440 4x4 wrote:
Thank you for the offer. I have NO experience with this, so will probably need someone with the tools, etc. But thank you!
You got a shovel? You can at least take some white spray paint and outline the area you want the driveway to be, then dig out that space at least 5-6" into the ground. Then get some 2x4s, cut them to length, nail them together. They will act as a "frame" to hold the concrete shape until it drys.
I don't believe you need a permit to do this, but it's a good idea to check with your local power & natural gas provider to see if there are any lines running through that area.
I can't remember how much a bag of conrete will fill, but I know the mixture of concrete mix to gravel is 3:1. Meaning for every part of mix you have, you need 3 parts gravel. A lot of brands come with the gravel mixed in so all you need to do is add water and mix, but they are more expensive. It's usually much cheeper to buy them separate.
I believe most contractors lay down a layer of rocks before pouring the concrete. This gives the driveway something to settle on as the ground is constantly moving. It's definately something you should do as well.
As for costs, it's been about 5 years, and I don't have a clue what they'd charge now-a-days, but I know places like Menards are more expensive than your average macenry yard. I can check the local one here and get you a good estimate for the cost of materials.
Another suggestion, it's about the same cost and is much easier. Have you considered black-toping the area? Black top is easier because you don't need to do so much prep work. A plot the size you are talking about is about the same cost as concrete. Labor is much cheeper too because it only takes about 1/2 a day, so you can get someone to do it for you for what I'm guessing would be the a similar cost to pouring it out of concrete yourself. Most places do free estimates. Doesn't hurt to ask.
