How much should a Block Drive cost?

[Benny5]

I'm in south Birmingham, I've had a few drives done by Aspire drives, not sure if the will travel that far but maybe, very competitive prices and they do a great job.

Thanks for that. Any idea of approx. cost per M2.

 

[^woody^]

What you need to do is you specify what you want and then any quotes you get are all comparable, and you know that one firm's quote is for exactly the same work and materials as another's.

M² rates are wildly different - from the one-man band, the big established firms and the transients, and unless you base your enquiries on more than the bottom line m² rate, then you are in a minefield and more reliant on luck than anything else.

Blocks - manufacturer and thicknesses
Hardcore base - crushed brick, proper MOT grade or scalpings? Each are OK if laid properly, but prices are different.

How much ground is scrapped away and will the new surface be laid flat to falls, or just arched over what ground they can't be bothered to remove? Do you want set surface levels to be maintained, or aren't you bothered?

If you are getting references then they need to be based on work done 2 or more years ago when the ruts and movement starts to appear, not of a job finished last week and the pictures taken just after they have loaded the van and packed up.

What about planning permission - drainage into the ground and not the drains and not just a gulley or channel fitted draining to nowhere. Just asking about planning permission and listening to what they know and how they will deal with things is always a great way of weeding out the idiots.

 

[Benny5]

What you need to do is you specify what you want and then any quotes you get are all comparable, and you know that one firm's quote is for exactly the same work and materials as another's.

M² rates are wildly different - from the one-man band, the big established firms and the transients, and unless you base your enquiries on more than the bottom line m² rate, then you are in a minefield and more reliant on luck than anything else.

Blocks - manufacturer and thicknesses
Hardcore base - crushed brick, proper MOT grade or scalpings? Each are OK if laid properly, but prices are different.

How much ground is scrapped away and will the new surface be laid flat to falls, or just arched over what ground they can't be bothered to remove? Do you want set surface levels to be maintained, or aren't you bothered?

If you are getting references then they need to be based on work done 2 or more years ago when the ruts and movement starts to appear, not of a job finished last week and the pictures taken just after they have loaded the van and packed up.

What about planning permission - drainage into the ground and not the drains and not just a gulley or channel fitted draining to nowhere. Just asking about planning permission and listening to what they know and how they will deal with things is always a great way of weeding out the idiots.

Thanks so much for your detailed contribution.

It will provide greater insight when I get subsequent quotes. Pity I didn't know this prior to the two previous contractor visits.

 

[^woody^]

Thanks so much for your detailed contribution.

It will provide greater insight when I get subsequent quotes. Pity I didn't know this prior to the two previous contractor visits.

You can still go back to them asking them for more specific detail.

Also, if one contractor makes a suggestion that you like, you can ask others to include that in their pricing.

There can be a big difference in how different contractors go about this type of work and how much their margins are, and also there may be economies of scale so that some firms can price lower (or they could but may not choose to). So it's one of those things where a wide discrepancy in quotes can be expected and not necessarily indications of being ripped off or being under-priced and worrying about the quality.

The import things are to know exactly what you are getting and to do the company/quality checks as well as is possible/practical.

 

[mrrusty]

Just to expand on what @^woody^ has said, it is important to factor in that the blocks are only a % of the price, and the only bit you can see! A huge part of the price for a well-made drive is the sub-base - it takes a lot of digging out, a lot of carting away (in my case referred above 4 grab wagons), a lot of aggregate, and if there are drains etc to sort that's all on top too. The blocks are just the icing on the cake, but the cake itself is the sub-base and its preparation. There is a lot of scope to cut corners on stuff that can't be seen!

 

[Benny5]

Thanks for that. I'm coming to the conclusion that perhaps its best leaving things as they are, so much could go wrong.

By the way, I've just had a telephone 'estimate' which would be subject to a site survey. £11,500 approx.

That covers the use of Tobermore 100x200x60 blocks. Bullnose edging blocks all set in concreate. ACO aluminium channels.

This is the most detailed 'scope of work' I've got thus far;

'To create a new driveway using a 60mm block paviour’s in a colour of your choice. We excavate the new driveway to a minimum depth of 200mm under the new finished level and remove any obstructive material before building back up with class one mot which is compacted at a minimum depth of 100 mm after compaction to eliminate any differential settlement or rutting in the future, we will then compact and screed sharp sand to 25mm -50mm and then lay the block paviours in a 45 degree herringbone bond design pattern and cut in around the perimeter/soldier course, we finish with jointing sand and consolidate the whole area with a compacter plate. The driveway can then be trafficked immediately. Paving will be built back up under the 2 blue bricks under the damp course as in accordance with building regulations Part C, Section 4.4 giving 150mm under the dpc to the paving. New kerb edgers will be installed at the entrance of the drive to retain it independently'.

 

[mrrusty]

I'm coming to the conclusion that perhaps its best leaving things as they are, so much could go wrong.

Not really much to "go wrong" - technically it's straightforward - and that last quote sounds more like on the mark, with a spec that reads correctly. If that contractor has some good reviews and references then they should be worth a look. Is that +VAT? Just be around when they do it and take a few photos.

As it's an existing driveway, it should be fairly compacted, so I would be happy with 100mm+ of wacked MOT. Right materials, done right and it'll be OK.