If a cement or ready-mixed concrete delivery is late, first get a credible update from the supplier, then decide with the site lead whether the planned placement can still proceed safely and within the project specification. Rework the sequence around confirmed material availability, document the delay, and check the contract’s notice requirements. Do not change the approved mix, placement method, or acceptance criteria just to make a late delivery fit.
1. Get a firm update from the supplier
Contact the supplier as soon as the delivery appears at risk. Ask for information that can support a site decision, not just reassurance that the truck is “on its way.” Confirm:
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- The reason for the delay and the best current estimated arrival time.
- The quantity and specified mix currently available for your order.
- Whether the supplier can make a partial delivery or split the load, and how that would affect the remaining quantity.
- When the supplier will provide the next update if the arrival time changes.
Pass the update to the site lead and trades affected by the placement. Reassess the schedule against the material that is actually available and the work sequence that depends on it. Waiting for the original delivery time to come good can leave crews and equipment idle. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) identifies late material arrivals as one factor that can contribute to project inactivity and recommends planning around controlling work and project-specific conditions in its Guide for Construction Contract Time Determination Procedures.
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Ask for a specific next check-in time if the supplier cannot yet give a dependable ETA. A changing estimate is not a confirmed arrival plan, so share its uncertainty with the site team instead of presenting it as a firm commitment. If the supplier reports a change in quantity or mix as well as a timing change, clarify both before deciding whether any part of the placement can proceed.
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2. Decide whether the placement window still works
A revised ETA is useful only if the delivery can still be placed under the job’s requirements and site conditions. The site lead and responsible project personnel should assess the remaining placement window, the resources ready to work, and any constraints that could affect delivery or placement.
- People and equipment: Check crew availability, pump and other equipment readiness, and whether the required resources can remain available for the revised arrival time.
- Access and traffic: Consider site access, haul routes, traffic congestion, and any restrictions on when trucks or equipment can enter or work.
- Weather and site conditions: Reassess conditions that could affect the planned placement or its timing.
- Work sequence: Identify whether the delayed material holds up controlling work or whether other productive tasks can proceed.
Based on those checks, decide whether to continue with a revised delivery plan, resequence work, move crews to an available task, or reschedule the placement. FHWA scheduling guidance treats production rates, work sequence, project conditions, and controlling work items as relevant to a progress schedule; a delayed supply is a reason to review the real sequence, not simply preserve the original timetable on paper.
Make the decision with the people responsible for the placement and schedule, rather than treating the supplier’s revised ETA as approval to proceed. A delivery may arrive later than planned but still be workable; alternatively, a delay that appears short can make the planned sequence or resource arrangements impractical. The relevant question is whether the actual materials and timing fit the approved requirements and current site conditions.
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Compare practical options by their effect on the critical work sequence, available productive work, specification compliance, crew and equipment availability, traffic and access, and the supplier’s confidence in its revised ETA. A response that saves time but violates the approved requirements is not a sound recovery plan.
Proceed with a revised arrival
Proceed only if the responsible project personnel determine that the revised timing, site conditions, and delivery plan remain acceptable under the contract documents and applicable specifications. Agree on the delivery sequence and an arrival window with the supplier and site team. If the placement is planned ahead, discuss alternate routes and likely traffic delays before trucks are dispatched; if a delay occurs, record actual haul and delivery times.
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Accept a partial or split delivery
A partial delivery may help only if the quantity and sequence can be used without disrupting the approved placement plan or creating an unacceptable interruption. Confirm exactly what quantity and mix will arrive, what remains outstanding, and how the supplier will handle the balance. Do not assume a split load is workable simply because the supplier can provide it; check the project’s requirements and coordinate the plan with the responsible site personnel.
Resequence or move crews
If the placement cannot proceed within its acceptable window, look for work that can be performed productively with the materials already on site. Coordinate any crew move with the site lead and affected trades, and update the schedule to show what is waiting, what can advance, and what work now controls the sequence.
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If no compliant, workable revised plan is available, reschedule rather than forcing the placement. Confirm a new delivery arrangement with the supplier and communicate the change to the site team and affected trades. Preserve the original and revised dates and the reason for the change in the project record.
These options are not interchangeable. Continuing with a revised arrival depends on a credible delivery plan and an acceptable placement window; accepting only part of an order depends on whether that quantity and sequence work under the project requirements. Resequencing is useful only if another task can make productive use of available resources and materials. Rescheduling may be the sound choice when no compliant placement plan remains. Compare the choices against the controlling work and actual site conditions, not just the number of hours the delivery is late.
4. Do not assume there is a universal delivery-time limit
Whether concrete can be accepted after a particular elapsed time depends on the project specification and conditions; no single delivery-time limit established by the cited guidance can safely be applied to every job. The FHWA’s Field Reference Manual for Quality Concrete Pavements discusses batch and discharge times and gives placement limits tied to a specific cited specification. Those example limits are not universal rules for every mix or project.
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The American Concrete Institute (ACI) addresses the often-discussed “90-minute rule” in its Concrete Q&A on ready-mixed concrete timing. Its discussion emphasizes coordination with the applicable specification and describes circumstances in which longer timing may be allowed; ACI notes that the answers are not its official position. Check the contract documents and applicable project requirements rather than relying on a familiar rule of thumb. Do not alter the approved mix, placement method, or acceptance conditions to compensate for a late truck.
Before a planned placement, clarify which project requirements govern delivery and acceptance so the team is not improvising an acceptance decision under schedule pressure. When a truck is delayed, keep the relevant batch, arrival, and discharge information with the ticket and raise questions about timing or acceptance with the responsible project personnel. The FHWA examples are useful reminders to check the governing specification, not substitute limits that can be applied to a different project.
5. Keep a contemporaneous delivery and delay record
Make the record while events are unfolding, so the project can later establish what was expected, what changed, and how the team responded. Record:
- The originally scheduled delivery time and each revised ETA, including when the supplier provided it.
- The supplier’s stated reason for delay, quantity and mix updates, and any agreed partial or split delivery.
- Actual arrival and relevant haul, batching, and discharge times.
- Supplier and project-team communications, decisions, and the people who made or received them.
- Affected work, crews, equipment, trades, and schedule or sequence effects.
- Relevant delivery tickets and batch information, including any water added to a load where applicable.
FHWA’s field reference advises checking batch and discharge times, documenting haul times, and recording water added to each load. The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association’s 2026 Guide to Specifications supports furnishing a delivery ticket and delivery in accordance with ASTM C94/C94M. Keep the tickets with the project records and follow the project’s documentation requirements.
Keep the timeline factual and distinguish confirmed details from estimates. For example, note when an ETA was given and when it changed, rather than recording only the final arrival time. Include decisions made in response to the delay and which work or resources those decisions affected. This creates a useful record for schedule review and for any contract notice process; it does not, by itself, establish an entitlement to additional time or payment.
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6. Check the contract and send any required notice
A supplier delay does not by itself establish an entitlement to more time or money. Review the governing contract for delivery terms, schedule obligations, notice clauses, and delay provisions. If notice is required, send it to the owner, construction manager, or contract administrator by the contract’s stated method and deadline. Keep evidence of when and how it was sent, and retain a copy with the delay record. Do not promise an extension, reimbursement, or other adjustment before checking the contract and applicable rules.
Rules can be specific to the contract framework and jurisdiction. For example, FHWA guidance on 23 CFR 635 A says extensions for material-delivery delays are generally inconsistent with federal-aid policy, subject to specified unusual market conditions such as an industry-wide strike, natural disaster, or area-wide shortage arising after bids that prevents timely procurement. That is a bounded federal-aid policy statement, not a universal rule for private or other public construction contracts. The Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines describes slippage meetings and time-adjustment provisions within its own contract framework in its FAQ; that framework should not be treated as governing projects elsewhere.
Do not wait until the schedule impact is fully known if the contract requires notice by a stated deadline. Follow the notice clause’s required recipient, method, and timing, and retain evidence that the notice was sent. Continue documenting the actual effect as the situation develops, while separating the initial notice from any later schedule or cost assessment the contract may require.
7. Use the delay to update the working schedule
Once the immediate delivery plan is clear, update the project’s working schedule to reflect actual material availability and the revised sequence. Identify the work held by the delay, any tasks that can proceed, the resources affected, and the next decision point. Use the supplier’s next update time as a check-in point rather than allowing an uncertain ETA to drive repeated unplanned changes.
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When revising the schedule, show which work cannot proceed until material arrives and which work can move ahead in the meantime. Account for the resources committed to the delayed placement and the sequence that follows it. Then revisit the plan when the supplier provides its next update or the actual delivery differs from the revised ETA. FHWA’s guidance is highway-construction scheduling guidance; its general planning principles can inform this review, but the project’s own schedule requirements and contract remain governing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do first if my cement or concrete delivery is late?
Ask the supplier for the reason, a credible current ETA, the quantity and specified mix available, whether a partial or split delivery is possible, and when the next update will come. Tell the site lead and affected trades, then compare the confirmed material availability with the placement window and work sequence. Do not treat an unconfirmed ETA as a firm plan.
Can I accept a concrete delivery after 90 minutes?
There is no universal time limit in the cited guidance that applies to every project. The applicable specification, contract documents, and project conditions govern. ACI’s discussion of the “90-minute rule” emphasizes coordination with the governing specification and describes circumstances where longer timing may be allowed; ACI also says the answers are not its official position. Check the project requirements rather than relying on a rule of thumb.
Should I accept a partial or split delivery to keep the pour moving?
Only if the quantity, mix, and delivery sequence can be used without disrupting the approved placement plan or violating project requirements. Confirm what will arrive and what remains outstanding with the supplier, and coordinate the decision with the responsible site personnel. A supplier’s ability to split a delivery does not by itself make that plan suitable.
Does a late delivery automatically entitle the contractor to more time or money?
No. Review the governing contract’s delay provisions and notice requirements, and check applicable jurisdiction-specific rules. FHWA’s federal-aid guidance addresses a bounded policy context and is not a universal rule for private or other public projects. Send any required notice by the contract’s method and deadline, and keep evidence of when it was sent.
What should I record when a delivery is delayed?
Record the scheduled time, each revised ETA and when it was provided, the supplier’s stated reason, quantity and mix updates, actual arrival and relevant haul, batch, and discharge times, and the decisions and schedule effects. Retain delivery tickets and batch information, including any water added where applicable, and note affected work, crews, equipment, and trades.
The Bottom Line
Get a specific supplier update, make the placement decision with the responsible site personnel, and compare revised delivery, resequencing, crew moves, and rescheduling against the actual work sequence and project requirements. Keep delivery tickets and a contemporaneous delay record, update the working schedule, and send any contract-required notice on time. Do not use schedule pressure to change the approved mix, placement method, or acceptance conditions.
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