The Brew Cabin

Hello

I am looking to have my driveway laid in block paving.
Its approx. 90 metres square. There are 75mm of chippings there now and around 8 " of hardcore underneath - I have dug down in a number of places and investigated. I want to use Marshalls Driveline 50 in Burnt Ochre with a Marigold Border. I have seen these colours in my local Builders merchant .

I recently had a rep knocking on the door from a firm near Carlisle. He quoted me £ 6500 and then after 10 mins came down to £5500. He said if I accepted now he would reduce to £5000, but only if i gave him a non returnable deposit. I told him to **** off / go away !!!
Was I right in sending him packing ?
I was thinking about paying approx. £3500 - £4000 to get the work done Is this about right ?

I am in West Cumbria. Does anyone know of a reliable and trustworthy contractor who would be capable of undertaking this work ?

Thanks for your help

Chris

Hi,

you were right in sending the cold caller away. No-one should ever agree to work being carried out by an unknown firm, especially one with such negotiable prices and wanting an immediate decision.

For 90m² of that type of paving in Cumbria, expect a fair price to be somewhere around £4,500 +/- 300 quid. From what I've been told by local contractors, 50 quid per m² seems to be the going rate up there, for straightforward jobs. Obviously, you pay extra for kerbs, recess covers, drainage, etc.

To find a reputable contractor in your town/area, then, seeing as you're planning on using the Marshalls' blocks, give their Approved Contractor Service a call - 0870 120 7474.

Get at least 3 quotes, in writing, and make sure you see previous work done byy them.

Good luck!

Thanks Tony

Over the weekend I've been given the name of a local contractor from a friend who had a drive laid last year. I phoned him and he E-Mailed me some addressess of previous work.
I went to look at some of his work and was quite impressed. Whilst looking a two of the jobs, the occupants came out and told me what a great service the contractor provided - very tidy, polite and efficient. They highly recomended him.

He is coming round tomorrow to have a look and give me a price. He cant do any work until the end of March as he is fully booked up.
He is not Marshalls Approved as I asked him. He told me that he doesnt believe in paying money every year just to be on a register - he prefers word of mouth and recomendations. He said he only takes on 1 job at a time and he finishes that job before starting any more as he doesnt believe in leaving jobs unfinished.
He wouldnt give me a price or a rough estimate over the phone - he needed to come and measure and look for himself.
Should I ask him any specific questions when he comes ?


I would like the work done sooner rather than later, but as this contractor is busy for a few weeks I think I would rather wait and get a good job than get someone who can do it tomorrow and maybe regret it. Is this wise ?

Thanks for your help

Chris

There is no better recommendation than word of mouth, and I agree completely with your man - we neve join any of the so-called 'approved' contractor schemes, as the prime criterion for membership is the ability to pay the joining fee, and, as Groucho Marx said, I wouldn't join any club that would have me as a member! ;)

The fact that this contractor insists on seeing the job before quoting is yet further evidence of his professionalism, so it's all looking good. When he does come to carry out the site survey, you need to ask about ...
<ul><li>construction method
<li>drainage
<li>guarantee - is it insurance backed?
<li>time to complete
<li>written quotation and/or contract
<li>advice on colour scheme
</ul>
...waiting until the end of March isn't a bad thing. The weather during Jan and Feb is unpredicatable and most contractors have a 4-6 week lead time all year round, so, if your man could start next Monday, I'd be more concerned as to why he's not gainfully employed!

Have a look at the Finding a Contractor page for more advice and remember you can come back here with any other questions you may have. :)