Work out how much concrete you need from a mini mix truck, how many loads it takes and what it may cost. Then compare mini mix with a standard truck and its short load fee, and with bags and a mixer, to find the cheapest way to get a small pour done.
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Mini Mix Estimate
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The Order
Small pours sit in an awkward gap. They are too big for a few bags, and too small for a standard concrete truck. This concrete mini mix calculator works out your order, counts the loads and compares your three real options side by side.
Mini mix is ready-mixed concrete delivered in a much smaller truck. It suits small jobs and tight sites, where a full-size agitator is too big or does not make sense. The concrete is the same kind of product, and only the truck and the load change.
According to Concrete Shopper, mini mix batches are typically between 0.4 m³ and 2.4 m³, and the trucks are built for narrow laneways, sloped blocks and urban sites. Service varies across Australia, and not every plant offers it, so check who covers your area.
The name also gets used loosely. Some people say mini mix for small agitators, some for mobile mixers that make concrete on site, and it is also a business name. Ask each supplier what truck they will actually send.
| Feature | Mini Mix | Standard Agitator |
|---|---|---|
| Typical load | About 0.4 m³ to 4 m³ | About 6 m³ to 8 m³ |
| Best for | Small jobs, tight access | Bigger pours, open access |
| Short load fee | Often avoided, but check | Common under 3 m³ to 4 m³ |
| Loaded weight | Much lighter | About 20 to 30 tonnes |
There is no standard mini mix truck. These are the sizes we could find published.
| Truck | Load | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mini truck, Perth | 1.2 m³ | Mini-Mix Maxi-Mix Concrete |
| Mobile mixer | 0.1 m³ to about 2 m³ | Concrete Taxi, in Prime Mover |
| Mini agitator | 2.5 m³ to 4.5 m³ | iSeekPlant |
| Six-wheel truck, Perth | 5 m³ | Mini-Mix Maxi-Mix Concrete |
| Standard agitator | 6 m³ to 8 m³ | iSeekPlant |
The calculator offers 1.2 m³, 2 m³, 3 m³ and 4 m³ as starting points. The 3 m³ and 4 m³ options sit inside iSeekPlant's mini agitator range. Type over the load if your supplier tells you a different number. For larger pours, the concrete truck calculator plans loads for standard agitators.
This is the real reason mini mix exists. A big truck that leaves the plant half empty still costs the supplier to run, so plants charge a short load fee on small orders. Here are the published figures we found.
| Supplier | Applies Under | Fee | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holcim, Melbourne metro | 4 m³ | $80 per undelivered m³ | 1 May 2026 |
| Holcim, South East Queensland | 4 m³ | $90 per undelivered m³ | 1 July 2026 |
| Boral, South East Queensland | 3 m³ | $98.40 per undelivered m³ | Current listing |
All three exclude GST, and the fee counts the part of the truck you did not fill. Boral's own example is a 1.2 m³ load, charged for the missing 1.8 m³, which is $177.12. On Holcim's South East Queensland figures, the same 1.2 m³ would be 2.8 × $90, or $252.
The calculator uses $90 per undelivered m³ and a 4 m³ limit, based on that Holcim schedule. Enter the figures from your own plant. iSeekPlant quotes a flatter guide of $130 to $160 including GST under about 4 m³, so some suppliers charge a set fee.
Mini mix prices are rarely published, which is why your own quote matters so much here. We looked for Australian price lists and did not find any from a mini mix supplier.
The closest public guide is in Yellow Pages, which lists one Ballarat supplier's 20 MPa concrete at $407 for 1 m³, $583 for 2 m³ and $795 for 3 m³. That shows how small orders are priced, though it is not a mini mix price list. iSeekPlant notes that small orders of 1 to 2 m³ cost more per cubic metre.
So the calculator's mini mix figures are planning settings: $400 per m³, $100 delivery per load, and a $300 minimum on the concrete. They are there to get the comparison started, and the answer can change once you enter a real quote. For the standard truck, $380 per m³ comes from What's The Damage, and $130 delivery is the middle of the $90 to $170 per load from New Life In Aus.
This table uses the calculator's starting prices, with no waste added, a 1.2 m³ mini truck and direct placing. Totals exclude GST and labour.
| Volume | Mini Loads | Mini Mix | Standard Truck | Bags And Mixer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 m³ | 1 | $400 | $577 | $411 |
| 0.5 m³ | 1 | $400 | $635 | $762 |
| 1 m³ | 1 | $500 | $780 | $1,464 |
| 1.5 m³ | 2 | $800 | $925 | $2,166 |
| 2 m³ | 2 | $1,000 | $1,070 | $2,868 |
| 3 m³ | 3 | $1,500 | $1,360 | $4,272 |
| 4 m³ | 4 | $2,000 | $1,650 | $5,676 |
On these figures, mini mix leads for small orders, and a standard truck takes over at around 3 m³. There, the short load fee shrinks and the small truck needs several trips. At 0.25 m³, bags and a mixer are close to mini mix, and they may win if you already own a mixer.
Bags use $13 for a 20 kg bag at 108 bags per m³, plus $60 for mixer hire, which is a sample based on prices on our concrete mixer calculator page. A cubic metre takes 108 bags and over 3 hours of steady mixing, so the time matters as well as the money.
| What You Want | Formula |
|---|---|
| Order volume | Volume plus waste, rounded up to the next 0.1 m³ |
| Mini truck loads | Order ÷ most per load, rounded up |
| Mini mix cost | Order × price, or the minimum charge, + delivery × loads + waiting |
| Short load fee | (Short load limit − last load) × fee |
| Barrow time per load | Barrow loads × minutes per trip ÷ people barrowing |
| Waiting charge | (Time on site − free time) × rate per minute |
The short load fee is worked out on the last load, since earlier full loads are not short. The calculator follows the same volume steps as our calculator methodology.
Each example uses the calculator's starting prices, 10% waste and a 1.2 m³ mini truck, unless it says otherwise.
The path measures 0.300 m³, or 0.330 m³ with waste, so you order 0.4 m³. At $400 per m³ the concrete would be $160, so the $300 minimum applies. With $100 delivery, mini mix comes to $400. A standard truck comes to $606, including a $324 short load fee. Bags and a mixer come to $528.
Six holes of 300 mm by 600 mm around 100 mm posts measure 0.218 m³, so you order 0.3 m³. Mini mix comes to $400. Bags and a mixer come to $398, so they are about level. With only 26 bags and an hour of mixing, this is a fair job for a mixer. See the concrete post hole calculator for the holes.
The slab measures 0.900 m³, so you order 1.0 m³. Mini mix comes to $500, a standard truck to $780, and bags and a mixer to $1,451. If you barrow it, 20 trips at 3 minutes each take 60 minutes. With 30 minutes free at $3.50 a minute, waiting adds $105. A second person on the barrows brings the time to 30 minutes, and the charge disappears.
With waste, you order 3.3 m³. That takes 2 loads and comes to $1,520. A standard truck comes to $1,447, so the mini option has lost its edge at this size.
Access is often the deciding factor. iSeekPlant gives this site guidance for a standard agitator: at least 3 m to 4 m of width and turning room, 4 m or more of overhead clearance, a loaded weight of about 20 to 30 tonnes, and a loaded approach gradient ideally under 1 in 6.
We could not find published widths for Australian mini mix trucks, so measure your site and ask. The one published mass we found is 11 tonnes GVM, for the Hino truck used by Concrete Taxi. That is much lighter than a standard agitator, but it is still a heavy vehicle.
If no truck will reach, compare a pump with barrows. Our concrete pumping cost guide covers the options.
Trucks are not free to keep on site. Plants allow a set time and then charge by the minute.
| Supplier | Free Time | Then Per Minute |
|---|---|---|
| Holcim, Melbourne metro | 30 minutes | $2.95 |
| Holcim, South East Queensland | 30 minutes | $3.50 |
| Boral, South East Queensland | 30 minutes | $4.70 |
| iSeekPlant guide | 30 minutes | $5 |
These are for standard ready-mix, and they are normal-hours rates. A mini mix supplier may work differently, so ask. The calculator starts at 30 free minutes and $3.50 per minute.
Wet concrete weighs about 2.4 kg per litre, so a 50 L barrow load is about 120 kg. A 100 L barrow is a bowl size, not a safe load. The 3 minutes per trip is our planning figure, so walk your route with an empty barrow and time it. Lay boards over soft ground before the truck arrives.
Measure the job, add waste and order to the next 0.1 m³. Concrete Shopper suggests ordering about 10% extra to cover uneven ground, because a late top-up truck can leave a cold joint. That matters even more with mini mix, since the next load may not be close by.
Common small jobs work out like this, before waste:
| Job | Size | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| Shed pad | 3 m × 2 m × 100 mm | 0.60 m³ |
| Path | 10 m × 1 m × 75 mm | 0.75 m³ |
| Small patio | 4 m × 3 m × 100 mm | 1.20 m³ |
| Single carport | 6 m × 3 m × 100 mm | 1.80 m³ |
| Footing | 10 m × 300 mm × 300 mm | 0.90 m³ |
Thickness comes from your plans. Our concrete slab thickness guide explains the usual sizes, and the concrete order calculator helps with the final number.
Two different kinds of truck get called mini mix, and they work differently.
| Feature | Mini Agitator | Mobile Mixer |
|---|---|---|
| Where it is mixed | At the plant | On your site |
| What you pay for | The volume you order | Often what you use |
| If you run short | A new order | More can be mixed, if the truck has material |
| Time limit | The clock starts at the plant | Materials stay dry until mixed |
Prime Mover describes Concrete Taxi's trucks carrying aggregate, water and cement, and mixing on site. Volumes run from 0.1 m³ to about 2 m³, so there is little left over. The Newcastle Herald reported 20, 25 and 32 MPa mixes in 2017. Volumetric firms such as Rite Crete also list metered delivery, where you pay only for what you use. Check grades, availability and any call-out charge, and see our guide to concrete grades for what your job needs.
These are guides based on our sample prices, not firm rules. Your local quotes decide the answer. For a full job price with labour, mesh and base, use the concrete slab estimator.
Wet concrete can burn skin, and dry mix dust is harmful to breathe. Wear suitable gloves, eye protection and boots, keep clear of a reversing truck, and read Safe Work Australia's silica guidance.
It is ready-mixed concrete delivered by a small truck, for small jobs and tight sites where a standard agitator does not suit.
It varies. We found 1.2 m³ mini trucks, mobile mixers of about 2 m³, and mini agitators of 2.5 m³ to 4.5 m³.
Prices are rarely published, so get a quote. Our calculator starts at $400 per m³ with $100 delivery, which are planning figures only.
It depends on the supplier. Concrete Taxi reported jobs from about 0.1 m³, and Concrete Shopper says mini mix batches start around 0.4 m³.
It is a charge for a truck that is not full. Published fees are about $80 to $98.40 per undelivered m³ under 3 m³ or 4 m³, before GST.
Often, since the load suits the truck. But many suppliers have their own minimum charge, so ask.
We could not find a published Australian figure. Measure your narrowest point and ask your supplier for the truck's width.
About 20 loads at 50 L per barrow. Each one weighs about 120 kg.
Published ready-mix fee schedules allow 30 minutes free, then charge about $2.95 to $5 per minute.
On our sample prices, yes from about 0.5 m³. Very small jobs can be about level, or cheaper with bags if you own a mixer.
On our sample prices, from about 3 m³. By then the short load fee is small, and a small truck needs several trips.
Ask your supplier. Holcim's South East Queensland schedule sets minimum loads for exposed and honed mixes of 1 m³ to 2 m³.
Not if the truck can reach the pour. If it cannot, compare a pump with barrowing and any waiting charges.
No. It covers concrete supply and delivery only. Use the concrete labor cost calculator for labour.
Figures reviewed November 2026. Sources: Concrete Shopper, Mini-Mix Maxi-Mix Concrete, Prime Mover, Newcastle Herald, Rite Crete, iSeekPlant, Holcim, Boral, Yellow Pages, What's The Damage, New Life In Aus and Safe Work Australia. Mini mix prices here are planning figures. Prices change and vary by location, so get local quotes. See our Disclaimer and Calculator Methodology.