$3500 for driveway and site clearing....

[jballone]

Just met with two excavators who both had similar bids for my driveway.  Here's the break down:
- Remove trees & stumps from driveway, building site & septic area.
- 4 loads of fill for driveway ramp to road.
- 6 loads of gravel for driveway (+/- 180' long x 16' wide)
Total - $3500

How's this figure sound?  The lot is located in Upper Michigan.

Thanks,
Joe

[glenn kangiser]

For California that would be decent.  

Fill at around $200 per load - Rock from the main supplier $440 for 10 yards - crushed slate is $200 but is rather soft.

Add the other work to that -it sounds fair.

[MountainDon]

This has nothing really to do with this thread topic, but I found it interesting, and this question rang a bell for me.    Doing some research and trying to convince the local forest service supervisor of the need for some road work I came across the US FS cost estimator guide for most of the western states. A dozer class 2 operator (D4 and larger) gets paid (hourly); CA 67.24, AZ 40.35, UT 36.88, ID 43.73, KS 17.97, CO 38.59, NM 13.55      

[glenn kangiser]

Just the wages or the machine too? :-?

I assume just the wages as the fire guys get pretty good money.

[MountainDon]

Wages.

BTW, we (neighbor and I) are improving the road up the hill to my mountain place, plus some of the road to our communal gate. He's supplying the labor free. The TD9 is from a friends construction company at $100 per hour for the machine, fuel included.

[glenn kangiser]

I usually get $80 per hour for me and my Bobcat -- 963   105 HP.  

It could be considered cheap or expensive depending on how you look at it I guess.

One tire cost $375 and could last about a year around here -- or could last 5 minutes if you hit the wrong rock.  The tracks can protect the tires -- or destroy them by forcing a rock through the sidewall.  I lost one in the first 2 months.

However you look at it - toys cost money.

[MountainDon]

I figure it's reasonable as it includes the use of the truck/trailer combo to bring it in and take it back.

[glenn kangiser]

I either charge a pickup and delivery fee or for my straight time port to port.  Somebody has to pay for this stuff.  I only want to play with it.

In reality it costs a lot more than people think.  Contractors Liability insurance is about $500 per month - vehicle similar - fuel $1000 per month - truck repairs -- equipment repairs  --- now I'm getting depressed. :-/

[MountainDon]

--- now I'm getting depressed. :-/

We don't want that. Sorry.  :'(  Sure it's all deductible but it's still money you don't have anymore.    

But yep, most folks can't see beyond what they perceive as "well he just had to push over a couple trees and he only spent 30 minutes pushing some dirt around".

I'm glad I don't have to drive anymore to make a buck.

As it is I get depressed thinking about needing new tires for my personal Jeep; that makes me cry. $950 w/o the spare. Unless I don't get the Mud Tread; I could save almost $200 with A/T.   :-/

[glenn kangiser]

Yep -- many times I'll spend 2 or 3 hours getting ready to do a little job before I even get started -- or get back and start putting back together the things I broke while doing the job.  Also - I'm about 40 to 75 miles from any place that has parts or repair stuff for this type of equipment.  

There's always Okie rigging it - note - that is not a derogatory term -- I don't think there is another term for making do with anything you have or can make work until the proper part is acquired.  Actually it is a tribute to Okie ingenuity.

[Bellla]

Glenn, I thought of the term Jerry Rigged when I saw your Okie Rigged comment.  When I looked it up online I found that the term actually started out as jury rigged - a nautical term not anything to do with a legal jury.  Here is a link for any wordsmiths with the discussion I read (scroll down to the second article).  It was kind of interesting.  Frankly I'm sure that all of us have juryjerryokie rigged a thing or two in the past (and used a little duct tape, scrap wood, baling wire, etc. to do it!)  Just a little old "necessity is the mother of all invention" at play.

http://www.wordcourt.com/archives.php?show=2004-03-10

Bellla

[glenn kangiser]

I guess there is another term for it, Bellla -- in fact I've even heard it.  Just had a senior moment and I'm not quite there yet -- at least not by all standards.

Whatever it is, it is very common here due to the distance to the big stores.  You have to learn to do it or be satisfied with being a failure... but then seems I've had to do it all my life.  Where did I go wrong? :-?

[Bellla]

You didn't go wrong Glenn!!! Anyone who can solve their problems with existing materials and good old Yankee ingenuity is far ahead of the game.  Imagine where our Founders would be if they had waited for just the right watchamacallit to arrive from England.  I marvel at some of the solutions some people come up with using items they have on hand - especially if they solve the problem and don't create a new one!  I like to tell people that not only do I think outside of the box, I tear it up, fold it, and make something new out of it.  

As far as the Senior Moment goes - I tell my kids it's MentalPause.



Bellla

[glenn kangiser]

Reminds me of the gal who got up  and found nickels, dimes and quarters in her bed every morning.  Mentioned it to her doctor and he told her not to worry about it -- she was just going through the change. :-/

Sorry 'bout that.

[Bellla]

Reminds me of the gal who got up  and found nickels, dimes and quarters in her bed every morning.  Mentioned it to her doctor and he told her not to worry about it -- she was just going through the change. :-/

Sorry 'bout that.

Thanks for the chuckle!



Bellla

[glenn kangiser]

My pleasure-- You are lucky you don't live around here or you would have heard it about 4 times already.  

I always tell them to Sassy about six times but that's OK because she always forgets the punch line, so it's like telling a new joke each time.  

Saves on having to learn new ones though.

[jballone]

This thread basically got hijacked but just to update everyone, I got the 2nd bid in writing and it came in @ $3,000.  Needless to say, I accepted it since it's $500 cheaper than the first.  Drive will be started in a couple of weeks  

[glenn kangiser]

Not exactly hijacked.   :-?

We were just idling until you got things checked out and got back to us with a report we could respond to.

Sounds great.  Money saved is money earned.

[MountainDon]

We kept it up near the top of the list so it would be easy to find.  

[glenn kangiser]

The way I see it, our forum is like a finely tuned racing engine.

If we shut it off and don't keep the driver occupied, he will probably run out to have a beer and won't be here ready to race when the light changes.  If we keep him strapped in the seat, he's ready to slap the pedal to the medal (dang - I meant metal)  and our team wins.

We keep occupied and interested, then, when a problem or question develops we are ready to pounce on it and tear it up.  That's why we encourage all the new ones to get involved.  Who knows when someone will have a question that they know the answer to. :-?

Note -- in reality -- I'm really not a teamwork kind of guy.    I used to get called -- "Not a team player" in school -- a loner -- a rebel --- a smart alec. :'(  The above example was just for illustration.

[MarkAndDebbie]

he's ready to slap the pedal to the medal

you mean "drop the hammer"

[glenn kangiser]

10-4  :-/

Damn Mark --- don't make me think about talking on the CB anymore.  Some truckers were hoping they had more power than me just so they could get out of range of my CB.  They should be so lucky.  

[Bellla]

Where else are you going to find people talented enough to link driveway construction, nautical language origins, "the change", and race cars into a user friendly, easy to understand conversation!



Bellla

[glenn kangiser]

We have it all, Bella.

[Okie_Bob]

Glenn, speaking for myself, you sure didn't need to use a disclaimer when referring to Okie's. Hey, I'm just glad you remember me!!!!!
Okie Bob
Let's go have a beer and solve some world problems!