Quotes: how do these prices measure up?

[5tumped]

I’m a long time reader of this site but this is my first time posting. It is a bit long but I would appreciate any guidance that you could let me have.

I just can’t stand the old broken, cracked and weedy concrete monstrosity anymore and have decided to have it replaced with either Driveline 50 or Driveline 50 Vintage.

I’m sure I read somewhere (no idea where and I may even have dreamt it) that an average (if there’s such a thing) cost of concrete block paving could be calculated at £60 sq metre which by my calculations is £60 x 39 sq metres = £2340.

Obviously the old drive has to be removed and disposed of and I have two drainpipes (from the roof of the house) that need to be connected to some proper drainage (which also needs to be installed) as there is none currently there and the storm water just runs onto the (sloping) drive.

So far I’ve had three quotes:

Builder @ £2780 - including digging out two natural soakaways. Manufacturer of paviours not stated.

Builder @ £3540 - including digging out soakaway. Manufacturer of paviours not stated (contractor has done another job in same street as me and Marshalls products were not used).

Marshals Contractor @ £4025 - includes fitting a 4� osma pipe that will run under the new driveway down to the threshold of the drive into an Aco drainage system and a French drain where the drive meets the step to the rear garden.

All of these are above my initial calculations of £2340 however I do appreciate that there is a cost involved in introducing proper drainage to the clay soil that the house is built on.

Which of these is the most reasonable (if any) for the job required? Is it particularly expensive and/or awkward to install drives in certain areas of the country?

Thanks

PS – Is Marshalls the only way to go for concrete paviours or are any of the others similar in quality but cheaper to buy?

[dig dug dan]

PS – Is Marshalls the only way to go for concrete paviours or are any of the others similar in quality but cheaper to buy?

NO. there are so many better alternatiaves , and to be honest, nicer looking ones too.

You seemt o have gone down the route of asking a builder for a quote, and a marshalls register contractor, but what about a landscaper too?
have you asked around any neighbours who have had work done for recommendations?

You calculations should be ignored, as no one i know quotes by the metre any more,. Its all by the job, and drainage alone done properly can add a cost to the job.

Of course, cheapest is not always best!

[5tumped]

The Marshalls contractor is a landscaper as well. A number of neighbours have had block paving done and, to my mind, not many have had it done properly (there are dips and drops on most of them).

The builder who quoted £3540 has done another one in my street - standard job, no drainage or anything other than the drive itself. The owners seem quite happy with it but I've had a really close look and think the cutting in could be a lot better.

The drainage is one of my main concerns to be honest. two of the quotes have come back with "dig out natural soakaway" and the other with installing and osma pipe, French drain and Aco drainage system.

What are the practical alternatives to Marshalls' Driveline 50 or Driveline 50 Vintage? I've been to all the links from the manufacturers page but to the uninitiated I'm a bit in the dark to be honest.

Thanks.

[Dave_L]

Proper crated soakaway (in free draining soil) with proper piped runs from Aco channels sounds the correct way to do the job.


Trouble is, most drainage is buried, so there is ample room for short cuts if you're not overseeing the job.......

[SFLandscape]

Soak aways, french drains, i hope you check that this is done right, you mentioned a clay soil if this is to heavy a soil and a soak away is to small it will be a waste of time.

If your in a newish house you may be able to tap into an existing rain water drainage system.

[Tony McC]

Is there no other definition of what constitutes a "natural soakaway"? All soakaways are natural to some extent: the water has to go back to nature (the ground) but I;d be keen to know whether these "natural soakaways" are just rubble-filled holes or properly constructed and accessible modern soakaways.

Regarding your costing - 60 quid per m² is a reasonable rate north of Oxford for standard block paving, but you have to add VAT, so your 2340 quid becomes 2700 quid, and then you need to factor in drainage. Vintage Driveline cost more, too.

I'd hazard a guess that the 2780 quid price is a bit near the bone, while the 4k is a bit OTT. I'd be looking for summat around 3.2K, but I;d want a fuller spec so I knew exactly what I was getting, and what guarantees came with it.

[williams]

I,m sure people are ramping up their prices- i,m not sure if its because they are really busy or because they are not busy and are charging more?

Either way as mentioned above not everyone is quoting by the meter now.

Where abouts are you? that makes a difference, if its London area then maybe i can understand.

[5tumped]

SFLandscape:
I'm trying to cover all angles (which is why the advice on this site and forums is invaluable) but I know nothing about drainage so have to rely on the contractor that I finally decide on.
The soil is, IMO, heavy clay and I'm not sure just how big the drainage system would be.
The house was built mid 60s and there is no existing water drainage system to tap into.

Tony McC:
No, no other definition of “natural soakaway� – with more reading I get the feeling that they would be (at least in the £2780 quote) just rubble-filled holes. Thanks for the price estimate. As I mentioned in my 1st post I’ve been reading here for quite a while now and would indeed have been happy with with a circa £3200 quote with a leeway of £200 either way (providing all was as it should be).
If nobody comes back to my question below, are you able to provide some details from the offline list of contractors as mentioned here: http://www.pavingexpert.com/getquote.htm ?

williams:
I’m in S Wales - not sure why the quotes seem to be so expensive - I really am having difficulty deciding what's what.

Is there anyone on these forums that works down this way? It would be so good to get a price from an established and trusted contractor from here?

Thanks,

PS - There are no Interlay contractors in my neck of the woods and the Marshalls' contractor mentioned above is also a memeber of BALI BALI - if that makes any difference...

[Tony McC]

What's the first part of your postie code?

[5tumped]

What's the first part of your postie code?

CF37 - Cheers.

[5tumped]

What's the first part of your postie code?

CF37 - Cheers.

Any update Tony McC, or is it just a case of no contractors on the list in my area? Thanks.

[5tumped]

Dave_L & SFLandscape, you say that this has to be to done right and proper crated soakaways (in free draining soil) is the way to go with proper piped runs from Aco channels sounds the correct way to do the job.

One of the solutions put to me has been to run a land drain (same as http://www.pavingexpert.com/drain16.htm) - except under the drive and not in a lawn - down into an Aco channel but then just to allow any additional collected water in the Aco channel to slowly run from there onto the pavement (I’m in S Wales – don’t think the new regs apply yet…) - so it isn't draining into anything directly.

The drive runs from the back of the house to the front (where it meets the pavement) and I don’t want to be excavating half of the mountain at huge expense. Both adjoining sides of my property have neighbours (so I can’t drain onto that land) so is the solution above a realistic and practical one for this situation.

Thanks for all the advice so far.

[Tony McC]

Sorry - my contractor list file is back at the office. I'll not be able to get it until tomorrow afternoon

[richie_jones]

Your right the new regs don`t apply in Wales. Lucky for us welsh men!!!!

[lutonlagerlout]

stumped m8,its best if you have an aco, that the water goes to a run,just having an aco for show is a recipe for disaster.

if you get 5 quotes ,then look at their most recent jobs,if they don't want to show you that tells its own story ,then look at the quotes and go for one somewhere near the middle of the range

too cheap will cut corners,too expensive may drag it out,but most important is their last 5 jobs,if they aren't prepared to show you their work and meet their clients ,then its a no no

good luck
LLL