Anyone lay their own concrete?

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Garethw

Garethw

Mopar. Because rocket science is too easy.
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Hey FABO. I’m planning a 40x48 pole barn shop. The total amount was a little crazy so I’m looking for ways to save. The concrete alone was quoted at about 12k (includes forming, material, and labor). My math says it takes 21yd of concrete for a 4” slab. At $160/yd that’s about $3400 for the material. So over $8k in labor for a slab seems ridiculous. Is it really that hard? Anyone do this themselves?
 
Steel? That is something you can manage. You are waay better off finding someone to place the concrete and finish it. Forms and steel would be something you can do. And site prep. You need someone on your site with experience.
 
Following, looking to add about 300 sq ft to my 500 sq ft shop. I got a quote and $6500 all in plus taxes. So your price seems in line.
When we did the initial garage, Dad n I excavated, compacted gravel and formed. That saved me some good $$.
Pouring and finishing only cost me $1000 for 500 sq ft. I paid for and did everything else. Rebar, wire mesh.
You can save $$ by asking concrete guy if you can prep and form?? Have them pour, finish and saw cut.
Nor sure about hour geography but where we are 8" at the thinnest part.
Theres something to be said for experience with excavating and pouring.
Good luck, have fun
 
Was there any rebar reinforcing in the estimate?

How good are you with a surveyors transit?

You're going to want that slab level in the right places and pitched in the right places with expansion joints etc. I've done some sidewalks and small pads but what you've got going on is pretty good size.
 
21 yards yourself and no experience. You'll kill yourself and not have a good job when you are done. I hate to say it but you are better off paying on this one.
 
I would pay to have it engineered, then you have a plan to follow to be sure you get what you are planning.

Is your soil expansive? Might want to go 6" thick slab?


You might want to form in some reinforcement beams into pad and around the perimeter.

You might even want to put a curb around the perimeter to prevent ground water from getting in should it get a bit wet outside.
 
Are you doing footings? I am unsure of practices in your area, but I feel most construction I have witnessed has footings. So trench, trench in electrical and plumbing, form footings, hang rebar to code, pour footings, lay drain pipe, maybe break up slab into sections and put in drains in the floor of shop so you have places to slope to, then run a lazer around footings 6" down from top of footing and slope to drains. I would make a couple of well placed 6" parts where you can bolt a lift to. Also keep in mind bolting building to foundation which would require putting in 'J' bolts every 8' or so......

But, not sure what you are looking for.....
 
Back in the day we used to do our own patios & driveways, but would do it in sections. About 200-300 square feet was about all we could do at a time. This was with 3-4 neighbors & friends helping. It’s hard work & you have very limited time to work it, particularly if you have a hot load, which is what happens a lot to non professionals.
 
And make sure in the contract it says 4''. Got screwed on that one once.
 
The forms are made with 2x4s so keep in mind you will NOT have a 4" pour, but 3.5". That's bullshit for anything automotive. I highly recommend stepping up to a 6" pour, which of course will be 5.5". More money, but much stronger.
 
RustyRatRod said:
The forms are made with 2x4s so keep in mind you will NOT have a 4" pour, but 3.5". That's bullshit for anything automotive. I highly recommend stepping up to a 6" pour, which of course will be 5.5". More money, but much stronger.
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You can rent 4'' forms. Or use 2x6's and mark them.
 
Not a steel building but will have steel siding. It will use 6x6 wood posts. I’m pretty good with a transit and confident I could get the forms good and level.
 
As said above, if you've never done concrete work before, get a contractor to do the pour and finishing. They already have all the equipment and know how to use it. You'll have 3-4 trucks lined up (depending on load limits in your area) and this is no time to be figuring out what comes next- you're on a time constraint to skreet, float and finish (paddle or broom, what's your flavor?); and by the time you rent all the equipment, your savings start to disappear. Plus, who knows what weather you'll be up against this time of year? For example, I finished pouring mine in the middle of a sleet storm that popped up out of nowhere... fun, fun. Thank you, National Weather Service. You can do the prep, gravel, rebar and such, but with that size pour you'd better know what you're doing with the forming- last thing you want is a breach while this is all going on. If you've never done it before, shop around to get the best price for the job, and see if they'll let you lend a hand. Learning lasts a lifetime.
And about that 4" floor- you'll want 6 if you ever decide to put in a hoist, or at least go thicker and have footings in the area where it will be installed.
 
I've formed, poured, screeded and finished large pours and this is not something you want to do your first time. You'll just waste your money and time. It is back breaking work and if not done properly, you'll end up paying to have what you put in removed and then have to pay someone to do it properly. I would shop around and good luck.

It's like my wife always tells me " The cheap comes out expensive!" sometimes it's best to leave a job, especially one not easily fixed, to the pro's.
 
3-4 times the cost per yard sounds about right. There's a lot of prep work to be done.
 
Would you want your next engine to be built by someone who's never turned a wrench before?
A shop is for the rest of your life. Do it right.
 
I did concrete for about 10 yrs full time and have lots of friends doing it still so I have a little experience. Right now in PA concrete is going for about $6 to $7 a square foot. So thats right in line with your quote. And just my opinion but trying to pour 21+ yards when you have no experience is just asking for trouble. Chances of it turning out very well are slim.
 
In Wisconsin, concrete is 20,000 psi per building code. Generally its mixed with fiberglass strands to reinforce strength. That is more than enough for cars at that specification. Whats really important is the underlayment. People that pore concrete will know what is best for that area. A good reputable contractor is worth the price. My be able to save some money by finding one that puts up pole barns and get a package price. Make sure you put a drain in the floor.
 
21 yards of concrete is a lot to push around and finish before it sets up. There's a time crunch when placing it and you need a crew that knows what they are doing. Did concrete work with my dad growing up and we would have a crew of at least 5 or 6 guys to pour that and a power trowel to finish it.
 
Speaking from experience and doing a couple of pours (25yards being the most) I can tell you that if someone wants to put their mind to it sure they can pour it..... However, and take this with a grain of salt....

When it "kicks off" you had better have a handle on everything. Plenty of people and forms built like Fort Knox. I wouldn't take the risk again on a big pour personally. It really is a craft if done right and done wrong you can have a mess.... Small stuff is fine and it's actually rewarding work.

Unless you really want to try it make a plan to just pay for a seasoned professional to do it.....

JW
 
Never heard of 20k psi concrete. Most normal concrete is 3000psi. 4000 psi concrete is a high strength mix.
 
Sounds like the toughest part now will be choosing the right contractor. That is a lot of mud, and it does go sideways quick. Dont pick the cheapest quote maybe too, ask to see some previous work if possible.
 
Yes, I pour concrete, and do it as a profession. $4/sqft. in my area for the time being. Just like a paint job on a car, prep work is key. You need to have a solid base, and make sure your grade is consistent.
Rebar is highly recommended every 4 ft for light duty, every 2 ft for heavy duty usage: semis and tractors I would recommend 2 ft.
Whether you can do it yourself depends on quality and quantity of help, and equipment. If you have good help, and enough help, you'll be fine.
You do not have to pour the whole slab in one pour. It can be broken down into 2 or three pours depending on your help situation.
What finish are you putting on it? Broom or trowel finish? Trowel finish requires more effort and skill, or you end up with a big mess if you don't know what you're doing.
Decide what you want, whether you have the necessities to tackle the job, then decide if it's worth the $8k to have it done. If you have the resources available to do the job, it can be for less than what you've been quoted. If the resources are not there, it's best to pay the extra amount.
 
clementine said:
Sounds like the toughest part now will be choosing the right contractor. That is a lot of mud, and it does go sideways quick. Dont pick the cheapest quote maybe too, ask to see some previous work if possible.
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I believe getting Concrete is becoming a problem so that is something else to keep in mind... Definitely not the cheapest price. In this line of work if it sounds too low get ready for a disappointment.....

JW
 
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