Re-laying 30 or so patio slabs - £400 ?

JillD_2

We got a gardener to do us a quote to re-level a medium are of our patio that has sunk. We are sure and he agreed that the original builders just didn't put enough hardcore down so the slabs just need lifting, a load of hardcore put down, and then relevelled to the level they should be at. He will have to work to the level of the slabs that haven't sunk so much and in the middle is a drain-cover that hasn't sunk so he needs to level to that.

He quoted £400 and asi is was basically a day's labour for him and his helper and for that he charges £400. I was kind of hoping for about £250.
Is £400 too much or am I am unrealistic ?

Also, does anyone know can we just lift them ourselves and whack a load of builders sand down and bed them in that and then cement in ?

real1314

what size are the slabs (length, width, thickness)?
What's underneath the hardcore? How deep is the hardcore?

huxley

Hi ask for a breakdown of the cost, the cheapest gardeners near me are £15 per hour so for 2 of them for a day you would be talking £240, then if you say more hardcore is needed what is the cost of this and will they have to hire any tools for the job (something to compact the hardcore/sand) If they are quoting a fair price, they wont mind a giving you a breakdown.

JillD_2

real1314, they are about an inch and a half thick, about 12 inches square. Underneath is currently a small amount of hardcore and then they have blobbed on blobs of cement every so often but not filled in ther gaps between. Then there is cement betwen the slabs

vickyj

if they are laying them on just hardcore then dont even bother as you will be doing it agin in a years time do be done properly they wilneed to be set on a solid cement base (not just dotted). There is a wealth of info online about best practise on patio laying that was really helpful tome wen i got mine done a few months ago. If iwere you i would get a quote of of someone else to be sure

csnann

Do you know why the paving has sunk? If its near your drain, I would want to be sure that you don't have any leaks or other damage if it has happened recently.

ajwt2

The data I have reckons that a professional patio job will cost you around £58 per sq metre.

I have laid a patio myself, but do not understestimate the amount of hard work it is, how difficult to get it level, and just how much concrete you need to use!