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January 27, 2010 at 3:57 pm #687200
PDieterParticipantJanuary 27, 2010 at 4:54 pm #687201
jwwsParticipantOur company, TJW Construction, can do this. We are local, licensed, bonded and insured with over 35 years of experience. If interested contact Tom at 206 351-3484 or at tjwconstcoinc@mac.com. We can supply references and pictures of previous work. Good luck with your project!
January 27, 2010 at 5:41 pm #687202
celeste17ParticipantRom from Bryant concrete has done all our work. He did the driveway and the side walls and he did some foundation work or us. Fair and Honest
Ron Bryant 933-7836 or 935-2275
January 27, 2010 at 11:58 pm #687203
DavidFParticipantI second Ron Bryant.
February 23, 2010 at 3:33 pm #687204
TishMemberI’m planning on putting in a new concrete driveway in the next couple weeks and I have to say that Ron’s bid was the second highest (out of six bids total). Since he got so many rave reviews here, I’m willing to call him back and have him come out to rebid, but I can’t help but wonder how many estimates everyone got before going with him.
NOTE: The only reason I got so many bids was because each one–even though they were given the same specifications–came out drastically different. Bids ranged from $5500 to $14,000 for my 34×38 driveway (includes concrete slab removal + adding a few retaining walls). Did anyone else have this problem?
February 23, 2010 at 10:49 pm #687205
jwwsParticipantTish,
Did you/your contractors specify the thickness of the pour? A driveway that size will use between 20 – 30 cu. yds of concrete at 4 to 6 inch thickness, plus there is the cost of forming, rebar, pouring ( may need a pump truck for your site) and finishing/sealing plus demo/hauling/removal and retaining walls…the lowest bid is not always the best.
February 23, 2010 at 11:01 pm #687206
QueMemberIf you are still taking bids, Mike Gouras (391-5982) poured a great big patio for us last summer and it is wonderful. His price was very competitive and he was extremely meticulous about his work. I would HIGHLY recommend him.
February 24, 2010 at 1:03 pm #687207
TishMemberNo, I’m not going to go with the cheapest…but I’m not going to go with the most expensive either. You asked some good questions which I’ll lobby back to several contractors that fall in the mid-range area (if you think there are any other questions I should ask, please let me know). That said, I’m still shocked at the huge range pricewise from quote to quote. Here’s an example:
To remove the concrete slab that is currently on my property — some contractors tell me that it will cost $300 to remove and others tell me that it will cost $1000 to remove. That’s a $700 difference! In this case, the thickness, length, height, etc. of the slab is visible for everyone to see and the instructions are simple (remove it) — so why the huge change in price from one contractor to the next? I find the price difference especialy galling on this particular item because I know that most concrete companies are simply going to sell the concrete slabs or turn it into rubble that can be used on future projects.
I’ve had contractors provide me bids for plumbing, tile, drywall, electrical work, etc. — but this is the only area that I’ve encountered so many differences in price from one contractor to the next.
February 24, 2010 at 7:32 pm #687208
jwwsParticipantTish,
I’m assuming you’ve verified that all contractors you are considering are licensed , bonded and insured (legit contractors and not fly-by-nights). That said, some contractors will bid on jobs that are not their area of expertise and that could explain some of the discrepancies. With respect to removal of existing slab, there are man hours/equipment rentals (sometimes) associated with breaking it up, hauling it away and disposal fees. I think there are only one or two places that concrete can be disposed of in Seattle. I’d ask your contractors what they are charging per hour for labor rates if this is not readily apparent in the bids. Also you may want to consider having the broken up concrete used for your retaining walls saving some expense there.
February 25, 2010 at 5:20 am #687209
TishMember@jwws — yep. I looked everyone up on the WA state website (https://fortress.wa.gov/lni/bbip/Search.aspx) as well as performed a google search on each. Thanks for the additional info. I’ll make my final decision in the next couple days and let everyone know who I decided to go with and how the job turned out.
@Que — Thanks for the recommendation! I met with Mike this afternoon and appreciated his detailed and frank responses to each of my questions. Has anyone else used him for a job at their house by any chance?
February 25, 2010 at 5:36 am #687210
QueMemberGlad to be of help! He was also fast and tidy on top of having a competitive price and being kind and professional.
March 8, 2010 at 1:23 am #687211
jamjetsParticipantAs someone may have mentioned, it COSTS to recycle concrete. It is not sold to the recylers, they have to be paid to take it. They (the recylers)are the double dippers, not the concrete people. Just my $.02 worth… been there, done that myself. The next time I gladly paid a pro to haul it away for recycling.
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