Browse Forums Paving & Concreting 1 Apr 18, 2011 9:08 pm I was just wondering how some people go about choosing a concreter. in regards to prices ours range from $1500-$3000 for concreting a 24m2 area. only one has a website. how do we know who is going to do a good job for the least amount of money. how did other people come to conclusions about who they were going to pick for concreting??? Contract signed 28/9 Site scraped 22/10 Slab poured 5/11 Frame complete 28/11 Locked up 20/1 Fixed Out 5/3 Painting completed 18/3 Tiling Completed 15/4 Carpeted & Plumbing 17/4 Completed 27/5 https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=21238&p=290800#p290800 Re: choosing a concreter 2Apr 18, 2011 9:13 pm Hi bskilner, I'm going to build with Wisdom homes and they quoted me $100/m2 for concrete. Builder usually take 20% off margin minnimum. So the price range you gave is about right. Re: choosing a concreter 3Apr 18, 2011 9:28 pm yeh but it is a big difference between paying $1500 for a job or $3000?? our driveway was around 45m2 and cost us around $2700??? Contract signed 28/9 Site scraped 22/10 Slab poured 5/11 Frame complete 28/11 Locked up 20/1 Fixed Out 5/3 Painting completed 18/3 Tiling Completed 15/4 Carpeted & Plumbing 17/4 Completed 27/5 https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=21238&p=290800#p290800 Re: choosing a concreter 4Apr 19, 2011 8:28 am bskilner how do we know who is going to do a good job for the least amount of money. Simple....you don't. If your in a relivant state you would check to see if they are licenced concretors. Ultimately, irrespective of what you pay it could go pear shaped, and if you end up with just what you wanted, then you paid the right price. Sorry couldn't be of more help. Re: choosing a concreter 5Apr 19, 2011 9:51 am We're just deciding on ours, ask your neighbours who did theirs and were they happy. We also ask any decent tradies doing other jobs for us. Most sure know mates....but a lot stake their own reputation on referring someone. We're just in the same process and asked our QA inspector, gave two cards and one did his place. Re: choosing a concreter 6Apr 19, 2011 11:34 am Ask for addresses that they have worked at before in the area and go and look. Re: choosing a concreter 7Apr 20, 2011 10:28 am thanks everyone for your comments. Contract signed 28/9 Site scraped 22/10 Slab poured 5/11 Frame complete 28/11 Locked up 20/1 Fixed Out 5/3 Painting completed 18/3 Tiling Completed 15/4 Carpeted & Plumbing 17/4 Completed 27/5 https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=21238&p=290800#p290800 Re: choosing a concreter 8Apr 20, 2011 2:45 pm we got 4 quotes. 1 backed out as the job was too big for them. We went with the cheapest quote and found he was a pain to deal with. He didn't complete on time, was grumpy and didn't communicate. Well, he actually kept saying he'd turn up and then didn't. Lost at least 3 weeks due to not having concrete to build on. Next time I'd be looking more closely at their references and recent jobs. Re: choosing a concreter 9Apr 20, 2011 3:20 pm I think every job can be stuffed up here and there and good references, all the chekcs, looking at his jobs, careful talks with him, etc. etc. - you can never be sure. We went a few times with people that were recommended to us - only to find them not very good (each in their own way and trade). In fact, I would not really recommend them to anyone. Also, another person's standards and expectations, as well as specific job requirements, materials/finishes used, etc. - all of this comes into play. What my friend thought was a great work, I saw right away that it's flawed My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: choosing a concreter 10Apr 21, 2011 4:10 am this is the problem, and price is no way an indicator of the job that will be done. if only there was a site with peoples recommendations and issues might help a bit. Contract signed 28/9 Site scraped 22/10 Slab poured 5/11 Frame complete 28/11 Locked up 20/1 Fixed Out 5/3 Painting completed 18/3 Tiling Completed 15/4 Carpeted & Plumbing 17/4 Completed 27/5 https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=21238&p=290800#p290800 Re: choosing a concreter 11Apr 21, 2011 5:03 pm Hi, I have similar issue as 1sthome. I got a quote from a concrete for putting concrete, colour and cut the concrete last year in August for about $30K (the driveway is pretty long cos my block has 3 units). He is not the cheapest quote.. but he said he can finish the job and keep telling me how good/ professional he is..So my neighbour and i end up gave him the job. He initially asked me and neighbout to pay him $10K deposit. However, after 2 months later, he only finished a very small bit( around 1080 * 540 cm). And then he asked us to give him more money to buy the material .. so my neighbour and I gave him another $4K to get the concrete.. But again, he disappeared .. we tried to ring him many times but he didnt answer the phone.. Until Feb 2011, I texted him and said if he was not going to finish the job, we will cancel the contract and take further action. He suddenly called me and ask for more money I told him we have paid $4K in November to him and he didnt do anything.. Guess what he told me.. he said we should "look forward", and shouldnt keep thinking about backward.. He said he doesnt has any money to buy the concrete .. So i told him i wont give him any money this time. He can organise the concrete with the concrete company and I will arrange the payment with them directly.. So in March 2011, they finally finished the concrete.. But the quality is reli bad!!! Given they did a reli bad job, me and my bf decided to find another concreter to do some touch up job.. However, before that, we need those guys to finish colour and cutting the lines on the concrete.. So we kept chasing him to finish the job.. he keep saying he'd turn up and then he didnt.. and didnt even answer the phone.. I am reli sick of these ppl .. I am just wondering if any one can suggest me what can i do? All those deposits that i paid to him are via internet banking, which means i have his bank details.. and i have his work partner's ABN number... Can I go lodge complain to VCAT? For those in Melbourne looking for Concreter... Please do not contact these guys!! Gus 0416 946 05X Dat 0410 365 27X You can also refer to my photo album to see how bad they did.. The second photo is him!! https://picasaweb.google.com/1161627728 ... Apr212011# Re: choosing a concreter 12Apr 21, 2011 5:53 pm hahah he isnt even wearing boots.... Ask the concrete batching plants and decorative concrete supply stores for recommendations, The generally know whos worth hiring. They will recommend people that pay their accounts. people who consistently pay thier accounts are consistently getting payed by clients and are consistently *not* handing the money over to the local publican. Alarm bells should ring if they are asking for money to pay for materials mid way through a job. Re: choosing a concreter 13Apr 21, 2011 6:53 pm Aiah hahah he isnt even wearing boots.... Ask the concrete batching plants and decorative concrete supply stores for recommendations, The generally know whos worth hiring. They will recommend people that pay their accounts. people who consistently pay thier accounts are consistently getting payed by clients and are consistently *not* handing the money over to the local publican. Alarm bells should ring if they are asking for money to pay for materials mid way through a job. Good advice. Also depending on what state your in check to see if they are licenced contractors, also check with industry bodies (Master builders, HIA, ect) That guy isn't a concretor, so lets not refer to him as that from now on. Roll on the National licencing authority, watch people like this get run out of town. Re: choosing a concreter 14Apr 21, 2011 8:30 pm So what can i do now? Can i lodge a complain to VCAT? Is VCAT powerful enough to force him to refund the money back to me? Re: choosing a concreter 15Apr 21, 2011 8:53 pm Sorry to hear this story, CC. Going to VCAT is not easy and you need to prepare yourself. Here are a few links to some VCAT cases where the phrase "concrete driveway" has been mentioned. If you have a look at some of them, you'll start getting the idea about the process. Good luck ! http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinosrch.cgi?method=phrase;query=concrete%20driveway;meta=%2Fau;mask_path=;view=relevance;&mask_path=au/cases/vic/VCAT http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinosrch.cgi?method=phrase;query=concrete%20driveway;meta=%2Fau;mask_path=;view=relevance;&mask_path=au/cases/vic/VICCAT My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: choosing a concreter 16Apr 22, 2011 8:28 am they dont have a concrete licensing program in vic, but thanks re: that. Contract signed 28/9 Site scraped 22/10 Slab poured 5/11 Frame complete 28/11 Locked up 20/1 Fixed Out 5/3 Painting completed 18/3 Tiling Completed 15/4 Carpeted & Plumbing 17/4 Completed 27/5 https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=21238&p=290800#p290800 Re: choosing a concreter 17Apr 24, 2011 11:23 pm I guess the choice is down to word of mouth. I really don't know how to choose, besides knocking on neighbors doors and asking who did theirs. Cc's case is terrible, what a bunch of cowboys, literally , I mean...no shoes even, brings a whole new meaning to wearing concrete boots hey lol! Re: choosing a concreter 18Apr 27, 2011 10:28 pm Our finished product looks great compared with the job done for CC_newhome. Bad luck with that guy. 1 slab is 20mm out in one corner and another slab has a hollow in it where a puddle collects water. Not huge issues b/c both will be covered with tiles/carpet/timber. Still makes our stud walls more fiddly adjusting for the fall on the slab & makes the tiling more fiddly than it needs to be. Otherwise, the 2 slabs look pretty good. It's still a young green slab though so fingers crossed. Hello needing some advice. I was about to build my Alfresco and needed a new slab and remove exisiting slab as its not standard. So they start to excavate and jackhammer… 0 11196 Thanks for the reply. 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