Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Jul 25, 2008 3:45 pm Got this email from our builder the other day...
The foundation beams have been extended to a depth of approx. 750mm with splaying widths due to the inconsistent density and softness of the soil encountered at the standard depth. We suggest that you can visit the site prior to the pour and view the foundation for reference. The extra concrete amount will be calculated on the completion of the pour and we will notify you of the additional charges within 7 days. Does this sound expensive??? Our specs state, "The Owners attention is drawn to the fact that [name of builder] allows 40m3 of Concrete for the Classification "H" Foundation on your property: If additional Concrete is required this will be payable by the Owner $230.00 per m3. Please note that a Concrete pump will be required for your property and the estimated cost is $1,000.00." Re: Additional Concrete Charge 2Jul 25, 2008 4:35 pm Hi Oztish
Concrete charge sounds about right, but our concrete pump charge is only $500 - and we're in the middle of nowhere. Building in remote, regional Vic We have roof, frame, walls, plumbing, electrical....but no bricks! Re: Additional Concrete Charge 3Jul 25, 2008 4:38 pm We were charged extra for the concrete pump - can't remember how much (but knowing PD it would have been $1000 +) and they didn't even use one!!!! We will be demanding a credit on that one! Solidarity, not solidity.......The Lexicon of Life Re: Additional Concrete Charge 4Jul 25, 2008 4:45 pm Concrete pump minimum charge on average between $280 to $360 and hourly rate about $80/hour.....reckon $1000 is too high $500 is pretty reasonable.....probably need the pump for 3 to 4 hours-ish for a typical slab....
$230 per cubic metre for concrete is reasonable. mmm....donuts Homer Simpson 1956- Links: Site Costs Ready Reckoner | H1 Addiction Medical Advice | Château TDL: The Backyard Update re the Extra Concrete Charge 5Aug 03, 2008 2:18 pm Just an update to let you know we finally got our invoice for the extra concrete charge. The contract allowed for 40 cubic metres and they used 100 cubic metres. They charged us at a lower rate than the $230 per cubic metre and the total cost including GST ended up as: $9300 (roughly).
Here's a cut and paste blog entry I created about this episode: Our concrete slab was poured last week. So we are now the proud owners of dirt AND concrete. For the past six months we have lived with the fear of ye olde "non fixed contract item". Basically everything for our house has been costed and fixed into the contract price - except for the concrete. The builders allow for 40 cubic metres of concrete and they don't really know how much will be required for each job until they actually get out there and sus out the soil and so on and so forth. So the whole way along we've been worried about these extra charges. I asked the builder one day, back in February how much the guy 3 blocks up from us had to pay in extra charges and without skipping a beat, replied, "10". Me: "10 what?" Him: "10 grand" Me: "Oh" I didn't hear the next twenty minutes of conversation - I was replaying his "10" over and over in my head as though he'd just told me I had terminal cancer or something. And how could he be so blase about it? Bastard. So DH and I have been working on a "worst case scenario" of $10K, however honestly we never thought ours would cost that much. I mean, surely karma was going to be gentle...DH is a vegetarian for God's sake, that's got to count for something in the scheme of the universe. And he cycles to work - so less carbon emissions. And what about that injured bird I found on the road that day on the way to Sunday School as a child and I talked Dad into dropping it into a vet? - Yep, I was pretty sure I had the whole karma thing worked out and we were sitting pretty. A few weeks went by and I got an email from the builder saying that the footings had been completed and he went into some detail about how much deeper they had to go, 750mm deeper. "Oh, 750mm...I see" (translated to mean "right, um, what the hell does that mean? Is that alot? or hardly anything?") Either way, I felt like he was preparing us for a whopping big invoice. A few days later he called to say the concrete had been poured and offered to meet us on site so he could go through the concrete job with us. What's there to go through? Here's the concrete. It's grey and it's hard. A few days later we get another call saying he's done the paperwork and wants to come to our house to go through it with us. Paperwork? Isn't it just a one pager? This is now getting scarier by the day. We start panicking that he's talking in the ballpark of $20,000, $25,000? Surely not more than $30,000?! So when he actually comes over and hands me an invoice for $9,300 for the extra concrete charge I actually felt relieved. Oh, $9,300? Is that all? Small change...not a problem. Easy Peasy. And so, almost with a spring in my step, I march upstairs to get my cheque book and write out our cheque for $42,623 - all for grey, hard concrete. Half an hour later reality sets in. That was pretty much our worst case scenario. Ouch. Re: Update re the Extra Concrete Charge 7Aug 03, 2008 11:42 pm oztish So DH and I have been working on a "worst case scenario" of $10K, however honestly we never thought ours would cost that much. I mean, surely karma was going to be gentle...DH is a vegetarian for God's sake, that's got to count for something in the scheme of the universe. And he cycles to work - so less carbon emissions. And what about that injured bird I found on the road that day on the way to Sunday School as a child and I talked Dad into dropping it into a vet? - Yep, I was pretty sure I had the whole karma thing worked out and we were sitting pretty. Sorry 'bout the extra dosh....but the bit above made my day...... Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ mmm....donuts Homer Simpson 1956- Links: Site Costs Ready Reckoner | H1 Addiction Medical Advice | Château TDL: The Backyard Re: Additional Concrete Charge 8Aug 04, 2008 11:48 am I am really sorry about the suprise outlay, I know how it feels - but I have to say your post was very funny!
Good luck! Elizabeth Re: Additional Concrete Charge 10Aug 04, 2008 3:06 pm I don't understand this at all.
Why is the builder designing the depth of slab? Surely this would have been done by a structural engineer prior to the build commencing, and then the builder would build to the structural engineers specifications? Simon Building an architect designed home out of Insulated Concrete Forms on acreage in semi-rural SE Melbourne. Developer approval obtained, engineering complete, getting quotes Re: Additional Concrete Charge 11Aug 04, 2008 7:51 pm Apparently they estimate how much concrete will be required, dependant on certain factors and certain soil types/composition. Then when they actually go out and start preparing the footings etc., they then can adjust the requirements based on the actual conditions -
This is gobbledegook for "I have no bloody idea'. The builder did say that the building surveyor "said this" or "said that" so they were going by some external person's advice. If you already have a contract, is the inspection cost stated in there? If not they would be forced to issue you a variation which you could of course object to. 12 25863 Our standard double-glazed window is tested to achieve, Rw 34, and can be glazed to suit Rw 39. The price is good too... 3 9471 |