BS: Cost of laying a driveway?

Subject: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 08:05 AM

We are looking for a house to move to and we are considering several in Lancashire.
One otherwise nice one that we found has a problem in that the access is via a farm track that has seen better days. I want to know how much it is likely to cost me to relay it so that I can figure this in to the calculations on whether this house is for us or not.

At present the track is humped in the middle with grass growing but passable with care in my estate car and ceratinly OK for 4x4s but we would like to be visited by middle daughter who runs a Toyota MR2 sports car! (She's quite fond of her exhaust pipe).

Judging by Google earth it's about 230 yards long so we are not talking a small suburban driveway. It's also about 1000' up in the hills.

Beyond the property there is another 100 yards across another field (belonging to the next property) on a better farm track before you get to a reasonable road surface, but this part of the access is acceptable.

Anyone know about different surfaces and likely prices?

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: GUEST,Neovo
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 08:08 AM

How about getting three quotes from reputable contractors?

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: Riginslinger
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 08:21 AM

I bid jobs for a paving contractor in Oregon. I could give you a ball-park figure about what it would cost if you were building the driveway in Oregon. But you have to know the distance, the width, the average grades--how many feet up or down the road goes from point A to point B--and what the drainage situation is.
               Does it need culverts? Would it have a bar ditch on the uphill side, or would the road be "out-sloped." And is there a place for run-off water to go?
               Maybe I'm a little over sensitive to drainage, being in Oregon.

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 08:26 AM

I don't as yet know any firms in the area (good or bad).

I'm looking for a ball-park figure first and I don't want to have to get people out on site (as they will probably tell me they have to before they can quote me). Also I might need to know quicker than they could reply to me.

As another thought, there may be different ways of doing things, concrete, tarmac, blockwork, etc. not covered by the same firms.

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: Bobert
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 08:29 AM

Well, the fact that it is humped in the middle is a good thing 'cause that means it is draining properly and less apt to have bed damage... BTW, here we call that a "crowning"...

You might be able to just regrade what you have that would allow the Toyota passage without having to pave??? I'd explore that option first unless you just want the blacktop look...

BTW, my drive way is almost a half a mile long but I am able to keep it in good shape with my tractor and a "box scraper"...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 08:40 AM

From my brief inspection:
It is a gravelled track laid as a raised causeway across moorland with a gentle cross-slope with one or more drains beneath to allow water to escape. It climbs about 20 feet in the length of about 230 yards and its plan is a gentle reverse curve.
Judging by the age of the surrounding buildings I would estimate the track as being there for at least 300 years!
Buying an old tractor might be a solution. It could start a new hobby!

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: Donuel
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 08:47 AM

Thats not the suburbs, thats the Ponderosa

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: Rapparee
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 08:50 AM

Astronomical if your wife catches you!

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 08:56 AM

The ridge in the middle can either be scraped off, as previously suggested, or rolled. It is only raised because the bits either side have been compressed by vehicular traffic. You could top it with scalpings, and then roll it, but beware of the weight because of the culverts you mention.
Laying tarmac is a waste of time, unless you are prepared to dig out the old road and lay a proper base. That way lies bankruptcy!

JM

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: Riginslinger
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 09:00 AM

That's only about a 9% grade, so you shouldn't need any major reconstruction.

            Assuming the cross-drains are adequate, and if you were in Oregon, the ballpark costs would run as follows:


Pull the ditched and reprocess the road base material that is there: approx: $1,900.00

Add 2 inches of aggregate base rock:
approx: $3,600.00

Pave with 2 inches of Asphalt Concrete
approx: $14,800.00


                  The cost of asphalt paving has doubled in the last year due to oil prices.

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: pdq
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 09:11 AM

Thanks, Rigs.

Nice to see a post where someone actually knows what he's talking about.

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 09:51 AM

You might get away with just putting down scalpings and leaving them to bed in. Keep a pile of loose ones to hand for filling spots that subside or bed in too much.

Or you could put layer of terrain fabric down and then put scalpings on.

I've done both as part of refinishing volunteer work with the AWDC - but we were mor interested in 4*4s than MR2s

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 10:12 AM

Thanks I think that I can use that as some sort of basis for negotiation in house price bargaining!

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: GUEST,Elliot Lurie
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 10:27 AM

I laid Ashfelt with red stones in it on my driveway many years ago. It is a large area and was dammed expensive, but it is as good as the day it went down.

Remember, you will get what you pay for. Avoid tarmac and loose stones.

EL
XOX

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: Alice
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 10:31 AM

Open your local phone book to the yellow pages and look under the headings Asphalt Paving and Paving Contractors. Local businesses will be able to give you an estimate after personally looking at your situation. Not all businesses are listed on the internet, but in general, local services are listed in the print yellow pages. What you will be able to do will depend on the kind of paving services available to you.
With the increase in oil prices, one of the asphalt businesses in our town closed its doors and reopened as an auto body repair shop.

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: katlaughing
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 10:57 AM

Might be cheaper to buy an old "ferry car" and have your daughter park at the end of the driveway and use the old "beater."**bg**

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: Newport Boy
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 11:17 AM

For the type of access you have, I wouldn't bother with a bituminous surface, unless you're prepared to spend a lot of money. What is already there sounds basically OK, and I'd go with Bobert's suggestion of simply regrading.

Alternatively, Richard suggested adding some scalpings, which would make the regrading easier. Suitable scalpings are not available in all parts of the country. The more reliable option is Type 1 sub-base material.

Assuming an area of about 600 sq metres, you should be able to get a 50mm layer of sub-base laid for about £1200. Add a few hundred for initial regrading and levelling.

For more than you ever want know about paving, try McCormack's paving expert site. The relevant page is here - click on Price Guide in the LH box for cost estimates.

Phil

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: kendall
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 12:54 PM

I've just had three estimates on repaving the driveway. I hope you have plenty of money, it's very expensive.
66 feet by 16 feet, just to resurface the driveway with no excavation, $2200.00.

To excavate to a depth of 18 inches with 1+ 1/2 inches of binder and 1+ 1/2 inches of top coat, $4300.00.

Or, to just lay a 2" surface on top of the old, $1100.00.

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: open mike
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 02:25 PM

ha! i read "farm truck that has seen better days" perhaps that is the solution!!

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 08:19 PM

"From: Rapaire
Astronomical if your wife catches you!"

I was going to say a bad back...

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: Sorcha
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 09:48 PM

Hey...I'm trying to do a roof...they are just as expensive!

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: GUEST,number 6
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 10:09 PM

Back in May I had mine done for free ..... sometimes if you do a good deed for someone, you'll get rewarded.

I was surprised as I certainly didn't expect it.


biLL

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: strad
Date: 18 Sep 08 - 03:37 PM

An approx figure for 700sq m would be £3000 for bitmac surface plus whatever groundwork is needed. Check your local bitmac quarry for price per tonne - 1 tonne will do about 5 sq m. If it's done properly then little maintenance will be needed.

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Sep 08 - 04:05 PM

To add to what Rapaire and Foolestroupe said...

- sore knees and elbows
- skin abrasions
- very sore pecker (may not work right for days afterward)

I don't recommend it. Try fences and trees with knotholes. Much better.

Subject: RE: BS: Cost of laying a driveway?
From: PoppaGator
Date: 18 Sep 08 - 06:01 PM

I've driven up Bobert's dirt-road driveway in a standard sedan ('06 Hyundai Sonata) with no problem. I wouldn't think that any Toyota, even the smallest and sportiest model, would have much less clearance than my car. The drive is fairly long and steep, and narrow enough that I wouldn't like to encounter another car coming in the other direction, but there was absolutely no danger of bottoming out, skidding off, or any such problem.

Paving may not be necessary, although I suppose that more regular maintenance will be necessary if you just-regrade the existing "farm track," as opposed to investing in pavement.

Putting down some gravel would be a compromise between regrading the dirt as-is, on the one hand, and going with asphalt or concrete on the other. Is that what "scalpings" means?