On Apr 19, 11:26*am, "Joe J" wrote:

Just to update...lowest quote so far for concrete is $11,500. *Two more at
$12,500 and $13,000. *A little variance in the way they measure, but all
around 2,900-3,100 sq ft. *It's not a conventional shaped drive.

Two asphalt quotes so far. *One at $4,700 and the other at $7,050. *Both say
they will grade and compress existing aggregate then pave 3" on upper
course. *Not sure why the big price difference? *Still getting more bids for
both.

There's such a thing as diminishing returns in soliciting bids. You
won't be necessarily getting additional information or a better
completed job, and more likely it will just muddy the water and waste
your and the contractors' time. I'd figure, looking at it from the
cheap seats, that you should first make up your mind whether you need
or want concrete. That's largely determined by where you are as
climate has a lot to do with it, and of course your budget.

After that it's a question of getting a couple or three bids on the
exact same project, and/or knowing how to balance the bids. To a very
large degree the determining factor should be the contractor's
reputation, company longevity and their willingness to take care of
problems on their nickel. When you ask for references, ask for a
reference for a project that needed some corrective work. That might
be a tough reference to get from some contractors, but if you explain
that you want to know how they service a job, they should be more
willing.

As far as the sub-grade preparation, it's compaction, not
compression. Using the wrong words will peg you as a newb that is
trying to come across as knowing more than they actually do - in other
words, either a mark or a potential pain in the ass. The compaction
itself is a major factor in any paving project. Nail down the
contractors on exactly how they prepare and compact the sub-grade.
Some contractors will drive a truck up and down the driveway and call
that compacted, some will use a plate compactor, and some will have a
ride on roller (aka steamroller). The best would be a combination of
the last two, the first is an immediate, "Next!"

R