Flatwork quotes for driveways, patios and walks

Homeowners see the surface. Your price is mostly underneath.

The other guy was two thousand cheaper. He was also pouring straight onto the old dirt.

A finished slab looks the same on day one whether it sits on four inches of compacted gravel or on nothing. The difference shows up three winters later. Listing demolition, base, forms and steel as separate lines lets the homeowner see what they are paying for and makes the bid that skipped them easy to spot.

Finishes belong on their own lines as well. Broom, exposed aggregate and stamped patterns are different jobs, and a homeowner choosing between them needs to see the cost of each.

What to check on the site visit, and write down

• ✓Square footage and thickness, plus any thickened edges or apron.
• ✓Grade and drainage: which way water runs now, and which way it should.
• ✓Access for the truck, or whether you need a pump or buggies.
• ✓Utilities and sprinkler lines, and who calls in the locate.
• ✓Permit needs at the street cut or apron.

What costs concrete contractors on paper

• No deposit before the pour Ready-mix, a pump and a finishing crew are booked for one morning. Your deposit rule should be signed before they are.
• Cracking not addressed Silence reads like a guarantee. Say what is normal and what you stand behind.
• Weather left vague Rain and frost move pours. Write that the date moves and the price does not.
• Layout changes on pour day A wider apron is a new price. Say how changes are handled.
• Old quotes honored at old prices Material costs move. Give each quote a validity date.

Pour season and the rush to beat the frost

In most of the country, residential flatwork runs from spring thaw to the first hard frost, and fall fills up fast with people who want the driveway done before winter. Quotes that are signed early get the dates. Once signed, the pour goes on the schedule with the crew and the skid steer or forms trailer assigned, and the homeowner gets the invoice as a link when the forms come off.

Concrete quote questions

Will my new concrete crack?

Concrete can crack even when it is poured well, which is why control joints are cut to guide where it happens. Put a plain statement about cracking in your terms, and say what your workmanship promise covers, so the homeowner reads it before the pour rather than after the first hairline appears.

When can we drive on a new driveway?

Most contractors tell customers to keep foot traffic off for a day or two and cars off for about a week, longer in cold weather. Whatever your rule is, write it on the quote, because it is the question every homeowner asks.

Does Scopie calculate cubic yards or do takeoffs from plans?

No. Scopie does not measure from drawings or work out yardage. It is meant for residential flatwork you measure on site: the quote, the signature, the pour date and the invoice.

Can I visit the site before I send a price?

Yes. Log the request and book an assessment visit on your schedule. After you have measured and checked the grade, build the quote for that request and send the link.