Hi all,
I had a few landscapists come round for estimating the cost of doing our backyard, but unfortunately all quoted more than I budgeted. So now I am thinking of doing the work myself. I'm OK with mowing and laying down new turf, but I don't know where to start with the patio.
Anyone care to comment how big a job that will be? Or, am I better off biting the bullet and cashing out to get it done professionally?
Thanks,
Eddy
How big is it? What are you having? - flags? - block pavers? - concrete? Is it on a slope or is it level? What's the cheapest price you had?
About 2.5 x 5 sq. metres.
Flags.
Level ground, but there is some old tarmac that needs to be dug up. There is also a manhole that will probably require cutting the slabs.
For the whole garden, plus a 5 x 5 sq. metres tarmac'ed driveway: £1,700. That sounded a bit cheap, especially others had quoted anything between £2,000 and £2,500. Plus, the cheapest did not have any reference that I could contact, which sounded a bit dodgy.
Eddy
Thanks for the links. Very useful information there, but I am still not sure whether the amount of work required is within my abilities.
2.5 x 5 sq. metres, cheapest quote £1,700 and highest, £2,500.Eddy
If it's of any use, I had my patio laid a few months back by a trusted outfit (personal recommendation etc). My patio was (IIRC) 3.5x4.2 + a path of 1.0x4.0, and was £2250 (approx). This included all materials and they seemed to follow proper rules.
If you ignore the 25m2 of tarmac you want as well, the patio itself is only
12.5 m2.....I could supply and lay any flags or block paving you wanted on that for less than £400....to block pave (or flag) the lot, which is approx 37m2 it would come in at just less than £1,400, where are you?
Thanks, Grumps, but that is still above my budget.
Eddy
You've got to be kidding? Your patio was less than 15m2, plus 4m2 for the path and you paid £2250 - what did they lay, gold ingots?
This works out at almost £120 per m2
Regarding cost, I have got three estimates for a 35 square metre patio, all around £2,500 plus VAT, to include excavation of old concrete etc and paving with Marshalls Howarth Moor paves. So it works out at about £70 plus VAT per square metre. The paves on their own account for about £1,000.
The easy answer is to try it. If you fail, you've lost nothing and a pro can pick up the job from there. It's really quite simple to do.
John
Actually my patio was 25m2, so I must have my previous measurements wrong. In any case, maybe I do have gold ingots. WTF do you know?
I also didn't mention that they had to remove a sewer cover, and re-brick that replacing it with one of those flush fitting jobbies. And relay the paths on both sides of the house. So perhaps you can only take a rought comparison of prices.
Ah! I thought that was a bit expensive for the area patio'ed.
Eddy
Looking at the quotes posted here, I think that £1,700 is about the cheapest I will be asked to pay. So, yeah, I will definitely consider doing it myself. Just need to wait for the weather to improve. Or, was that another excuse for procrastination... *sigh*
Eddy
The message from "Grumps" contains these words:
Have you had an influx of putative mayors called Dick accompanied by cats in wellies?
How can the weather possibly improve? It can only get hotter, or wetter, and neither is ideal for working outside.
Owain
Ah, but if it is procrastination you seek, then either of them will help! ;-)
It's been my livelyhood for the past 7 years.
HTH
Or perhaps you were ripped off, just a thought
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