Micro and dumper over slabs

[Russell]

I've got to do some digging in a garden and bring the dirt to the front of the house for grab lorry. It's all new slabs and may take around 20 runs with the tracked dumper. I recommend to ply over the slabs but the customer doesn't want to pay for them. Should I be worried about breaking the slabs? It will be a straight run

 

[JD450A]

I've got to do some digging in a garden and bring the dirt to the front of the house for grab lorry. It's all new slabs and may take around 20 runs with the tracked dumper. I recommend to ply over the slabs but the customer doesn't want to pay for them. Should I be worried about breaking the slabs? It will be a straight run

Quite simple... Written agreement that all damage is at the customers own risk.

Customer is a fool. Simple as.

 

[Jimbo69]

I would use ply, makes cleaning up a lot easier too. If the customer doesn’t want to pay could you get them to sign a disclaimer saying you take no responsibility for any broken slabs?

 

[Russell]

Ok thanks that confirms it, I'll politely tell him it's ply or get someone else.

 

[Shovelhands]

It’s sometimes just best to walk away from a job when the customer wants to cut corners.

I’ve got a situation right now where I was asked to quote for a super skookum job, but now trimming the spec to meet an unrealistic budget, you’ve got to know when to stop.

Some people want the moon on a stick, for the price of a lollipop and that’s just they way it is

 

[GazCro]

At the very least with a little bit of crap on the tracks the slabs are gonna get marked where you're running over them. If they don't want them covered just walk away not worth the hassle at the end.

 

[DaveDCB]

I have completely given up with customers who want to do a job on the cheap, I just simply won’t put my name to it or for that matter be seen doing it!
You can just see it on Twitter now ‘rouge contractor destroys patio’ “insert picture of machine through patio”

ps yes I have been axle deep through someone’s Block paved driveway before

 

[Stubota86]

Assuming it’s only a few sheets needed?

If he’s so tight he doesn’t want to pay for a few sheets of ply then there’s no way he would want to pay someone to replace any damaged slabs which can only mean he will try get it done for nothing... by you probably!

 

[Neilporteous]

I agree with what all the other guys have said here, a few sheets of ply isn't expensive and would be absolutely necessary in a situation like this, even with the ply there is still a chance of the slabs being disturbed and cracking if they aren't sitting on a full bed of mortar.

 

[Furniss]

If the job was priced well enough it might have paid you to invest in a few sheets of ply - if its too late on this one then next similar situation you could figure in the cost of a few sheets without it getting discussed and then you have them for next time.

 

[JD450A]

If the job was priced well enough it might have paid you to invest in a few sheets of ply - if its too late on this one then next similar situation you could figure in the cost of a few sheets without it getting discussed and then you have them for next time.

Nope.

Canary in a coalmine situation as far as i'm concerned.... Say 10 sheets of ply at £30 a sheet. £300... to get the job done and keep your new patio right. same price as two labourers on wheelbarrows for a day.....

If the client does'nt want to pay for that, IMHO neil is bang on! he wants a job for free

 

[fred]

the tracks allways mark the riven style slabs so will be a good day trying to cleaning rubber marks off them, the customer will invariably moan and want money off for the damage etc.

Red flag customer, could be wrong though hard to judge without a face to face sometimes.

 

[Furniss]

Personally I would expect the outfit to have boards - the boards wont be f***ed after one job so the price can be spread over several jobs/customers........ I couldn't be arsed with having the conversation with the customer about boards and their costs, I might mention that despite boards there might be some damage to the flags that I wouldn't be held responsible for but other than that I would have boards and crack on.
If however the jobs been priced and boards not be allowed for then thats a bit of an oversight.

 

[Bri963]

Buy your own boards for future use. You don’t expect the customer to buy a spade to dig the corners out. Price them on every job and get them paid for several times over.

 

[Quattromike]

Buy your own boards for future use. You don’t expect the customer to buy a spade to dig the corners out. Price them on every job and get them paid for several times over.

This is what I was thinking

 

[Russell]

The next job with slabs will have to be a price. This was a day rate and I told the customer straight off we would need boards. Have to draw the line somewhere, I think digger, dumper and driver for £200 a day is cheap. I can't start adding 15m of ply, breakers,augers and God knows what else for the same rate.

 

[doobin]

You’re robbing yourself at that rate mate. £270 here, and that’s if I’m feeling generous. A man is £200 a day everywhere, you can’t go providing the digger for that too let alone the dumper also!

You’re pricing too cheap and attracting the scummy customers.

 

[hiluxman]

The next job with slabs will have to be a price. This was a day rate and I told the customer straight off we would need boards. Have to draw the line somewhere, I think digger, dumper and driver for £200 a day is cheap. I can't start adding 15m of ply, breakers,augers and God knows what else for the same rate.

I had similar only this morning. With any day hires the customer has to provide ground protection. I got the reply well its your machine doing the damage with my reply of your telling the machine driver to track over there under your instruction so down to you to provide not us.

If it was one of our own jobs then itd be a different ball game.

 

[Jimoz]

Sounds cheap to me too. Having said that I wouldn't want to pay much above 200 just for a man and micro round here.

 

[Routy56]

The next job with slabs will have to be a price. This was a day rate and I told the customer straight off we would need boards. Have to draw the line somewhere, I think digger, dumper and driver for £200 a day is cheap. I can't start adding 15m of ply, breakers,augers and God knows what else for the same rate.

A few years ago, I was too cheap and the guys on here told me so
For me and my mini only I go out at £220 a day (8hrs inc breaks).
For my dumper, pecker, Wacker or anything else it's extra.
Never been so busy and many repeat customers - don't undersell yourself buddy