From phone call to written quote: concreting around Lang Lang

The problem with a rate per square metre

Picture two double driveways in the 3984 postcode. One is on a sandy block east of town: the ground is firm once the topsoil is off, the truck can back straight in, and water drains away by itself. The other is on the flats toward Western Port: there is peat to dig out, the base has to be built up, a grated drain is needed in front of the garage, and the entrance crosses a table drain that needs a culvert. Same size, very different amount of work. Any single figure we put on a website would mislead one of those owners, so we price after we have stood on the block.

Step one: the first conversation

When you ring or send the form, we ask a handful of questions. Which town and street? What are you after: a driveway, a slab, a patio, yard work? About how big? Is there a date you are working toward, such as moving in, a shed arriving or a float needing somewhere to park? Photos help us prepare, especially of the ground, the gate or frontage and the garage. If there are house plans, shed engineering or estate guidelines, we ask for those too.

Step two: the visit

On site we start at the street or farm gate and work in. We measure, take levels with a laser, and dig or probe a few test holes to see whether we are dealing with sand, clay, fill or peat. We look at where rain sits and where it can legally go, at overhead wires, trees and the route for a truck or pump, and at anything buried such as septic lines or old footings. We show you finish samples outside in daylight and ask how the area will be used, because a float pad and a family patio are designed differently.

Step three: the written quote

Within a few days you receive a quote by email. It is broken into items: measured area; demolition and disposal; excavation and how soft ground will be handled; base material and compacted depth; slab thickness and reinforcement; finish, colour and any sealer; joint layout; drains and their outlet; steps, edges or walls; the crossover and the authority that has to approve it; pump hire or other access needs; and the clean-up. If an item is not on the quote, it is not in the price, so you can see exactly where the money goes.

Which authority, which permit

Concreting inside the property line is normally permit-free. Work in the road reserve is a different matter. Depending on the town, consent comes from Cardinia Shire, Bass Coast Shire, South Gippsland Shire or the City of Casey, and an entrance onto the South Gippsland or Bass Highway can also need the state road authority. A slab under a house, garage or large shed, and some retaining walls, need a building permit and engineering. We name the authority and the paperwork on the quote, so nobody is surprised later.

Weighing up more than one quote

Put the quotes side by side and compare line by line, not just the bottom figure. Does each one remove soft ground, and to what depth? Same base, same thickness, same steel? Are drains included, and where do they discharge? Is the crossover in, and are council fees in or out? Is a pump allowed for if the truck cannot reach? The lowest figure is often the one missing a line, and the missing line is usually the base or the drainage, which are the parts that decide how long the concrete lasts.

Weather and booking a date

Once a quote is accepted we pencil in a date, but the weather has the final say. On the Western Port side, a wet week can leave flat ground too soft to compact, and a hot northerly or a strong westerly can dry a fresh surface before it can be finished properly. We will move a pour rather than risk it, and we tell you as early as we can.

When the ground hides something

Test holes catch most problems, but now and then a dig turns up a buried slab, a pocket of peat deeper than expected, or an old pipe. We stop, show you, explain what it means and what the choices are, and get your agreement in writing before carrying on. Nothing extra is done without you knowing about it first.

Small jobs and farm jobs

A set of steps, a tank pad or a single trough pad is worth a call. Small jobs can often be slotted in alongside other work nearby. Farm jobs need a few extra questions: stock numbers and type, machinery weights, where wash water and effluent go, how a truck will cross the paddock, and which weeks are off limits because of calving or hay. The more of that we know, the more accurate the quote.

What happens after you say yes

We confirm the date, lodge any council paperwork, and lock in the finish and colour. A day or two before work starts we let you know what to expect: when the excavator arrives, when the pour is, and whether cars, pets or kids need to be kept clear. When we finish, you get written notes on curing, when to walk and drive on the concrete, and how to care for it.