patp Posted May 6, 2023 Share Posted May 6, 2023 To install 3 offset sleeper beds in theg front garden (this is really the back garden - it is a wrap around plot) 2 sleepers high with a 3rd sleeper flat for a seat (each sleeper bed witll be 1.2 x 2.4m). Bottom sleeper will be bedded on concrete, all sleeper beds will be fully lined and soil supplied by customer. the preice also includes the sleepers around the pathe from garage to back patio and from the end of new back patio to fence. Qty x 40 Unit Price £50. Total £2,000 To level out all areas to be shingled (20mm natural stone) Reinstate with a geotextile membrane which will be secured before adding a 30mm layer of shingle 133.3m2 @ £20 Total £2,666 To prepare the area to be turfed and lay down premium grade turf. 66.3 m2 @ £17 - £1,127.10 To install 17 kerb edgings between bungalow and garage along the driveway, these will be bedded in on 4 in of concrete and haunched to retain tarmac scalpings on driveway. - Qty 17 @ £15 Total - £255 To dig out 120mm below finished level and dispose of materials, reinstate with with a geotextile membrane, 50mm hardcore sub base which will be compact then 500mm full we mortar mis will be put down to lay 4 size smooth, honed and calibrated Mint sandstone slabs. Charcoal sets will surround all paved areas and a mushroom jointing compound will be used in all joints 97m2 @ £140 - £13,580 3ft high picket fence x 3 @£75 - £225 To dig out to £150mm below finished level, reinstate with a geotextile membrane, 50mm type 1 mot hardcore sub base which will be compacted, 40mm shard sand will be laid compacted and screed before laying brick weave (supplied by customer). This will be compacted to bed the bricks then kiln dried sand will be brushed in.. All the edge bricks will be bedded on concrete. 16m2 @£60 total £960 We liked the way this small firm were very enthusiastic. The owner was a civil engineer and is now branching out in this new business with his new wife and one other worker. We are lending them our mini digger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patp Posted May 6, 2023 Author Share Posted May 6, 2023 Oops - forgot that they have said that they will level out a large area around our, natural, pond free of charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyT Posted May 6, 2023 Share Posted May 6, 2023 It’s nice that it’s broken down, not sure where you are in the world though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted May 6, 2023 Share Posted May 6, 2023 (edited) 5 hours ago, patp said: Qty x 40 Unit Price £50. Total £2,000 Check if they are pine or Oak. I suspect Pine because they don't appear to have itemised labour for building the beds eg level ground, trench for concrete strips, the concrete, cut and fix etc? Might be cheaper elsewhere but this is what Google found quickly.. Treated pine.. https://countrysupplies.uk.com/new-pine-sleepers-p-10977 100 x 200 x 2.4m £27 Oak.. 100 x 200 x 2.4 £40 https://www.oakviewfencing.co.uk/product/new-oak-sleeper?gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9deiBhC1ARIsAHLjR2CcYsUMQTiZbmC6N6jHl2pReOfIyRQaVDAqQqld43uoBL71l0oChesaAikLEALw_wcB but you may have to add delivery. As they are seats they probably should be "new" rather than real ex railway sleepers as the latter are treated with mild carcenogens. Edited May 6, 2023 by Temp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patp Posted May 6, 2023 Author Share Posted May 6, 2023 We are in Norfolk. Might pop them an email and ask what the sleepers are made of. He may well have told husband what materials he would be using. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andehh Posted May 6, 2023 Share Posted May 6, 2023 A keen, enthusiastic, team who has put so much effort into a quote gets some brownie points there! If you can afford it, like them, and like their advice... I'd go with it! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radian Posted May 6, 2023 Share Posted May 6, 2023 9 hours ago, patp said: To dig out 120mm below finished level and dispose of materials, reinstate with with a geotextile membrane, 50mm hardcore sub base which will be compact then 500mm full we mortar mis will be put down to lay 4 size smooth, honed and calibrated Mint sandstone slabs. Charcoal sets will surround all paved areas and a mushroom jointing compound will be used in all joints 97m2 @ £140 - £13,580 Having a bit of trouble parsing that one. What you need to ensure is that they bed the slabs on a full bed of mortar - not spot dabs. Very important! I see the word "full" there but not able to make much sense of it. To justify that price it should be nothing short of top-notch work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patp Posted May 7, 2023 Author Share Posted May 7, 2023 I take your point Radian. He told us, verbally, that all slab work would be on a full bed of mortar. A couple of typos did not help. It should say a full wet mortar mix. The "digging out" also belies the amount of work involved as the site is not level and will involve a lot of digging and carting away of soil to make it so. Of course we will not know if it is top notch until they do it but he is very enthusiastic and seemed very genuine in wanting to build a good reputation. The photos I have seen of his work all look excellent. I must admit to being shocked at the overall price but, like most on here, we have never done this before. One, largish, firm that came to quote did not submit one and I wonder if that is because they saw a lot of labour! He did say, several times, that he would undercut any other quote. To be honest we have struggled to find anyone that wants the job and has shown any enthusiasm for it. It has been a joy to work with some of the other enthusiastic tradesmen that we have met over the course of this project. It might be worth paying a little bit more to experience that feeling during this last stage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andehh Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Being surprised at how expensive it is is the default emotion in the self builders world these days. I'm afraid you will become numb to it very quick. Carting away dug out ground is also expensive. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patp Posted May 7, 2023 Author Share Posted May 7, 2023 4 hours ago, Andehh said: Being surprised at how expensive it is is the default emotion in the self builders world these days. I'm afraid you will become numb to it very quick. Carting away dug out ground is also expensive. That's given us an idea! He told us he will match or under bid on any written quote we get. We have had a couple of verbal quotes but not really taken to the people involved so we have no negotiating tools there. We do have a friendly farmer next door who dabbles in site clearance and recycling the spoils. We may be able to cut the costs by taking that side of things out of his quote. We presume his will be using skips which are horrendously expensive compared to the farmer with his dumper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 22 hours ago, Andehh said: A keen, enthusiastic, team who has put so much effort into a quote gets some brownie points there! If you can afford it, like them, and like their advice... I'd go with it! +1, I was the same with my builder and never regretted it, peace of mind is worth ££££ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andehh Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 4 hours ago, joe90 said: +1, I was the same with my builder and never regretted it, peace of mind is worth ££££ We took the same approach and, touch wood, agree.... Peace of mind is worth investing in!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patp Posted May 10, 2023 Author Share Posted May 10, 2023 Paid the deposit - thanks guys and girls! Oh, I forgot to mention, that they are levelling the area around the pond, which has been a builders yard during the course of the build, for FREE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conor Posted May 10, 2023 Share Posted May 10, 2023 4 minutes ago, patp said: Paid the deposit - thanks guys and girls! Oh, I forgot to mention, that they are levelling the area around the pond, which has been a builders yard during the course of the build, for FREE! We've found that before with the odd trade. Some people just can't leave a job partially done. In our last house the joiner did all the skirting for free as couldn't bare the thought of me doing it myself 🤣 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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