How Much Money Did I SAVE Pouring A CONCRETE Slab Myself??? Time, Quality, & PRICE Comparison

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2 жыл бұрын

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In this video we discuss how much money I saved pouring a concrete slab myself. I brake down the entire concrete project cost and compare it to three concrete contractor quotes I received and we way the pros and cons of a DIY Concrete Pad. Also because time is a big factor I brake down how long it took me to prep and pour my slab vs how long it would have taken a contractor. And Finally we discuss the quality of a DIY Concrete Project vs the quality you would receive from a qualified concrete contractor.
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Пікірлер: 1 200

@dus10dnd Жыл бұрын

Learning to do something for yourself like this isn’t “taking away” from your life, it is enriching your life.

@ZanderPlaysVG Жыл бұрын

After working 1 and a half weeks in a fairly unrelated trade (pipefitting.) This is something I'd consider doing. Now, by the time I'd actually have the need to do something like this, I'd have a lot more skill in my current trade. Before I started, I have ever used a level, or an angle grinder or really done that much with my hands other than hammering nails, or screwing in some screws. But i gotta say learning a skill like this is a lot of fun. It doesn't feel like a job to me.

@dontask7898 Жыл бұрын

Ok so plan a vacation, get ready and packed and then the day you are ready to go you have to start the slab. Then after the 40 plus hours and the nights till your done, if there is any time left for your vacation then you can go. That is a perspective for you.

@TheNativeTwo Жыл бұрын

I have my boys help me, 10 and 12, and the value that I'm giving them is worth a lifetime. Even if they hate doing this kind of work, at least they know it and know to study hard in school and go for something they would enjoy doing. And then they also learn the value of hard work.

@cputeq007 Жыл бұрын

If you watch the entire video, he puts that "taking away" into context -- meaning if you value your time to do other things, then this would be 'taking away' from that time and therefore not worth it. I'm a big DIYer, but I'm guilty of underestimating the time required to do it myself vs the expense of hiring someone. After all said and done, sometimes it's better to hire just to avoid the incredible hassle it might be. Definitely up to the individual, but (for example) I'm not sure I have the time or patience to do something like this for myself.

@TheNativeTwo Жыл бұрын

@@cputeq007 Yeah it's important to take on small versions of a new DIY first, to see if it is actually something you can tackle on your own. There are quite a few things I have learned to let the experts handle. Still, I can save myself a ton of money by doing a lot myself. For example, pouring concrete I will set the forms and get ready to pour myself, then have a concrete guy come do a final check/fix of the forms, and also have the concrete guy come on the day of pour to help with finish. Another example, with electrical work I will pull the wires, do the makeup in the boxes, and then have an electrician wire the breaker box and check all my work. Then I do the finish work. You learn what parts are easy and hard to mess up, then do those parts, and have the expert finish it up. Saves money and still get quality work.

@stephendaniel168 2 жыл бұрын

Great breakdown and content. There’s a few things to consider for people considering saving the money and DIYing. 1. Drive stakes flush with top of forms. High stakes will get in the way of screeding and floating. 2. Add water. Not too much but the mix looked too dry when you were trying to screed it. 3. Hire finishers just by themselves about 300 to 400 each for the job. Even if it’s like two hours. If it’s six hours. Same price. If you go total DYI then you need all the finishing tools on a pole. If you don’t hire finishers make sure to have extra helpers to tool edge because it has to be done at the right time and is time consuming. 4. Get a full load of 3/4” angular gravel from a dump truck. Same price usually as loading 1/2 yards up at a time in trailer or pickup. That’s if you have room for a stockpile somewhere and can use what’s left later. But this video gets 100 points for using angular gravel not round pea gravel. That and sub grade prep are more important than high strength concrete. 5. Learn what an expansion joint is vs a control joint and plan them out before the pour. 6. Some people will need to consider pumping costs. There’s big rock pumps and small rock pumps. Small rock is 3/8 mix. Not as durable ok for patios and stuff. Big rock like a 1” max mix is better for driveways and garages. Pumper will also usually have finishers he can recommend too.

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

Great tips

@randomutubr222 2 жыл бұрын

Regarding the stakes, I’ve also just taken a sawzaw and trimmed to size after they’ve been placed.

@MrGusinfla 2 жыл бұрын

No need off set your screed.solved you leave 3 1/2 inches of stake by the time u drive it all the way and does not leave much to grab. Do this if you have a 2x12 not a 2x4

@ricardoleurin2500 Жыл бұрын

@@randomutubr222 if can’t work with high stakes your fried my friend

@nickkacures2304 Жыл бұрын

Yes 🙌 you nailed it

@hatespeechisntreal Жыл бұрын

As a man here is the answer, anytime you let someone else do a job that you can do. your letting them rob you from learning a skill. No matter if you fail.

@Bewefau 26 күн бұрын

sometimes those fails that cost 300$ your f@ck up can cost you 10,000$ so its better to let someone ELSE do it.

@akdrywallguy60 2 жыл бұрын

I'm a building contractor. You did an excellent job of pointing out the pitfalls and time requirements for completing your own projects. Very fairly portrayed scenario that you laid out - is your time worth $50/hour (or is $2500 worth 2 weeks of your summer project time? For a ton of us, yes it is. For others who may not be comfortable with the process, then the added expense is obviously worth it. Cheers!

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the info brother. Cheers

@mikeholman4284 2 жыл бұрын

No doubt, doing this yourself is for someone who is able and willing. There's definitely a place for pros. I'm a hard core do it yourselfer, for the fun and adventure of it. But I am often covered head to toe with cuts and bruises. Some of the stuff I do is downright dangerous. Bottom line, if you don't know what you're doing and you can make $1000 a week working, you are better off hiring it out to a pro.

@jasonsharpbucks 2 жыл бұрын

I'm more than willing to pay an expert $75 hr, above that, I'm willing to take twice as long learning and doing it myself

@michoacanom4320 2 жыл бұрын

Ill pay a contractor my time its worth more in 2 weeks i make more then what im saving if i do it my self just did my back patio 52x16 and expended front garage 10x27 paid total $3,750 i live in texas contractor didn't had many jobs and i also got him a job with 2 more neighbors big pours so he cut me a deal he charged 1 of my neighbors $8k for something just a bit bigger and $4k for the other same back patio

@stevenjoseph8134 2 жыл бұрын

@@mikeholman4284 I get your point but he saved closed $3k or so for 39 hours work. That is a nice paid work week. Whereas the person making $1000 a week at your regular job now has to sit in a cubicle etc. for three weeks to pay for that. And forgoing learning a new skill. As a somewhat advanced DIY'er myself that is a nice savings. I would rate the job 4 or 5 out of 10 for difficulty. Good points though :).

@kryptonite19691 Жыл бұрын

I get a good chuckle when i watched this video because what he said in the video is soooo true. I did my own stone patio with gravel and concrete slab under the stones and it took me three months to do it correctly. But when I sit in the back in the evening, it is a wonderful feeling knowing I did it all on my own. Very gratifying.

@ChrisTanner 2 жыл бұрын

Just stumbled upon your channel, as it was randomly recommended to me. Although I don't own a home yet, I found this incredibly informative and I appreciate your breaking it all down and providing a nice structure. I suspect I'll benefit immensely from your channel once I own a home!

@inspiringbuilds 2 жыл бұрын

Super informative, detailed, and accurate. You have a new subscriber as I appreciate the time and hard work put into this video and project as a fellow DIY content creator. I’m glad this video was suggested to me in the algorithm, keep up the great work. 👍🏼

@coachpete2771 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent video to show us our options. I did this myself like 20 years ago. Paid a family member with experience 700 bucks and he helped me get this done. I can't recall what I spent on materials back then. Did it during my vacations. It just shows that any DIY project can become anyone's next video.

@jmg6153 2 жыл бұрын

I am very impressed with thorough analysis and cost & quality comparisons. You thought of just about everything! Showed a different side of all those fun videos you put together. This would definitely help me in my decision....for me, I would hire cause my skills aren't anywhere near your level. This is also very different from your other videos, but I loved it. I wish there were these kind of videos for all the projects I think about tackling myself. Nice job and keep the info and videos coming!

@ziur410 2 жыл бұрын

Just red

@willfoley25 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for an unbiased video. I'm a diyer who poured many slabs (all smaller than you did by a fair amount). I can honestly say that a 3,000$ price difference is not as much as people may think. I like doing things on my own, and I don't care about perfect. But I do car about family time, and my back hurting, and having to clean concrete from my clothes, my nose, etc. For small pours I will always do it myself until I'm unable. But for anything larger than a simple 8x8, I'm contracting at least the pouring and finish work. I have a habit of biting off more than I can chew...

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

Hahaha I bite off more then I can chew all the time. But I love it

@battalion151R 2 жыл бұрын

Mmffnfnn...ggnnogg....

@commonsense7877 Жыл бұрын

For many 3k is a months gross salary. DYI is worth a little time. Plus concrete isn't complicated, just heavy

@a.f.r.m...d.e.d.d.2898 Жыл бұрын

@@commonsense7877 3k is what I get in a month if I work 40 hours of overtime lol! That's the exact reason I plan to diy as much as I can

@MM-vy3fm Жыл бұрын

You should switch jobs to pouring concrete.

@jb-gp7jq Жыл бұрын

You really hit the nail on the head with an unbiased way of evaluating this kind of project, awesome video thanks!

@labtrainer09 Жыл бұрын

This choice is EXACTLY what I'm facing now, and my 16' x 24" mini-barn slab would be almost identical in size to yours. I know I could handle all the prep work and would enjoy doing it, but thanks to your clear documentation of the physical work involved in actually pouring and finishing the slab, I know my post-surgical spine couldn't handle it. Thank you SO much for a terrific learning experience.

@TheErockaustin 6 ай бұрын

I have formed up a ton of projects, but I always hire a crew to pour and finish the concrete.

@robertcampbell1994 2 ай бұрын

@@TheErockaustin I’m curious, how much money do you think you saved by properly forming the layout yourself?

@TheErockaustin 2 ай бұрын

I usually don't... I prefer to let the concrete crew do everything turnkey. I've only done it on projects that were smaller that I didn't need a full crew for. @@robertcampbell1994

@mattchildress1460 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome breakdown. For a slab that your just putting a shed over, having it finished super smooth to me wouldn’t be a big deal. If it was for a shop floor or something similar I would definitely get somebody with some experience to help with the finishing. Im all about DIY and saving a dollar. Thanks for the video.

@stephanieporter3549 Жыл бұрын

5/24/22 wow!! I am a single mom and I absolutely love learning new things. My dad used to take me to work with him as he owned his own construction company. I used to ask my dad why, and NOW I could not be more grateful and thankful he did that. I own my home and after my grandmother passed my disabled aunt moved in, not having the room to accommodate her I purchased a 12x20 shed. Well not realizing the cons of not having a stable foundation it started settling and sinking. So with watching the DIY and video chatting with my dad and some community help I think I’d love to try to take this on. **** you explained everything to a T. I am so grateful I found this video. *** I won’t be starting the project just yet, as I will still be saving $$ but I will keep you posted on how it turns out! Thank you

@KomarProject Жыл бұрын

Awesome. Keep me posted

@user-rh4fc2dg8e 23 күн бұрын

Hey uh.....still single?

@harveyottotech 3 ай бұрын

Dude! You are a legend! This video is exactly what I needed. They way you set out the numbers was so helpful. Keep making these.

@dogood63 3 ай бұрын

Wow! That was a great video. I found it to be incredibly helpful for my situation. Thank you SO much!

@Foxedup Жыл бұрын

Great video! There’s a lot to consider for a noob that you briefly mentioned, if at all: 1. Pitch - how much you need, the direction, etc. 2. Footers - depending on what you’re building - how deep, where to put them, etc. 3. Bldg Code - some municipalities require a permit and inspection depending on what you’re putting on the slab and if it’s attached to your house. Plan ahead for that! 4. Concrete - knowing what strength concrete to use for what purpose If you want to waste contractors time, you could get a proposal that would clue you in on most of these things, even though you know you won’t use that contractor. You could also drive through neighborhood construction sites and “catch a laborer in the act” and see if they or someone they know does work on the side. They would have a ton of knowledge and skills and would typically come at a cheap rate. I’ve gotten FREE concrete poured that was leftover from another large job - took a couple of weeks in waiting for the opportune moment, but only paid $1,200 for 7 yards, grading, forming, finishing, etc.

@meneelyhouse Жыл бұрын

For me, as a farmer, I have to keep a severe lid on all costs because it means I’ve got that much more pressure on me to produce that year. It means I’ve not only got to grow (the easy part) but to also find more customers than usual who are in a buying mood right at the maybe two or three day moment that my year’s worth of effort is picked (the hard part), all while battling freak storms/heat waves/wildfires/floods or insect/rodent/mildew/fungus pressures. I’m home all the time anyway so doing a DIY slab doesn’t really mean balancing the economics of taking time off work to get a job done, it’s more measured in how will having a clean solid floor to walk on that I can hose down to keep my produce away from mud on my boots speed up my turnaround time on washing vegetables for market, vs operating on a dirt or gravel floor? And then it comes down to are my skills good enough to produce an end product that will satisfy a surprise health inspection or do I need to hire the pros so I can guarantee a glassy smooth concrete finish that I can squeegee off my disinfectant water from instead of waiting for a rougher DIY surface to air dry? A $2800 savings is potentially a career-length shortfall in cash to catch up on but the payoff may be in the career-length increase in efficiency on the farm. And then with inflation now putting a whole new crunch on everything there’s even more pressure to get projects done sooner than had been planned on over the fear that next year the cost could be 30% higher and thus farm efficiency becomes permanently out of reach.

@robertopistone1179 Жыл бұрын

You are the true heroes-the farmers. These actors aren't worth the manure you pour on the soil.

@WrightM88 Жыл бұрын

Excellent video. I love the way you broke down the process and tabulated the time it took for each step. We’ll done! Subscribed!

@edisonoceanreef2179 Жыл бұрын

Best concrete diy video I've seen. So very helpful in decision making. Thank you!

@tonytartaglia5626 Жыл бұрын

I am a Hardscaper, I do the construction side of landscaping. I think you did an amazing job pointing out the differences and such for this project. More homeowners need to watch videos like this for so many reasons such as the homeowners that think we are taking advantage of them. The only thing I would add in this video is to show the contractor side of things such as paying the workers, insurance, years of experience, etc. BTW: your 3 quotes are very low and in my area, I could not do that low of a bid ( you mentioned this at the beginning about location). Anyways, well done sir and thank you for the time it took to explain all this info! 👍🏼

@KomarProject Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much Tony! Great input

@anthonyramirez1757 2 жыл бұрын

As a concrete finisher myself, I love when people do their own DIY’s because it really tells you something about them. Especially when it comes to pouring a concrete slab. Because like you mentioned in the video of QUALITY is something big for you, I’d suggest either hiring a contractor or maybe a friend that knows how to finish. Sometimes you can even find guys like me who will go and pour and finish for a day rate. You still save a lot of money and get the same quality work. Also I do think you really paid WAY TOO MUCH for that rock. We normally dig here 8”. (4” of roadmix & 4” of the concrete) but 4 yards of roadmix HERE (Idaho) would cost you anything from $50-$80. Big price difference. Assuming your slab was 24’x12’ (288 sqft) overall I think you did a good job! It takes some guts to dig that out by hand and wheelbarrow everything out! 😅 p.s contractors in NY are EXPENSIVE!!!

@getintothewildwithjeffruma8777 2 жыл бұрын

I was thinking the same thing. Here in Kansas it’s $20 a ton for that gravel. But I guess the cost is different everywhere.

@cliffordmarc4392 2 жыл бұрын

I agree, the gravel is too expensive! I’m in California Bay Area and it’s $60/cubic yard… 4 yards of gravel would be $240

@reckless6490 2 жыл бұрын

What part of Idaho are you located?

@olaaminu434 2 жыл бұрын

I will give it to contractor any day. My price here in Pittsburgh PA is between $8-$12 PSF. For $2,400 I will rather hold a cup of coffee and watch the contractor do their thing from my porch swing :)

@lornes7526 2 жыл бұрын

@@kjhnsn7296 Yeah, I feel your pain. I have a 19x25 garage to do, full foundation to 5ft below grade. I'm kinda rural, so there's only 3 companies local enough to do it, and none of them even want to be bothered because it's a "small job" compared to doing a house. I feel that's what's going on with you too. They're going for easy money.

@Hajjat 2 жыл бұрын

Great content, thanks for making up this video and distilling out all the numbers. Thanks!

@dia9491 2 жыл бұрын

👏 I think it’s great that you support calling a contractor. I’m not a pro and I love diy and learning but I can’t do everything and even if I could I don’t have time to do everything. You make a good point. I imagine if it took you two weeks, it would take me months, a contractor it is lol Great video with a ton of info that’s relevant to the job.

@dirtypocketsct Жыл бұрын

Im a contractor you made some very good points. Most importantly the research not just to do it but shopping. You can waste a whole day just trying to locate tools and materials and comparing prices. This is one of the many unpaid things we do and a lot of free estimates are taken up with this.

@LRBaquatics 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this video. Its a reminder to myself. If you want something done right do it yourself. Worse is when contractors come in and do a worse job. I have had to live with this many times on multiple jobs around my house. Its a terrible feeling when you have to live with some other contractors work and then have to redo it. The worse on that happened to me was on a major pond build .

@aliveandwell2078 2 жыл бұрын

You failed on your vetting process

@franchase279 2 жыл бұрын

Great information, thanks for all the work you put into this vid!

@1changaloka Жыл бұрын

Very well explained for us dummies!! - I much appreciate you taking the time to create this video. Thank you

@kellyinfanger9192 2 жыл бұрын

As someone who does this kind of work; I really respect a diy. If they can do all the hard work of prep, they probably can place and finish the concrete. I always consider the prep leveling and such as a dry run for the concrete without the time pressure of finishing the concrete. Having said this ; (I pour flatwork about 10% of the time and carpenter the rest) if I wake up in the night with a nightmare - it is invariably what I call a concrete nightmare. The tool that flashed on the screen when you said [rent] a bullfloat was not a bullfloat. It is was what we call a fresno and our local concrete supplier suggests that if you own one of those: leave - it home. No problem though, the tool you used was an actual bullfloat. I thought I saw someone running water as you cut control joints. Wear a good N95 mask and cut it dry.

@ndavid120 Жыл бұрын

Great content here. In MS I know some of the concrete suppliers have different rates for different people. I ended up saving 30 per yard by going through a contractor I know. Just because he order 1000s of yards a week. Finishing a slab is an art. And folks always remember to wet the slab while it cures so it slows curing

@KomarProject Жыл бұрын

Great tip David

@lindseyrush1603 Жыл бұрын

Your videos are straight to the point, I love it! Thank you for being so concise but quick about your explanations and play backs!

@KomarProject Жыл бұрын

Very welcome Lindsey! Glad it helps

@johna202 Жыл бұрын

This is a fantastic service you are doing! Really making me the aspirational DiYer think through the process. Appreciated!

@CrossroadToCountry 2 жыл бұрын

I keep hearing this "time is money" business. I think that this is, for the most part a lie. Granted if this project takes away from time that you would be making money doing something else then maybe that's true. However for most people, if you weren't using your own time to do this project, most likely you'd have another project around the house that would take your time as well, for free. To me, if you get the quality you want from a project and it saves you $$ then its a no brainer! Not only have you done something that you can feel good about but you might have increased your knowledge base in doing it and that in my opinion is worth it's weight in gold.

@dirtysouthoffroad6402 2 жыл бұрын

As I’m not a concrete finisher, but I run equipment enough (not regularly but I’m familiar) I hired a company to finish my concrete slab, 28ftx28ftx5in. I spent right at $3400 in October of 2021. That was total price. Here it is 6 months later, the only crack in the concrete happened at the only joint I had cut in, and as of right now I’ve got roughly 30k lbs of vehicles on the slab daily. I feel in my aspect, I paid a very fair price for what I’ve got, it was worth it to pay a finisher because I did not want a broomed finish, but a smooth one as I mechanic on occasion with my vehicles. It is a job that is not for everyone, respect to you for knocking if out. I’ll stick to doing the ground work side and someone else to do the rest

@crackerjackB Жыл бұрын

Are you in Georgia? What company did you have pour it?

@jesus636 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for taking the time to put this video together. It made my decision to hire a contract much easier :) all valid points, especially the imperfections and having to live with them if i chose to DIY as a novice.

@KomarProject Жыл бұрын

That’s great Matt!! Glad it provided some information useful to you. Good luck with your project. One thing I would add is vett your contractor. Take a look at some of their work.

@shadowdragoon5 Жыл бұрын

Awesome video! I appreciate the financial breakdown on everything that went into this project of yours. It really puts everything in perspective.

@charlesf.5414 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks man. This video was my deciding factor. I’ve done cement pillars, footings for posts, even cement countertop. I want my driveway done right the first time and I don’t want to take that in myself. I want it draining probably, level, and of course smooth. Plus it’s my driveway so I want it done FAST! Going with a contractor! Great content. You gained a subscriber for this one

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Charles. Glad it could help

@franciscovasquez4555 2 жыл бұрын

Great breakdown, as my daddy would say," if you can save money and teach the kids how to work with their hands". Life isn't always about paying someone or buy something, when we can do it ourselves. Great video

@youngmoney1410 Жыл бұрын

Like the saying goes you can buy someone a fish and they will eat for a day or you can teach them how to fish and they will eat for a lifetime.

@aksks762 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for taking the time to do this great and informative video! It was very helpful.

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

Very welcome

@nexttvc 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent video. Thank you for you time and your info. its help all of us alot.

@jsantaite1 2 жыл бұрын

Nice content. I am in the "thinking about it" stage. One of the things I am considering is doing all the prep work, ground, forms, rebar, etc. etc. and hiring for the actual pour and finishing of the concrete. I will talk to several contractors to see what they think about this. Personally, I enjoy the process and don't mind putting the time into it, so that is not an issue. But on the other hand, it would be nice to have a crew handle the pour and give me a professional finish, especially if they are willing to let me get in there and get my hands dirty ;-)

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

Ya it’s a lot to think about. Hope the video helped to sway you one way or another brother. Good luck

@rodsdiy9631 5 ай бұрын

@@KomarProject $2796.39/39 hours means you earned $71.70 doing it yourself. 39 hours over 2 weeks is a part-time job. Just under 5 hours a day. It's called sweat equity for a reason.

@jlom122 2 жыл бұрын

Great video. Other factors to consider. The contractors may have a waiting list, and will often prioritise bigger projects. I wish I had better skills, sadly I still go with the contractor option. Lol

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

Great points.

@irishtino1595 Жыл бұрын

Excellent overview of pro vs amateur. I did two large pours at home. Enlisted 7 or 8 people for help help and we did it in one day, both came out great. There is no way to do a pad bigger than 10 x 10 unless you are qualified, I've see guys do 40 x 30 by themselves, but they had years of experience. Fun job.

@theshivelys 2 жыл бұрын

This was super informative. We chose to have a contractor do ours because it was not only an 8x27 patio extension, but a path through the side yard and a driveway extension. It took them about three days total but it was worth it because there is zero chance Id have been able to do it as nicely as they did. We spent $4300 on the job but again it was worth it.

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

Yup for some people it is. I think I may have a contractor do our Driveay. Just too much for me

@johnwaters7847 2 жыл бұрын

Because contractor knows what's best for customers. If you find a good contractor with fair prices don't ever loose it. Often times people like to same some money on any guy on the street, they end up after pay more at the end for fixing an repairs.

@coneyandfriends3618 2 жыл бұрын

Holy heck. I just got quoted $4500 for an 18'X31".

@ronni3723 2 жыл бұрын

I'm still a fairly new homeowner but do contractors for such projects have lifetime warranty? Let's say the concrete/stone patio cracks, will they fix it typically?

@eljefe4473 2 жыл бұрын

@@ronni3723 contractors guarantee concrete from theft and that it will crack.

@stratocruising Жыл бұрын

Might even consider using concrete pavers set on decomposed granite. Cheaper, easy to do a little at a time, serviceable for years and years, can look really impressive.

@nickprafke6664 Ай бұрын

Yeah when I built a shed I did it over crushed stone and just had a wood subfloor in it. Seemed far cheaper and I had no need for a concrete floor.

@Dustbrother1099 2 жыл бұрын

Great job, thanks for doing this really helped me try to figure things out.

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

Very welcome

@darshitrao3862 8 ай бұрын

very informative. Thank you for uploading such content.

@KungFuM0nk3y Жыл бұрын

Great video, for me it reaffirms doing things myself. Overall, I've found that the mistakes I make are typically minor compared to hiring a crappy contractor (because even doing homework you can end up getting one, or you get a worker that cuts corners w/ the boss isn't looking.) Most of the time I DIY the whole thing OR I will sub contract our specific things beyond my skillset where I'm not willing to purchase the specific tools...and I know a guy that is awesome at it. Plumbing comes to mind, there are a lot of things I can do in plumbing, but there are some areas where for me it is better to hire out parts of it, and be assured it is done right and these things are few and far between.

@dalefacundus2705 8 ай бұрын

Dude, speaking the truth. If the owner is not working on my stuff (AC, Cars, Fences) anything, I always get the rookie sent to my house. Always. Just do it myself. Nobody does good work, and I have learned to request the owner do the work and I insist on it, or you do not get my business. Too many bad experiences.

@treefarm3288 Жыл бұрын

3:49 his work time to completion, 4:24 incl. miscellany, 9:36 tools cost, 10:17 consumables cost, 11:25 contractor's quotes

@dersturmerofjewery6038 Жыл бұрын

I hope you believe in Jesus God bless you

@guillermocamachobarajas3517 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the honest and full breakdown! Great video!!

@matthewfowler9659 6 ай бұрын

Great video! Very thorough, and cool how you presented “time” as a cost as well, because that is so true.

@Bachanus Жыл бұрын

You did a very nice video. I can tell you that in my area, I would have charged around 3000$ for that job. I would have subbed out the grading and rock, pour and finished myself. Its what I do so small enough to do alone. I use 2 days to do things like that. Every thing you said was dead on accurate except that its easy figure out how to finish even with less experience. Takes some years to get good at it. Pretty huge difference in what I do compared to rookies. Seems like its hard to find a good enough helper to finish these days. With your situation, you needed a little more water in the mix and less on the ground. Drivers will push you to unload fast, but too much on ground is working you to death, less control. Pour couple feet, smooth it out, couple feet smooth it out, feels too dry add a little water, keep that certain creaminess that makes it easy to work but not too much that weakens the strength. Need an older patient driver willing to go slow. Plants will always send a pro theirs first, rookies will be later in the day, its hot, maybe left over concrete, I dont pour after 9 AM, too many things go wrong or need more help. Its all like you said, do it everyday and you know what to do and expect. Just remember its a timed event. Very well done video, you covered everything. Should really help a few DIYers out.

@joepfeiler5911 Жыл бұрын

Did not mention a little cash to the driver as a tip. I am a 60 year old driver and my wife is in a better mood when I pass on to her the tip I got from a DIYer when I get home late.

@Mack.of.all.trades 2 жыл бұрын

One thing I’d like to point out if it was me, and of course this had to do with experience, but I would rent a mini skid/ toro dingo. It would cost $175-200 for the day, but probably cut the combined ground prep and gavel time into a third. Saving those 10-12 hours would make all the difference. At this point your making (saving) $67 an hour. Not too bad.

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely would! Great point

@mezquia Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video this is the type of stuff I need to make a better decision on DIY vs Hiring a Contractor.

@fredamiller44442 3 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for your sharing your video! You are so helpful!

@evilzzzability 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent analysis. I built a concrete patio over a few weeks, total cost of materials about 1k USD but took a lot of time and research.. and it’s never as straightforward as you see on KZfaq videos.

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

No it never is. Magic of editing lol

@mae2759 2 жыл бұрын

Spent 12k on a 5" slab for my back patio 45'x13'. Up hill, they had to use a concrete pump to get it up there and pour underneath an existing roof. No way in hell could I have done it myself.

@cb253 2 жыл бұрын

You gave me the most complete expectations for my project. Top quality content and breakdown. Subbed my dude.

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

You are very welcome brother. And if your thinking of doing it yourself there is a video I did on this slab on how to

@kristophergillham6768 Жыл бұрын

I am looking into pouring a slab for my small chicken processing setup and this is really making me think about asking for some family help for a couple days and doing it myself. Thanks for the info!!

@DocNo27 2 жыл бұрын

Labor is at least twice the cost of materials, usually three to four times. Good rule of thumb for just about anything - from car repairs to construction.

@trueRocc 2 жыл бұрын

Ya, with 4 people at $20+ per hour, takes 3 hours to pour.... if it's a big job not really, small job.... most certainly. Like that for any renos though

@07slowbalt 2 жыл бұрын

Im in construction and i still question at times if i want to do the projects myself. Sometimes its nice just to sit back and watch someone else work for a change. However im in construction so im not what you call rich and like a good diy to save money. Ive done some concrete work but i wouldnt want to pore more than a 10x10 pad lol.

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

It was a large slab

@ebrahimamin8275 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for making this valuable video. It was realy very useful and it give a lot of fact about this project.

@humbertotradecomm Жыл бұрын

Awesome! Congrats for the project, info and accuracy

@DownUnderWoodWorks 2 жыл бұрын

Great video Bart, lots of little things in there that you could easily not think of. Just curious as to why you didn’t add in a monetary value for your time (49hrs).

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

Because I wanted a value without it. Most of the time when you do diy projects your time cost is not figured in. At least that’s the way I look at it

@cargotoolshop5319 2 жыл бұрын

@@KomarProject penny saved is a penny earned, I built my own house in 2012 and at that time if I had a contractor do it, it would have cost more to build than it would have appraised for, but now the house is worth twice as what it cost me to build, I did use people to do plumbing and electrical, heating and cooling, hired my concrete, I did the rest,took me a year to complete, stay strong

@Acrowat40 2 жыл бұрын

Works out at personal time cost of $60 per hour for the project (3K saving @50Hours). So probably worth doing for anyone earning less than $120k pa who values their free time at their hourly earning rate.

@harisgrahic2336 Жыл бұрын

Great process. Thank you so much for the insight. hope to help out and learn in my project as well

@brandhark7935 Жыл бұрын

High quality editing and thanks for the info on pouring concrete. Thanks !

@KomarProject Жыл бұрын

Very welcome my friend

@petergambino2129 2 жыл бұрын

When everything is going well DIY seems the way to go. However when things don't go as fantasized, there is no substitute for experience. Concrete too stiff out the chute, it starts raining out of nowhere in the middle of the pour!, form blows out Yikes! better have someone around who has been there and done that!

@nedoscarsandfishingvideos5500 2 жыл бұрын

Definitely worth it doing it your self I don’t care even if it takes me a month haha 3000$ saved

@robertcampbell1994 2 ай бұрын

I wish I could like a video more than once haha Great, simple, and informative. Straight to the points. Love it man! Thanks for this video

@WSQuest Ай бұрын

Thank you for the video and the "Time Saving" hints.

@coneyandfriends3618 2 жыл бұрын

I just got quoted $4, 500 for a concrete slab. I make $11/hr, which means that's me working for 81 weeks, counting no Saturdays. Even if I double the time it took for you to do yours, say four weeks, it's still way more cost effective for me to just research and do it myself. And I'll be learning as I go, which I find more valuable to me than watching someone else kick it out in a few hours.

@gn0my 2 жыл бұрын

Im more interested in how you are able to own property at 11/hr

@ah-rr1lk Жыл бұрын

Dude, you need to up your income badly

@EricFB 2 жыл бұрын

Working with concrete is not difficult ("if you don't finish high school you'll finish concrete"). HOWEVER, it is time sensitive as you touched on. I would definitely save this one for the experienced diy'ers. Or go spend $5 on a bag of conc and play with it. Once the truck shows up and starts pouring, you don't have time to make another home depot run or watch youtube video's, that conc is setting and it goes quick. Another perhaps more appealing option could be do all of the work leading up to the pour and sub that out to a contractor. You won't save as much but for most it would probably be worth it.

@innovativeconcretesolution3522 2 жыл бұрын

I wonder if you have become a finisher or still trying to finish high school?!

@trueRocc 2 жыл бұрын

Rare that contractor will go for that. Because if the forms aren't done right, they will not repair it for you, and your stuck with the issues

@cw2818 2 жыл бұрын

Great video. I've been looking exactly for this type of information. Definitely helpful..

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome. Glad it helped you with some info

@tomforstik4899 9 ай бұрын

This is awesome man. Thanks for giving these specific time estimates 👍

@paulpawlowski4864 2 жыл бұрын

Love you videos as always. The one thing I have a small Issue with is while you did calculate time you didn't necessarily assign value to it. For me I'd add "hourly wage value" x project hours to the rest of expenses. Based on where I put your time you only saved about $300 and the time is only on your 49 hours

@jonathanbetenbender307 2 жыл бұрын

He saved *$57 an hour. That's more than worth it. Does the guy normally get paid *$50? Cuz I'm not understanding how it is you say he only saved $300.

@getintothewildwithjeffruma8777 2 жыл бұрын

Plus some people enjoy working on their own projects and with their kids in the yard building memories.

@igotzelda 2 жыл бұрын

So you think a concrete layer should make 2000$ + a week salary? If you are hiring let me know

@10p6 Жыл бұрын

Interesting project and nice finish for doing it yourself. However a contractor would have definitely used a waterproof membrane, some-kind of monolithic edge and a true minimum 4 inch thickness, whereas you had 3.5" nominal lumber but some parts looking at the video were closer to 3 inches, maybe a fraction less. Also, one does not need to cut any stress joints. I did a 40 x 28 slab 20 years ago with no stress cuts, and that slab is still perfect with no cracking at all. You still have a nice slab though :-)

@ShotGunner5609 Жыл бұрын

Depends on how good your prep of the ground underneath is.

@reajenthomas4601 5 ай бұрын

Loved it! thanks for sharing the info

@Kristenoyinbo 27 күн бұрын

Your channel is incredible thankyou for posting

@XAnonymousGuyX1 2 жыл бұрын

It's interesting to see these prices and compare them to what I paid last summer. I had a 14x14 shed slab and 15x40 patio poured at the same time for $5200 bucks, done in two days. $7 per sq/ft is the going rate around here. I live in the suburbs of Green Bay Wi.

@Jesse-hq2sg 2 жыл бұрын

i happen to be putting up a detached garage in Allouez. May i ask the contractor you went through

@XAnonymousGuyX1 2 жыл бұрын

@@Jesse-hq2sg Sienna Concrete out of Appleton. I live in Suamico. I only hired out for the concrete. I built the shed myself.

@davidbidwell587 Жыл бұрын

It’s between 11-14 sq ft in ohio right now. The demand is so high, it’s impossible to get someone to even take a job or come look at it unless there’s alot of money involved

@Mulder-jg7ze 2 жыл бұрын

I generally research an do most things myself these days simply because most contractors I’ve used just didn’t live up to expectations and as it turns out don’t do the job as well as me.

@L6901Malice 3 ай бұрын

Finally, a DIY video done the right way. Subbed sir, great job

@collef1136 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for your informative video 😍 and you talking about the value of your time. Right on! Thank you so much!

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

You are very welcome Colle

@tyronepelfrey8192 2 жыл бұрын

When you have Nephews that do this all the time its cheaper. One kitchen table in trade. My cost $675.00 plus $775.00 concrete for a 16x32 slab. ( plus $100.00 beer run). What they don’t know is That their wives will talk them into helping their uncle who they love so much in building the shop 12 foot tall walls. It’s good to be loved by your family. 🤣🤓

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

Hahahahaha that’s the beat way of doing it lol

@MythicRealTrap 2 жыл бұрын

Did you need to compact the gravel also? If not, why not? I was assuming that it’s better to compact it so it doesn’t move around overtime. But yea, noob question here coz I wanna do mine in my next house Last time I hired someone to do mine and it cost a lot of money

@davidusa47 2 жыл бұрын

He mentions it later in the video when going over the budget. Yes, you need to compact the gravel. Failing to compact the subgrade is the main cause of differential foundation movement.

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

Yes you need to compact the gravel. You can do it by hand on a smaller pad with a tamper of rent a plate compactor. I have a full video showing all the steps from start to finish. It may help answer some more questions. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pblxe9Skl9GqnGQ.html

@aaronkaplan8030 Ай бұрын

Great video, pretty sure you just convinced me to go with a contractor for the 8x10 I need. Love the DIY, but I'll be more than satisfied with the construction/carpentry my own (pending the quotes I get back!).

@DrunkenMasterPaul 3 ай бұрын

Excellent video! Really appreciate you laying out the data to help us decide between DIY and Pro help. I do a lot of DIY and I am always balancing the factors you highlight including if there is a mistake do I get to yell at someone or does my wife get to yell at me. Cheers!

@caleb131186 2 жыл бұрын

Do contractors allow you to do all the prep yourself then they come in and do the pouring themselves and leveling?

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

Some might. You would have to discuss that with them. Might be a great alternative

@jgruen9854 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah you can hire finishers if you know a guy

@KPHVAC 2 жыл бұрын

I'm an HVAC contractor and my team deserves to make a good living wage for the work they do. I will NOT compare to DIY prices. DIY is great if you have the skill to do it.

@jimklemens5018 2 жыл бұрын

Huh?

@FITsthetics 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, very informative and easy to understand

@curmudgeoniii9762 2 жыл бұрын

This is just fantastic ... the subject and more so the quality of the video and the presentation... This is a #1 type video teaching and info video!!! Great stuff.

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much. Happy to help you make a decision

@isaiastinoco3303 2 жыл бұрын

To avoid having to shovel tons of concrete back out leave yourself a good 2-3' not poured before screeding ... That way all the excess concrete has somewhere to go. Some ppl pour a section screed and repeat so that it's not so labor intense.

@nsatoday 2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely agree. We also use metal expansion joints “keyway”. So we will pour a bay and screed. And major low spots get a handful or two thrown in. Three to four people is best because you can have two using a come a long and then screed, one person directing the shoot/driver, and one prepared to begin floating.

@TheJagjr4450 2 жыл бұрын

One ten hour day with 4 guys is 40 man hours... the same as it took you.

@lizcuero9065 2 ай бұрын

Wow🎉Great Job! Thank You 🙏 There’s plenty of hope!

@SidewaysEightSix 2 жыл бұрын

I’m wanting to put a concrete slab on the side yard behind the RV gate as a 2nd car work station just outside. This helped me in many ways Great info! Thank you

@KomarProject 2 жыл бұрын

Very welcome. I also have a full video showing how it’s done with one person. Maybe that will help as well. Good luck

@lomparti 2 жыл бұрын

The problem with diy concrete is you have one shot to get it right and its time sensitive, if you screw up youve got a huge mess on your hands and added demo and disposal costs to redo it.

@otokosagartlin 2 жыл бұрын

And he got most of it wrong in the video. Wrong base, poor cribbing, poor finishing, didn't cure or seal. He didn't save money, he wasted money doing it wrong.