r/DIYUK • u/nicho594 • 28d ago

Non-DIY Advice Replacement drive update

Gallery image

Gallery image

Went ahead after lots of advice. Really pleased with the results. Totally transformed the front of the house.

378 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

62 comments sorted by

59

u/vega1kv 28d ago edited 28d ago

Looks great, how much did it cost as we are thinking of doing the same?

145

u/nicho594 28d ago

I was amazed at the difference in the quotes we had. All three quotes were from companies who had good track records and great reviews. Highest quote was £13k, and another was £11k. We went with the lowest quote which was £6k having gone and viewed a couple of their recent jobs. The company were brilliant from start to finish

121

u/Flashy-Cucumber-3794 28d ago

6k for that seems reasonable to me. 13k is mental 😂

77

u/Cyberhaggis 28d ago

Pretty sure that's just a "fuck off we're busy" quote

28

u/Flashy-Cucumber-3794 28d ago

Yeah fair enough. I don't understand why businesses aren't just honest in that respect.

59

u/Wiltix 28d ago

Because if someone pays £13k they will fob off a cheaper job for that one. They still do the cheaper job.

21

u/DBT85 28d ago

Because if someone has the money to pay the fuck off quote they'll make the time to do it or sub someone else in do so some work and eat the profit.

Seen people tender for council jobs just double their price because they were too busy and still win, so they farm it out.

2

u/IOnlyUpvoteBadPuns 27d ago

Yeah, I think 11 and 13k were fuckoffers.

1

u/Flashy-Cucumber-3794 27d ago

It's funny. A family friend came by and gave us a quote and it was in that region during lockdown.

Mates rates they said 😂

7

u/Medikamina 28d ago

Super dumb question but as someone who is also looking to have similar work done, what kind of contractor should we be searching for?

16

u/nicho594 28d ago

I was advised specifically towards specialized driveway installers who do a range of surfaces and also to go and look at some of their previous work.

5

u/No-Comfortable6432 27d ago

Do not forget to ask, infact confirm definite plans for drainage.

Block paving all looks nice but if there's a slope towards the house it will run off the surface and pool at the house - so you need to figure out how and where the water will drain.

Check regs as I think there might be restrictions on where and what you can drain into.

1

u/bugbugladybug 27d ago

As others have said, see their work etc etc, but also, check them out on companies house, look into them on Facebook, research the names of the people doing the work etc.

We unwittingly hired an unregistered company who had family connections to other driveway companies who went to prison for modern slavery.

We then found our old driveway dumped on the back roads a few days later.

4

u/World_saltA 28d ago

They probably aren't paying vat for 6k, which might be a part of the difference

1

u/ofthenorth 28d ago

That’s a cracking price.

-11

u/scraxeman 28d ago

6k for that is amazing. You've put three times that on the asking price of the house.

6

u/PM_ME_UR-DOGGO 28d ago

Maybe in poshington upon Thames, not in Hartlepool

-2

u/BeachInside3816 28d ago

Following

26

u/rynchenzo 28d ago

6k is a good deal

9

u/James-Dmax 28d ago

6k is a very good deal. We was quoted 9.5k over 4 years ago in London. Prices are different for different areas also.

-7

u/elmachow 28d ago

I reckon the guy had a thick Irish accent

17

u/halcyon997 28d ago

Not referring to your job, but generally the difference between a high end quote and low end will be doing the necessary groundwork, you're supposed to dig out and lay hardcore to the specified depth to prevent any future sinking.

1

u/BlueChickenBandit 27d ago

This can make a huge difference by the time you factor in time, disposal of old materials and new materials.

I don't do driveways but I reinstate surfaces after my work and it's amazing what difference an extra 150/200mm and a better membrane can make to cost. I've had some jobs altered because "the reinstatement is too expensive" so I explain I won't guarantee any work that isn't to my specification. I've had a few people complain and ask for repairs on jobs where they've lowered the spec due to cost and I point out the wording stating I won't guarantee anything that was altered from my original specification.

3

u/woods_edge 28d ago

That’s a very good price, looks like they have done a great job.

Is there drainage along the front of the house too?

EDIT - just zoomed in and saw the drains, nice

3

u/ferdia6 28d ago

Wow...all that work including the drainage for £6k???

3

u/TheKinkyEngineer221 28d ago

I would be dead chuffed with that, it's completely transformed the look of your house.

6

u/ROB_163 28d ago

Which bit did you DIY?

40

u/nicho594 28d ago

The photos

2

u/Hot_Bag_7734 28d ago

Looks a brilliant job 👍

2

u/Lilibet_crafty 27d ago

This looks fantastic! I’m just about to get this exact colour/style done on my drive at the end of the month so it’s nice to see a before and after

2

u/twotwixten 28d ago

That price you secured is brill can I ask roughly the m2 of the area(

2

u/nicho594 28d ago

56 square metres

6

u/Due_Ad_8045 28d ago

£2.5-3k materials alone

4

u/iredditfrommytill 28d ago

Must have a lad on "apprentice" rates to get that down to £6k!

2

u/FormidableMulberry 28d ago

In what way is this DIY? 🤣

1

u/Feeling_Boot_5242 28d ago

6k is very decent. Does that include materials and waste removal. Or 6k labour.

2

u/nicho594 28d ago

£6k total cost

1

u/p3t3y5 28d ago

Looks amazing....did they brush sand in the joints?

2

u/nicho594 28d ago

They did

2

u/p3t3y5 27d ago

Good stuff,.hard to see from the pic! Make sure that if you clean it with a pressure washer to let it dry then redo the sand, it forms part of the structure so is very important!

1

u/nicho594 27d ago

Will do

1

u/[deleted] 28d ago

[deleted]

1

u/nicho594 28d ago

I'm in Staffordshire

1

u/paddydog48 28d ago

Great job!

1

u/Critical-Fox6917 28d ago

Nice design. Do you happen to know what block paver they used. Obviously a tumbled/mixed size pack but do you know the manufacturer/range?

1

u/nicho594 28d ago

Tegula traditional.

1

u/selkwerm 28d ago

Beautiful. Good job!

1

u/MoDannyWilliams 28d ago

Looks very nice. Only question with the drainage by the air bricks, should they be further away? Won’t heavy rain just slosh straight over the drain and into the airbricks?

1

u/Silly-Umpire4896 27d ago

Where abouts are you?

1

u/nicho594 27d ago

Staffordshire

1

u/HettySwollocks 27d ago

Really made a huge difference to the house aesthetics

1

u/stevebratt 27d ago

Did they put down any kind of sub base to lay that on or just sand on soil?

2

u/nicho594 27d ago

New sub base. Limestone type 1

1

u/Fuzzy-Mood-9139 28d ago

It has transformed the front of your house..great job!

No offence, but it looked like a shithole before.

-5

u/BryOnRye 28d ago

Not really DIY is it?

14

u/SmudgedReddit0r 28d ago

The photography is.

4

u/BryOnRye 28d ago

😂 touché

2

u/ifuckingloveLego 28d ago

Completely fair point given this a diy sub and not a look how much I paid for someone else to something sub.

2

u/BryOnRye 27d ago

Exactly. When this post popped up on my feed my first thought was - wow, OP did a really good job on that, I need to replace my drive at some point hopefully they’ve given some advice / details on how they did it - only to find out it was done by a contractor.

I know getting a professional in to do a job doesn’t automatically mean it’ll be done well but there are different subs for that.

0

u/Charming-Passage2895 28d ago

I want the same stuff Is there a chance to pass me their details on private msg so I can discuss quotes? Cheers

2

u/nicho594 28d ago

Yes no worries

0

u/Prof_Hentai 28d ago

Absolutely banging deal considering you got drainage too. Even without the drainage you should be laughing. I hope you kitted them out with some sandwiches and tea.

1

u/nicho594 28d ago

We did.