants acting on different assumptions. A signature records the agreed responsibility; it does not independently prove technical compliance.
- Match drawing, zone names and mixture references to the current revision.
- Confirm measured quantities and the separate agreed allowance.
- Attach access and placement arrangements with responsible contacts.
- Record delivery changes, testing ownership and unresolved hold points.
- Distribute the approved revision before the order is released.
Use cubic yards where required by a US supplier and cubic meters where required for a UK or European project. State the project jurisdiction and ordering unit on the ledger. Local specifications and contractual responsibilities still control design, testing and acceptance. For structural work, the approved design and qualified professional decisions govern the pour; this worksheet helps reconcile quantities and communication.
Enter the approved dimensions and separate allowance in the Concrete Calculator for the final quantity check.
