Needing some work on the driveway and patio for a house we are getting prepped to put on the market and received the following quote (I asked for separate quotes to determine the cost individually in case we decide to only replace the really bad driveway section and repair the patio section): (Located in Sherman, TX)

1. Labor & materials 10'x30'x4" to put a cap on the rear patio - $1,700
2. Labor & materials 10'x20'x4" & 30'x34'x4" for rear driveway (really bad portion of driveway) - $5,750
3. Labor & materials 11'x100'x4" for section from rear driveway to street less approach section - $5,550
4. Labor & materials 9'x15'x6" for driveway approach section - $1,500
5. Tear-out concrete and haul-off from site (rear patio capped, so not removed) - $4,000
Total - $18,500

When I allocate the tear-out/haul off costs to the driveway quotes, it comes out as follows:

1. $1,700
2. $7,685
3. $7,295
4. $1.820
$18,500

I was really expecting and hoping for something much lower than this quote, therefore I'm asking if these quotes sound reasonable or are out of line. Appreciate any and all inputs and thanks in advance!

I usually use $8/SF for pads & slabs, not including demo.

Well OK, killing time till dinner...

If my math is right, I got

Quote:

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10 12 120 30 12 360 4 172800
10 12 120 20 12 240 4 115200
11 12 132 100 12 1200 4 633600
9 12 108 15 12 180 6 116640
30 12 360 34 12 408 4 587520
1625760

1625760/ 46656 = 35. Cubic yds, X 27 = 941 Cubic ft, @110 = $3833 in Cement, plus 3 trucks, delivery charge, say $4500 for Concrete, the rest is wood and rebar, say 3000 for that also... .

At 8 dollars from the previous poster your at $22,044, at 2755 Sq ft. Sounds a little high, but not from the previous poster, that is a lot of concrete, so not the end of the world I guess... when you throw tear out and haul away, it is what it is...


I built the forms, hired a few guys off the corner, borrowed the tools from home depot, and 12 years later I still don't so much as have a hairline crack in my patio. I also used rebar, lots of it.

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I'll also add that mine is high due to you wanting to piece it out. Ask for a turnkey price. Probably will be lower.

Thanks for the input guys...appreciate it.

FYI, I also used a slab cost estimator and came up with the following numbers for the 2,755 sq ft of concrete:

LOW
=========
$17,535
$6.36/sq ft

HIGH
=========
$20,924
$7.60/sq ft

Cost To Install Cement Slab Calculator

The numbers above do not include demo/removal costs. I had another bidder out today to get me another estimate and will share when I receive his bid.

This is all flatwork? Or anything with beams ?
I come up with 1735 sq ft ?
How many square feet of demo and removal ?

Can all of it be poured from a truck ?

Or do they have to wheelbarrow or use a pump truck ?

If in BCS don't use Tucker

JP76 said:

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This is all flatwork? Or anything with beams ?
All flatwork, no beams.

I come up with 1735 sq ft ?
That's because it appears you overlooked the 30'x34' included with the 10'x20' in the second task.

How many square feet of demo and removal ?
2,455 square feet for the driveway portion only. Just capping the patio which is 300 square feet.

Can all of it be poured from a truck ?
No, just the front portion near the street as the driveway runs along side of house to rear of house.

Or do they have to wheelbarrow or use a pump truck ?
Skid-steer or wheel barrow which would be cheaper than a pump truck according to one bidder.

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Just to give you an update, we had a bid on a project last week and our best concrete price was $8.25/SF for turn key installation, not including the pump truck.

Good luck with your project.

I paid $2900 for demo of 50 sf of old concrete and installation of 380 sf patio. This was in North Dallas. They had to use a buggy since they couldn't get a truck back to the patio.

Not trying to say anything about the OP specifically, but it seems like every month or so, somebody posts a thread here that amounts to "I got a quote of X dollars for concrete work and it seems really high."

Since it's such a common thread theme, I get the feeling that the average person just really doesn't understand how much concrete costs.

drummer0415 said:

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Not trying to say anything about the OP specifically, but it seems like every month or so, somebody posts a thread here that amounts to "I got a quote of X dollars for concrete work and it seems really high."

Since it's such a common thread theme, I get the feeling that the average person just really doesn't understand how much concrete costs.

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Well, when your neighbor has had his driveway replaced about 8 years at about $2/sq ft and my quote comes in at about $6/sq ft, it makes sense to me to do due diligence and see what others have to say. Isn't that what this forum is all about, getting feedback and input from others more knowledgeable than yourself in order to make an informed decision?

If that's not the case, then I'm sorry for having posted my question and evidently in turn, wasting your time!

$2 a square foot isn't realistic.

You buy the concrete for about $3-4 a square foot. Your neighbor is pulling your leg.

Edited because I wrote the wrong units.

Sq ft and sq yard are two different things.

His point was that you get a lot of high and mighty on this (and other) boards. It brings zero to the table and creates animosity. Best bet is to just move on. Or post something that is actually helpful. Like a link or some advice.

As a business owner, here is how I would approach this Gary.

This one is fairly simple, does not require much technical expertise, highly skilled labor or supervision.

Step 1 - Determine Costs as If You Subcontracted (these are maximums and should be no higher than shown):

$6,000 (All Material + Sales Tax)
$900 (Demo + Prep Labor - 2 Man Days + Bobcat Rental)
$800 (Forms - 8 Man Days)
$2,000 (Pour / Finish - 12 Man Days + Rentals)
$4,500 (Load / Haul)
$300 (Other)

Having done these types of things in the past myself... I am thinking this can be subcontracted by you for $14,500 ish.

Step 2 - Find Contractor

If you hire someone to turnkey this, they will arrive at the same answer above... maybe a little less since they own most of the machines instead of renting them. Either way, they still charge for using machinery.

There are 3 types of contractors from here...

Type 1 - one that is not much different than you contracting it out yourself (one that is not insured, one that does not have employees / uses day laborers, one that you may never be able to locate again). For this type of work, they are generally sufficient as long as you watch over them. This type of contractor will do it for almost the same price you can sub it out for. This type is not an established business.

Type 2 - Similar to above, but may have a supervisor and add a little profit because they are an established business but run it loosely (probably still use day labor but skirt around tax rules a bit). This type would be worth about $16,000.

Type 3 - legitimate business owner with employees, insured, bonded, etc... This type would be worth about $18,000 at 22% profit margin which is reasonable.

I have used Type 1 very successfully. Type 2 is the norm. Type 3 has been in business many years and comes highly recommended, has good references and does work for major homebuilders.

$18,500 is a reasonable cost if the contractor is top notch, comes with good references and is running a legitimate business.

I used $90 / cu-yd for concrete plus added partial load charge and delivery charges.

$5.00 / sq-ft is something close to cost. Anything over that is profit. Your neighbor did not pay $2.00 / sq-ft. If you want a rock bottom baseline, start with $5.00 / sq-ft.

Also, note that the largest cost in this entire endeavor is hauling away what appears to be 40-50 dump truck loads of old concrete. If you want to lower costs, this is where you should be looking.

BadAzzBohemian said:

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This one is fairly simple, does not require much technical expertise, highly skilled labor or supervision.

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As expensive as some of these 'trades' are coming in at, sometimes makes you wonder why anyone would go to college. Electricians, plumbers, roofers, mechanics, AC guys....

You're right, they are two different things. I meant sqft and wrote sq yd. My mistake. The sentiment is still the same.

I run a construction company that does concrete when the scope of work requires it so I'm familiar with prices. OP could call a concrete plant himself and ask for prices if he doesn't believe me or the other folks who have said the same.

Comeby! said:

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BadAzzBohemian said:

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This one is fairly simple, does not require much technical expertise, highly skilled labor or supervision.

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As expensive as some of these 'trades' are coming in at, sometimes makes you wonder why anyone would go to college. Electricians, plumbers, roofers, mechanics, AC guys....

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If you look around, get enough bids and understand material and labor costs... you can almost always find a good contractor that will give a fair and reasonable price.

I have a turnkey foundation business and a small homebuilding business so have seen pricing and costs from both sides.

Your demo is going to run higher as concrete is heavy and it's hard to breakup. Dump fees are typically based on weight unless they are taking to a concrete crusher, not likely with such small amounts. This is one area you could source it yourself by picking up some day laborers.

Costs above noted by others is spot on for the concrete (anywhere from $90-$105 depending on amount, PSI and location). As others noted, local plant will likely laugh at you for a direct order, particularly in DFW.

For the makeup and pour, I would consider doing it under the Type 1 or Type 2 method above if located in small town or out in a county. If in a medium to large city, I would turnkey it. Unless you want to verse yourself with all the local requirements for thickness, approaches, PSI, etc. For instance, City of Conroe requires 3000 PSI for flatwork. Bit of an overkill, City of Houston is incredibly specific on the approach and doweling into street. If you are on a state highway, say hello to TxDot inspecting your approach.

I would price a job like the above, concrete only no demo, in the $8-$10 range - its a small job so need to make up the effort with some additional margin. My two cents.

Where are you located? Good to know Aggie businesses.