Cheap people pay double.

[Sunscaper]

Here's a few pictures from an estimate I was underbid on two months ago. East Asian Indian decided that my price was too high. Today I was called to give an estimate to fix the job two weeks in the making. The guy finds out now it's going to cost $2k more than it would have from the start and he has the lowest quality paver ever made. Enjoy looking at what $3.00 per square foot will buy you.

[neversatisfiedj]

Wtf ;) ...........

[PatriotLandscape]

did they break that culvert?

was is 3 dollars a square installed?

[zedosix]

did they break that culvert?

was is 3 dollars a square installed?

Its quite obvious the guy is one step above most of us. He was smart enough to put a speed bump in the driveway. I would never of thought of that idea.....maybe next driveway I price I will .........

[asjgabries]

Do you need to have a base of stone under that sand?

[ChampionLS]

Man I see a bunch of things wrong. First, he should have started at the road and work towards the house. The pavers will stay put and not shift like working downhill. Next, any fancy inlay should be done after the field is put down. Why waste all that time trying to figure cuts when you can just trace an outline, then cut. Duhh. I don't even want to know where his screed rails are. That looks like beach sand. A little too dry for my liking. ughh.

[zedosix]

Do you need to have a base of stone under that sand?

Yes a well compacted base and a geo-tex

[senatorcongressman]

edging only adds to the cost

[D Felix]

You guys forget that in Florida, they don't have to adhere to ICPI... :rolleyes:

So, Sunscaper, what you are ultimately charging to fix the mess? $5/foot?

[Sunscaper]

I will not fix the mess. I am going to make more $ off of the stupidity here than I could have ever made off one installation. I will not lower myself to deal with this guy. He wants crap, crap he will have but not with our brand anywhere associated with it.

[zedosix]

I will not fix the mess. I am going to make more $ off of the stupidity here than I could have ever made off one installation. I will not lower myself to deal with this guy. He wants crap, crap he will have but not with our brand anywhere associated with it.

I applaud your actions.

[Sunscaper]

Here's a few more of the "GEM".

[lifetree]

I think you should charge a little more than you plan to, so you can make a little more profit on this particular job !!

[mrusk]

Man oh man.

[ChampionLS]

See what I mean by not investing in Productive Tools? WHY would any moron use a wooden stake??? go buy some Dee stakes. They'll last forever and you can easily slide your string line up or down to change elevations and/or nail form boards to them. If this guy really wanted to pull a line down the middle, he should have just wrapped the string around a paver, placed in front of the garage door, and stacked a few more on it, to pull the line tite. How do you work around all those stakes? sheesh.

Wheres the base????? Ugh.

[bishoplandscape]

WOW I would have liked to see the workers in action on this one.

[paponte]

Excellent craftsmanship!! Again, what does it matter what it lookes like, I mean after all isn't the name of the game being the cheapest? :clapping:

[Branching Out]

Seriously speaking. It's my understanding that in Florida, they don't use a base other then sand. Primarily due to the fact that there is no heaving from the freeze and thaw cycle that we're used to.. Albeit, it's supposed to be concrete sand.

ChampionLS....What is a Dee stake?

[D Felix]

A Dee stake is a concrete form/nail stake. 3/4" diameter and come in lengths of 18", 2', 3' and I think 4'. Two boxes of 10 each just cost us ~$47 at the redi-mix company.

Just because they don't have freeze/thaw cycles still doesn't relieve them of ensuring adequate base. Without adequate base, the pavers will be subject to shifting and more importantly, rutting due to vehicles. They might be able to get away without aggregate base on walks, but I see no way to get around that on driveways....

[neversatisfiedj]

I have the pavetech spikes and collars for string lines. I just wish they would make the collars out of metal. Plastic doesn't hold up well on a construction site.

[Dirty Water]

The best part about this post is that SunScaper posted it.

This is the guy who can install for $5 a sq ft :)

I'm surprised SunScaper even thinks there is a problem here LOL.

[YellowDogSVC]

Excellent craftsmanship!! Again, what does it matter what it lookes like, I mean after all isn't the name of the game being the cheapest? :clapping:

yeah, why spend time doing it right when you can do it cheap. While I don't do this type of work, my field has the same yahoos come in to clear land and trim trees. Looks more like a bombing range after the cheap guy visits not to mention they never have a chipper or grinder for all the trees they just uprooted. It's always nice to leave a mess for the owner.

[ChampionLS]

I have the pavetech spikes and collars for string lines. I just wish they would make the collars out of metal. Plastic doesn't hold up well on a construction site.


I'm friends with the guy who invented the String Line Collar. His originals were aluminum. When he licensed his idea to Pave-Tech, they molded their version out of plastic. Ho hum. They work pretty good.

[Big M LawnnSnow]

Wow.....When I first looked at that picture I though you were pulling them pavers up not that someone was just putting them down...lol

[McKeeLand]

I'm friends with the guy who invented the String Line Collar. His originals were aluminum. When he licensed his idea to Pave-Tech, they molded their version out of plastic. Ho hum. They work pretty good.


Are your speaking of Lew from green giant?

[ChampionLS]

Could be. He also has a patent on this lockout device called GasGuard.

Lew might be his brother. His name is Anthony Cappuccio, and he has a paver business down in S. Jersey too.

[McKeeLand]

Yes that would be green giant, if you look close at the picture on the pavetech package it is their guys on it. i have met Lew a few times at mahts and at the supply yard. i had a guy last year that used to work for him and claimed he gave him the idea on the collars. lol he was a big talker so who knows, either way he saw the idea though and thats the important part.

[motoguy]

As someone who has never done landscaping work, and never plans on doing such, but -does- like to learn things...

Would someone mind posting up a list of what's wrong here, and why? To a layman (which I am)...I've gotta admit, it seems to look fine. Then again, I guess I'd think "It doesn't look right to me, but he's the professional. I guess he's got a system to make it all work out in the end."

Lastly...why did the original installer bail on the job?

[Dirty Water]

Cheap weak pavers
Non existant base
Wavy "base"
Crushed culvert?

[wurkn with amish]

The culvert is fine ---its one of the oval ones.
Say they're stronger, i've seen them on a few jobs now.

[Idealtim]

I'm surprised that no one has commented on the great choice of color for the house itself!!! I see a drive going in a few miles down the road from me that looks like a homeowner special, pretty similar, it's painful to see the progress and how not to do pavers.

[RockSet N' Grade]

That whole deal is a pride of ownership. Pride that I had nothing to do with it. And glad someone else got the ownership! I like the speed bump idea and the complimentary dark red that accents the lemon yellow of the home. I get so frustrated with "Happy HomeOwners" always hammering me on price, in a strange way, it feels kinda good to see someone get what they truly paid for.

[wurkn with amish]

it doesn't matter how many pavers you lay if they are done wrong every time!
My friend in Tampa called last night to tell me he found some yaahoo to install his pavers for $1.50/ft2. I about wrecked when I heard that. I laughed and he said well he usually charges $2.50. I asked about his base and he said he put down 5in. crushed concrete, no fabric and compacted it w/ his skid-loader. That' s how they do it in florida he says!

[professorkev]

simply said, my daddy always said " you get what you paid for"

I am not even in the business, just an avid ladnscaper at home, even I see problems, especially with the brick. Her in the Northeast that wouldn't hold up well.