Just looking to see if anyone has some advice or recommendations on patios. I live in the Chicagoland area and have done some research and it seems like Pennsylvania Bluestone would be a good choice for durability and the winter times. It is a bit pricier compared to other materials and am wondering what others have used. For a 250-300 sq ft I was quoted $6250 which from calling around and doing research is avg. Is it bad etiquette to negotiate pricing? Don't want to get shifted on the quality of work if I do negotiate pricing. I don't have a place to sit and lounge and have a cigar so I am really looking forward to getting this done. Any help and advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Patio advice
- Thread starter javi_v
- Start date
Totally depends on who you're talking to. Most places probably won't care that you want to negotiate, they encounter it often. But, they most likely won't actually negotiate. They'll tell you it's their price for a reason, and that's that.
If you want to save some money, you can buy the stone and do it yourself. It's really not that hard.
If you want to save some money, you can buy the stone and do it yourself. It's really not that hard.
ciggy
"TommyBoy"
I love...LOVE...Bluestone but yes it is very expensive and you want to be sure you lay it properly. I have thought about using it many times but financially it's just way out of my budget. I've always liked the look of it with Irish Moss growing in between the stones. Very classy look. Good luck on the project!
When we first moved into out home, I installed a flagstone patio with a fish pond and small boulders...Looks good, and saved tons of $$$ doing it myself. As long as its graded and drained properly, it's mostly a lot of heavy labor, combined with a sense of style for the aesthetics. There are tons of great videos and other info on the Internet.
Good luck!
Good luck!
I believe the pricing is reasonable but you know there is always wiggle room. I just don't want to offend anyone if I make an offer and then not get a good job done. I'd love to do it on my own but don't have the time.
Yea I'm with you Ciggy it is a great look and the smell and look of moss would be great. I've done research on figure this stone would stand up and last in this harsh Chicago weather. Thanks!
Wow! Sounds great...wish I had the time to do it. Have been looking at videos and do it yourself guides and it does seem pretty easy. Hopefully once we get this done I will post up pictures. It's not going to be anything fancy but just a nice little area where we can sit and relax and a place I can have a smoke & a drink :yes:
Agentskull
BoM Feb 14
Some places will cut deals if you pay all cash
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It'll take a weekend to prep and then at least another weekend or two to get the stones down. I did a 450ish sqft patio myself with 18x18 concrete pavers and it rocks. My little townhouse is the envy of the neighborhood. Mine was a bitch to build though because I had to construct a retaining wall of sorts first. I also put two 3x9 planters on the edge too with a nice step down in the middle to access the yard. It would have been even easier had I not had to excavate the original patio in the first place because of shoddy work. Well and the original was like 250sqft so I had a bit of expansion to do.
It's a tough call when you try to negotiate a price. I used to be a contractor and always gave my best price in the beginning because I felt it was the best way to do business. When asked if I could do it for lower or told that others would I simply said this is my price. Sometimes I got the job and sometimes I didn't. I think that if you find a well respected contractor the price they offer will be worth it. Just my 2 cents.
I forgot about that. Will have to use that as a talking point. Thanks! :grin:
Man now that is a project! I'm sure you were happy once you finished it and got to enjoy it. Thanks for expanding my idea of what I should add to the patio
Thanks for the heads up. I figure that most pricing would be legit especially after checking online via a site that give a rough estimate of work using bluestone. This is exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for.