A fair price for constructing a stone wall....?

[ELV]

Hi

 

I've just received a quote of almost £17,000 for constructing a stone wall of approximately 20 metres long by 1.5 metres high.

 

The wall is in our garden, running to the left hand side of our garage and acts as a retainer for a bank although I don't believe there's any real danger of much land movement.  The quote includes the removal and disposal of a collapsed timber retaining wall (we can do this as the 'timber' is only old fence posts), taking the front of the bank by 1 metre (and dispose of top soil which again we can take care of); Install 450mmm wide strip footing. Lay block On flat retaining wall and create 250 mmm high steps by garage. Install weep pipes to face. Stone face in random pattern using matching cropped old Devonian red sandstone. Point in lime mortar mix to match buildings. Cap wall with matching Indian sandstone gauged coping stones with hand pitched curve. 

 

We are in Herefordshire and the quote is from a local builder who runs a small team which includes a stonemason.  I value quality over price but that doesn't mean I want to get ripped off.

 

Is this a fair quote? If no, what should I expect to pay?

 

All the best

 

Emma 

[syne]

Fair, maybe, maybe not

I would start by breaking it down. 

How much will it cost you to do the bits you can; fence down, muck away and all that, don't forget to count your £/ hours as that's part of their price. 

 Then add the cost of the footings;

(the concrete, the blocks, pipes and bits n bobs, the digger, the calcs if your having them done.)

Then your left with the cost of the stone and the cost of the labour... 

 Does the remaining price seem fair? 

 

 

[nod]

That’s very cheap

The thing is with bricklayers we keep hearing about how much they earn But there’s a lot of down time also Which has to be factored into any price or rate 

Get him booked