Learn me: Concrete parking pad

So... I'm renting a house. It's a nice little place. Not huge, neighborhood kinda sucks but so does the housing market. The plan was the next time we move it would be into a place we owned. But that's looking further and further away every day.

When we moved in the place looked like a crack house and we've done quite a bit to make the place nicer. SWIMBO loves having a garden and it's got a great office where she can work from home. We've been here a few years and will likely stay 2-3 more.  My biggest problem is no garage, not much shed and a gravel driveway. I can't even do regular maintenance here. It's level, so it's got that going for it.

I want install or have installed like a 10x20 concrete pad at the top of the driveway something level and solid so I can put the car on jackstands or throw a patio table on it on warm summer evenings.

Thing is I have no idea how much such a thing costs. If it's a grand or two I'll just pay for it. It'll be worth it even if I move in a few years, if it's like 5 grand then I'll live without. I can't even get a local company to give me a ballpark estimate without sending a guy out. I just want a non binding "generally it's $6.50 a sqft" or whatever.

So GRM hive. Arm me with the knowledge I need to navigate this. What do I actually need? What extra crap are they going to try and upsell me on? 

From what I've seen locally, I'd guess that to hire it all out will take your 'do not exceed' number and multiply it by at least 2.

As a data point, a friend was just quoted $25/sqft for a basic 12X18 patio extension in rural Indiana. Obviously, a parking pad in the PNW will be different, but less than $10/sqft (your estimate for $2k) seems pretty unlikely to me.

Pretty sure Antihero does concrete work closer to that corner of the country. Maybe they'll chime in.

For comparison. 

In spring 2022, in metro Atlanta's north suburb of Roswell (subject to some rich people tax but probably not the highest), I contracted with a "Cadillac" quality concrete contractor with decades long good reputation. 

I paid $12,255 for 1,816 sf (6.75/sf) for this:

(copy/pasted from the proposal)

1) Concrete Driveway

Included Demo and haul off existing concrete, assume 4-5”thick
GAB sub base
Forms and prep work
4000 psi concrete, 4”thick
Added FiberMesh Reinforcement
Rebar – X pattern
Broom finish and picture framed edges
Hand tooled/sawcutjoints (8-10 FTapart)
2” conduit at apron
All clean up
3 year limited warranty

I just poured a 8.5' x 14' pad for $500, this included stump removal, digging, sand, forming, steel, cement mixer rental, 100 bags of redimix and labor of my three children.

I don't recommend this, but there is a nation wide powder shortage.  Concrete company's will only sell to contractors and I already had it formed and ready to pour.

Delivered concrete would have been $500 with delivery and fiber.

In reply to akylekoz :

You got a much better deal than I did. $4 something per square foot on yours if my math is correct.
 

I'll gladly pay the man for the amount work it involved to R/R and haul. 

I know people that have the time to w sit can get concrete at the end of the day for cheap , 

But you have to do it on their schedule  , ask some local contractors

AClockworkGarage said:

So... I'm renting a house.

Anything more than zero is a no from me dawg. Unless the property owner is willing to compensate you for it. 

Not to mention you'd need their permission anyway. 

Recently got a quote from a local contractor to re-do a patio with a small extension, rip up about 150sqft and put down 250-300sqft.    They quoted me $16,500.   Not a typo, SIXTEEN AND A HALF THOUSAND FLIPPING DOLLARS. 

I have since discovered that amazon carries reasonably priced electric jackhammers and I am formulating plans to DIY despite having a bad back and young children, because DAYM

z31maniac said:

AClockworkGarage said:

So... I'm renting a house.

Anything more than zero is a no from me dawg. Unless the property owner is willing to compensate you for it. 

Not to mention you'd need their permission anyway. 

This. It's a rental and not for you to fix or upgrade. 

I understand that working on gravel sucks, been there. You have to get creative and work with what is there or with what your landlord is willing to provide. Without talking to them, I would absolutely not do this, and I 100% would not pay for it. 

Those are valid concerns, but they are more importantly, not the question I am asking.

How much would five sheets of marine grade plywood cost?   It could make a removable pad that is warmer than concrete.

In reply to Apexcarver :

That's quite a F you pay me price. 

akylekoz said:

How much would five sheets of marine grade plywood cost?   It could make a removable pad that is warmer than concrete.

I have two sheets of 3/4" pressure treated plywood that I use as a movable floor inside of a portable garage (12x24 tent). I move the sheets around as required for the job I'm doing.

I've used ramps, jack stands, engine hoist, and trans jack on them with out issue. They've worked well for trans R&R, rear main seal, harmonic balancer, steering box and nose replacement on a 2nd gen ram,  trans and clutch replace on an SX4, several vehicles of  ball joints,  struts, fluid changes, exhaust repair, and brake jobs. 

I'd like to have a more permanent floor and workshop, but this works well enough that I'm not rushing to make changes. 
 

AClockworkGarage said:

So... I'm renting a house. It's a nice little place. Not huge, neighborhood kinda sucks but so does the housing market. The plan was the next time we move it would be into a place we owned. But that's looking further and further away every day.

When we moved in the place looked like a crack house and we've done quite a bit to make the place nicer. SWIMBO loves having a garden and it's got a great office where she can work from home. We've been here a few years and will likely stay 2-3 more.  My biggest problem is no garage, not much shed and a gravel driveway. I can't even do regular maintenance here. It's level, so it's got that going for it.

I want install or have installed like a 10x20 concrete pad at the top of the driveway something level and solid so I can put the car on jackstands or throw a patio table on it on warm summer evenings.

Thing is I have no idea how much such a thing costs. If it's a grand or two I'll just pay for it. It'll be worth it even if I move in a few years, if it's like 5 grand then I'll live without. I can't even get a local company to give me a ballpark estimate without sending a guy out. I just want a non binding "generally it's $6.50 a sqft" or whatever.

So GRM hive. Arm me with the knowledge I need to navigate this. What do I actually need? What extra crap are they going to try and upsell me on? 

 

It's highly variable by location but I can tell you that 2k doesn't get you a lot of concrete work, I'd be very shocked if you can get it for that. I'd also probably not want to hire a person that would do it for that.

The problem with a sq ft charge is the slab you want to pour is tiny. Personally I never ever ever bid by sq ft, I only bid by the job. Otherwise someone is getting screwed over. Also I personally will never give a "non -binding" idea of price because in general that actually means " this is a figure that I will clutch to myself and matters more to me than my children's lives" in my experience, you are probably different but believe me......the vast majority are not.

In my area you literally have to be on a list to get concrete, since I've used the same company for decades I can get concrete, many others can't get it even if the have been around for awhile. The powder shortage is a real thing.

Basically, unless you have a perfect subgrade, and find someone incredibly cheap there's no way you are getting it for 2k, I certainly wouldn't do it for that .

I wish I had better news for you really

AClockworkGarage said:

Those are valid concerns, but they are more importantly, not the question I am asking.

How you wish to spend money is, of course, only your concern. So your only real option is to keep calling contractors and get quotes, determine if you're willing to pay, then ask your landlord if they are OK with you making modifications to their property. 

But I still don't understand the point of improving someone else's property. Hell, I did my S52 swap in my E30 on an open gravel driveway, not even a carport. 
 

Apexcarver said:

Recently got a quote from a local contractor to re-do a patio with a small extension, rip up about 150sqft and put down 250-300sqft.    They quoted me $16,500.   Not a typo, SIXTEEN AND A HALF THOUSAND FLIPPING DOLLARS. 

I have since discovered that amazon carries reasonably priced electric jackhammers and I am formulating plans to DIY despite having a bad back and young children, because DAYM

While that price is ridiculous and makes me want to travel to all the people on the forum and do a concrete pouring mini tour, i wouldn't recommend jackhammering out a slab if you haven't done it before.

For one, the amount you are taking out weighs roughly 8000 pounds. If it's a big jackhammer it'll suck. If it's a small jackhammer, it'll suck. If it goes easy, it'll still suck and if it goes poorly it'll really really suck.

Definitely get a few more bids, 16.5k is ridiculous, and if it's a standard figure for your area..,.well......I'll take a road trip lol

A cheaper compromise might be asphalt tailings. Go hit up your local asphalt company and get a price for a  truckload of the old roadbed after they grind it up. You can prep the area yourself with a load of road mulch (3/4 minus) and a rake and shovel and then hit it with a rented roller, and do the same with the asphalt. It packs nicely and if you go over it with a tiger torch its almost as good as new stuff. Sometimes they give the tailings away if they are resurfacing a road and need to dump it somewhere. 

z31maniac said:

AClockworkGarage said:

Those are valid concerns, but they are more importantly, not the question I am asking.

 

But I still don't understand the point of improving someone else's property.
 

You don't have to understand it. It's less "improving the value of someone else's property" and more "improving the quality of my own life."

So they get a parking pad when I leave. Big whoop. In the meantime I get to continue working on my car without begging people to use their driveway. I don't have to pay people to work on my car. I don't have to worry about a 2 hour job streching into a 2 week job and tying up a bay in someone else's garage.

If I can get away cheap enough, it's worth it. Car people of all people should be able to understand spending money with no monetary return on investment.

Here's a wag https://www.homeblue.com/concrete-patio/tacoma-wa-concrete-patio-cost.htm

In reply to AClockworkGarage :

I respect your approach. I probably wouldn't do it, but I get it. Quality of life is important. 
 

I'd still check with the landlord. The problem is he might not want a concrete slab, and might expect you to remove it when you leave. He would be justified to keep your security deposit. 
 

Concrete work on prepared sub grade costs about $6 per sf in Central GA. 
 

The thing some people don't understand about small jobs is mobilization. 
 

Its expensive for a contractor to mobilize. To pay his crew, to move equipment, to have the tools and training on board, to maintain insurances, licenses, etc. It can cost thousands just to show up. 
 

Mobilization is expensive regardless of the size of the job. 
 

The cost of mobilization has to be added to every job. It costs money just to show up before doing anything at all. It gets absorbed easily in big jobs, but becomes huge on smaller jobs. 
 

In commercial construction, we have to work hard to avoid remobilization fees. If we fail to make the whole job available to the subcontractor on his first trip, it's not unusual for them to want to charge an extra $5000 every time I ask them to show up again. Bad planning is the single largest cost overrun on every job. 

Note to self...

Never ask a question on GRM unless I'm willing to listen to 12 answers to questions I did not ask. 

In reply to SV reX :

You just learned that today? 

I was in a similar situation a few years back (no garage, gravel driveway). I built a platform of pressure treated plywood with some 2x4s on edge and railroad ties for support underneath. Cost 15 years ago was around $400, and I added a 10'x20' fabric garage from Sam's club for $200. It was a great solution for me that was well worth the cost and effort for the five years before we moved to our current house (a garage was my one requirement).  It gave me a flat platform and got me out of the wind/rain/snow. It wasn't the warmest place in the winter, but I tried to consolidate my major projects into the warmer months.