Ballast
Concrete Weight Hire vs Buying: Which Is Cheaper?
Thinking of hiring concrete weights? For anything beyond a one-off, buying usually works out cheaper and simpler. Here is why.
The short answer
Hire makes sense for a genuine one-off with nowhere to store them. For almost everything else, buying wins. Concrete weights are inexpensive, last for years and need no upkeep, so if you use them more than once the cost of hiring soon matches buying outright, and after that you own a reusable asset instead of paying again each time. You also skip the hire faff: delivery and collection both ways, the hire clock ticking, deposits, and stock not always being free when you need it.
When hiring does make sense
To be fair to hire, there are cases for it: a single short event you will never repeat, or a job where you genuinely have nowhere to keep the blocks afterwards. If you will use weights exactly once and storage is impossible, hiring can be the simpler route. The moment either of those stops being true, the maths swings towards buying.
Why buying usually wins
- The cost crossover comes fast. Concrete blocks are cheap to buy, so hiring the same weights a couple of times often costs as much as owning them outright.
- No repeat delivery and collection. Every hire means paying to get the blocks there and back. Buy once and that is a single delivery, then they are yours.
- No hire clock. Own them and there is no daily or weekly rate running while they sit on site, and no rush to return them.
- You own an asset. A set of blocks is kit you keep and reuse for years, not money spent on something you hand straight back.
- Always available. Your own weights are ready whenever the job is, with no checking stock or booking ahead.
The hidden costs of hire
A hire rate rarely tells the whole story. Add in transport both ways, any deposit tied up, liability for the blocks while they are in your care, and the risk of stock not being available on your date, and a cheap-looking day rate adds up. With your own blocks, none of that applies.
Storage is not the problem people think
The usual reason given for hiring is storage, but concrete weights are weatherproof and stack tidily, so a corner of a yard or compound is all they need. See how to store and reuse your weights for more, and how they compare to water weights and sandbags.
Common questions
Is it cheaper to hire or buy concrete weights?
For a genuine one-off, hire can be cheaper. For anything you will use more than once, buying is usually cheaper overall, because concrete blocks are inexpensive, last for years, and avoid paying repeat hire and delivery charges.
Can you hire concrete weights?
You can, and it suits a single short event with no storage. But because the blocks are cheap to own and last for years, most regular users find buying works out better on both cost and convenience.
How long do concrete weights last if I buy them?
Years. Solid concrete shrugs off outdoor storage and repeated use, so a set bought once serves job after job with no upkeep, which is what makes owning them so cost-effective.
Do I need somewhere special to store them?
No. They are weatherproof and stack, so a corner of a yard, compound or store is plenty. Storage is rarely the obstacle it is made out to be.
Buy once, use for years
UK-cast concrete weights in 40kg, 100kg, 500kg and 1000kg, in sets and full pallets, delivered UK-wide. See the range and prices, or tell us the job for a quote.
Ballast Blocks
UK-cast concrete ballast weights and kentledge for events, construction, fencing, marine and industrial anchoring. A Gala group brand. Visit Gala Tent.