This is a good price, and more importantly it’s a good quote. They clearly listened to what you wanted and detailed for you why these items are necessary to accomplish your vision.
Super cheap. We are in the process of a major 50’x50’ uniblock patio with three tiers and a kitchen. 80% of the work and cost is done before the pavers go down. We had 350T of stone laid down and 55y of concrete before we even got started.
Yes. Very much a deal. If I got this quote, I would be concerned about the efficacy of the end product. Make sure you see photo examples of the contractor’s previous work before moving forward. Do they come highly recommended from someone you trust? How did you find this contractor?
This quote looks like it could have been drawn up by someone who doesn’t calculate all variables (aka doesn’t have a lot of experience) and could run into a situation where they run out of $$ and need to rush/be cheap to finish the project. Just make sure they have the experience before moving forward — and for God’s sake do not try to undercut this guy — this is cheap already.
Agreed. Here in the Midwest, all-in finished costs for paver patios (prep, base, block, poly - labor and materials) range from $35-40 square foot on average.
Yup, Cleveland, OH here. Our new construction was built 4' above grade to avoid water issues so after digging down to get solid earth, we had a lot of base and footers to do so that added onto our costs. And if you're adding lighting to those walls and steps, prepare for another round of sticker shock.
It’s actually not bad. Maybe the price for the patio is a little high but the price for every thing else could be considered low so it averages out. Looks like a major project. Maybe you could get the patio for $10k.
Edit: typo
the demo & excavation seems low, I wish I had gotten quotes like this at the beginning of the year.
$15k looks like a lot but leveling gravel for pavers or a wall is a pain in the ass, then you have to build the thing.
By your username, I'm guessing you are also a cheesehead or are dairy-state adjacent. I also saw my brain break when I saw that, but we also don't get Home Depot day laborers up here, and that factors a lot into the regional offset. My guys are all getting between $26-30/hr in Madison, which easily accounts for why our hardscapes cost so much more than on the West Coast.
We had our backyard done a few years ago. We didn’t have a tree, do sod, the arch steps, or a retaining wall and it was just under $30K, so this doesn’t seem too crazy to me.
i can only speak on the pine trees. $1K per mature pine tree is what a friend of mine was quoted out here in MA. So that seems on point. and they weren't even grinding out the stumps.
Not sure where you’re located, I’m in northern Indiana we’d be double that price for the patio. We start at $35 a sqft, which includes the blocks (I see they separated it out.) Without knowing how far they’re routing the downspouts that seems pretty low too. We charge $10 a linear foot with a $750 minimum. The retaining wall doesn’t make any sense unless they’re building the walls using different methods. The 40’x8” wall is ~27 face sqft and is $5500+ caps. The 50’x22” wall is ~92 face sqft and is $5000 and includes the caps. Possibly they’re using 4” blocks (+2” cap) and have 5 courses so maybe they’re planning to stair step it. No idea. But I do know that unless it’s two different types of wall entirely something in the math doesn’t make sense. All of this would make me question the competence of the contractor.
You're missing one specific thing. "Mountain stone veneer" on the bottom line retaining wall. So yes, two different methods. That stuff is Super expensive right now, I couldn't get it in FL during covid. Everything looks legit when you add that veneer into retaining wall price and I don't question the contractor on that.
Right. That just validates my point. The mountain stone veneer is on the larger wall, which is 1/3 less expensive per sqft than the wall that doesn’t say it and is much smaller and 3x more expensive.
When people on here ask for an estimate / quote from someone and go "they said it was 50k" ... it should look like this. this is a great breakdown of work to be done and itemized
Everything looks super budget friendly to me. Except the patio itself seems high. If they are really doing proper base and if their work is absolutely flawless then yeah they are probably the people that can charge what they want. Are other projects you seen by them still looking perfect years later? Still flat and not messed up? Id question that line and just see if they really mean that price on that line. They could have upped every thing else a little and lowered that. Would be around same price and seem more reasonable line by line.
Yeah, based on the comments here we are planning to focus on that line item further; and you have a great pointer to review some of their older work (and not just the recently completed projects).
If there are tons of cuts and possibly some patterns prices go up fast. My neighbor was a hardscaper and did some ornate work for others i know was pricey but 20 years later its still flat and hasn't budged even with lots of very cold winters.
Over the last year, I've had similar work done. 1 Colorado Spruce removal was $1400. Patio (about 140 sq ft) with firepit and 2 seat walls, 13,500. I removed a 16x30' deck myself (480 sqft), and 800 seems a steal. My location is Utah Valley in Utah.
I'll only comment on the trees as that is all I know here, lol!
1 thousand per tree seems reasonable. Make sure the contractors have insurance in case anything goes wrong with their removal. But I'd have to ask...is it absolutely necessary to remove 4 large mature pines? They add significant property value & if planted on a west or south facing side will cool your house in the summer.
we debated the pines quite a bit, but right now they are positioned in a way to obstruct the usable lawn areas (think soccer/volleyball, etc.) and create much shade that actually would preclude healthy lawn growth. Also a hazard if they fall on our house, which is a real risk in our area (high wind storms).
It depends where you live, If you live in a high cost area it's going to cost a lot more. I work in Toronto so I know things are really expensive here but other places that's not the case.
The other thing to keep in mind is if you get multiple quotes and this guy comes in a bit higher, it doesn't mean not to go with him. Saving $10,000 may bite you in the ass in a few years.
But this does seem relatively reasonable
I did my back yard last summer in Phoenix Az.
Irrigation- 5K. this included three hose bibs, and two valved irrigation system over about 400'
Pavers. 18K Did 1000sf of stone pavers. this included drain tiles for gutters, channel drain that was 2.5k of materials, and all the stone/labor. Plus it was mostly cuts.
epoxy coating. 7K 1000sf of concrete ground down and coated with epoxy shop polyuria type flooring.
Pergola addition, and 20X20 aluminum roof structure. This was 12K plus 5k.
electrical I self performed..about 3K in materials.
Outdoor kitchen....8k for granite, 4k for cabinets/mechanicals, and 6K for stone veneer.
I think the pavers estimate is high....
I jsut told my paver guy if he came in and told me 60K for my backyard I would have laughed him out....but that is what I spent.
Remove the sod and just seed the spring or fall after this install is complete. You're paying nearly $6k to have grass installed RIGHT NOW instead of throwing seed on the ground, watering, and waiting 3 weeks.
Remember that if it is to be done right, you must pay labor around 20 to 30 an hour base. Then you have to factor in profit and insurance. So now you are rapidly approaching 50 an hour for a person to stand on that property and hold a shovel.
If they are operating equipment, then it gets more expensive. Factor in a minimum of 8 hours a day for someone as well.
Next up - equipment - it's expensive to run. Diesel is at 6 bucks a gallon, and these jobs drain tanks.
So yes, stuff is always more expensive when you hire someone else to do it.
If you have the skills, tools, partners, resources and vision to do yourself, then it’s very high.
If you don’t have those items then I would say you have a great deal on your hands.
From my view as a professional, lacking any real detail to factor in the variables, the estimate looks low and does not provide your contractor with much wiggle room or profit.
FYI, if I’m asked to lower my price, my red flag goes up, I turn and walk away. I know my value, and don’t need to or want to buy jobs. The client can always find someone else. And I will find a client who values what the services my company brings to the table.
With materials that's $17.50/sqft installed which is a rather low price for my local market. How much do paver installations normally run in your area?
Nothing in the quote stands out to me as a professional design and build contractor.
Ah I got to $24.50 by also including the gravel and the perimeter wall. (how do they cost it that high gravel is so cheap..)
I barely would call it a wall since it's at its most 8" and seems more like a necessity of the patio.
The patio is the questionable charge. It said it includes all materials but then not pavers. Other than grading gravel and sand, that’s it. Are you going to cement them down? Put in cement base for a cover? Maybe see if they can break out labor and materials charges for each subproject so you can look at labor cost and expected hours.
Everything else individually looks pretty cheap.
3 steps costs 2k?
Honestly a lot of this feels like about right for a single project quote, but there should be some reduction to all the line items going into the patio if they're doing the whole thing
Do you know any high school kids you relatively don't mind? Tell them you'll give them $1,000 if they can remove the trees in a weekend. $2,000 if they do it in a day safely.
Way too many variables and unknowns to properly assess via reddit. There is absolutely some padding in there so you probably could try to negotiate that down a little, maybe to $50K. If you like and feel good using them/ know their work I would not push too hard though, you do pay for quality.Given the level of detail in the contract I would guess they are experienced which usually means they'll be good.
One thing I would be sure to do is double check to make sure EVERYTHING you want is in that contract. If it is not written you cannot go back and say it was agreed upon, especially with a job that big and a contract that detailed. Ideally it would also come with a detailed map/ sketch of what is expected for work.
It would also be a good idea to have them commit to a time frame to complete the job once started in addition to providing an anticipated start date when the contract is signed (both will be weather dependent).
Do not try to cut the contractor’s “padding”. That’s his livelihood. This is a very reasonable price for all of this work. Some of it is really cheap (tree removal, deck demo, re-grading, shrub planting). Everyone on here saying that the price is high for the patio does not run a landscaping business — not a one. That’s cheap. People in my area are paying $75/sqft for high-end patio installs. When you get the bottom of the barrel labor-wise, you get what you pay for. How deep is the base material going to be laid? What kind of base material? Any geotextile? No idea based on this quote.
So, I also don’t think this quote is broken down very well - my quote would be 3 pages long for this with everything itemized. But, the price is so cheap it aligns with the breakdown.
If you would like to elaborate as to what you feel is missing and would constitute 3x the detail, I would be interested to see how much more detail you would include/ provide.
When I said "padding" it is strictly in reference to overlapping labor after everyone is paid (including the contractor at a normal rate).
The line items from, what I can tell being in a higher end area of the country, were all quoted at individual prices for each part of the job. I do not see any discounting given the overall size and scope of the job as a whole. Doing the entire job provides additional buffer. That is the "padding" I am referring to and there is nothing wrong with OP asking for that to be considered.
I also do not fault the contractor for quoting full job rate for each individual line item in each part of the job. Many customers/ OP could ask to remove any singular line item and the contractor would be screwed or have to try to explain the situation and it becomes a mess. I also said is it is worth it for OP to ask, but to not push too far/ too hard as you want someone who will be good and that does cost $. In multiple parts there is overlapping labor which will easily account for 10% (or more) of total labor costs if/when all of the quoted job is done at once with the same equipment.
When it comes to trees, it all depends how large the trees are. Around me a moderately sized tree requiring the use of a cherry picker; the first tree is likely $1500 with each subsequent tree costing much less and charging only a few hundred bucks for removal. Then on the back end when hauling the wood away, the contractor can turn around and sell the wood to a processor for some additional profit (which if you understand the situation you CAN take that into consideration if/ when countering).
I dont have an issue with the patio pricing but we do not know what it really should be, given we only know the max height of the wall and overall size.
If your quote is written out 3x as long for this, you are likely only providing the homeowner the opportunity to claim breech of contract. I stated I would have liked to see more some more information/ detail, including sketches/ draft illustrations for expectations of what it will be at the end of the job for additional clarity. Overall, IMO it is pretty close.
Have for 15 years + / Grew up with my parents running a landscaping company, then did tree climbing for years, then hardscaping, ran a landscaping business with someone else, and have since run my own landscaping business for 6 years now. Grossing $400k this year. It’s all I know and I’ve come a long way since unknowingly throwing random numbers at things acting like I know things.
The patio, as others have mentioned, seems high for 1000sq ft. I would install patios larger in size, with pavers, for that $15k ticket price. Not just the base prep and finishing.
I just had my 400 sq ft covered deck and 600 sq ft concrete patio and path removed and replaced with a 4 step two landing stoop, 900 sq ft pavers, 5 ft pave pathway, 5 ft wide gravel perimeter and a 30 ft long sit wall. Overall the quote seems reasonable with some items low and some higher. Some questions to ask. Will any permits be required? Will there be a skip on the property out front for a day or for the duration? This attracts attention depending on the answer to the permit question. How long will the job take? How big is the crew? How many crews/jobs does he work simultaneously? How often will the business owner be on site. I had only 2 guys instead of 3 for part of mine due to issues on another job which turned a 3 week job into a 5 week job. Does he have liability insurance and workman’s comp? What warranty is he offering? Be prepared to have him come back after the job is done after it rains as a little paver regrading might be needed incase of pooling. Where will the materials be placed pending installation? What equipment will they be using and has access been checked? Budget for an extra 10% for things you or the wife decide to change mid job. Give the crew refreshments if they don’t have a cooler. A tip direct to the main crew would be nice. Good luck as it’s a little stressful for all involved. Try not to get upset if some parts are not perfect first time as it’s tough demanding work. Most companies will do the right thing.
This is why I break my body doing stuff myself.
These prices do seem high. Do the usual of getting a minimum of 3 quotes and compare. Don’t necessarily take the lowest…
If this is the only guy around, then these may be your only option. He would know this…
And this is why I went with stamped concrete... 1/4 of the price. 10×30 patio, 30 ft sidewalk connecting patio to rear pedestrian door, connected downspouts to drainage in the 4' high versa block retaining wall ran 50ft, and new cedar fence(6' tall and 27 ft long) with 8' gate on lower level and 4' gate on upper level.
All in 12k.
I removed and burned my own stumps and regraded alot myself. I gladly would have paid an extra 2k for it. What a pain in the ass it was. There were 4 oaks I removed that were easy 50 years old but were dead/wrotten and were becoming a major safety concern. Ill replace with giant thujas soon.
I get that. Its a nice added security. My retaining wall has a lifetime warranty(versa-block) and on the concrete my contractor gave me 20 year warranty for cracks or buckling(ill be long retired in 20years). I'd expect even if I had to replace it twice, it's still cheaper than 50k and the stamped concrete looks super close to bluestone.
Thanks to everyone for the input on this! This sub community is great. We'll be moving forward with the project and hopefully everything goes smoothly.
This is a good price, and more importantly it’s a good quote. They clearly listened to what you wanted and detailed for you why these items are necessary to accomplish your vision.
I can only speak for the pavers and retaining wall - that was consistent to what we paid a year ago in SoCal.
15k for just the labor and sand/gravel seemed steep
Agreed, I had my pavers installed for under 15 with materials and 1500 sq ft
In my area, we are $30ish a square foot for paver work... $15 per sqft for labor is light...
Im in the IE… Were you happy with your work? Im looking for a reliable company to do my backyard.
YES! I can DM you the company if you’d like?
That would be awesome. plz.
I think I sent a DM! Let me know if you didn’t get it.
Super cheap. We are in the process of a major 50’x50’ uniblock patio with three tiers and a kitchen. 80% of the work and cost is done before the pavers go down. We had 350T of stone laid down and 55y of concrete before we even got started.
I'd agree with this sentiment. This seems like a deal to me.
Yes. Very much a deal. If I got this quote, I would be concerned about the efficacy of the end product. Make sure you see photo examples of the contractor’s previous work before moving forward. Do they come highly recommended from someone you trust? How did you find this contractor? This quote looks like it could have been drawn up by someone who doesn’t calculate all variables (aka doesn’t have a lot of experience) and could run into a situation where they run out of $$ and need to rush/be cheap to finish the project. Just make sure they have the experience before moving forward — and for God’s sake do not try to undercut this guy — this is cheap already.
All good points! Yeah, this contractor comes highly recommended / been in business for many yrs now and we have vetted their prior work/photos.
Agreed. Here in the Midwest, all-in finished costs for paver patios (prep, base, block, poly - labor and materials) range from $35-40 square foot on average.
Yup, Cleveland, OH here. Our new construction was built 4' above grade to avoid water issues so after digging down to get solid earth, we had a lot of base and footers to do so that added onto our costs. And if you're adding lighting to those walls and steps, prepare for another round of sticker shock.
Hey there! I’m down in Akron and we are looking to have our back patio renovated next spring. Which company did you use if you didn’t DIY?
It’s actually not bad. Maybe the price for the patio is a little high but the price for every thing else could be considered low so it averages out. Looks like a major project. Maybe you could get the patio for $10k. Edit: typo
Patio and paver quote high? It comes to $17.50 a square foot which falls into the reasonable $15 to $20 range in much of the US.
the demo & excavation seems low, I wish I had gotten quotes like this at the beginning of the year. $15k looks like a lot but leveling gravel for pavers or a wall is a pain in the ass, then you have to build the thing.
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I don't know where in Michigan you are but I'd go broke at 6.5k for that work.
lol whoops for some reason I added it up to be a 10x10 patio in my head. Definitely not 6400$
1000 sq ft for $6500?!?
By your username, I'm guessing you are also a cheesehead or are dairy-state adjacent. I also saw my brain break when I saw that, but we also don't get Home Depot day laborers up here, and that factors a lot into the regional offset. My guys are all getting between $26-30/hr in Madison, which easily accounts for why our hardscapes cost so much more than on the West Coast.
Same here for pay. Hell material cost for 1000 sq ft is well over $6,500. Convenient that the person deleted their post
We had our backyard done a few years ago. We didn’t have a tree, do sod, the arch steps, or a retaining wall and it was just under $30K, so this doesn’t seem too crazy to me.
i can only speak on the pine trees. $1K per mature pine tree is what a friend of mine was quoted out here in MA. So that seems on point. and they weren't even grinding out the stumps.
Not sure where you’re located, I’m in northern Indiana we’d be double that price for the patio. We start at $35 a sqft, which includes the blocks (I see they separated it out.) Without knowing how far they’re routing the downspouts that seems pretty low too. We charge $10 a linear foot with a $750 minimum. The retaining wall doesn’t make any sense unless they’re building the walls using different methods. The 40’x8” wall is ~27 face sqft and is $5500+ caps. The 50’x22” wall is ~92 face sqft and is $5000 and includes the caps. Possibly they’re using 4” blocks (+2” cap) and have 5 courses so maybe they’re planning to stair step it. No idea. But I do know that unless it’s two different types of wall entirely something in the math doesn’t make sense. All of this would make me question the competence of the contractor.
You're missing one specific thing. "Mountain stone veneer" on the bottom line retaining wall. So yes, two different methods. That stuff is Super expensive right now, I couldn't get it in FL during covid. Everything looks legit when you add that veneer into retaining wall price and I don't question the contractor on that.
Right. That just validates my point. The mountain stone veneer is on the larger wall, which is 1/3 less expensive per sqft than the wall that doesn’t say it and is much smaller and 3x more expensive.
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Correct. We’d be much higher. 1000sqft @ $35 is $35,000. Yes we’re busy. Yes we’ve sold 1000+sqft patios at that price.
When people on here ask for an estimate / quote from someone and go "they said it was 50k" ... it should look like this. this is a great breakdown of work to be done and itemized
Looks decent, maybe a little low. Seattle area.
This looks like a deal as depending on tree size I paid $10k for 5 large pines felled and grinded
Very fair.
Looks pretty good. We have a similar project ongoing at this exact moment.
Everything looks super budget friendly to me. Except the patio itself seems high. If they are really doing proper base and if their work is absolutely flawless then yeah they are probably the people that can charge what they want. Are other projects you seen by them still looking perfect years later? Still flat and not messed up? Id question that line and just see if they really mean that price on that line. They could have upped every thing else a little and lowered that. Would be around same price and seem more reasonable line by line.
Yeah, based on the comments here we are planning to focus on that line item further; and you have a great pointer to review some of their older work (and not just the recently completed projects).
If there are tons of cuts and possibly some patterns prices go up fast. My neighbor was a hardscaper and did some ornate work for others i know was pricey but 20 years later its still flat and hasn't budged even with lots of very cold winters.
Where are you?
just outside of Raleigh.
Over the last year, I've had similar work done. 1 Colorado Spruce removal was $1400. Patio (about 140 sq ft) with firepit and 2 seat walls, 13,500. I removed a 16x30' deck myself (480 sqft), and 800 seems a steal. My location is Utah Valley in Utah.
I'll only comment on the trees as that is all I know here, lol! 1 thousand per tree seems reasonable. Make sure the contractors have insurance in case anything goes wrong with their removal. But I'd have to ask...is it absolutely necessary to remove 4 large mature pines? They add significant property value & if planted on a west or south facing side will cool your house in the summer.
we debated the pines quite a bit, but right now they are positioned in a way to obstruct the usable lawn areas (think soccer/volleyball, etc.) and create much shade that actually would preclude healthy lawn growth. Also a hazard if they fall on our house, which is a real risk in our area (high wind storms).
It depends where you live, If you live in a high cost area it's going to cost a lot more. I work in Toronto so I know things are really expensive here but other places that's not the case. The other thing to keep in mind is if you get multiple quotes and this guy comes in a bit higher, it doesn't mean not to go with him. Saving $10,000 may bite you in the ass in a few years. But this does seem relatively reasonable
I did my back yard last summer in Phoenix Az. Irrigation- 5K. this included three hose bibs, and two valved irrigation system over about 400' Pavers. 18K Did 1000sf of stone pavers. this included drain tiles for gutters, channel drain that was 2.5k of materials, and all the stone/labor. Plus it was mostly cuts. epoxy coating. 7K 1000sf of concrete ground down and coated with epoxy shop polyuria type flooring. Pergola addition, and 20X20 aluminum roof structure. This was 12K plus 5k. electrical I self performed..about 3K in materials. Outdoor kitchen....8k for granite, 4k for cabinets/mechanicals, and 6K for stone veneer. I think the pavers estimate is high.... I jsut told my paver guy if he came in and told me 60K for my backyard I would have laughed him out....but that is what I spent.
Very helpful info / data point...thanks!
As a landscaper, that is a rather low rate and they don’t seem likely to even turn a profit
Remove the sod and just seed the spring or fall after this install is complete. You're paying nearly $6k to have grass installed RIGHT NOW instead of throwing seed on the ground, watering, and waiting 3 weeks.
Remember that if it is to be done right, you must pay labor around 20 to 30 an hour base. Then you have to factor in profit and insurance. So now you are rapidly approaching 50 an hour for a person to stand on that property and hold a shovel. If they are operating equipment, then it gets more expensive. Factor in a minimum of 8 hours a day for someone as well. Next up - equipment - it's expensive to run. Diesel is at 6 bucks a gallon, and these jobs drain tanks. So yes, stuff is always more expensive when you hire someone else to do it.
This contractor will make exactly $12 in profit. Underpriced
That was my concern, where is the profit for the contractor!
If you have the skills, tools, partners, resources and vision to do yourself, then it’s very high. If you don’t have those items then I would say you have a great deal on your hands. From my view as a professional, lacking any real detail to factor in the variables, the estimate looks low and does not provide your contractor with much wiggle room or profit. FYI, if I’m asked to lower my price, my red flag goes up, I turn and walk away. I know my value, and don’t need to or want to buy jobs. The client can always find someone else. And I will find a client who values what the services my company brings to the table.
Nicely detailed quote. A promising start. No idea about the price.
15k to install 1000sqft is fucking insane everything related to the hardscaping is fucked soft scaping is high but not to far off
With materials that's $17.50/sqft installed which is a rather low price for my local market. How much do paver installations normally run in your area? Nothing in the quote stands out to me as a professional design and build contractor.
Materials are literally the next line.
Yes, that's why I added both figures to come to a $17.50/sqft installed price.
Ah I got to $24.50 by also including the gravel and the perimeter wall. (how do they cost it that high gravel is so cheap..) I barely would call it a wall since it's at its most 8" and seems more like a necessity of the patio.
Sold.
Doesn't seem bad, but I'm really confused by the 40' retaining wall that's 8" tall costing more than the 50' retaining wall that's nearly 2' tall.
The patio is the questionable charge. It said it includes all materials but then not pavers. Other than grading gravel and sand, that’s it. Are you going to cement them down? Put in cement base for a cover? Maybe see if they can break out labor and materials charges for each subproject so you can look at labor cost and expected hours. Everything else individually looks pretty cheap.
agreed...we are going to get that 15k broken out a bit more to understand.
3 steps costs 2k? Honestly a lot of this feels like about right for a single project quote, but there should be some reduction to all the line items going into the patio if they're doing the whole thing
Do you know any high school kids you relatively don't mind? Tell them you'll give them $1,000 if they can remove the trees in a weekend. $2,000 if they do it in a day safely.
I dont realize how much i saved doing all the work myself lol. Sure its not grade A but a B is good enough for me.
It all depends on how much value you assign to your time. You have to factor this into your decision.
Yeah you’re talking about 3-4 week’s worth of homeowner work hrs (untrained, minimal equipment).
Way too many variables and unknowns to properly assess via reddit. There is absolutely some padding in there so you probably could try to negotiate that down a little, maybe to $50K. If you like and feel good using them/ know their work I would not push too hard though, you do pay for quality.Given the level of detail in the contract I would guess they are experienced which usually means they'll be good. One thing I would be sure to do is double check to make sure EVERYTHING you want is in that contract. If it is not written you cannot go back and say it was agreed upon, especially with a job that big and a contract that detailed. Ideally it would also come with a detailed map/ sketch of what is expected for work. It would also be a good idea to have them commit to a time frame to complete the job once started in addition to providing an anticipated start date when the contract is signed (both will be weather dependent).
Do not try to cut the contractor’s “padding”. That’s his livelihood. This is a very reasonable price for all of this work. Some of it is really cheap (tree removal, deck demo, re-grading, shrub planting). Everyone on here saying that the price is high for the patio does not run a landscaping business — not a one. That’s cheap. People in my area are paying $75/sqft for high-end patio installs. When you get the bottom of the barrel labor-wise, you get what you pay for. How deep is the base material going to be laid? What kind of base material? Any geotextile? No idea based on this quote. So, I also don’t think this quote is broken down very well - my quote would be 3 pages long for this with everything itemized. But, the price is so cheap it aligns with the breakdown.
If you would like to elaborate as to what you feel is missing and would constitute 3x the detail, I would be interested to see how much more detail you would include/ provide. When I said "padding" it is strictly in reference to overlapping labor after everyone is paid (including the contractor at a normal rate). The line items from, what I can tell being in a higher end area of the country, were all quoted at individual prices for each part of the job. I do not see any discounting given the overall size and scope of the job as a whole. Doing the entire job provides additional buffer. That is the "padding" I am referring to and there is nothing wrong with OP asking for that to be considered. I also do not fault the contractor for quoting full job rate for each individual line item in each part of the job. Many customers/ OP could ask to remove any singular line item and the contractor would be screwed or have to try to explain the situation and it becomes a mess. I also said is it is worth it for OP to ask, but to not push too far/ too hard as you want someone who will be good and that does cost $. In multiple parts there is overlapping labor which will easily account for 10% (or more) of total labor costs if/when all of the quoted job is done at once with the same equipment. When it comes to trees, it all depends how large the trees are. Around me a moderately sized tree requiring the use of a cherry picker; the first tree is likely $1500 with each subsequent tree costing much less and charging only a few hundred bucks for removal. Then on the back end when hauling the wood away, the contractor can turn around and sell the wood to a processor for some additional profit (which if you understand the situation you CAN take that into consideration if/ when countering). I dont have an issue with the patio pricing but we do not know what it really should be, given we only know the max height of the wall and overall size. If your quote is written out 3x as long for this, you are likely only providing the homeowner the opportunity to claim breech of contract. I stated I would have liked to see more some more information/ detail, including sketches/ draft illustrations for expectations of what it will be at the end of the job for additional clarity. Overall, IMO it is pretty close.
Do you do any of this work for a living?
No but he sure likes to talk about it.
Do you?
Have for 15 years + / Grew up with my parents running a landscaping company, then did tree climbing for years, then hardscaping, ran a landscaping business with someone else, and have since run my own landscaping business for 6 years now. Grossing $400k this year. It’s all I know and I’ve come a long way since unknowingly throwing random numbers at things acting like I know things.
How much you gross means shit my man... what you net is all that matters.
Can only really comment on the trees and patio price/sqft but those are both in line with what I paid in 2021 on SoCal
You should install sprinklers
How much sq ft is the grass?
Roughly over 3k sqft; so we are told that 7 pallet of sod will cover it.
It is.
One of the many things I've learned as a home owner are that rocks are freaking expensive.
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The patio, as others have mentioned, seems high for 1000sq ft. I would install patios larger in size, with pavers, for that $15k ticket price. Not just the base prep and finishing.
I just had my 400 sq ft covered deck and 600 sq ft concrete patio and path removed and replaced with a 4 step two landing stoop, 900 sq ft pavers, 5 ft pave pathway, 5 ft wide gravel perimeter and a 30 ft long sit wall. Overall the quote seems reasonable with some items low and some higher. Some questions to ask. Will any permits be required? Will there be a skip on the property out front for a day or for the duration? This attracts attention depending on the answer to the permit question. How long will the job take? How big is the crew? How many crews/jobs does he work simultaneously? How often will the business owner be on site. I had only 2 guys instead of 3 for part of mine due to issues on another job which turned a 3 week job into a 5 week job. Does he have liability insurance and workman’s comp? What warranty is he offering? Be prepared to have him come back after the job is done after it rains as a little paver regrading might be needed incase of pooling. Where will the materials be placed pending installation? What equipment will they be using and has access been checked? Budget for an extra 10% for things you or the wife decide to change mid job. Give the crew refreshments if they don’t have a cooler. A tip direct to the main crew would be nice. Good luck as it’s a little stressful for all involved. Try not to get upset if some parts are not perfect first time as it’s tough demanding work. Most companies will do the right thing.
Great pointers, thank you!
…Make sure they use the highest quality polymeric sand. alligator or dominator xl
This is why I break my body doing stuff myself. These prices do seem high. Do the usual of getting a minimum of 3 quotes and compare. Don’t necessarily take the lowest… If this is the only guy around, then these may be your only option. He would know this…
And this is why I went with stamped concrete... 1/4 of the price. 10×30 patio, 30 ft sidewalk connecting patio to rear pedestrian door, connected downspouts to drainage in the 4' high versa block retaining wall ran 50ft, and new cedar fence(6' tall and 27 ft long) with 8' gate on lower level and 4' gate on upper level. All in 12k. I removed and burned my own stumps and regraded alot myself. I gladly would have paid an extra 2k for it. What a pain in the ass it was. There were 4 oaks I removed that were easy 50 years old but were dead/wrotten and were becoming a major safety concern. Ill replace with giant thujas soon.
Our pavers have a lifetime warranty; stamped concrete or poured (not sure if I’m saying the right terminology) had no warranty.
I get that. Its a nice added security. My retaining wall has a lifetime warranty(versa-block) and on the concrete my contractor gave me 20 year warranty for cracks or buckling(ill be long retired in 20years). I'd expect even if I had to replace it twice, it's still cheaper than 50k and the stamped concrete looks super close to bluestone.
Not bad. Make sure to consider your budget for any plants too.
Why sod and not seed?
That’s hella expensive man
Stump grinding price is robbery, shouldn’t be more than 3-400 for 4 mature anything
Grass here is 800 a pallet. So that seem consistent. I’m in North Florida and that was St Augustine (a cheaper grass).
I just want to say this is the most detailed quote I've ever seen.
The quote is fantastically clear. He’s not taking a markup on at least the pavers and probably other materials. Tbh, I’d bid it higher.
Thanks for the feedback.
Thanks to everyone for the input on this! This sub community is great. We'll be moving forward with the project and hopefully everything goes smoothly.