First Hardscape Job. Estimate?

[SClawns]

this will be my first hardscape job and i figure i would ask you guys for some advice on the pricing. AS you can see in the pictures there are already rocks in the ditches. The job is to remove all of the rocks from the ditches except for the ditch running along side of my truck. Then pull apart the poorly made retaining walls pictured(old man from her neighborhood did it) and use the bricks to build a retaining wall on each of each ditch around the culverts. Basically put bricks where the rocks are now. 5 ditches total

I have some ideas on the time it will take and it should be all labor no materials needed.

so what are yalls opinion on the time and price for this job?

[italianstallion69]

u will need 10-15 tons of 2a + alot of glue for pinless block.

Id say $45/sff

[PaperCutter]

But what will their bushes do without the machine gun nests?

How are you planning on building these? Every culvert surround I've ever seen done w/ SRW blocks has turned into a wavy, gappy mess after one winter. Sure don't want that to be your legacy, and if you're not accounting for base....

[AGLA]

There are jobs you should take on and there are jobs that you should not. This is a poor choice of material for this application and clearly a low budget job.

Be honest with yourself. Why do these people want to bring in a completely inexperienced person to do a job that involves fixing something that they did or had done very poorly? Who would recycle material that is inappropriate to protect the erosion of a paved driveway? (an idiot or an extremely frugal person or someone looking to take advantage of someone who does not know what he is getting into or most likely all three)

If you try to fix this, you run the risk of being responsible for everything to do with that erosion and that driveway to which there is nothing on this site that would make me think it was built well.

If you do some searches on this or other similar websites using the key words "pre-qualify" and separate searches using the key words "red flag" it might become clearer.

[Darryl G]

Where I am a precast concrete headwall is usually used in applications like that with something like the stone that's already there used as a splash pad. I have two 5 foot diameter culverts under my driveway and just used rip-rap for the headwall and wing walls. http://www.modcon.com/headwalls.html

[knox gsl]

Run away from this one!

[TPendagast]

never use someone else's material.

The right material for the right job totally effects the job, in every way. the wrong material ruins the job, Dont even take the work.

[White Gardens]

This can be done, but it will take a lot of work.

First, don't use stone for the base.

Do a 3"-4" footer with re-bar for the base. Then either set the block in the wet concrete, or use a good mortar to set the first course.

Do lots of measuring to makes sure you get the block under the culvert correctly without much fussing.

Be prepared to make lots of cuts also.

Now, personally in this situation the width of the road is a hindrance. The first time a plow or vehicle gets off just a shade, then the wall will take the abuse.

Here is a pick of something I did personally a couple of years ago. All done with concrete and mortar.

2 years later and there is still no movement.





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