Why is it so hard.....

to get a company to come out and provide estimates for driveway tare out and replacement?

Over the last 3 months Ive contacted 7 different contractors to get an estimate on a new large driveway replacement front entry side walk and front porch slab.

Here are their responses in no specific order

a.) you live to far south - even though they do work in a neighboring city less than 3 miles away
b.) I dont do concrete work any longer
c.) name address and phone provided, no reply after 3 weeks, but see them posing jobs they do on FB.
d.) one showed up, we spoke for an hour. He took measurements and notes and replied last week stating estimate will be coming directly. Still no estimate.
e.) contacted 3 more on 9/21/20 - no response from any of them

is it because they all are so busy now with everyone working from home and they can get things done or is it simply the covid pandemic or maybe its just me...lol

 

Because concrete work like that sucks. It doesn’t pay well, still takes a whole crew almost all day to do, and it’s a bitch because invariably your guys are going to damage something or tear up the yard and the homeowner is going to complain and want you to pay to fix it, which isn’t realistic usually.

if you can live without a driveway for a few days, I’d suggest renting a backhoe and tearing it out yourself, have someone come haul it away, and then have someone come pour it or do it yourself. Granted the last part takes a bit of knowledge and patience, but it’s an option.

 

That’s what she said.

We had a paver come out for an estimate last year. We wanted to discuss expanding the driveway and other options. He didn’t. He did the estimate as fast as he could and left. It was around $8000 for a tiny driveway. We never called him back.

 

We had the same experience, albeit a few years back. My thought is that these companies are very busy and especially this time of year. We would stake out the neighborhood and go over to the houses that were being done and talk directly with the crew there. Gave them our phone number and when the foreman came to inspect the work they would call us and we would physically walk over and speak to him. That worked for us and got us a good rate as they would piggyback jobs in the same neighborhood. We got three families together and they came and did all three driveways on one day

 

Not the same project but I am starting to look for a pool installer and I’m getting outrageous quotes and lead times. I thought now would be the time to do it with what is going on in the world and so many out of work. Wrong! Cheapest quote I’ve gotten for a fiberglass pool (about 14’ x 34’) is $55k. That doesn’t include lighting or a fence and that’s with only 4’ of concrete around the pool. Concrete pools start at $65k. Unreal.

 

We just had some concrete work done in our backyard this summer and I had a similar experience. Half of the contractors I reached out to never called me back, and a couple never even showed up for scheduled appointments for bids. There were a few that stood out above the rest and you could tell who actually wanted your business. I think you're right regarding the pandemic, though. Some of the guys that came out to give estimates said they were all extremely busy this summer since everyone was canceling vacations and staying home. Lots of basketball courts and patios!

 

^This

We had to do a pad in our floor for a new machine, rented a saw, used our forklift to bust it up hauled it away. Dug it out laid the rebar and then had a guy come in pour it and finish. Faster and much more economical.

 

I put an in ground 20x44 pool in a long time ago - the pool was the least expensive part. The base price was a fraction of the total cost of fencing, retaining walls, patio, etc. I loved the pool but it’s a huge money pit when you sell your house - you never will get the money back that you spent.

 

Luckily for me my lot is flat so no retaining walls needed. Just put me a hole in the ground... I thought I’d never get my money back from my Tundra either but just sold it 5 and a half years later for $1000 less than I bought it new for. I’ll take those kind of loses all day.

 

Honestly, I do a lot of my own home improvements because I don’t want to over pay for what I can do!

Ask your neighbors who did their concrete.
I would not rent excavator and do it myself. Find and old retired guy who has and excavator and a dump truck. He will be the cheapest! So my guy I called him on a Thursday “hey when can you rip out all my landscaping and dig out 13’ section of my basement wall” umm Saturday !!(im a repeat customer) He charges $65 an hour I always pay him a lot extra and a Gatorade, he always comes back.

I mean I would love to play with and learn how to use an excavator but not if I’m renting it at $150 an hour.

I always figure up all the materials 1st to see “is it worth them to get paid $xxxxx?

My basement wall was failing, 13’ section and a 26’ section. Hundreds of hours figuring how to fix it. My quote was 12-15,000, I did it for $6000 and that includes new plants and new landscaping stone. My brother who builds mega chicken farms told me I was crazy didn’t believe me until I showed him a corrected level wall. But remember I did t just go off on a whim I spent a lot time figuring every detail.

My dad always told me “figure it out and do it”. To this day I challenge myself with a crazy home project, my friend who is a contractor is like here we go again when I say”not sure if it can be done but ____” LOL
Anyways

network network network when you find a good honest contractor that doesn’t charge a lot, tip and pay well, some are already paid well, then just buy them lunch.

good luck

 

I do residential concrete ha almost all tear out and replace. driveways are our bread and butter. Show up at 7, tear out and pour by 11. There could be a number of reasons why your having trouble but yeah we have been crazy busy this summer. Not sure how the climate is in Ohio but here in MN we probably one have a few more weeks and then we will be done pouring driveways at least, could get to cold and still got warranty it so it’s risky. And if a legit residential concrete company thinks the job you are describing sucks then I’m not sure what the hell they do in this business then ha that’s pretty much all it is. Tear out and pour some new mud. Unless it’s like a one man band or someone just starting out or something. Also I’ve seen many a homeowners special. Ha, yikes.

 

Because everyone and their brother wants a pool these days. Blame it on Covid, people refinancing their homes and a world wide shortage on equipment. Plus these folks see these pools shows on TV and think boy howdy let's get one of those. Of course they have to out do their neighbor as well.

I am selling at least one a week and they aren't you're average cheap pool.