Killer Deal on Slab...

[Pappy]

NOT

Getting close to having the $$$ to lay the slab for the new Playpen and decided to get some estimates. One company told me $10 - $10.50 per square foot.

Ran across an unlicensed contractor on craigslist and figured I would give him a call. $2.00 a sq ft for labor, I supply the concrete. Claimed 20 years experience so I told him to come by. A few problems came up in the meeting.

1. Looked to be in early 30's. (Maybe his experience included hauling fill rock in his Tonka dump truck.)

2. "The area looks 'pretty' level. We can just dig the footings and set the forms." All the footings and beams dug by hand. (Translation - Illegal labor is cheaper than a backhoe!)

3. No need for a sub base. Just lay down plastic for a vapor barrier and pour on top of the ground. (The ground is black dirt that shifts constantly.)

4. $2.00 a sq ft was for a patio slab, but I can do this for $2,000. (He was told what it was for in the first call, still only $3.00 per.)

The last concrete I poured was a sidewalk at Mom's house 30 years ago, so I don't claim to be an expert in the field. Even so, this deal sounded a "wee bit" shakey to me. Told him I had some other companies to get estimates from. Think I will wait until I have a few more pennies in the fund!

[cabinetman]

Maybe he knew Jimmy Hoffa way back when. I have a buddy in San Antonio, and he says the Building Department (Code Enforcement) doesn't really give rats behind what goes on in the field. The question remaining is centered on "qualified". If you can be your own GC, then get some help that knows what to do.

In South Florida, we have to lay a rock substrate down (like roadbed), and use forms and rebar. I would guess that those guys that do this type of thing have all the goodie tools for finishing. It might be worthwhile to get many estimates, and "weed" out the jerks. If it's like roofers, you got a lot of weeding to do.

[Uncle Cracker]

Pappy, you definitely want to go with a pro if you can swing it. You might look for building in progress in your area, and you may find a pro who will cut you a deal if he can do it at the same time he's already gonna be pouring in the vicinity. It cuts his costs on labor, transportation, and materials to do "two-for-one".

[Jeffrey Schronce]

If it's like roofers, you got a lot of weeding to do.

I had an adjuster send in a copy of an estimate from a roofing contractor to install roofing and siding on a 1060 square foot home yesterday. Total estimate . . . . $28,000. The estimate included (1) 30 yard dumpster AND (14) dump truck loads!

A lot of weeding indeed!

[crokett]

Pappy - most of a concrete pour is moving the concrete. The tricky bit is the finishing at the end. If you can find a buddy/retired guy/whatever who knows concrete and can handle the finishing it would be possible for you to do the leveling/forms and get some day labor for the pour. Even allowing for the rental of skid steer or whatever to do the leveling and spreading the base you can beat the contractor's price I bet.

Earlier this year me, my dad and 2 brothers poured my dad's barn floor approx 50x50 in 2 separate pours. I think cost was 2 bucks a square foot when we finished and most of that was the materials.

[JR]

... Getting close to having the $$$ to lay the slab for the new Playpen and decided to get some estimates. ...

I'm sorry to add to the complexity of this project, but you absolutely need a new name for this shop. "new Playpen" is just not going to cut it for this thing.

And just to get the juices flowing, how about a few suggestions:

Pappy's Playpen Extrordinare
Shopzilla
Woodworker's Heaven
Don's Delightful Den of Dadoes
G.R.O.S.S. (I'm pretty sure Calvin and Hobbes would let you in their club)

Other ideas ideas? Discuss among yourselves.

JR

[Hellrazor]

Pappy.. don't do it. Go with a contractor that is licensed. Concrete is an easy beast to screwup and I am an authority on that. We had a GC 'try' to do a 12 yard pour to try to save money on the job. We landed up making him rip it out and get someone who knew what they were doing to fix it. It was the worst concrete job I ever saw.

Jeffrey, I'll do that house for $27,995 and that is my last offer. That is one heck of a markup on the job. I hope he was puting 50 year shingles and the best siding on the market up.

[Slik Geek]

I agree on not taking shortcuts with concrete. When I had our patio poured last year, I found a contractor who had been in the business for a long time. I asked for several recent jobs that he had done and went and inspected them myself. I also asked my village inspector about the contractor and he was favorable. I also debated the contract with him - it was a bit too much in his favor.

I was satisfied with the work, unlike my neighbor who used a discount contractor and ended up paying twice for their concrete work.