After MONTHS of searching and calling, I’ve finally found someone (the only someone actually) who wrote up a quick contract for some concrete work. DO NOT get me started on everyone who 1 – never called back, 2 – said the job didn’t meet their minimum. I got 2, count them 2 phonecalls advising me that the job wasn’t something they would be able to do.
Enough ranting. I getting the feeling that I need to add something to this contract but I can only think of requiring a heat/thermal blanket for the concrete if the temp gets colder than XXF after the concrete is poured and to make sure that there are oil-soaked felt spacer thingies between old and new concrete. Oops, let me give you the contract as worded:
Remove and replace 12’x7’8″ driveway. Replace with new 4″ of 4000psi concrete to be reinforced with #10 wire mesh. 1050.00USD
The guy seems to know what he’s doing. I asked him how he wanted payment and was told, “After work is complete”. Unfortunately, he won’t be able to get to this until around the 3rd week in October. With the way Ma Nature is goofing around, snow could be FLYING then.
Is there anything else you can think of or does it look OK as worded?
You know when you were about 1yo you decided you didn’t want babyfood anymore. You said, ‘NONONO’ to jarred applesauce. Well, what DID I want? Leberwurst on ryebread. HA, even as a baby I was a gourmet!
Replies
What about rebar dowels through the expansion joint into the existing concrete to anchor them together? Cant hurt
Just another thought......>>
What about rebar dowels through the expansion joint into the existing concrete to anchor them together? Cant hurt>>I agree with this and might add that whenever we did commercial work in NY state, we tied in with rebar to the existing, and greased the end going into the existing....tying the two pours together is almost a requirement......and a small additional chore, not hard at all.....I think we did most of the spacing at 18 inches o.c. no matter how wide the pour was.....we used #5 bar, drilled into the existing between 12-18 inches, used bar cut to 24-36 inch lengths......If you aren't one of the one's I'm talking about,you shouldn't have any complaints....
Haul off all the old debris. What kind of surface finish: smooth troweled, light broom, exposed aggregate? Protect adjoining structures and plants from concrete splashing. Cutting in crack control joints.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Is the old concrete 4" and did it crack? can you up size to 6" for a little more? Haul away all trash and old concrete leaving job site clean and tidy.
Edited 9/25/2005 9:45 am ET by USAnigel
All the stuff everybody else has written, and...the subgrade is going to be scarified after removal of the old crete, so compaction is going to be a good idea. What is the subgrade anyway? If's it's sandy soil I'd recommend a layer of plastic over the subgrade so the soil doesn't suck the moisture out of the crete too quickly. Keep it covered after the pour for a couple days at least, and wet with a weeper type garden hose or something along that line. In the cold temps, concrete blankets are a good idea.
Make sure he puts something under the mesh to keep it up in the crete. The contract is pretty vague in my opinion and needs some meat. Don't choose this guy just because he returned a phone call and gave a quote. If he's unwilling to provide at least a good portion of the comments posted here, you probably want to keep searching....
If you aren't one of the one's I'm talking about,you shouldn't have any complaints....
Would you add anything to the bid for the additional requirements or do it all for the $1050? I am mainly thinking about the trips back to wet down the slab, admittedly a good idea.
let me do the math and I'll get right back to you on this....If you aren't one of the one's I'm talking about,you shouldn't have any complaints....
Looks like it's only about 100 bucks worth of crete, demo's going to be easy, mesh isn't much, cutting the joints isn't much and as long as you put plastic on the pour after completion and add those weeper hoses, there will be no return trips to wet down, the hose will take care of that.I don't know if I'd do it as it should be done for the 1050 bucks, I'm thinking more of at least 1500 if not a tad more, but if it were me, I'd be doing all the hauling of spoils, giving the proper finish, doweling to the existing , subgrade compaction, plastic under the concrete for the slow cure....and on top....It isn't the cost of the materials in this case, it's the bringing of a backhoe to site and a dump truck, the time involved to set up for the pour, forms (erection and demo), plus..not sure what the minmum delivery yardage is for crete in your area, but here it's a 2 yard minimum and you only need a tad over 1 yard if my math is correct..I figured 12 foot by 8 foot times .33 (4 inches) He's going to have to pay the minimum either way to get it hauled in...1050 is a good deal, but only if he does it right...otherwise....find another contractor, pay more and have it done correctly so you aren't having it done again next year.....If you aren't one of the one's I'm talking about,you shouldn't have any complaints....
if you need a contract for less than five yard slab, I would not do it either. if I did the price be around $5000, just to get you to go elsewhere. do it yourself, hire some labor, get you a finisher on the weekend, do it this weekend before the snow.
I liked fast eddie's ideas but other than that, if you start adding a bunch of stuff you are going to drive up an already high price and/or scare off the only contractor you have who is willing to do the job. This is quite a small job and you gotta understand that it is not that much work to do 200 sq ft as it is to do 100 sq ft.
BTW - 4000 PSI concrete is a bit unusual for a driveway - or at least around here it is.