Patio estimate (boring I know!)

[RestorationInsanity]

I've put this in Property, but hoping it might get more answers here.

Our builder (he's about to finish our extension) has just given us an estimate for laying a new patio. The plan is to level the hardcore accrued from the extension across the patio area as the patio needs to be slightly raised to account for a slope, then we're going to have retaining walls built from sleepers that will be raised around two sides of the patios, plus a step from the back and side of the patio to the rest of the garden. Patio area approx 45 sqm including sleeper bed. The estimate also includes lifting an old path between the house and garage and small courtyard area at the side of the house and laying new slabs, and reinstalling side gates that were taken out during the extension (about another 10 sqm of paving). We have some queries, and the estimate doesn't seem to include any form of drainage, and at the very least we don't want water collecting along the edge of the sleepers. Total estimate has come it at £10300 incl. VAT but excluding sleepers and slabs which we're buying (we've found what we want, should be about £1500).

We're getting someone else to come and look tomorrow, who laid a patio etc for us in our old house, but just wondering whether that seems expensive or par for the course. We're in South London.

We had similar work done recently but we're midlands ...

3 patios plus a path block paved totalling around 40 sq m plus a slabbed patio / shed base using reclaimed slabs.
Raised beds, retaining sleeper wall for lawn and beds, dig out and set levels, put in drainage, replace lawn with new turf, replace fence with mesh panels plus a new personnel door cut into garage wall.

The whole lot including all materials, disposal of waste soil and supply/fit composite door for garage was around £12.5k.

Well we've just done our own with sleepers too and the patio is around 22 m2 and we've easily spent £4000 and that's doing it ourselves so with labour and a bigger patio I think your estimate might be accurate 🤨

That is both what I wanted to hear, and not what I wanted to hear! We have a great relationship with our builders, and trust them to quote fairly, even if they're not always the cheapest, and we know they'll do a good job, but as they're not landscapers I wanted a crosscheck.

We'll see what the other guy says tomorrow too, and that should give us a final reality check that hardscaping just doesn't come cheap!

It's pricy isn't it but worth it I think in the long term

I think that sounds about right too. In fact for the amount of work I’d go as far as saying I think that’s a good price, particularly as it includes vat.

Other quote has come in at £5800 Inc vat and materials (except the sleepers which we will source ourselves). He did our previous patio so not worried that it's "too cheap to be a good job". Works out about £150 per sqm. This doesn't include laying the new path down the side, but this is an extra 10sqm so don't think it will add an additional 5000-6000 but will ask them to also quote for that.

That’s incredibly cheap...

Have you priced the sleepers yet because they're not cheap, hopefully it'll still come in under the first quote with them x

I thought your first quote was pretty decent, but the second one is low even accounting for you sourcing the sleepers yourself.

I am south in a south east London borough too, by the way. The quotes we got two years ago were at higher than your first quote. If you’re willing, please would you PM me your builder’s details as we are looking to do extensive work on the house and garden?

The sleepers we've found are £14 for a 2.4 m oak sleeper from the luxury wood company and we need around 15 as we're only having the sleepers on two sides, with gaps for steps etc. My family are in construction and felt it was a more realistic quote for 10 days work. I also think a carpenter/general builder will have a higher charge out rate then a landscaper, hence the higher rate.

@WellTidy sure. Would you like the landscapers quote or the builders quote?

The mybuilder quote checker suggests £100-150 per square meter for patio laying in the London, and we're on the Surrey borders.

Sorry not quotes, details!

Both please, if you wouldn’t mind!

We've just had a patio done, no sleepers as he built a small wall instead but still quite a slope so a lot of digging out to do. It cost us £5100 inc everything and we are in the south east.

Sorry should have said ours is 52 sq m and includes a step a path and two patios (big and small). We did have quite a few quotes and the final person we went with I think did do it a lot cheaper as he is out of work

Hope you're enjoying it in this lovely weather @itsgood2talk! We were hoping to have had the patio underway by now but at least it should be done in time for autumn planting.