Concrete pump hire cost: what you actually pay for

The price of hiring a concrete pump is set by the pump you need, the hours it spends on your job, the travel to get there and the minimum charge the pump company applies. The plant hire marketplace iseekplant, in its national concrete pump hire rates guide (titled 2025, checked October 2026), tells hirers to consider transport distance, hire terms, pump type, minimum charge, hourly rate and other surcharges, and notes that public holidays may add fees.

Those national figures are a starting point, not a Far North Queensland price. A pour in Cairns, on the Tablelands or up in Cape York carries different travel, access and timing than a suburban Brisbane slab. At Far Northern Concrete Pumping our own answer to the cost question is that it depends on the pump required, the volume being placed and how long we are on site, and we give a straight price rather than a range once we know the job. The rest of this guide shows you what goes into that number.

Concrete pump hire is usually charged as an hourly wet hire rate, which means the pump comes with its operator, plus a rate per cubic metre pumped and a handful of set charges. iseekplant notes that wet hire line pump rates usually include one or two operators, with extra people at a labour surcharge. Boom pumps are rarely offered on dry hire at all, because of the specialist training needed to run one.

• Hourly wet hire rate: the pump and operator, plus any minimum charge.
• Per cubic metre rate: iseekplant puts the national average at around $8 per cubic metre pumped.
• Travel: iseekplant lists travel as an hourly charge.
• Set charges: a slurry or pump prime charge, plus surcharges for extra pipe or hose.

When you read a pump quote, check which of these lines it includes. Two quotes can show the same hourly rate and still land far apart once travel, minimums and set charges are added.

The concrete pump hire price moves with distance, time on site and how hard the site is to set up on. The table below lists the main drivers on a Far North Queensland job and what to ask about each. Published rates come from iseekplant's national guide and are a cautious guide only: they are national averages, exclude GST, and FNQ travel and site conditions will change them.

Remote and wet season access also sit behind several of these lines. The Bureau of Meteorology describes northern Australia's wet season as running from November to April and notes that monsoon rain can cause flooding and cut off roads, which affects travel time and whether a pour can go ahead on the day.

A line pump is usually the cheaper hire per hour, while a boom pump costs more per hour but can finish faster with fewer hands. iseekplant says line pumps are more cost-effective than other ways of moving concrete and are the preferred choice for small construction and residential work, and says boom pumps tend to cost more but that higher flow rates and lower labour needs usually even the scores on the right job.

Our operators have access to a 31m boom pump, 28m boom pump, 20m boom pump and line pump, and we match the machine to the job rather than sending whatever happens to be free. The cheapest hourly rate is not always the cheapest pour, so compare the whole job. Our guide on line pump vs boom pump covers which one suits your site.

The extra costs on a pumped pour come from both the pump company and the concrete supplier, and the concrete is easy to overlook. iseekplant calls the concrete itself potentially the most overlooked cost of pump hire. It says slurry, travel and pipe extension are typically unavoidable, while site inductions, extra personnel and overtime are commonly added on top of the base rate.

Your concrete supplier has its own fees. Boral's Queensland Country service fee schedule (effective 30 September 2026, excluding GST and subject to change) shows how these work:

• Waiting time: 30 minutes to unload from arrival on site, then a per minute charge.
• Minimum load: loads under 3 cubic metres are charged as if the truck carried 3 cubic metres.
• Distance: rates are quoted for deliveries within 20 km of the nearest plant, with a charge beyond that.
• Pump blowback: a fee when concrete is blown back from a pump into an agitator for disposal.
• Cancellation: a fee if the order is cancelled after 1 pm on the workday before delivery.

A site that is not ready when the trucks arrive can run into the supplier's waiting time charges. Our guide to preparing your site for a concrete pump covers access and the washout area the operator needs to clean the pump after the pour.

To compare two concrete pump quotes fairly, put them on the same basis: same pump, same hours, same travel and the same set charges. Run through this checklist with both quotes in front of you.

1. Is the hourly rate wet hire with the operator included, and how many operators?
2. What is the minimum charge, and how many hours does it cover?
3. How is travel charged: time or distance, one way or return, and from where?
4. Is there a per cubic metre rate on top of the hourly rate?
5. How much pipe or hose is included before extension surcharges apply?
6. Are slurry, setup and washout time included or extra?
7. Which pump size is quoted, and will it reach the far corner of the pour?
8. What applies for public holidays, overtime or a pour that runs late?
9. Are the prices shown with or without GST?

The volume you order drives both the pump time and the concrete bill. Work it out with our concrete volume guide, and check the operator licence rules so you know what a licensed operator brings to the job.

An accurate concrete pump quote in Far North Queensland starts with the site address, because travel from the pump's base is charged on most quotes and grows with distance. We are based in Mareeba, and from there we cover the Tablelands, Cairns and its suburbs, the coast north to Port Douglas and Cooktown, and south through Innisfail and Tully. We also take on rural and remote worksites and mine sites across the region. See every area we service on our locations page.

Tell us where the job is, what you are pouring and roughly how much concrete your supplier has quoted, and we will come back to you with a price and the pump we would bring. Let us know in advance about tight spaces, obstacles like trees, fences or buildings, and any overhead power lines, so the right equipment comes on the day. Learn more about our concrete pumping services and the residential work we do across the region.

Not sure which pump your site needs? Read line pump vs boom pump first, then contact us or call 0413 345 977 with your address and volume for a quote. We are open 24 hours, Monday to Sunday.