We have a shared path between our house and our neighbours house.

Our neighbour has had a quote of £900 to tarmack a path of 20 foot long by 2 foot wide and a couple of short legs to the front doors and wants us to pay half the bill.

Appartantly she has booked the builder for Tuesday !!! Talk about feeling railroaded.

I have rung the builder and canceled our half of the path on the basis that I want an offical quote from him at the very least before committing to paying out this much money. He said he could bring a quote over later in the week after doing the work Tuesday !! I am not impressed.

Plus I want to get a couple more quotes from other firms,as this price seems very high to me (not that I know anything about building work) but I want reassurance that I am in the right ball park and not being ripped off.

So I am looking for any ideas about expected costs of tarmacking paths.

Or does anyone have any good or bad dealings with a company called TRADE PLASTICS, Unit 12, Huntsmens Gardens, Shepcote Lane, Sheffield. Phones 0800 0270655 or 07818 296619

This any good to you? http://www.pavingexpert.com/tarmac01.htm#price

Check the height of the damp proof course. I know somebody having problems with a path being laid too high. There should be 2 courses of bricks between the ground and the DPC. Perhaps you could tell the neighbour you're getting an expert to check this - just to buy some time whilst you sort this nonsense out

Good luck :(

Is there any other access to the properties whilst this gunge sets? :suspect:

Originally posted by PIF_Tails
shared path... quote of £900... wants us to pay half the bill... booked the builder for Tuesday
Shared path - shared bill = shared decision. I have no experience of tarmac prices, but I am comfortable saying you have every right to tell your neighbour "No way!" until you have yourself made enquiries.
Also, what if you just simply don't have a spare £400 odd lying around?! Its an awful lot of money, and very presumptious/rude of your neighbour to expect you to a. cough up unquestionably and b. in such a short space of time.

If she wants the tarmacking done that badly and that quickly, then she should fork out for the lot herself. I've just had some fencing done in my garden which was really my neighbours side/responsibility; as I needed it doing, I sorted it and if need be would've had to pay for the lot myself. My neighbour was under no obligation to pay for something she wasn't really bothered about!!

Actually, the more I think about it - the audacity of your neighbour! Tell her to get stuffed! (Politely of course ;) )

20x2 feet!!!!!!!!!!! =£900?

Not yards/ meters (or miles!).

Well we're 'in the area' tomorrow with a 'bit spare from a job'

I'd ask for a block paving quote!

Originally posted by FORE
I'd ask for a block paving quote!
Wouldn't block paving be even more expensive ?

Thanks for the pavement link, not sure which layer type he is talking about...hence the need for a quote in writing.

Has she shown you the written quote :suspect: That is so expensive.
I reckon block paving done properly (dug out to six inch minimum, hardcore base etc would still l be loads cheaper :suspect:

Originally posted by PIF_Tails
Wouldn't block paving be even more expensive ?
I think that's the point, Pif. At those rates, we'd be surprised if you couldn't get block paving cheaper ;) Sounds like a rip off.

What did you get your quote to come out at, just from looking at the link?

That quote is daylight robbery - we paid £1200 for block paving last year and the area paved was much larger than that... done by a reputable company and with a 5 year guarantee!!

:o

How does that calculate per square metre Pif.... About £67? :o

Block paving it is then :thumbsup:
http://www.pavingexpert.com/blocks.htm#price

If it was my neighbour I would be telling them to get stuffed! Don't be bullied into doing something........and laying out all that money, just because your neighbour says so!
Don't commit yourself.......tell your neighbour that you are willing to discuss the path with them and make a joint decision as to what will happen. BUT........you are not going to hand over £450 just because they have booked for the work to be done.
You are quite within your rights to even tell them that you like the path just the way it is and you do not want it changing!!
If they are daft enough to pay out all that money.....then let them, but keep yours where it is.

Can I smell a rat?

If you halve that quote, does it look right? :suspect:

Are you being asked to cough for the whole lot in reality?

Looking that way...... :suspect:
Strong possibility....

I was ripped off some time ago for a cowboy job.

When I contacted the insurance company they advised me to contact them before setting on any unknown contractor.

Most insurance companies have a list of dependable contractors who they recommend so that they do not have to pick up the pieces when customers have been ripped off.

Happy Days

It might be a bit too late now, but give Trading Standards a ring as soon as you can. They will send out an officer to confront the builders. If they're all above board they will have nothing to fear and justify their costs. If they scarper you know there is something wrong.

If TS can't get round, ask the builders to hold off on the work until the Trading Standards bloke comes. I bet £50 they'll say it's ok and promise to come back later but never do!

Originally posted by alchresearch
It might be a bit too late now, but give Trading Standards a ring as soon as you can. They will send out an officer to confront the builders. If they're all above board they will have nothing to fear and justify their costs. If they scarper you know there is something wrong.

If TS can't get round, ask the builders to hold off on the work until the Trading Standards bloke comes. I bet £50 they'll say it's ok and promise to come back later but never do!

A builder can set their price at whatever they want.

Ok in this case it's a bit different but TS have no say on how much a builder charges.

My neighbour is one strange lady. We went around to drop off a letter, so she can not misunderstand our position.

In the letter, we explained the verbal quote was far too high and that if she wanted to wait whilst we got realistic quotes from other companies, then we 'll share the cost.

However if this 'cowboy' does anywork tomorrow that it was at her entire cost and she was responsible for any problems resulting from poor work.

But what was strange was she did not believe that £900 was a high quote, she also thought we were strange for wanting a written quote !

She just didn't understand why we were not going with it. I said that if she wants to do joint work, that she needs to ask us a couple of months ahead of time not two days and that all normal people deal with companies which give out written quotes, not dodgy guys who won't.

Also my partner (on his day off) saw the builder come to our neighbours house and stand outside telling her how we won't let him do this job !!!! So he has time to moan but no time to write a quote.

I have told my partner to keep an eye on the bloke if he comes around tomorrow, just in case he causing damage to the path, as my neighbour is going to do half of it !!! (A strip one foot wide...weird)

Thanks for all the information and advice.... I might get a quote for block paving :)

Originally posted by fnkysknky
A builder can set their price at whatever they want.

Ok in this case it's a bit different but TS have no say on how much a builder charges.

Depends if the builders are reputable or cowboys.

BBC Manchester recently followed TS around investigating builders specialising in tarmacing and driveways. It was quite amusing to see them flee when they were asked simple questions by the TS guys. It was even more amusing to see the police (who were also present) take action against some of the unroadworthy and uninsured vehicles!

Originally posted by PIF_Tails
We have a shared path between our house and our neighbours house.

Our neighbour has had a quote of £900 to tarmack a path of 20 foot long by 2 foot wide and a couple of short legs to the front doors and wants us to pay half the bill.

Appartantly she has booked the builder for Tuesday !!! Talk about feeling railroaded.

I have rung the builder and canceled our half of the path on the basis that I want an offical quote from him at the very least before committing to paying out this much money. He said he could bring a quote over later in the week after doing the work Tuesday !! I am not impressed.

Plus I want to get a couple more quotes from other firms,as this price seems very high to me (not that I know anything about building work) but I want reassurance that I am in the right ball park and not being ripped off.

So I am looking for any ideas about expected costs of tarmacking paths.

Or does anyone have any good or bad dealings with a company called TRADE PLASTICS, Unit 12, Huntsmens Gardens, Shepcote Lane, Sheffield. Phones 0800 0270655 or 07818 296619

2 ft wide seems very narrow for a path?

Originally posted by 1Man&hisBMW
2 ft wide seems very narrow for a path?
We each have five foot of land directly outside our housing which are ours and this thin path strip is in the middle.

i.e. Between our homes we have. My house, my five foot of land, the shared path, her five foot of land, her house. We are only talking about the shared path not our own land.

Just a thought, but if you did it in 2*2 foot slab stones you would only need about 10 slabs. If you paid £2 a slab they would cost you £20. You might want to put down hardcore and sand first which may cost you another £20. The material has just cost you £40 so it sounds like the labour may be a touch on the expensive side..

Originally posted by PIF_Tails
We have a shared path between our house and our neighbours house.

Our neighbour has had a quote of £900 to tarmack a path of 20 foot long by 2 foot wide and a couple of short legs to the front doors and wants us to pay half the bill.

Appartantly she has booked the builder for Tuesday !!! Talk about feeling railroaded.

I have rung the builder and canceled our half of the path on the basis that I want an offical quote from him at the very least before committing to paying out this much money. He said he could bring a quote over later in the week after doing the work Tuesday !! I am not impressed.

[/B]

The going rate for tarmac for paths is roughly £50 a square meter, and 40sq foot is about 3 square meter, so I think all in all it should be £350ish at the most including labour.