How much should this cost me?

[unknownjulie]

I'm getting an estimate today for a 100 ft driveway and 100x100 ft house pad by D9 in ORchidland. How many hours should this take and what should my total cost be? I should have posted this yesterday in building but forgot to and wanted answers right away so that's why I'm posting on the general topics. I am assuming to mostly pay the guy after the job is done, and I plan to be there most of the entire day, but should I pay him 500 to start off with or something? I'm thinking this should only take one day. Thanks for the info!

[Cagary]

Its always best to get at least 3 estimates from contractors that have been recommended to you by family, friends, neighbors, etc.

Concrete is not "concrete". There are different mixes. Some hold up better against the climate in Hawaii than others. Also ask about the re bar being used and how many inches deep the pour is going to be.

-Veritas odium parit”(Terence 195–159 BC))-"Truth begets hatred".

[terracore]

quote:

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Originally posted by unknownjulie

I'm getting an estimate today for a 100 ft driveway and 100x100 ft house pad by D9 in ORchidland. How many hours should this take and what should my total cost be? I should have posted this yesterday in building but forgot to and wanted answers right away so that's why I'm posting on the general topics. I am assuming to mostly pay the guy after the job is done, and I plan to be there most of the entire day, but should I pay him 500 to start off with or something? I'm thinking this should only take one day. Thanks for the info!

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No idea... but I'd LOVE to hear the ballparks that you get.

[Jay Bondesen]

I think you are talking about tractor work only and many things will change the price. Be sure to ask for rip and roll which should breakup the first few feet below the surface rather than simply pushing stuff around. It also does a much better job of providing a solid base to build on. That will take longer. And be sure you aren't left with a big pile of either rock or debris that you will have to deal with sooner or later. Many would also check on liability insurance and a license.

Jay

[unknownjulie]

yeah, it's rip and roll. The only specific price info I have so far is about 5k for an acre.

[DanielP]

With transport, I would guess $3-4K, I am figuring on extra time for more rolling. Saves on base course to finish. If he runs into "Blue Rock" it will be more.

My guess

[kimo wires]

5 years ago I had Earth Karvers dig a cesspool and level two areas for the housepad and catchment tank. my lot had been previously ripped but they did agreat job. Capped the cesspool and used the spoils to start a road further into my property. They even laid 3 inch abs pipe up to the house foundation from the cesspool. Also brought in base course to level the housepad. all for under 5K.

[YurtGirl]

Kimo, they did all that AND the cesspool? I daresay prices have gone up. With cesspool and clearing, depending on the sf of the areas cleared, average costs we're seeing are 6,000 - $7,000 plus the cost of any needed aggregate (i.e. basecoarse, gravel or cinder). Maybe your low costs were because it had been previously ripped... that would make a little more sense. They would have known what they were getting into and land would have been already pretty much leveled. But with basecoarse added too? Sounds like you got a helluva deal. Not typical rates.

Melissa Fletcher
___________________________
"Make yurts, not war" Bill Coperthwaite, 1973

[ericlp]

I also used Earth Karvers... They tried to soak me for another 2.5K for bringing in a D8 after I told them I wanted it ripped and rolled. Ah well, careful about them and stick with the written estimate. Don't pay them a penny more. I found it almost laughable they told me it would cost 3K bucks to get rid of the green waste yet.... Didn't even tell me the D8 was gonna cost 2500 more! They just conveniently forgot to mention it or even bother to give me a change order or anything in writing. Amazing. At any rate, I paid them the 11K bid for what they were suppose to do. I kinda wonder if they thought I was just a stupid white guy and figured I'd pay it... Uh..... NO!!!! I won't....

Other than that BS, they seem to do OK work. I would have told them I wanted the lot to be graded for water run off. Ah well.

And if you are gonna get it rip/rolled install the septic / cesspool at the same time.

What's even more laughable is after about 6 months the green waste pile shrunk Down by 50%. There was one of those little kaboda tractors working on the few lot's down ... I asked him how much it would cost to neatly stack the big logs I had and crush down the green waste even more... So after it was all said and done, 300 bucks plus a half rack of beer and good talks later I now have happy banana / avocado / star fruit / pine apples etc...etc... growing in the rich soil left behind and at the rate it's going the wood that got stacked up will be composted up in another 6 months for more dirt to be spread around. Never remove your green waste...

ALSO... If your only doing a drive way and a house pad? Consider just 3-4 truck loads of cinder to fill in the puka's. It's about 160 bucks a truckload and you can spread it yourself. Depends on how deep the puka's are.

You might want to just bring in material for about 500-700 bucks, then build your house... And wait around till your hear a D9 working in your neighborhood. Then go talk story. Better yet, go bring some beer! Might do em for real CHEAP! Best way to go. since you will save on transportation fee's and he's already there so can get it done cheap... Also don't be afraid to ask if they can do it even cheaper!

[YurtGirl]

There WILL be greenwaste left, btw. Unless you pay a hefty sum to have it taken care of by removal or cut and stack, there will be a lot of waste created by clearing all those trees and greeneries. The question is what the operator is suggesting you do with it. Ideally small piles that will decompose around the perimeter, or filling low spots where you don't mind them being reduced, like eric says above, by about 50% in a year or so. Ohia logs & other trees should always be neatly stacked, not left like a tangle of pick up sticks that cause a major issues later on if you want to use or move any of it. These are the details that the cheap-o, hit and run operators tend to leave you with.


Melissa Fletcher
___________________________
"Make yurts, not war" Bill Coperthwaite, 1973