We recently had our 500 sq.ft. concrete driveway demolished and replaced with pavers. We would like to seal the pavers, but the contractor who installed them is quoting $2/sq.ft., or $1,000. The paver maker, CalStone, has a recommended sealer in its broshure that is available for $40/gal. Two gallons would be more than enough. The broshure says the pavers can be sealed immediately after installation.
It looks like I just need to roll on the sealer since the pavers are new and clean. Is there something I'm missing? This contractor was reasonable for the installation part of the job, so I'm wondering what else he would do that results in $1,000 worth of work.
I'd suggest considering spraying the sealer on rather than using a roller. They have small plastic pump sprayers similar to those used to spray lawn chemicals. Since most pavers have a somewhat rough surface, you'd need at least a med nap roller and that could pick up some of the sand between the pavers.
In any case, certainly a job you can do yourself. Not unusual to see contractors quote high prices like this. There are enough people that just don't know any better and say yes, so he makes the same amount or more by doing a lot less jobs.
Maybe he was just saying he doesn't like that work, but if you're willing to pay the price he'll do it. Or maybe he has a secret way of doing it that makes his work worth so much more.
Let's look at the contractor's cost for this job:
Initial visit: gas - $10 time - $80 drive there - 30 minutes talk to customer job - 5 minutes alternative solutions that won't be used - 10 minutes small talk - 10 minutes other possible jobs that won't pan out - 10 minutes free advice - 15 minutes drive home - 30 minutes
Get supplies: gas - $5 time - $40 (first store out, drive to second store) materials - $80
Bookkeeping: gas - $5 time - $40 record time, supplies - 5 minutes print invoice - 5 minutes mail invoice - 5 minutes follow up on unpaid invoice - 10 minutes receive and record payment - 5 minutes take payment to bank - 30 minutes
Right there are more than $600 in costs (in SWAG numbers), and there are lots more things that I didn't think of. Doing it yourself, you can ignore the cost of your vehicle and insurance, and you can skip masking around the patio. I can't do that, because I might get the sealer on your siding, and there goes my profit.
This is the same contractor who installed the pavers. He quoted, and we contracted for, a paver installation job that would take 4 days. He finished in 3. So wouldn't he kind of owe me a day's labor?
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