Driveway options - Resin, block, tarmac?

[westfalia]

Too good to be true?

Too right.

The price of 4,300 could easily double when they come across
something unforeseen.

What are 12 people gonna be doing on a job of that size? they will
probably try and finish it in a day and be on their way.
I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.
There is loads online about driveway scammers.

I would go to the local builders merchant and talk to the block paving
specialist and ask him if he could recommend a local reputable company.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

We have Luxcrete. The advantage over blocks is you don’t get grass growing in cracks. There are no cracks.

 

[reserves]

Why don’t you ask if they’ve done any local jobs and go and have a chat to see if they were happy with the work.

Thanks, they have, I’m going to look in the morning.

 

[reserves]

I had a blockwork parking area done by a bunch of Irish rogues. At least the owner was the first to have lived in a house. Drove round in a BMW 5 with a gold Rolex on his wrist, 18 year old son the same. He took me to see 3 different satisfied customers. He quoted against my spec and was very disappointed when I said that I was taking the week off to supervise.
Once he realised that he wasn't going to be able to cut corners, he did a good job.
I had a motorhome at the time and he told me about some of "the lads" who had done a European tour doing the black stuff and made so much money that they all bought top of the range German Hymers to repatriate it.
Also arranged an MoT test for my ancient Ford Sierra with no questions asked.
Even though he did a good job I wouldn't recommend him to anyone else unless they knew what to expect.
Regarding your specific project, how do they propose to deal with the scaffolding and complete in a week?
Think long and carefully, the likely answer should be "no thanks".

Interesting!

Scaffolding down Monday morning.

 

[reserves]

Scaffold must come down first end of, any one that says they ( or anyone else) can work around it is a cowboy.
the scaffold company are likely to sue you if you undermine their scaffold at very best you won’t be covered by their insurance which means no one can use the scaffold until the scaffold contractor reinspects and provide a “hand over cert” modification / undermining scaffold by others ( including the surrounding area) is a serious no no !

Scaffolding coming down Monday.

 

[reserves]

Too right.

The price of 4,300 could easily double when they come across
something unforeseen.

What are 12 people gonna be doing on a job of that size? they will
probably try and finish it in a day and be on their way.
I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.
There is loads online about driveway scammers.

I would go to the local builders merchant and talk to the block paving
specialist and ask him if he could recommend a local reputable company.

Thanks, I meant they employed 12 people. Not that there would be 12 people on the job.

 

[reserves]

Thanks all.

I’m going to check their work and knock on the door, if any good I’ll ask for 2 or 3 more places even if I have to drive around for a few hours.

I still have reservations obviously, but I’m not writing them off straight away.

Even though we’re putting the house on the market I’d still want the job done right.

My number one learning from the property renovation is that it’s way easier when you have time, as in if I had 4 months I could wait for the right firm, a reasonable price.

 

[Perfectos]

Thanks all.

I’m going to check their work and knock on the door, if any good I’ll ask for 2 or 3 more places even if I have to drive around for a few hours.

I still have reservations obviously, but I’m not writing them off straight away.

Even though we’re putting the house on the market I’d still want the job done right.

My number one learning from the property renovation is that it’s way easier when you have time, as in if I had 4 months I could wait for the right firm, a reasonable price.

Get a written quote,
ask for material and labour to be broken out separatel, listing the material to be used and approximate qty.
call the local builders merc & check prices ( expect the quoted prices be similar to over the counter prices, in reality the contractor will be getting IRO 20% lower but not reflected in the quote you get)
the labour IMO should be approx £150 day per man + £200 for lead man per day, (including profit and overhead) machinery etc will probably be included in the labour element Total ( probably) mini digger £150 per week (hired), fuel negligible, whacker plate £25 - £50 per week, this depends if machinery id hired or owned, much less if plant is owned and not hired!
muck away - grab lorry: IRO £480 per load (1 load = 9 m3 approx or 18 tonne) eg. 10m x 10m x 0.15m dip = 15m3 approx two loads

ask how long it will take ? this will help determine how much labour has been allowed and if the time is sufficient To allow the job to be completed properly?
e.g. Assume 4 men 1 week min. £150 x 3 men x 5 = £2250 + £200x 5 days = £1000 total lab = £3250 ( if one week is quoted)
don’t forget to factor in a healthy profit margin ! No profit margin smell a rate !

if all that checks out, ask the contractor if he had any pr with you holding 5% of the total for 6 months to give you a fall back situation in case remedial measure are required later on. ( it’s called Retention in the building game)
finally do not pay upfront For material etc.

I hope that gives you a starting point to examine the costs

 

[reserves]

Get a written quote,
ask for material and labour to be broken out separatel, listing the material to be used and approximate qty.
call the local builders merc & check prices ( expect the quoted prices be similar to over the counter prices, in reality the contractor will be getting IRO 20% lower but not reflected in the quote you get)
the labour IMO should be approx £150 day per man + £200 for lead man per day, (including profit and overhead) machinery etc will probably be included in the labour element Total ( probably) mini digger £150 per week (hired), fuel negligible, whacker plate £25 - £50 per week, this depends if machinery id hired or owned, much less if plant is owned and not hired!
muck away - grab lorry: IRO £480 per load (1 load = 9 m3 approx or 18 tonne) eg. 10m x 10m x 0.15m dip = 15m3 approx two loads

ask how long it will take ? this will help determine how much labour has been allowed and if the time is sufficient To allow the job to be completed properly?
e.g. Assume 4 men 1 week min. £150 x 3 men x 5 = £2250 + £200x 5 days = £1000 total lab = £3250 ( if one week is quoted)
don’t forget to factor in a healthy profit margin ! No profit margin smell a rate !

if all that checks out, ask the contractor if he had any pr with you holding 5% of the total for 6 months to give you a fall back situation in case remedial measure are required later on. ( it’s called Retention in the building game)
finally do not pay upfront For material etc.

I hope that gives you a starting point to examine the costs

Thank you, that’s super useful!

They told me they own all their equipment, digger, whacked plate & grab lorry.

They also told me 4 days work in total, I didn’t ask how many on the job.

I will get a written quote with quantities.

Really appreciate the advise. If I do it at least I’ll be going in with eye half open!

I’ll also be here the whole week, though I’m not entirely sure how I check they are using MOT type 1 etc.

 

[Perfectos]

Thank you, that’s super useful!

They told me they own all their equipment, digger, whacked plate & grab lorry.

They also told me 4 days work in total, I didn’t ask how many on the job.

I will get a written quote with quantities.

Really appreciate the advise. If I do it at least I’ll be going in with eye half open!

I’ll also be here the whole week, though I’m not entirely sure how I check they are using MOT type 1 etc.

If they own a grab lorry ask for a copy of their waste carriers license, legal requirements to carry waste, and ensure they will dispose of waste appropriately.
you can check it out on line to see .gov website, check if its correct or fake, this should be Registered to an English address!
no waste carriers license = cowboy and illegal tipping, which can come back to you if proved the waste came from your property
edit
ask for a copy off his employer and public liability insurance

 

[westfalia]

Thanks, I meant they employed 12 people. Not that there would be 12 people on the job.

Okay, so that's his brother his wife and kids and a few cousins, mother, father
and a couple of imprisoned grafters earning 20 quid a day.

Dont do it.
Pay a reputable tax paying company, even if it costs more, the people who end up
buying the house will thank you.

I don't want to sound like i'm biased but those people that you described, well, i
wouldn't give them the steam off my .....

 

[Perfectos]

Thank you, that’s super useful!

They told me they own all their equipment, digger, whacked plate & grab lorry.

They also told me 4 days work in total, I didn’t ask how many on the job.

I will get a written quote with quantities.

Really appreciate the advise. If I do it at least I’ll be going in with eye half open!

I’ll also be here the whole week, though I’m not entirely sure how I check they are using MOT type 1 etc.

Mot type 1 is pink - (granite aggregate with fines) distinctly pink

crushed concrete is grey / mud colour - refuse anything but type 1 MOT. Even if your told it’s Type 1, crushed concrete can give type 1, but it is not type 1 MOT (type 1 classification means the material is 40mm Down to fines.) MOT specifies Ministry of Transport Spec

 

[Perfectos]

Pink = type 1
course = crusher run (Masonry, brick, concrete 70mm to fines)
concrete type 1 will look like a finer version of the crush.

 

[Perfectos]

Classic trick is fill with crush, then top out with Mot type 1 so it looks like type 1 has been used.!

in the U.K. it is a legal requirement for the Carrier to have a consignment note, which reflects what is actually on the lorry,
you can and should request the delivery copy to be held by you. the ticket should clearly stated the date, where the goods originated (supplier) and your address (deliver) including the correct Vehicle reg number. you should be ble to check every load, visually then on the consignment note .

 

[reserves]

Thank you, extremely useful!

This is their company website for what it’s worth

Paving Company in Kent & East Sussex

Terracotta Paving is a trusted Kent & East Sussex paving company with over 20 years experience. The finest drive, patio & pathway products.

terracottapavingltd.co.uk

and Facebook page

https://m.facebook.com/Terracotta-Paving-Ltd-1173753346124174/posts/?ref=page_internal&mt_nav=0

 

[Perfectos]

im not recommending, just showing you a sample of what’s info is on line and available to you to carry out your own checks

Terracotta Paving and Landscapes: Feedback comments from previous customers

www.mybuilder.com

 

[NessL]

Thank you, extremely useful!

This is their company website for what it’s worth

Paving Company in Kent & East Sussex

Terracotta Paving is a trusted Kent & East Sussex paving company with over 20 years experience. The finest drive, patio & pathway products.

terracottapavingltd.co.uk

Also trading as JD Drivestyle (they have the same phone number)

 

[Vagophile]

If insurances and waste carriers licence check out, do you know anyone who could advise on materials/supervise?
I'm beginning to think that for your purposes, I wouldn't dismiss this out of hand.
Do you know the surface area that you are dealing with and how many blocks this translates to and at what cost at builder's merchant prices? Ditto for volume of type 1. This + details suggested by @Perfectos will give you a "feel" for the validity of the quote.
Is the guarantee insurance backed or just a company offer?

 

[Perfectos]

If insurances and waste carriers licence check out, do you know anyone who could advise on materials/supervise?
I'm beginning to think that for your purposes, I wouldn't dismiss this out of hand.
Do you know the surface area that you are dealing with and how many blocks this translates to and at what cost at builder's merchant prices? Ditto for volume of type 1. This + details suggested by @Perfectos will give you a feel2 for the validity of the quote.
Is the guarantee insurance backed or just a company offer?

Use a rough check to work out surface area length x width = area ( if irregular shape break the area into approximate rectangle/ triangle etc.
to work out volume multiply area by depth as in my example above = cubic meters (m3)

if you need help working out quants drop me a PM you should be looking at a sub layer of 150mm thick (0.15m) with a covering of stone chips 50mm ( 0.05m) total depth of dig 200mm ( if the area is relatively flat) so
area x 0.2m = dig depth & volume of muck away (approximately)
fill type 1 area x 0.15m = m3 ( note stone is often supplied by the tonne a rule of thumb is 2.2 tonne per m3

a grab lorry will hold approx 6 - 9 m3 (12 - 19 tonne) depending of payload volume

fill decor stone area x 0.05m ( stone as above 2.2 tonne per m3)

 

[Amarillo]

We got our bricks from Brett Paving.

Brett Landscaping | Driveway Block Paving & Garden Paving Slabs

Brett are one of the UK's leading manufacturers of high quality paving products such as block paving for driveways and slabs for patios

www.brettlandscaping.co.uk

They have a list of accredited driveway installers.

Having used cheap cowboy builders in the first instance, and having had them dump crushed concrete instead of MOT type 1 for a foundation, I’d recommend using an accredited installer from the outset.

 

[Seaview]

Classic trick is fill with crush, then top out with Mot type 1 so it looks like type 1 has been used.!

in the U.K. it is a legal requirement for the Carrier to have a consignment note, which reflects what is actually on the lorry,
you can and should request the delivery copy to be held by you. the ticket should clearly stated the date, where the goods originated (supplier) and your address (deliver) including the correct Vehicle reg number. you should be ble to check every load, visually then on the consignment note .

A consignment note is for a special/hazardous waste movement, a waste transfer note is what they will need to use to move waste concrete from the driveway. They won’t require a WTN to deliver Mot Type 1 from the quarry/builders merchants.

edit for clarification - if the concrete is contaminated with a hazardous material then it would require a consignment note. In the case of the driveway in question doesn’t look to be contaminated.

 

[Perfectos]

A consignment note is for a special/hazardous waste movement, a waste transfer note is what they will need to use to move waste concrete from the driveway. They won’t require a WTN to deliver Mot Type 1 from the quarry/builders merchants.

A consignment note does not relate expressly to hazardous waste or waste. That is known as a “hazardous waste consignment“ note or a “waste consignment note” if not hazardous.

a consignment note or delivery consignment note is exactly that, it is required for duty of care in transfer of goods from one place to another and is a recognised method to ensure legal duty of care is adhered to whilst transferring goods From one place to another, otherwise, waste could be supplied as new material.

In this context, the waste transfer license is required to remove waste or recycled material from a site, domestic or otherwise, ( I.e when they remove the soil, old slabs, concrete, agregate etc including importing crush concrete etc.
seldom do vehicle owner / operators not hold a waste carriers license, (I.e if they remove of any description listed in the Eu codes of waste, they require a license in England & presumably the rest of the U.K.
If a lorry operator / owner does not posses a waste carriers license I would suspect they do not own an operators license (in this context) and therefore should not be providing services with a HGV!

 

[pjm-84]

Photo gallery looks okay.

 

[Perfectos]

For clarity waste carriers license and duty of care

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/759083/waste-code-practice-2018.pdf

 

[Seaview]

A consignment note does not relate expressly to hazardous waste or waste. That is known as a “hazardous waste consignment“ note or a “waste consignment note” if not hazardous.

a consignment note or delivery consignment note is exactly that, it is required for duty of care in transfer of goods from one place to another and is a recognised method to ensure legal duty of care is adhered to whilst transferring goods From one place to another, otherwise, waste could be supplied as new material.

In this context, the waste transfer license is required to remove waste or recycled material from a site, domestic or otherwise, ( I.e when they remove the soil, old slabs, concrete, agregate etc including importing crush concrete etc.
seldom do vehicle owner / operators not hold a waste carriers license, (I.e if they remove of any description listed in the Eu codes of waste, they require a license in England & presumably the rest of the U.K.
If a lorry operator / owner does not posses a waste carriers license I would suspect they do not own an operators license (in this context) and therefore should not be providing services with a HGV!

In the context of the discussion relating to ‘Carriers’ and licensing the consignment note does indeed refer to hazardous waste and waste transfer note to non-hazardous waste.

Both consignment notes and waste transfer notes are legal requirements when moving waste and the required Duty of Care around such movements.

Yes, a ‘consignment‘ is goods usually delivered to someone and may be accompanied by a note describing the load the haulier/delivery person has on their vehicle. However, a ’consignment note’ is generally a term used in the waste industry.

Agree, to move any form of waste you need a licence to do so if it is your job. And the supporting paperwork must have EWC codes etc.

See below taken from online source.

Non-hazardous waste

• “edoc” – a free national electronic duty of care system that creates, shares, signs and stores waste transfer notes and season tickets for you online - see www.edoconline.co.uk for more information
• a paper “waste transfer note”– a form to fill in or you can use alternative documentation e.g. an invoice, as long as it contains all the required information.

For hazardous waste you need to use a:

• consignment note - this applies to all movements of hazardous waste including collections from businesses by registered waste carriers, movements from one premises to another within the same business and all movements from the waste producer’s premises. The only two exceptions where a consignment note is not needed are where domestic hazardous waste (other than asbestos waste) is removed from a domestic household or waste is imported or exported under international waste shipment controls (which uses an equivalent note)