Cost to re-do Back Garden Patio?

chris1012

chris1012

chris1012

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2 years ago I had my house renovated and made the mistake of getting the same builders who done a good job within the house to carry out tasks they did not specialise in, like the back garden landscaping.

2 years on and we are having to do it up again with professional tradesmen that is costing us far more than we would have thought.

We have just been quoted to use the existing slate tiles, excavate the current patio, deep layer of Type 1 base material, compacted until solid, slates will then be relaid on a full mortar bed with all joints pointed with mortar. All spoil will be skipped this will require a new small skip with licence.

£2000 (3 days job with 3 on site)

Does this seem like a fair quote for the outer London area?
 
Put it this way, I recently did the job myself (was slightly larger than an 8x6 base for a shed, so your site is nearly double the size). I think in total it took me (as a novice) nearly 3 days, I was using reclaimed patio tiles so no cost there, and no cost for skip hire as the excavated earth I threw somewhere else in the garden. MOT 1 sub base there was about 750kg of, which annoyingly I bought all from Wickes in bags (lol), and a fair amount of cement and sand (about £100 for materials for me - could have done it cheaper in retrospect).

Your looking at maybe 4/5 days for one person, a pro. Lets say £200/£250 a day.
For your patio area: £150 materials, £200 skip hire (I can't remember what it cost me for a skip).

A simplistic view: >£1k labour, £500 skip and materials...

As macca said, not too high a quote but there's probably more to it. Oh and I didn't point mine because I didn't see the point as it's under a shed..
 
Thank you for your responses.

The landscaper basically lifted the current tiles and realised that they had no concrete as a base and if it wasn't for the mesh on top of a little sand the tiles would have simply sinked.

He took a pole after he lifted up a couple of tiles and showed us how deep it went into the ground.
So although the tiles will be re-used and no new tiles need to be purchased, he has said it is a big job due to the incorrect way of the foundations.

There will be 2 experienced guys with one junior.
They already on site as they have put up new fence panels with concrete gravel boards, raised beds, trellis and once patio is complete install our artificial grass.

They have also built as 2 new walls (1 * 4m and 1* 3m) with reclaimed stock bricks and will be taking apart our current paving slabs and putting in new tiles (we will source the tiles). Lastly a new base will be built for a victorian pathway.

Everything in total will be costing us around 11k inc VAT
 
Is it a high traffic area?

Whats under the slabs exactly? You said it's laid on a mesh, and there is some sand under the mesh, I'm presuming under that it's just earth?

It probably wouldn't sink completely but it might go wonky if enough water got under it, the mesh is to prevent weed growth.

It would need digging out to at least 75mm for sub base. 100mm for high traffic areas. All that needs putting down really is sub base, which then needs compacting. You can mortar straight on top of that.
 
When do you exactly mean by high traffic?
During the summer the kids will be in and out of the garden multiple times so in that sense yes.

Correct under the mesh is just earth which is not compact.
I should have added -

'The area will then be excavated to a depth of approximately 125mm below the finished level. Into the area will be spread a 75mm deep layer of Type 1 base material.'
 
Just an area with loads of footfall, you should be fine with 75mm.

Sounds right what they are doing with excavation and sub base to me. 75mm base, 25mm mortar, then your tiles are 25mm?
 
bloodiedathame said:
Just an area with loads of footfall, you should be fine with 75mm.

Sounds right what they are doing with excavation and sub base to me. 75mm base, 25mm mortar, then your tiles are 25mm?
Click to expand...

They may be digging deeper as our house has deep foundations as it was built on marshy lands (they haven't said this is the reason but could be the reason)(.
Blue-Black Slate Paving - 600x300 (thickness: 20 - 30 mm)

Based on the above, would the price sound about right?
 
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If they're available and you're happy with the work they've already done then it's not much more than to be expected. Obviously with more hands on the job they'll be able to do it quicker.

Have they/you accounted for drainage? Our other patio (one that I didn't do) pools very badly and there aren't any drains for the water to escape through.
 
bloodiedathame said:
If they're available and you're happy with the work they've already done then it's not much more than to be expected. Obviously with more hands on the job they'll be able to do it quicker.

Have they/you accounted for drainage? Our other patio (one that I didn't do) pools very badly and there aren't any drains for the water to escape through.
Click to expand...

The patio will be able to drain into the artificial grass and there is a drain on the patio as well
 
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