Someone doesn't know their times tables !!

[2boxerdogs]

Before we went to Spain last week we had a chap who was recommended & whose work I have seen give our drive the once over as we want it blockpaved, after pacing it all out he said 70sq metres so far so good I thought price per sq metre £55.00 Inc vat, to my reckoning that is £3850 anyhow written quotation arrived today £5522 ! WTF..

[Doctor Gollum]

The paving is probably £55psm, rest will be labour and materials 

[amba]

Had a similar experience here as we are in need of our driveway repairing/replacing as the current concrete is badly cracking and breaking up in parts,but has been down for 35 years .

Size is 8.0mtrs wide X 7.mtrs wide..no with my maths that is 56m2 so allowing for wastage/etc we need no more than 60m2.


Had 2 quotes ,1 for concrete which stated 75m2 and was £3700 and another for block paving at 65m2 at £6200 both inc VAT.


Not only are both quotes obscene but are also inflated by material which also assumes the labour is based on the material so am paying for work and material not needed.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Don't get me started on builders. There are one or two good ones out there but the vast majority are cowboys.

Question.....How do people become builders?

Answer......Piss about at school and leave without qualifications. Then simply buy a flatbed truck and suddenly you are a builder.

[amba]

That's very true...most don't even have the cap now ...just a long suck through their teethless chops whilst smoking an electric puff pipe

[dave the builder]

Don't get me started on builders. There are one or two good ones out there but the vast majority are cowboys.

Question.....How do people become builders?

Answer......Piss about at school and leave without qualifications. Then simply buy a flatbed truck and suddenly you are a builder.

Dam 
So I didn't need 5 O'levels ,3 cse's ,OND in general engineering at tech,evening courses for new Regs and other courses, working for peanuts as an apprentice for people with no qualifications .

I don't own a flat bed truck , so I guess i'm not qualified 

a detailed quote should include clearing the site ,drainage,scalpings,binding,edging and curbs , then take into account tool and equipment wear ,bacon butties ,internet access (because the sun no longer has a page 3 stunner to ogle) all adds up 

then you have to stand the cost of it all in the hope that the customer will pay you 

Apparently ,( I don't have a rusty ford dropside ,so am not qualified to comment)

[2boxerdogs]

Did my own last time , admittedly just gravel but all done properly with crushed stone base etc. Getting one more quote if that's extortionate I will do the same again , get plenty of time off & still capable of heavy graft, probably £1500 tops with hire of equipment etc.

[amba]

Both my quotes were detailed enough.

1 wanted a 70% downpayment the day they started to cover all the above.

Other wanted 50% on accepting the quote .

Need to find an Irish Navi 

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Don't get me started on builders. There are one or two good ones out there but the vast majority are cowboys.

Question.....How do people become builders?

Answer......Piss about at school and leave without qualifications. Then simply buy a flatbed truck and suddenly you are a builder.

Dam 
So I didn't need 5 O'levels ,3 cse's ,OND in general engineering at tech,evening courses for new Regs and other courses, working for peanuts as an apprentice for people with no qualifications .

I don't own a flat bed truck , so I guess i'm not qualified 

a detailed quote should include clearing the site ,drainage,scalpings,binding,edging and curbs , then take into account tool and equipment wear ,bacon butties ,internet access (because the sun no longer has a page 3 stunner to ogle) all adds up 

then you have to stand the cost of it all in the hope that the customer will pay you 

Apparently ,( I don't have a rusty ford dropside ,so am not qualified to comment)

You sound like one of the good 1%.

It's the other 99% who worry me.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Did my own last time , admittedly just gravel but all done properly with crushed stone base etc. Getting one more quote if that's extortionate I will do the same again , get plenty of time off & still capable of heavy graft, probably £1500 tops with hire of equipment etc.

......plus the satisfaction of a job well done.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Both my quotes were detailed enough.

1 wanted a 70% downpayment the day they started to cover all the above.

Other wanted 50% on accepting the quote .

Need to find an Irish Navi 

My Grandmother did this as a gesture of goodwill back in the fifties.

Needless to say the little turd was never to be seen again.

[Varche]

Here in Spain the tradesperson still has a niche so folk pay for a plumber or a mechanic.

The exception is builder. All Spanish men are expert builders. You have to laugh at the walls built on slopes on sloping foundations and so on.

[amba]

Can assure you they will get nowt until they start and then just cost of materials etc,but going on the 2 quotes so far neither will be getting my "hard earnt" anyway.

[Auto Addict]

Guy up the road had a quote, said he'd decide when he came back off holiday.

When he came back off holiday, they'd ripped up his old drive.

Took them to court - and won.

[dave the builder]

there are block pavers and block pavers
cheap concrete £15 a meter ,so 56 x 15 =£840
depends on what prep needs doing and edgers etc etc