Hey everyone, my wife and I are fixing our deck, which was poorly built by the previous owner. Part of the repair involved replacing the support posts, which required pouring concrete into the holes. Our contractor is now charging us $1,000 just for the concrete, claiming he used 8 bags. We mentioned that concrete bags typically don't cost more than $10 each, but he insists that the total is mostly for labor. Is that amount reasonable for pouring concrete in 5 post holes, or am I overreacting? Also, he mentioned needing 4 workers for 4 hours at $60/hr. Any thoughts?
3 Answers
Wait a minute, is he really saying he had 4 workers digging post holes for 16 labor hours? I’d be questioning that claim hard. Sounds like he’s inflating costs. I’d tell him to take a hike with that price.
Yup, if he really needed that many people to do that job, he’s either terrible at organizing or trying to scam you!
Honestly, unless those holes were dug into rock or something equally tough, a $1,000 charge for that work is outrageous. I could see needing some time for the posts, but even then, that seems excessively high.
Right? I’ve done similar work, and it definitely doesn’t take that long. Something feels off with that bill.
For sure! I can’t believe he’s saying it took 4 workers 4 hours. They clearly didn’t need that many people to pour concrete!
You should definitely check the contract you signed! There’s no way it should say you’re liable for $1k just for pouring 8 bags of concrete. If you didn't sign off on that price before work started, then he can’t just make up a figure like that. Sounds really fishy!
Totally agree! That contractor might be trying to pull a fast one on you. Always good to clarify costs before the job.
Exactly! If you didn't agree on a price ahead of time, it gives him no grounds to charge whatever. You might consider negotiating standard rates if you feel that’s fair.
Seriously! I’d want to get more details on what exactly those workers did for that price.