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nate379

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Does this quote seem reasonable?

I was figuring on $100/yard plus $100 delivery for concrete so ~$750. Figure x2 for steel/labor and that is $1500. I was thinking $2000 max since it's not just a flat slab like a garage floor and it would be colored.

They want $3350.
 

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nate379

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AK Sand and Gravel is based in Anchorage and has a $300 delivery fee to here. They just pour it, not finish it.

The other one will look into it. Didn't find them in teh yellaw pages.

The guy from the quote I posted is coming tomorrow to look, going to get a break down of cost.

$500 difference between 6 and 4" slab... It's a ~2.5 yard difference, so $250 in materials... no more labor involved that I could see.
 

texas-saluki

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nate

yea internet searches are always hard to judge :)

for the 4" slab are you building the forms? I suppose there could be more labor if it is required to dig down 2 additional inches, but not 250 in additional labor
 
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nate379

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No excavation required. Me and and a mexican backhoe (my friend :bounce:) did all that already. Site is already prepped for the slab, just need to compact, build forms and pour.
 

gabeancounter

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I think you are looking at about 8 yards. $140 a yard deliverd with mesh and color.$1100
Metal is 8 20' runs and chairs $100
Form material $100
$1300 total
Labor with compacting $2.00 =$700
Installing the metal $150
Accent???? I just have to assume the $350
Total $2500

I would buy the materials yourself and finish the prep work yourself. Inlcuing the form boards. Call the concrete supplier and ask for a couple names of finishers. You could pay 2 guys $400 to do the actual pour.
Whatever you do - don't give anybody 50% upfront- that is bullsh&&. good luck

Also I did not include the sealer but about $200 for material
 
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nate379

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The guy from the place linked gave me a rough quote of $2500, is going to come out to take a look.

Concrete is $100/yard for reg fiber stuff, not sure how much extra the color is. Delivery is $100.

I may just rent a compactor and do that myself. I need to compact a pad for a shed anyhow.

50% up front isn't that crazy for a small project like this. He needs to pay for his guys, the materials, etc.
 
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twostory

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50% up front isn't that crazy for a small project like this. He needs to pay for his guys, the materials, etc.

Pay him when the concrete job is done. This is a two day job (maybe), a good crew could form & pour in one day. If the land is already graded. I would never pay 50% for no work upfront, Progressive payments as the work is completed is the only way.

Do you think he pays his guys before the job is done? (I know he doesn't)

As for forms, maybe $200. If he does not have a credit line for that at the lumber store, you need to find another concrete guy.
 

padstack

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Now this is a driveway that I had done, but I had tear out of the old asphalt, all labor, and sealing done for $5100 even on an 83x20 driveway. They did a real nice job too. I found the guy through some advertising he was doing. I've let him keep his sign in my yard for about a year since I thought he did such a nice job. The did use mesh instead of rebar, but I don't really have a problem with that.

I'd look around a bit more before I coughed up that much cash. Doesn't add up to me.

Personally I'd throw the BS card at paying for forms. I'm not a concrete finisher, but around here everyone reuses their forms (I see 3 or 4 trucks a week just driving around to jobs with old forms in their trucks). Now, if you're talking installing the forms and such then I guess I might see that, but it still seems high to me.
 

gabeancounter

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He is doing a monolithic pour. Footer and slab in one pour. The rebar goes in the footer section. Those prices I gave are really high. I paid $.60 a sqft finishing and prep.Inlcudes spreading 4" gravel base. I paid $85 yard for concrete delivered. Footer dig out and tieing rebar and forming was $3.00 a foot. In GA I could easly turn this without touching a shovel for $1500 but I am trying to take into account being in Alaska.
 
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nate379

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I called the concrete yard and it's $140 a yard plus at least $100 delivery for 6 sack/fiber mesh, which is 4k-5k psi.
If they hit traffic or can't offload right away it's $0.25/min every min the concrete truck is not moving.
My price of $100/yard is for regular concrete like would be used for a shed slab.

padstack your cost for that driveway wouldn't even cover the cost of concrete and dirt work here! Crazy how stuff is so $$$$ here.


Contractor came by today and I have a price of $3000 to do the back patio like in the quote. I save $400 by not doing color concrete and acid etch instead. He is going to do my front porch to match the rear patio as well. A slate grey/charcoal color.

The 50% deal is this... 50% gets paid on the day the slab is poured. He comes back in 30 days and does the acid etch and engraving and the remaining 50% is paid.
 
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gabeancounter

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Nate,
That sounds more like the price of concrete with color and mesh. Sounds much more reasonable about the payment. Just curious how much it would cost for just standard concrete with no extra designs etc?
 
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nate379

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reg plain jane concrete. Cheap stuff like in the bags at Lowes is $100/yard and a 6" slab poured and broom finished would be $1500.

Plain jane slab with the concrete I am doing would be $1800.

I am doing a curb around the patio with rebar which adds to the cost and then the engraving and acid etch.

Thinking about it the cost isn't crazy considering what stuff costs up here.

I did my driveway last fall and it was about $0.75/sq ft more than what most people in the lower 48 pay.
 
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nate379

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Also he said if I pay in cash, I get 5% off. He will give me a receipt, so nothing shady as far as I can tell.
 

gabeancounter

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Nate,
When I was building my house last year it was standard to get a discount for cash. I had an average 10% off for cash. Saved me $20000 on my build. One thing that is really important is to get a lien waiver upon full payment. I would get a lien waiver signed and a invoice, then hand them cash. Worked great. All this was needed for the construction loan but I think it is good practice.
 
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nate379

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Got him to $2500 to do the patio if I do the majority of the dirt work (most already done anyhow) and I don't get colored concrete.
Also will do the acid stain and clear on front porch (about 4x15) for that price.

Engraving not including, seeing what the cost for that will be. It was $350 for the patio, if it's something around that I will get that done as well.
 
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nate379

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I emailed him this morning with more or less a written contract.

Asked for cost on engraving and sent 6 or 7 examples of stuff I liked. Apparently he can't do it now. ??

Called him a bit ago, talked to wife or kid, left msg.

Whole reason to hire him was to do "custom" work. I will just fine a reg concrete guy otherwise!

Am I not thinking right? It looks completely possible to cut tiles into the slab to make it look like pavers.
 

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nate379

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Got another quote today.

6 sack mix, but not fibermesh. Going to put mesh grid in the slab instead. 4" slab (says it will be fine... I dunno?)

2 pours, a 12" wide x~12 high border that will be brush finish and will stain a red to match the house shutters. The center will be an exposed aggregate finish which will be sealed.

Said can do for $2200, but doesn't have a compactor so I will need to get one and the staining will be on me... (like $50-60 for a couple gals of stain)


I called the concrete yard and today concrete is at $120/yard for reg stuff and the fibermesh is $140/yard. Colored is $160/yard.


With the other quote at $2500 for a 6", it probably amounts to a better deal from what I can figure.

The $2200 was a "yeah, around that" as well but the guy seemed decent and his daughter came along and she is about my age and pretty hot... and knew her concrete too. Hmmm....
 
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nate379

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#2 guy called me this evening and was eager to do the work. He is starting up with his normal concrete work next week (works under contractor) so this is just a filler job really.

When construction season really hits, it's almost impossible to get someone to come out on small jobs, like this if they are worth a darn.

I told him I wanted to do a 6" slab instead and he said that would be $200 extra, so $2400. He doesn't have a plate tamper, but I have a friend with one so I told him make it $2350 and I will have a tamper here for him to use. It "cost" me a case of beer to borrow and I need to use it on a few other things anyhow.


Big Boi judging by the pics (palm trees and other stuff) you don't live in Alaska I am guessing? That driveway here if it's the size I think (about 1500sq/ft) would be close to the 10k area if they did all the dirt work. My driveway is around 2500 sq ft and paving it (asphalt) was $6500.

Also did they not compact the ground before the pour? And where are the control joints?
 
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Big Boi

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Big Boi judging by the pics (palm trees and other stuff) you don't live in Alaska I am guessing? That driveway here if it's the size I think (about 1500sq/ft) would be close to the 10k area if they did all the dirt work. My driveway is around 2500 sq ft and paving it (asphalt) was $6500.

Also did they not compact the ground before the pour? And where are the control joints?

Nope, I live in S. Fla...

The driveway was originally aspahalt. And according to the "City" and local contractors, theres no need to compact the area since the ground is pretty much well compacted. The driveway is only 800 sqft, and uses a "Fiber Mesh" mix, therefore theres no rebar in the forms. Control joints are cut every 20 feet, per code.
 
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nate379

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That would not last a year up here. Would need to compact just to be sure, run rebar and do control cuts at least every 10ft, and even that is pushing it... 6-8ft ideal. The fibermesh helps, but it's not a substitute for rebar.

Different animal here when you deal with -30* in winter and 80* in summer.

Nope, I live in S. Fla...

The driveway was originally aspahalt. And according to the "City" and local contractors, theres no need to compact the area since the ground is pretty much well compacted. The driveway is only 800 sqft, and uses a "Fiber Mesh" mix, therefore theres no rebar in the forms. Control joints are cut every 20 feet, per code.
 

hammlm

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Your driveway looks awesome, Big Boi --- but that is wicked Cheap compared to decorative concrete prices around here.. Where are you located?

***EDIT --- never mind -- just read your follow up post.
 
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nate379

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I will try to get some pics today, they are coming this evening to do teh form work.

I have been up since 5AM Sunday so going to hit the rack for a few hrs.
 

Big Boi

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Like that stamped look! Almost feel like having my driveway redone.

Thanks! We've been voted the best house in the community, and we've only been here since June '08.


That would not last a year up here. Would need to compact just to be sure, run rebar and do control cuts at least every 10ft, and even that is pushing it... 6-8ft ideal. The fibermesh helps, but it's not a substitute for rebar.

Different animal here when you deal with -30* in winter and 80* in summer.
I hear ya... Good luck though :thumbup:
 
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nate379

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Well guy #2 backed out, he is starting work with the contractor he is under a bit early and won't be able to do it.

I called guy #1 back and he wife got pretty bitchy with me.

"You need to make up your mind on what you want".

I told her that THEY need to make up their mind on WHAT they can do! They advertise all sorts of custom work, but keep trying to push that I get more or less a plain slab!

First I wanted stamped work, said would be a bad idea for patio cause it would not be flat so chairs, BBQ, etc would rock.... BUT engraving would work out nice.

Ok! He said to pick a pattern and he would do it. Came up on a price and everything.

I pick a few things and email to him and I get "can't do" or "won't look good" for everything. .. "I tried to do that on a sample piece and I can't do it" (pattern taking right from photos on his webpage!)

I come up with something more simple, email it to him Thursday and never hear back. Exposed aggregate in the center and a brushed border/curb. When I talked to his wife she was with the attituide "Well... that would be TWO pours!" and I don't know how that could be done" Seriously?

Guy was itching for the job. After I talked to him, he came back the next day and stuck a buisness car in the door dropping the price about $200 and "can start right away".

Now according to wife will only be able to do it end of June. Going to try to talk to him directly before I dismiss them, but I don't think he is going to be working for me anytime soon.
 
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red

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Friend of my brothers a mason. Did a beautiful job on my fireplace. He admitted to me when things get busy he ignores a lot of calls. Did not think that it was professional but probably reality with most contractors. This is especially true with one or two man shops not enough time to do the work that's booked. Plus making commitments and not keeping them is worst than not hearing back.
 
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nate379

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I'd rather have the guy pick up or call back and explain that he is too busy or something came up other than just not answer the phone.

I had not put any money down, but I had pulled it from the back for him, so it was just a matter of final details and that's all.
 

ixlr8

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I just got a quote to do a 24'x27' pad in front of my garage. They planned on 6" of concrete, 1/2" rebar 16" OC both directions and fiber mesh. That was done to handle the loads of the cars and to deal with frost/freezing. The quote came in at $3950, when I originally called they suggested I go asphalt as the concrete was going to be expensive.
 

a4daddywagon

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Big Boi, hammlm is right...that is a REALLY good price. I have a contract right now to get a 700 sq ft rear patio and walkway done in decorative stamped concrete and the price is $12K. Granted, they are doing all excavating (including planting beds), doing stairs and setting decorative "boulders" as well. Concrete is poured using 6" welded wire fabric, rebar and saw-cut control joints.
 
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nate379

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Concrete truck is coming tomorrow morning. 7 yards of concrete. Wooh wooh.

Forms are in, mesh is down plus about 200 ft of #5 rebar. Should be pretty solid :)

I found this guy by the yellow pages and I started from the top... and was the first place I called. Come to find out he went to school with my parents (in Maine) Small world huh?
 

red

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Pictures! Pictures! Keep it wet for at least a week after it sets. (I cover my jobs with plastic and keep it wet for two weeks) Good Luck!
 
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nate379

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These are from the night before. Plastic is up, more rebar down and also the mesh.

Would have been nice if the garage was the extra 14ft deep (24x40), but oh well...
 

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nate379

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All done. Concrete truck showed up around 9 and most everything was done around 10:30. One of the guys came back after to do the brush finish work on the border and then someone is coming in the morning to pressure wash it. (exposed aggregate)

Something that was mentioned when they put the rocks down is fish tank gravel would have worked out to add color (wanted to do red to match the house trim). I didn't have time to run to the store to get some though, so oh well.

Had about .25 yards left, had I been thinking I would have made a form in the yard for a fire pit, but oh well again, didn't figure there would be extra.
 
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