# 7 details a concrete pre-pour handoff should record

- Link: https://www.qtywise.com/blog/concrete-pre-pour-handoff/
- Published: 2026-10-15T11:00:00-04:00
- Author: Jamie C.

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](https://www.nrmca.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/1PreconstructionChecklist.pdf)
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](https://www.qtywise.com/concrete-masonry/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](https://www.nrmca.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/3Checklist_for_Pumping_Ready_Mixed_Concrete.pdf)
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](https://www.nrmca.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/2Ordering-Scheduling.pdf)
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](https://www.qtywise.com/concrete-masonry/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](https://www.qtywise.com/concrete-masonry/concrete-calculator/)
for the final quantity check.
