Re-build front garden wall

TheCyclingProgrammer

brightontraveller wrote: »

Done properly doesn't equate to £ 750 + Strange there even VAT registered at that price even if they worked every week day of the year they’d still be below the threshold if material pricing is correct?

The contractor in question has numerous teams (they are a block paving and landscaping contractor).

Assuming materials are around £300-400 (can't see why they'd be much more than that) and its a few days work then £200/day doesn't sound bad to me for a bricky.

I suppose I could be underestimating the material costs (I was estimating approx. 300 bricks for single skin with piers on the basis of £1/brick for all materials).

Even if I've underestimated materials I really can't see how it could be more than £1k tops. I have no idea how the other poster is getting to £2k.

Will wait and see what other quotes and update this thread when I do.

jakemillspaek

I based the £1.8-2k quote on a decent facing 1b wall,extending and sorting your footings(which have to go off before building the wall) a coping otherwise you will knacker the face and probably get efflorescence.Skip for disposal,delivery for materials.
Good luck.

TheCyclingProgrammer

Had my second quote back, which suggests the first quote I had wasn't too far off. This one is a lot more detailed which is useful and I can potentially save £125 if I demolish the wall myself:

Materials: 320 red stock facing bricks, 35 solid blue engineering bricks, 1 bulk bag of soft building sand, 5 bags of portland cement: £320
Disposal of waste: £45
Labour: demolish existing wall to ground level including cleaning off existing footings and cutting back foilage/tree branches, rebuild wall with 2x 450mm end piers 1 centre pier and topped with blue engineerings: £445.

Total: £810

Seems like £1/brick all materials was spot on, and I wasn't too far off on brick count either.

jakemillspaek

I would still want a 1B wall in English bond.
Horses for courses (no pun)
Your engineering brick topping won't offer any protection to the face of your bricks.
Your £ your choice.

brightontraveller

Wasn’t original post footings to be replaced that would have meant more rubble removal,cement , ballast etc ? Are you up north or in an area of high unemployment too makes a hell of a difference ? Waste removal labour is darn cheap wherever you are....

Furts

jakemillspaek wrote: »

I would still want a 1B wall in English bond.
Horses for courses (no pun)
Your engineering brick topping won't offer any protection to the face of your bricks.
Your £ your choice.

Spot on regarding the engineering bricks. These want to be Class A and with a creasing tile course bedded underneath. 1:3 mortar, and face bricks that are frost resistant and low salts.

The existing wall appears to fail on all these counts, and should not be replicated if value for money and durability are sought.

TheCyclingProgrammer

brightontraveller wrote: »

Wasn’t original post footings to be replaced that would have meant more rubble removal,cement , ballast etc ? Are you up north or in an area of high unemployment too makes a hell of a difference ? Waste removal labour is darn cheap wherever you are....

I'm in Essex. Second quote has clarified that £45 is landfill cost only, but £125 demolition cost also includes loading and transporting waste away from site, so may not be cheaper for me to demolish myself unless I can also get rid of the waste.

Both people I've seen have both said original footings can be used if sound and building like for like, so not sure why first estimate included new footings - I've asked for clarification.

TheCyclingProgrammer

Furts wrote: »

Spot on regarding the engineering bricks. These want to be Class A and with a creasing tile course bedded underneath. 1:3 mortar, and face bricks that are frost resistant and low salts.

The existing wall appears to fail on all these counts, and should not be replicated if value for money and durability are sought.

Both identified existing bricks as LBC commons and the second guy said that the top course appeared to be block paving and suspected it may have had proper coping in the past that had fallen off and been replaced on the cheap/bodge.

I have already asked about a creasing tile course, will see how much extra cost that adds.

TheCyclingProgrammer

jakemillspaek wrote: »

I would still want a 1B wall in English bond.

Whilst I have no doubt it would make a stronger, more durable wall, we simply cannot afford to spend that much on a garden wall. I have far higher priorities.

TheCyclingProgrammer

Ok, contractor one says his best price is £750 + VAT and includes new footings which he insists would be a good idea. Tells me you can't have crease tiles on a half brick wall.

Second has quoted me £100 more materials and labour to add a double row of crease tiles. Says the blue eng bricks are durable and he's topped many walls with them no problem and the red stocks are frost resistant.

I guess I need to wait for the third quote but leaning towards the first guy now.