Not so long ago, you could walk into your local builders’ merchant and grab a bag of Postcrete for around £4. Fast forward to today, and you’re lucky to find it for under £7. What happened? Did the ingredients suddenly become rarer than gold? Are suppliers just cashing in? Or is there something bigger at play?
If you’ve been wondering why postmix prices have skyrocketed over the past few years—and whether they’ll ever come back down—you’re not alone. Let’s dig into the numbers, uncover the real reasons behind the price hikes, and figure out if there’s any hope for your fencing budget.
Who remembers when Postcrete was £4.00 a bag? Those were the good old days, right? Fast forward a few years, and now you're looking at prices closer to £7 or even £8 a bag in some places. It’s enough to make any fencing contractor or DIYer wince at the checkout.
So, what’s going on? Why has the price of postmix shot up so
drastically over the past five years? And more importantly, is there any hope of it coming back down? Let’s break it down.
The Shocking Price Changes
It’s not just in your head — Postcrete (or any quick-set postmix) has gotten way more expensive. Here’s how things have shifted:
2018-2019 – You could easily find Postcrete for £4.00-£4.50 per bag. Bulk discounts often brought it down even lower.
2020-2021 – Prices started creeping up, hitting around £5.50-£6.00 per bag as supply chain issues took hold.
2022-2023 – Inflation, rising fuel costs, and global instability pushed prices into the £6.50-£7.50 range.
2024-Present – We’re now regularly seeing £7.00-£8.00 per bag, with some places charging even more!
That’s nearly a 100% increase in just a few years. If you're doing a big fencing job, those extra pounds per bag quickly add up.
What’s Driving the Price Increases?
It’s easy to assume suppliers are just cashing in, but the reality is a bit more complicated. Here are the key factors making postmix more expensive:
1. Cement Prices Have Gone Up
Postmix is mostly cement, gravel, and additives. And guess what? Cement has been hit hard by rising costs. Energy-intensive to produce, cement factories are passing higher electricity and fuel prices straight to customers.
2. Energy Prices Are Through the Roof
The process of making cement (the main ingredient in postmix) requires a ton of energy—literally superheating limestone to 1,450°C. With gas and electricity prices spiking in recent years, production costs have soared.
3. Supply Chain Chaos
Remember COVID? Of course, you do. The pandemic threw global supply chains into disarray, and we’re still feeling the effects. Shortages of raw materials, shipping delays, and increased transport costs all mean one thing: higher prices.
4. Fuel and Transport Costs
Even after postmix is made, it still needs to get to your local builders’ merchant or supplier. Rising fuel prices mean higher delivery costs, and again, those increases get passed down to the buyer—you.
5. Labour Shortages in Construction
There’s been a serious skills shortage in the construction industry. With fewer workers and higher wages, overall project costs—including material handling—have increased.
6. Global Geopolitical Instability
Brexit, the war in Ukraine, and various trade disruptions have made importing certain materials more expensive and complicated. This has affected everything from cement supply to fuel costs.
Will Prices Ever Go Back Down?
Short answer: Not likely.
Long answer: While we might see some stabilisation, it’s doubtful we’ll ever go back to the £4.00 per bag days. Production costs are still high, and demand for materials like postmix isn’t going away anytime soon.
That said, there are ways to soften the blow:
Bulk Buy When Possible – If you know you’ll need a lot, look for pallet deals or trade discounts.
Check Multiple Suppliers – Prices vary a lot between merchants, so shop around.
Consider Alternative Materials – Depending on the job, you might be able to use a different mix or even traditional concrete.
Plan Ahead – Prices tend to go up rather than down, so buying in advance can sometimes save you money.
Final Thoughts
The days of dirt-cheap postmix are long gone, and unfortunately, it’s just another part of rising construction costs. But knowing why prices have increased can help you make smarter buying decisions and avoid unnecessary overspending.
So, next time you're at the builder’s yard, staring at those £8 bags of Postcrete, just remember—you’re not alone in feeling the pain!Data References
2005: £3.50Wayback Machine check (B&Q standard mix ~£2.90) + 20% premium for Postcrete; ONS 2005 index as a cross-check.
2006: £3.602005 price + ~3% year-over-year (yoy) increase (ONS cement data); archived Travis Perkins leaflet.
2007: £3.80~5% yoy increase (ONS).
2008: £4.005.5% yoy increase; mention of “£4/bag” in Builders’ Merchants News (2008).
2009: £4.10Post-2008 slowdown; ~2.5% yoy increase.
2010: £4.20~2.5% yoy increase (ONS).
2011: £4.35~3.5% yoy increase; small supply chain issues cited in trade press.
2012: £4.50+3.5% yoy increase; partial B&Q archive check.
2013: £4.70~4% yoy increase (ONS + anecdotal retailer data).
2014: £4.90~4% yoy increase.
2015: £5.10~4% yoy increase; Jewson offers mid-2015.
2016: £5.30~4% yoy increase; Professional Builder mention.
2017: £5.50~3.8% yoy increase (ONS); aligns with archived Wickes listing.
2018: £5.80~5% yoy increase; higher raw material costs.
2019: £6.10~5% yoy increase; Brexit-related uncertainty.
2020: £6.30~3% yoy increase overall, despite early pandemic disruption.
2021: £7.00~11% yoy increase; post-pandemic supply-chain strains, energy cost spikes.
2022: £7.00Price stabilization following the sharp increase in 2021.
2023: £7.50~7% yoy increase; continued inflation and material costs pressures.
2024: £7.80~4% yoy increase; slight easing of supply-chain disruptions but persistent cost pressures.
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