Urgent! dodgy tarmac job? - Question about possible scam...

[mrzen]

My neighbour approached me last week saying that our (shared) tarmac driveway needed resurfacing, and that he'd had someone knock on his door, offering a great deal on resurfacing it for £2000.

They came and went today - they just rolled a load of tarmac over the old stuff without really cleaning off the moss or anything else, I've not seen it in the light yet, they did 2 hours work max... It's about 15m x 3m i reckon.

I usually avoid such people as a general rule, but I trusted my neighbour's judgement - was I wrong? Sounds like a total rip off...

My neighbour about to come round to discuss, but I need some backup ammunition from people who know about this sort of thing - hence marking it urgent...!

Matt

[parishpaver]

A bit more discussion before undertaking such work may have been a better idea?

Sounds a little dear for an overlay. Like 3-4 times too much.

Especially with no prep work.

Is there a stench of diesel in the air?

[mrzen]

Thanks for the quick reply - thought so... damn it!...

I never buy from the door and this is why. I would have sent them packing if they had approached me, but we're busy, we've just moved in and took our new neighbour for someone who knew what he was talking about... He caught us unpacking the car in the rain to tell us about it and we couldn't really say no..

I am a fool.

[DNgroundworks]

Sounds like your a grand worse off, with no prep or anything it unlikely that they have done a proper job, lets hope it will last through till spring then you can look at doing it properly, have you paid your neighbour your half?

Where they pikeys or a local shoddy outfit? Whats the company name one invoice.....is there is one?

[Pablo]

Yes you've been well and truely had and most probably by our friends from the travelling community. Has any money been paid to them yet personally I'd tell them to get lost or do it right. The money they're charging would cover the cost of doing it right I reckon they've probably only thrown a light skim down so have spent very little so far.

[Dave_L]

Why oh why........

[Kuts]

£2000 is well over the top for a 45m overlay.

Had a poor old woman woman phone me last week to come "repair" her drive.
Bastards overlaid her 600x600's with thinnest coat of 6mm I've ever seen. . . For the bargain price of £3,800.
(Otley, West Yorkshire)

[lutonlagerlout]

you have been done up like a kipper ,
maybe they did it for a grand and your neighbour wanted you to pay for it?
big fences make good neighbours
LLL

[henpecked]

I think people get 'new drive' confused with 'overlays' ,when Paddy 'O' Fumble comes along quoting ,what sounds like, a quarter of the price for a new drive, they get their paws snapped off.
Its a bit of both ,IMHO, people can be just as guilty for not getting quotes, not discussing the job properly (especially with the 3rd party) and, in most cases, bunging some stranger several thousand pounds in cash.

[mrzen]

Thanks for all your feedback...

henpecked - totally agree, my neighbour rather forced the situation on us unfortunately, telling me he knew the company's work, that it was good value and the decision needed to be made quickly (so I didn't have time to research) etc... I had assumed that the quotes he was talking about were in writing and trusted someone with more years wisdom than I. Lesson learned.

luton - no I seriously doubt that, neighbour is feeling very red faced, and is offering to pay all of it if there is any cost, but I don't like to see an old gent being ripped off...

Here is a bit more info after having spoken to my neighbour:

1) The neighbour (and myself) haven't paid for it yet, the guy is coming around this morning to speak to him...
2) The company (I won't post the name YET) seemed to neighbour to be reputable enough, they have an office based in Portsmouth - they had done block work paving on a number of the other houses in the street and had a decent enough reputation for that (apparently).
3) Neighbour was told that the company would use a machine to clear the moss, diamond cut across the drive where the old tarmac meets newer stuff, spray the lot with tar to seal, and re-lay over the top. There would be a 5 yr guarantee. This was all verbal.
4) Neighbour reckoned when it happened, it was actually more like 1 hour rather than 2, no machine, a bit of sweeping with a broom, no diamond cutting... The rolling was done with a garden roller.
5) I've had a look this morning in the light and it looks uneven, messy around the kerbs etc, I would estimate it varies between 20-50mm thick
6) Interestingly the guy from the Company said yesterday that if we didn't like it we wouldn't have to pay for it (we will see)
7) There is no official quote and no official invoice.

I suggested that when he comes round he has 3 options:

1) He can lift the lot up and bugger off (unlikely and messy I'd imagine - any thoughts?)
2) Walk away now without payment and leave us with something that is going to last the winter if we are lucky and we shall say no more about it, maybe get it done properly next year - it will presumably cost us more as we will have to lift it and redo rather than overlay next time..
3) He can lift the lot, clean the surface, clear & kill any biological debris, diamond cut a decent join, seal, then apply a coat of tarmac which will need to be properly rolled and flat, when we are happy that a good job has been done, we will pay the money that was agreed for the work...

I will continue to post updates as and when!

[GB_Groundworks]

The rolling was done with a garden roller.

youve been done a kipper there, anyone using a garden roller is not a professional outfit, yes some surfacing lads use a very heavy small steel roller for detail bits a pedestrian or ride on roller cant get in, but doing the whole thing with a garden roller and what you said stinks of a bodge and has all the hallmark of the travelling community.

dig this old photo out...





Edited By GB_Groundworks on 1321524854

[seanandruby]

never make a decision like that without talking to the people yourself, get quotes, references etc: sounds like pikey. Offices don't mean they are any good, it's probably just an address they use. you've been well tucked up.

[lutonlagerlout]

i have seen overlays done quite successfully,but it was quoted as such and the existing was cut back around manholes and crossovers and the new stuff rolled in
with a pedestrian roller,an overlay done with a proper roller wouldnt cost £40 /metre2
at the depths you have described that works out at roughly 3 tonnes of tarmac ,which and i may be wrong (dave or the other blacktop lads may correct me)
would cost no more than £400
if you even said £400 labour ,that still leaves £1200 profit
for what sounds like a bodge
have you a picture?
LLL

[mrzen]

Hi Luton - no pic - I've been at work during daylight hours unfortunately, will see if I can take some at the weekend...

Those figures are very useful - I've never owned a driveway before moving here, so I really have no idea what these sorts of things should cost... If it had been me on my own, I would have got a few quotes in.

I reckon all it needed was an overlay, but needed to be done well obviously. I'll find out what my neighbour has managed to sort out today. He's an older chap, so I'm feeling a bit bad leaving it with him to sort out...

Thanks again for all the helpful posts...

[Kuts]

Try throw a few buckets of water on it and check for puddles/will show lumps and bumps.