Printable View
A local concretor that we know from school did me a favour the other day and laid a 25 square metre slab . I had given him a trailer and the idea was that he would do it for relatively cheap. I was charged $1600.00. Is this cheap? I thought it'd be more like $1200. Have I lost the plot?
Sounds like the concreter is getting a better deal to me. My local bloke, who I do not know quoted me $55 a mt, which would work out to $1375 for 25 sq mts
You're saying that you trusted a contractor to give you a good price without an upfront quote even though you are not assertive enough to ask for a reduction.
You paid $400 dollars to learn that that wasn't a good idea.
Before anyone gets too excited the thickness of the slab, reo, mpa rating etc all have some bearing on slab price. However $1600 does sound a bit on the high side.
John
The point is that he's meant to be a sort of a friend. That is, his wife is a good friend of SWMBO, and I've known him for a few years. It's too late now, the slab's down and I can't ask him to take it back. I rang and got a price for the concrete, and it was 3.5 metres delivered for $580.00. He would get it cheaper than that, no doubt.
In my case, when I do work for friends, I generally do it for free (and they pay for materials). I'm a sucker I suppose.
In that case I would feel a bit ripped off, does sour a friendship a bit. I accept people at face value as you have done and sometimes you can be caught out by assuming rather than asking.
I'd let him know you checked up on the concrete price and are not happy about the size of the bill in view of the trailer. I am damn sure he could jam any favours in the future, and if anyone asked about how happy you are about the job you can add the job may have been fine but the price sucked.
Cheers, John.
It would depend on what kind of slab, how much excavation, crushed rock bed, reo, grade of concrete, how deep the concrete, how much trowelling & finishing was involved etc.
Depending on what was involved, that price might be good. However, by the look of your post, you already know the answer to your question.
Borrow the trailer back, then sell it. Tell him you had to afterwards because some jerk ripped you off on a concreting job and you needed the money.
honestly - I would just let it go,
the work is done now and you didn't have to do any of it and IMO $64 prep and pour a square is not all that bad ....... don't go doing anything stupid that you will reget later for the want of a few hundred dollars.
Just my opinion
Tom
Quote:
Originally Posted by tcns
Im with Tom, write it off as a lesson learnt (to find out a price first) and move on. For the sake of a couple of green notes, it aint worth it.
I'd let it slide.
But be careful of "mates" offering good rates - one of the first rules of real estate and used car sales is that if you can't make money from a deal with a friend how are you going to make money from a deal with a complete stranger? i.e there is a (unethical) school of thought that it should be easier to over charge friends than strangers.
My view is that a real mate wouldn't over charge.
Live and learn and learn...
(Then again, maybe that concreting job was difficult and you have got a good rate?)