We have ended up in a difficult situation where we urgently need to replace the pipes in the basement of our house. The contractor has just installed a mini-treatment plant and has now discovered a slight backflow in the existing pipe and that parts of it are old. This means the entire floor must be cut open and new pipes laid. About 20 m. Before we can connect the facility, this needs to be done, they say. We have now received a price tag of 192,000 SEK after ROT including VAT. Previously (in connection with the purchase of the property), we received a price indication of 80,000 SEK (from another contractor). In the new quote, the material will cost 67,000 SEK and the labor 176,000 SEK (before ROT). This means 243 man-hours with the contractor's hourly rate 725 SEK/hour. Both the material and labor seem very high, I feel. The question is - who is right and who is wrong? Grateful if anyone wants to discuss this and has information. Thanks in advance! Janne
Here is what the spec looks like:
Here is what the spec looks like:
- Protective covering of affected areas
- Sawing/trenching of concrete (approx. 20 lm)
- Sewer connections at existing positions
- Sewer connection from pipe towards garage
- Breaking up and removal of concrete
- Excavation of trench
- Drilling in the outer wall for connection to the sewage system
- Laying of sewer pipe, electricity drawn from sewage plant to tech room
- Reinforcement and embedding of sewer pipe
- Slope leveling of tech room (approx. 9 sqm)
- Waste management
Sit tight.
Make sure to get at least one more quote.
Your stretch is somewhat longer than our basement, and the majority of our concrete is (probably) unreinforced, but the estimates I've received have been more like your first.
It should be possible to connect the facility anyway, right, or how does the backfall affect it? According to the quote, electricity should be drawn, but it should be possible to do it temporarily with an extension cord or something similar.
Make sure to get at least one more quote.
Your stretch is somewhat longer than our basement, and the majority of our concrete is (probably) unreinforced, but the estimates I've received have been more like your first.
It should be possible to connect the facility anyway, right, or how does the backfall affect it? According to the quote, electricity should be drawn, but it should be possible to do it temporarily with an extension cord or something similar.
That sounds a bit inflated.
The most obvious is the material cost. 20 m of sewer pipe costs a couple of thousand, expect about the same amount for connections and various bends. Concrete and reinforcement are cheap, max 5,000 SEK for what's needed here.
The most obvious is the material cost. 20 m of sewer pipe costs a couple of thousand, expect about the same amount for connections and various bends. Concrete and reinforcement are cheap, max 5,000 SEK for what's needed here.
I also think it sounds like a lot.
Did the same a number of years ago. Although it was only 12 meters, I took the opportunity to add extra drainage, tiled the entire basement, and also fixed the brick walls. Naturally, it's not possible to compare prices, but as someone who is very price-conscious, I didn't think it was particularly expensive for what I got. A dingy basement from 1925 became fresh, stylish, and nice.
The biggest problem for you is to get more quotes and find craftsmen within a reasonable time.
Did the same a number of years ago. Although it was only 12 meters, I took the opportunity to add extra drainage, tiled the entire basement, and also fixed the brick walls. Naturally, it's not possible to compare prices, but as someone who is very price-conscious, I didn't think it was particularly expensive for what I got. A dingy basement from 1925 became fresh, stylish, and nice.
The biggest problem for you is to get more quotes and find craftsmen within a reasonable time.
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We replaced the drainage two years ago, the length of the concrete floor in the basement that was sawed up was probably 8 - 10 m, then a 25 m long hose was also inserted through the concrete pipes to the well. A total of 30 thousand before ROT, the work and transport about a third of that amount.
I refilled around the pipes and re-cast the floor myself so that's not included.
I refilled around the pipes and re-cast the floor myself so that's not included.
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But I don't understand, did your sewage work before the installation of the sewage treatment plant?J Jean The Wiz said:
If so, it should also work with one…
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The entrepreneur has surely caught the scent of blood if you sound as desperate as in your post here. Unprofessional company that wants to exploit you.
Get more quotes. The order book is probably quite empty with the entrepreneur when they scare you this much 😅
Get more quotes. The order book is probably quite empty with the entrepreneur when they scare you this much 😅
Exactly this. Sounds like the contractor is sensing an easily fooled customer.Rejäl said:
Now I'm not going to claim that it's either simple or quickly done to replace pipes. Especially not when it comes to a stretch of 20 meters.
However, 192,000 SEK is an incredibly large amount of money. Perhaps it can be reduced by about 50,000.
BUT, after all, it isn't "rocket science" to break up the concrete and replace the pipe. If you have average DIY skills and are physically fit, you can handle this yourself. It certainly helps enormously if you have a couple of eager-to-work teenage sons. Or if you have a brother or best friend. To be safe, I should say that women can also be helpful.
There are several threads where others on the forum have documented their pipe replacements.
However, 192,000 SEK is an incredibly large amount of money. Perhaps it can be reduced by about 50,000.
BUT, after all, it isn't "rocket science" to break up the concrete and replace the pipe. If you have average DIY skills and are physically fit, you can handle this yourself. It certainly helps enormously if you have a couple of eager-to-work teenage sons. Or if you have a brother or best friend. To be safe, I should say that women can also be helpful.
There are several threads where others on the forum have documented their pipe replacements.
Is 192k just for the work in the basement? If so, that sounds completely insane... I'm currently doing a similar job in my basement, though much larger. I rented machines and broke up the entire basement slab (47 sqm), laid insulation, a new sewer main, and ran branches for a new bathroom that will be there, currently reinforcing and laying underfloor heating. My main is about 12m but with branches of about 6m more. I'm doing everything myself, and if I exclude the cost of the underfloor heating, the material and machine rental don't exceed 30k. This includes ballast and cement. Honestly, I think you can manage on 10k in materials if you can/want to do the work yourself. Removal of material is an additional cost if you can't use it for fill on the property.
In my parents' house, we relined the pipes under the slab, 6 branches if I remember correctly, and a drainage well. The price was just over 100 after rot, which the company itself said is probably double compared to breaking up and recasting, but you avoid all the hassle and it's done in a few days. My parents have a fairly newly renovated basement. I was planning to do a similar exercise next year; I don't have a budget, but I plan to do it on a rolling basis together with my carpenter, knocking up the floors (unreinforced, thin concrete), laying new pipes, recasting, and leveling. I expect it will take about a week, maybe 40,000? My carpenter might put in 40-50 hours and I 15 - I haven't planned it very carefully yet. The material cost for me is negligible, 3 floor drains, 10 meters of 110 pipes, 20 meters of 75 pipes (max, I'm just estimating), some bends, cleanout access, clamps, etc., and about a ton of concrete and leveling compound. It might cost around 5000 kr.J Jean The Wiz said:
725 kr/hour (assuming incl. VAT) is also quite steep for concrete and jackhammering work. (580 + VAT)
It's hard to assess your job, but off the top of my head, if you received a price indication of 80,000, that seems fairly reasonable.
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One might wonder if you can afford to go to work. 192k is a lot of money. With my hourly wage, I can't afford to go to work, it's more rational to stay home and solve this kind of thing myself. I have done this exact job myself, so I know exactly how much work it is.
I would do it myself every day of the week if I had the choice to outsource again.
The materials for this are cheap, it's the restoration of surface layers that can become expensive, and there it's your ambition level for the rooms that sets the limits.
If it has worked before with a slight backflow, then it's not a crisis or panic to fix this right here and now. The treatment plant will work anyway, as long as the sewage reaches it, and the backflow is so slight that it doesn't create a water lock.
I would do it myself every day of the week if I had the choice to outsource again.
The materials for this are cheap, it's the restoration of surface layers that can become expensive, and there it's your ambition level for the rooms that sets the limits.
If it has worked before with a slight backflow, then it's not a crisis or panic to fix this right here and now. The treatment plant will work anyway, as long as the sewage reaches it, and the backflow is so slight that it doesn't create a water lock.
But the question is, does TS need to change their pipes at all?
These seem to have been working since before the change in the sewage water treatment method.
These seem to have been working since before the change in the sewage water treatment method.
In that case, the contractor has made a mistake, you should not change the height of the inlet without ensuring that no backflow will occur.. if that's the case for TS, the only solution is to change and dig the mini-treatment plant deeper for the contractor..T Trappa said: