GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - What should I pay (nephew) per metre of wall?

prb · 25-03-2011, 05:04 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

In article ,
says...

stuart noble wrote in
:

On 25/03/2011 12:57, Baz wrote:
wrote in
:

My nephew is skilled (I think he is, he once had a business doing
landscaping) to build a 1.2m high by 7.5m long retaining wall. The
wall will probably be made of one two walls - a facing wall and a
wall set back, immediately adjacent to the soil. I'd say it needs to
be about 30mm from front to back.

Lets say my nephew gets the materials at trade price, and I pay that
price for the materials. Of course, I'd want to pay my nephew a
reasonable and decent price for building the wall.

QUESTIONS: How much do you think I should pay my nephew per metre of
wall that represents a fair price, assuming he is not acting as a
business? What would be a fair price if my nephew were to say he
would do it acting as a business?

Thanks.

Never allow anyone without qualifications, in this case bricklaying,
to work for you.
You should ask for 3 quotes from established builders.
Ask your nephew a price also without him knowing the other 3 and then
decide. BUT having family doing paid work is riddled with problems.

I would bet that the nephew wants money up front for the bricks, am I
right?
You sound unsure of him and if you ARE unsure don't do it. Sounds
simple I know but if you get it wrong you will have no wall and no
money. I see this all the time and it riles me.

I hope you don't think I am insulting you or your nephew but you did
ask and I think I have given you at least something to think about.

Baz

Probably a day's work for a bricky (£200 here in SE London), but
someone has to do the footings first, so it comes down to how easy it
is to dig trench and fill it with concrete

That was my point really with asking for quotes from established builders..
A builder would include footings in their estimate, and will be itemised to
show this. Would nephews quote be so? I very much doubt it.

I reckon Baz has about got the measure of your nephew, he sounds like a
proper rogue, I would set the dogs on him if I were you.

Give May Gurney a ring, they realy love doing half day jobs, it won't
cost more than a couple of thousand.