560m2 in Marshalls tegula 60mm laid in 45 degree herringbone, excavate 12" 8" Mot type one (not that recycle rubbish). The job is effectivly a road so i said i would put in an extra 2" type one and compact in more layers as he told me he would have 2 -3 3.5 tonne vans over it daily.
came out at 33k + vat
Guys had another quote he is going to go with for 11910+ vat.......
Erm where do these people get these figures, the blocks alone are in that region, the excavation and sub base is in the region of 10k , how on earth can someone really expect to get an even reasonable job for 12k :O
His quote is 4 sentences long
dig out tarmac
lay crushed stone
compact sharp sand
lay brett alpha blocks
haunch edges
I mean come on how can anyone with half a brain believe this is half reasonable- especially after i broke down the costs of my materials and labour- my costs are very very good on this job too as i know someone i can order direct off giving me a saving off 5k on the blocks (marshalls are expensive here).
Really annoyed tbh, not got a lot of work now, another decent job got pulled last week so this would have been great but not so hey
If he's going with that price and you've warned him then it serves him right when he gets into a world of sh#te. Have you tried reasoning with him maybe let him pay direct for materials etc. Reckon I would be around £22000+vat for that and I live in possibly the cheapest part of the country with regards labour waste disposal and materials.
wow 22k is very cheap :O I am in Essex so it can be quite expensive especially for Marshalls. My labour element is under 10k which i think is very reasonable for a job that size.
If i laid down just 6" mot and used 50mm then that would knock a fair whack off but i planned to use a bit more base for this one.
I have tried reasoning, he said if he doesnt do a good job on the first 50m then the jobs mine, i reckon the guy will do a half decent looking but poorly bassed first bit, bag the main area and then have him over.
The guy told me he reckons the other contractor has a surpluss of blocks lol - i said to him look mate no where even the biggest builders merchants round here keep anywhere near to 600m2 of alpha blocks let alone 600m2 in the same colour so some random bloke certainly won't :p
he`ll take the first payment and then bugger off, seen this all before. we all know he cant do the job for that price, might try for every extra in the book but it wont cover his costs. ???
i reckon your price is on the tight side m8,
it has to be a pikey
you cant do that job for £21 a metre,not now,not 10 years ago,not even 20 years ago
it cant be done
end off
LLL
Well i have done it for quite a reasonable rate i admit, but i also have an unreal price i cant write publicly for the marshalls blocks, a lot of the drive is going to be concrete muck away so cheap again but yes i do admit there isnt crazy money in it at all.
Which is why my jaw nearly hit the floor at the price he told me.
There was a smaller area there too, i said 5k inc vat this guy said 2k. i replied with 'even if i knocked off 2k and gave you a few hundred quid he would still be cheaper than what the materials cost'
He has said to me he doesnt mind me coming along to have a look once this guy starts the smaller bit, he said if its rubbish then i have the main job so i suppose it may still turn out ok for me.
Personally i reckon he will do the smaller bit ok and then the disaster will strike.
as a groundworker based on 240 tons mot, 380 tons muck away, week to excavate and muck away stone up consolidate and level etc, based on access for 8 ton machine and wagons i'd want
£8200
good look to the guy doesn;t leave much for blocks, sand, edgers and labour haha, i once got undercut on a sand school for horses, they're quote was cheaper than my materials, saw them starting filling the drainage bed with hardcore and soil.....epic fail instore.
Giles
Groundworks and Equestrian specialists, prestige new builds and sports pitches. High Peak, Cheshire, South Yorkshire area.
I've had all this nonsense before.
i quoted for a simpe concrete apron outside a garage block.
rip out the old one, skip it, lay a new one. Couple of days.
Saw the bloke at my fencing suppliers in his 4x4 with personalised plate.
"I had it done £400 cheaper than you" he says
"yeah right, course you did".
Turned out it wasn't the same job. half the concrete, and the old stuff they took away (no waste licence) on a lorry. no doubt tipped down a lane somewhere
I would keep a close eye on the job.
When it happens to me, i drive past in the car at night, so as not to be seen, and i get friends to do so in the day, and report back any bodges.
99.9% of the time, its a totally different job they are having done to the one you have quoted for.
Dan the Crusher Man
01442 212315 www.crusherhire.co.uk
"a satisfied customer? we should have them stuffed!"
