At 14:40 12/07/04 -0400, you wrote:
>Howdy,
>
>So we need to put in a (non-paved due to cost) driveway to the (future)
>shop.
>
>We'll have a contractor out for septic work anyway, and were talking with
>him about doing the driveway at the same time.
>
>He's willing to do it for time & materials. Time is $80/hour for labor &
>machinery. He recommended Limestone as the material, at ~$12.50/ton,
>since it ended up being the cheapest (higher per ton cost, but it 'goes
>farther' than the other options of mill slag or gravel).
>
>Are those reasonable numbers for this type of work? We don't know much
>about these types of projects...
Hi Mark,
It'd help to know what's being offered for $80/hour. How much labour and plant?
Also if you decide to go down that route make sure that the material
deliveries are well scheduled. Waiting time could run away with your money.
I'm a contractor in the UK and it looks a bit open ended in favour of the
contractor to me. He may be an honourable man with your best interests at
heart but the odds are definitely stacked his way.
One other thing I'd like clarified is the chosen material. As a rule slag
is foamed material and tends to be less dense than limestone, it may not
crush and screen as well as limestone but all things being equal you would
get better spread from slag. On this one though you be better to go with
local knowledge, advising from another continent on local material choice
is not an exact science...
Try to get a cap put on the likely final cost before you start. Specify the
depth of stone. IMO eight inches should be adequate unless you are going to
run 40 ton trucks over it. If your subsoil is anyways damp or soft a
geotextile membrane under the stone would be money well spent.
Good luck.
Nick Brearley
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