Blocklaying costs - Is this guy taking the mick?

O

ollaetta

Registered User
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I've been quoted €400 to raise a rear garden wall by two courses of 4 inch solid blocks. It will take a maximum of 70 blocks and there is no additional work of any kind.

I think this is way too dear and I wonder if anyone could confirm what such a job should cost?

I should probably add that the quote is from my neighbour with whom I share the dividing wall in question and he's a builder!
 
We raised our rear garden walls with 4'' blocks . About 60 of them . Blocklayer charged € 120 . ( about 5 hours work in total )

We also bought the blocks and cement and liquid stuff for mortar.

Blocklayer supplied the trowel.
 
This builder is still living in pre-bust cloud cuckoo land. I think the going rate for laying a block is about 70c at the moment. It used to be €1.60 or above.
 
A word to the wise. It is not safe to build an unsupported 4" blockwork wall over 1.20m high. Boundary walls over this height up to 2.0m are required to be built in 9" block with support pillars every 6m length (maximum).
 

Since I believe he's trying to sting you I'd try to have the wall built higher.

None of us have seen the wall and are only going by what you tell us it's very hard for anybody to know for sure.

I heard of a woman who wanted a wall higher and asked the question on a forum saying she wanted a wall to be 4 blocks higher and the builder (a neighbour) wanted for the job, she was advised (by posters) to tell him to get stuffed and she did, got 2 cheap guys to do the job eventually she came back onto the forum and said the wall had fallen over (or council told her to knock it...whatever) and she was going back to the neighbour to get it done properly.
 
Thanks for the replies and tips re dangers etc. The wall will actually be fine as it's about 35 feet long and there are already support pillars at either end and two others equally spaced along the middle.

Regarding the cost, I had a fair idea he was trying it on. I won't be paying until the job is done so I'll leave it until then to renegotiate!
 
So you have already given the go-ahead?

How can you then re-negotiate? You have agreed a price.

If the blocklayer came back at the end of the job and said he wanted to charge more, would you be happy?
 
I think "renegotiating" an agreed price at the end of a job when the builder is your neighbour is an excellent way to create a permanently bad relationship with your neighbour.
 
dubgem said:
I think "renegotiating" an agreed price at the end of a job when the builder is your neighbour is an excellent way to create a permanently bad relationship with your neighbour.
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This really looks like a time to remind people that good fences make good neighbours.
 
To be honest I have no problem "renegotiating" in this case. It is preferrable to being taken as a mug by someone who has never exactly been the ideal neighbour. He rents the house out so he's only there once in a blue moon anyway.

The proposed work is as much to his benefit as to mine and is it too much to ask for him to give an honest pricing for such a relatively small job?
 
Go elsewhere - we were badly caught by a so called neighbour - I can tell you the price was far from neighbourly! I was so mad with myself for not fixing the price - once bitter though!!
 
Cancel him, if he is not due to start for a while. I did this recently with a plaster when I got a quote of €4000 for a plastering job. First guy wanted €7000.

You'll feel better after it. Getting done is a horrible feeling.
 
If you have gottn a price from him and let him go ahead based on that price, I think you wouldn't have a leg to stand on legally if you try to change the price after the job is done. He's allowed to charge whatever he likes and if you accept it, that's a deal done. The time to renegotiate is now before anything starts. I think you're opening yourself up to lots of trouble if you let him go ahead thinking you're agreeing to his (albeit inflated) price and then think you can change the terms when the job is done.
 
Absolutely ! negotiate now, why bring agro on yourself later. That sounds like an evening job to me, I think 200 quid is more than reasonable assuming he is supplying the blocks & mortar etc. Particularly so when he will also benefit from the higher wall.
 
ollaetta said:
I won't be paying until the job is done so I'll leave it until then to renegotiate!
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There are more rogue customers than rogue tradesmen.

If you have agreed a price and given the go ahead (even if you think the price is high) the price is contractually binding. By attempting to rip this guy off in this deceitful manner you will probably end up creating more aggravation than it is worth.
 
It's the dividing between you and him why don't you say that you will provide the materials and he can provide the labour.
 
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