Segmented retaining wall and paver landings

[jwholden]

I've got a couple estimates to give where customers don't want to keep their existing front steps. I read a post on 'the old site' about how to build a segmented retaining wall against a house and recall something about trim coil. However, that post was for a vinyl sided house which looks much easier to deal with. Any comments on where to start with the pavers touching wood trim on the following two stoops.

I figure I will have to build a wall along the back of the house and then fill the whole thing with process and top it with pavers, that's the easy part. What the heck do I do with the darn wood trim where the wall units will touch the house.

Final question, how much time should this take and what is the premium for this type of work (please don't jump on me about price).

This is a house where the lady (husband) baulked at a $5500 set of granite steps which would have looked great with some tumbled pavers. They want the 'new' stoop to be 11' wide by 5 1/2' out which includes a 1 1/2' deep step.

Muchas gracias!
:cool:

[jwholden]

On this house the front stoop is literally falling away from the house. I would love to replace it with a tumbled segmented retaining wall to match some tumbled pavers, but look at all that wood siding by the stoop. What can I do or do I say forget it?

[agla]

Have them hire a carpenter or handyman to put up a flashing for you to build against. You do landscaping, they handle the house. That is the way we always did it and had no problems getting the client to understand.
If the client is too cheap to understand that, you may not want to work for them.

[Stonehenge]

Fortunately we don't have much wood siding in my area. In the cases of vinyl or aluminum siding, we trimmed off the siding, put in some trim coil (lots of colors available at any builder's outlet), got some matching (or close) J-channel to clean up the edges that were removed, and installed the steps.

BTW - after years of installing a block box and filling it with stone, I say don't do it! Build the whole base out of block, inside and all. You can use scrap block (that's the same size) to fill the middle. Use sand or expandable foam between the gaps in the inner block, place pavers over the top (glue down the perimeter), and boom!!:blowup: - You're done.

Doing the trim work is pretty easy, and can be a good rain day project, prior to the intall.

How much time just for the porch redo? Assuming it's not tied to the foundation, 1.5-2 days. Price? I guess it depends on the size. For me, I don't even take on jobs like that anymore - needs to be part of a larger plan that includes the walkway or patio. I'd charge at least $3K.

[jwholden]

Agla, I like that idea. My field of expertise is not carpentry (though I like to dabble). I think I need to persue higher budgets and stop dabbling with people who can't afford me.

Jeff, I think you've got the right idea and that's the way I'll have to approach it if I go for it. I'm prety big on doing it right the first time too. Would you still build the box on the outside with segmented retaining wall and then fill the middle with all SRW block.

Frankly, I seem to be bumping into a lot of people who are trigger shy lately. I thought the granite was a great idea and couldn't see a mason doing anything with those steps that looked good for less than 3-4000 if they had to enlarge the entire thing. She is having a covered porch with a couple columns intalled and it would have looked awsome!!!:rrr:

[Stonehenge]

Yes - Block on the outside, block in the middle. You save loads of time in base prep, and in a future call back.

[jwholden]

Spoke to the lady tonight, she is thinking of going with that nice stamped concrete for the landing, all the houses on the street have it. I'm thinking she's not going to like my estimate for a paver walk and landscape to match. Could this be why she's had a hard time getting a landscaper to give her an estimate?:huh:

[Stonehenge]

Don't spend more time on it, if you can avoid it. Call her and tell her that you've been working on a plan (even if you haven't), and have a rough price of $X, and wanted to make sure that was within her budget.

You'll know what to do based on the answer you get. ;)

[jwholden]

I've got to hang out here more often!

A mind is a terrible thing to waste...:wacko:

[Stonehenge]

Even worse is to waste time. :insane:

[jwholden]

Than I better block GTX because it's becoming time kill central:woot:

[Stonehenge]

Yeah, but you know how much faster and efficient you'll be after spending more time here?

You'll dominate your market!! :$$:

[jwholden]

Just for laughs I went and met the lady (while her husband was still at work and she was watching the three kids, one of which thought it was funny to throw paper at me). She went through the design and looked at the plants asking me questions rather than letting me go through my carefully corieographed(sp) presentation.

After 45 minutes of this I said I have to get going and need my design fee. She wrote the check and let me escort myself to the door.

I can usually trust my gut on people but I occasionally do run into 'nice' people who just aren't interested in what I'm selling, as opposed to not nice people who aren't interested in what I'm selling.

I'm looking forward to the follow up call....This one should teach me a good lesson.

'John we really like your ideas but just don't have the budget for them. Thank you very much for all of your work and your very professional presentation. However, we decided to hire a guy who did work for a friend and is slow because it's the summer.'

Ok, I feel better now!

[Stonehenge]

I always get worried when they seem laser-focused on the minute details and can't or won't absorb the big picture of the design.

Making use of all this learning will be extremely valuable with each next meeting. I know a bunch more today than I did even at the beginning of this season.