Patio Costs - Am I being ripped off?

Patio Costs - Am I being ripped off?

Author
Discussion

XJ75

Original Poster:

437 posts

141 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2020
quotequote all
Does anyone know how tool hire works in the trade? I remember the tile cutter machine was here for weeks after they finished with it. Just noticed it's £76 a day, would they likely be charged that?

LocoBlade

7,622 posts

257 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2020
quotequote all
XJ75 said:
Does anyone know how tool hire works in the trade? I remember the tile cutter machine was here for weeks after they finished with it. Just noticed it's £76 a day, would they likely be charged that?
Tool hire shops usually rent kit out for fixed periods of time on a day/weekend/week rate so if if it was on hire and they didn't take it back for weeks then yes I'd imagine there'd likely be a significant charge or they'd lose a hefty deposit

p1stonhead

25,584 posts

168 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2020
quotequote all
XJ75 said:
Does anyone know how tool hire works in the trade? I remember the tile cutter machine was here for weeks after they finished with it. Just noticed it's £76 a day, would they likely be charged that?
Didn’t they use a petrol cutter?

Any tool hire is generally per week or part of a week.

If they told the hire company they didn’t want it any more and the company didn’t come to collect it, they wouldn’t have been charged though. ‘Off hire’ date is the key.

Sometimes you can off hire something and still have it for a week if they don’t come get it.

If they collected the gear it would have been when the dropped it back so you should have only been charged when they used it not due to them keeping hold of it out of laziness etc

What type of tile cutter did they use?

£76 is high for a hire cutter. They would have an account and pay way less than quoted rates

Was it a water bench cutter like this by any chance at the same rate they have quoted? I’m sure it’s only a coincidence....

Note how cheap it gets even for a punter off the street if you keep it longer



Edited by p1stonhead on Wednesday 23 September 16:57


Edited by p1stonhead on Wednesday 23 September 16:58

LocoBlade

7,622 posts

257 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2020
quotequote all
I wonder how many builders actually own tools like this but put hire company stickers on their kit so they can charge for it on every invoice? biggrin

XJ75

Original Poster:

437 posts

141 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2020
quotequote all
It was one like the one pictured, I know for a fact because I had to help the guy from the hire place load it onto the truck because there was nobody on site.

The £76 a day was just a number I got from looking it up, no idea if that's what he paid. There's also a fair chance it was collected later and they likely weren't charged the full amount.

p1stonhead

25,584 posts

168 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2020
quotequote all
XJ75 said:
It was one like the one pictured, I know for a fact because I had to help the guy from the hire place load it onto the truck because there was nobody on site.

The £76 a day was just a number I got from looking it up, no idea if that's what he paid. There's also a fair chance it was collected later and they likely weren't charged the full amount.
Ah ok.

They would have paid no where near £76 a day.

Anyone with a reasonable account would get at least 20% off the weekly rate so maybe £15 a day.

LocoBlade

7,622 posts

257 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2020
quotequote all
Is £76/day what your builder has listed on the invoice or is it just that you looked up the hire price after remembering it hung around for a while but don't know exactly what he's charged you for it's hire?

XJ75

Original Poster:

437 posts

141 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2020
quotequote all
LocoBlade said:
Is £76/day what your builder has listed on the invoice or is it just that you looked up the hire price after remembering it hung around for a while but don't know exactly what he's charged you for it's hire?
It’s just the figure I found when I was trying to reconcile his list of materials against the £3.3k he’s charged me for materials. Sadly he’s unable to provide a breakdown of actual costs.

Mezzanine

9,229 posts

220 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2020
quotequote all
pmanson said:
We've just had our garden landscaped. It's not easy to drill down into all the details but hopefully this will give you some context.

The total was £15k

  • Clad existing 11.4m rear wall in brick cladding and porcelain paving stone - £1,440
  • Removal of existing side flowerbeds and create two more in engineering blocks and clad - £470
  • Removal of existing shed base, excavation and disposal of circa 60 tonnes of sand, build of new retaining walls - £3,780
  • Raise of height of existing front walls, modify existing steps, brick cladding and porcelain coping stone - £1,850
  • New porcelain steps - £250
  • Brick edging of lawn and new lawn - £1,300
  • 50sqm of porcelain paving stone
Not including - new fence and electrical work





Who did your work Mr Manson? Am looking for a few patio quotes...

p1stonhead

25,584 posts

168 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2020
quotequote all
XJ75 said:
LocoBlade said:
Is £76/day what your builder has listed on the invoice or is it just that you looked up the hire price after remembering it hung around for a while but don't know exactly what he's charged you for it's hire?
It’s just the figure I found when I was trying to reconcile his list of materials against the £3.3k he’s charged me for materials. Sadly he’s unable to provide a breakdown of actual costs.
Perhaps sadly you’ll just have to pay him what you think is reasonable then.....

The fact he can’t tell you means he’s made it up on the spot then doubled it.

Trophy Husband

3,924 posts

108 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2020
quotequote all
XJ75 said:
I've questioned him about the retaining wall, we don't have a retaining wall so I'm not sure where that has come from.
I'd suggest copy and paste from a previous job? Ooooops!

pmanson

13,384 posts

254 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2020
quotequote all
Mezzanine said:
Who did your work Mr Manson? Am looking for a few patio quotes...
Local firm called Double Arches. I know Martin so I know I got a discount but I still think they are reasonably priced for the attention to detail you get (eg. How theyve cut certain bricks etc).

Meeten-5dulx

2,592 posts

57 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2020
quotequote all
It's £76 for the first day and then a reduced rate for additional or weekly.
And then there will be his discount, which he is under no obligation to pass on to you.

Mezzanine

9,229 posts

220 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2020
quotequote all
pmanson said:
Mezzanine said:
Who did your work Mr Manson? Am looking for a few patio quotes...
Local firm called Double Arches. I know Martin so I know I got a discount but I still think they are reasonably priced for the attention to detail you get (eg. How theyve cut certain bricks etc).
Ah yes, he rolls around in his white Defender 110. Thanks!

pmanson

13,384 posts

254 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2020
quotequote all
Mezzanine said:
pmanson said:
Mezzanine said:
Who did your work Mr Manson? Am looking for a few patio quotes...
Local firm called Double Arches. I know Martin so I know I got a discount but I still think they are reasonably priced for the attention to detail you get (eg. How theyve cut certain bricks etc).
Ah yes, he rolls around in his white Defender 110. Thanks!
He does indeed (when it's not broken)

cossy400

3,165 posts

185 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2020
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stuttgartmetal said:
UTH said:
Yikes!!! I'm also about to move to Surrey and sorting out the current patio will be part of my to do list, and I would not want to be paying as much as you have! How does your size compare with mine below:



#


Acid Brick Cleaner and a hot jet wash, that'd look mint.
I'd just get a man in for that.

They 'll have all the gear etc

UTH

8,989 posts

179 months

Thursday 24th September 2020
quotequote all
cossy400 said:
stuttgartmetal said:
UTH said:
Yikes!!! I'm also about to move to Surrey and sorting out the current patio will be part of my to do list, and I would not want to be paying as much as you have! How does your size compare with mine below:



#


Acid Brick Cleaner and a hot jet wash, that'd look mint.
I'd just get a man in for that.

They 'll have all the gear etc
Well, I'm going to buy a pressure washer as I'll need it for the cars, so I'll see how I get on with that on the patio (anyone got any suggestions for product to use on it at the same time?)
I'll asses after that.....no doubt getting a pro in is still a better plan than £10k on a new patio.

David A

3,609 posts

252 months

Thursday 24th September 2020
quotequote all
UTH said:
cossy400 said:
stuttgartmetal said:
UTH said:
Yikes!!! I'm also about to move to Surrey and sorting out the current patio will be part of my to do list, and I would not want to be paying as much as you have! How does your size compare with mine below:



#


Acid Brick Cleaner and a hot jet wash, that'd look mint.
I'd just get a man in for that.

They 'll have all the gear etc
Well, I'm going to buy a pressure washer as I'll need it for the cars, so I'll see how I get on with that on the patio (anyone got any suggestions for product to use on it at the same time?)
I'll asses after that.....no doubt getting a pro in is still a better plan than £10k on a new patio.
Start with just fairy liquid and the jet wash - but be methodical and slow/steady. After that a few buckets of strong bleachy water left to sit on it before rinsing.

dmsims

6,541 posts

268 months

Thursday 24th September 2020
quotequote all
"Supply & paint on water proof paint above dpc"