[Paul]

We all talk price of doing a job but I believe that we really need to talk hours. We recently completed a paver drive for a long time customer. It was done in Holland stone and Unilock series 3000 6"x12" sailor course.
Total Sq footage was 1600. Drive was 128' long by 12.5' wide expanding to 18' at the garage. It had two bands of Series 3000 running 1/3 rd across the drive. Pattern for the drive was herringbone. We took out the original drive and dug out 15" deep set in 6" of 3" stone. Then installed 6" of CA-6. We poured a 6" curb along the drive instead of using edging. I know some of you have never installed a concrete curb, so I'll tell you the hours for that totaled 9.5.

So what we are looking for is the total hrs to install the drive.

[Bill Schwab]

Great thread topic Paul...Regional pricing should be according to all the goodies we factor into overhead, product, etc, but hours should be hours!

We just finished one that was 1500 sq ft in Olde World, 8cm, (Olde World is RCP's equivelant to Hollandstone) with soldier course, no banding. 45° herringbone.
We had demo of concrete and then excavation 9" down to install Class 2 roadbase (same stuff as CA-6). The borders were wet set in 6" of concrete with the bottoms of the brick buttered with thin set mortar. We had 129 hours in the drive, excavation and all, plus 4 hours of trucking to dispose of the concrete. We back hauled the Class 2, so, that time went on to production.

[Paul]

I guess nobody, is very interested in this thread. Our hours ran 104 complete. The long time customer got this one for free. Being it's our last year in business I thought I should reward him for being so loyal.

[Stonehenge]

I am, just need to take a few moments to work through it.

[diginahole]

Not unintersted, just busy. I have to get caught up with the estimates that will turn into work before I can get to these ones. If I had to hazzard a guess I bet I'd be at about 150 - 180 hours though.

[Lanelle]

I agree with Blair. I'm so swamped with estimates and bids that are due that I haven't time to work up numbers for an exercise. Wish we had been doing this back in February.

[Rex Mann]

Very busy here too.

I do like the thread.

Peace,

Rex

[jwholden]

Paul,

You obviously have some darned efficient methods of installing pavers!!!

What size machine did you use for compaction?

What was the reasoning behind the 6" of 3" clear stone (drainage or more economical) ?

Did you install a geotextile between the clear stone and the CA-6 (which I'm assuming is 3/4" process)?

Awsome production times!!!

[Paul]

For compaction we used our skid mounted plate compactor. It's manufactured by Warren. 3" stone was used due to the poor soils, our test borings showed 3' plus of black dirt. We installed a bilateral geo grid over the 3" stone. That was also our reasoning for using concrete curbs.

[Stonehenge]

Paul I'm curious - what does a concrete curb do to help an installation like this over poor soils?

Also, what do you use to get your sample borings?

[Paul]

The concrete curb was 12" thick which keeps the base confined, it's also tied to the curb at the street and side walk.

For informal borings like this we use a 3" pipe thats has window cutouts. Just push it in with the skid steer with the plate compactor mounted on it. Then pull it out. You can tell when you hit really good soil, it just about stops the pipe. Our pipe is a 4' long Lolly column. You can clean it out with a graden hose. I can't say that it's a perfect way to get boring. But it sure can do a quick test.

[diginahole]

Landscapers are an innovative bunch aren't we. Cool idea Paul. I don't think my 1540 wacker will cut it though.

[site]

I'm concerned about the last year in business part. Are you planning to completely dissolve the company? Or will you sell it as a turnkey operation? If any of your employees need a job you can give them my name.

[Paul]

Yes the company is dissolving. Landscaping is a personal business and finding someone to take over it was too hard. The employees make too much money here for most people here, our operator is making $50 per hour and a labor is $35 per hour. We are being regulated to death lately, every week we must submit payroll reports to prove we are paying these wages. The joy of landscaping is becoming the pain of paper work.

[PSUscaper]

I would of figured about one day for a driver and operator to rip out and roughly prep the drive, a day for myself and 2 laborers to prep the base for brick, about 3 days to lay and cut with one forman and 2 laborers, 1 day for cleanup/topsoil/misc. and perhaps one more day as a 'fudge factor day' that may cover such things as delay in materials, working around underground utililities (had to hand dig a driveway apron today as the gas main was 8" under the drive and the cable tv feed was 2") and other misc. things that occur. I would include a skidsteer on site the etire week, and would include a 2 day rental for a roller on the skid.