Concrete drive

   / Concrete drive #1  

nap61

Silver Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2006
Messages
233
I have a quote on putting in a 14' X 95' drive (4" depth). This if for 3000 lb concrete with fiberglass (no steel) on a residential driveway. They want $5.45 per foot ($7,245). Does this price sound fair? What about using fiber instead of steel mesh? Any help/comments are welcome.

Norm
 
   / Concrete drive
  • Thread Starter
#2  
Sorry, I forgot to add that I am in S.E. Louisiana.

Norman
 
   / Concrete drive #3  
14 x 95 x .3 = 399 divided by 27 = 14.7 yds x $75 = $1108.33 just for the concrete.
----------------------------------------------------$100 = $1407.00
----------------------------------------------------$125 = $1837.50

$3 to $10 per sq ft. installed. Just a rough computation



95 ft times 14 ft x 1ft =1330 cu ft, divided by 27 = 49.25 cu yd , times $100 = $4925, divided by 3 for a 4 in slab = $1641.

I think the bottom part is more correct.
 
Last edited:
   / Concrete drive
  • Thread Starter
#4  
J J,
Thanks for the reply. I am waiting on a quote on just the concrete in my area. You figure that my drive should have between $1100 and $1900 in concrete. Sounds reasonable. My contractor wants $7245. That's $5000+ for labor. Sounds high to me. Also, they are pouring 60' of drive at the same time on the contractor's nickel. What do you think about using fiber instead of wire mat.

Norm
 
   / Concrete drive #7  
[14x95x4/12]/27 = 16.4 yards of concrete required.:)

That 12 in should be a 1 ft to get things to square feet. I used 1, and at the end, divided by 3 for a 4 in slab. I think that is right.
 
   / Concrete drive #8  
Probably 95% of slabs poured with wire do not use chairs. While the wire is tougher to handle, get it laid down and tie wire it together, then while pouring, use a hand hook bent out of rod to pull it up into the concrete. Rebar on the other hand chairs are normally used, but old brick can be substituted.
Fiberglass is fine if you dont anticipate any heavy loads, though personally i'd never substitute it for wire or bar in a driveway. Let one trash truck do a turnaround and you'll have damage. At least with wire, should you have some cracks, (and concrete WILL crack) wire keeps it from splitting and heaving much better than fiber. Better to spend a little more now than have to have a section sawed out and replaced.
Another option would be blacktop. have you done a price comparson?

One last thing, for a quick material yardage calculation, sq.ft./80 will be close for a 4" slab. Dont forget to add 1/4 to 1/2 yard for any overages and miscalculation. Grade work is seldom precise so there will be some variation in actual mud poured.

Edited to add: Do Not drive on it for a week. it'll take that long to cure enough so damage isnt done.
 
   / Concrete drive #9  
If it was me, I would use wire and fiber.. I started using 5" on anything I drive on too... Do you have good drainage???
 
   / Concrete drive #10  
A yard of concrete 4 inches deep covers 81 sq. ft. I agree with captaincrab.

I use a liquid product called Cure and Seal over concrete, to help seal in the moisture while it cures, and it helps cut down on concrete dust later, and cuts down on staining. Don't use it if you are going to use a concrete stain later. Apply it while the concrete is damp, right as the finishers leave, with a roller or garden sprayer. Seems to help cut down on smaller cracks from drying too fast.
 
 
Top