Cost of concrete and fencing for a dog run

gazzer

Hi.

I am (finally) getting around to building a dog run out in the back garden.

We have an area that is 36ft long by 36ft wide.

The plan is to (Im open to suggestions on this though):

Dig up this area
Position 5-6ft posts 6ft apart all around this square area
Cement the area
Fix 5-6ft wooden fences to the posts so that there is an enclosed area. One of the posts will be tweaked so that it can be used as a gate for opening and closing the dog run.

I was just wondering if any of you had info on the following (we live in Cavan)

Cost of hiring a digger to dig up the area for the run?
Cost of wooden posts and fences(I dont mind if they are second hand)
Amount of concrete (and cost) needed to fill up this area?
How deep would you make the concrete base?

Sorry for all the questions but its my first time doing something like this and I just want to make sure I have all my figures correct.

Philip82

I dont think that way is an option as the cost of concrete for that alone would be around 800 euro for a 2 inch base and you would need a load of filling under that at 250 euro. The rest of what you were saying woul be around the 400 mark and you would be left with an ass load of topsoil.
Would you consider putting down some posts and sheep wire or chain link wire and either leave the grass in the pen or hardcore with a load of fine dusted stone or maybe sawdust???

slimjimmc

Just wondering if you need to dig out any topsoil at all, just lay hardcore and concrete on top (reduce digger work and avoid soil disposal)? Plus a raised pad would prevent excessive run-off from the surrounding yard getting into the run in winter and give better drainage.
Also, do you really need to concrete the entire (36x36) 1,296 square foot area? It would be nicer for the dog(s) if they had a significant grass area for play, or just lazing around.

Don't forget to plumb in a fresh water supply.

sky6

How Many and how big are the Dogs. Unless your on a farm with plenty of land what your proposing will devalue your home. Not to mention the cost.
I built a run for our 2 dogs as a temporary measure and they love it.
It Cost about 100 euro for 10 lengths of 2 x 2 and a roll of Boxwire.
Took me an hour to put together and I can move it around the Garden
which saves the Grass from being destroyed.
The Dogs are not to big, a scotch terrier and an irish fox terrier.

Boiled-egg

Check this thread for ideas,

http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2056550968

One shot on kill

Could you mix the concrete yourself. At 7-10 euro a tonne at most for the stone and gravel collected its hard not to mix it. Also a concrete pad that size it might not be a bad idea to consider a bit of stell mesh in it.
Do it in two halfs so it doesn't crack in The winter and you will need at least 4 inchs of concrete.

You will have to take of the grass sod anyway. A couple of inchs of hardcore or stone. Be sure you wack or role it as tight as you can. Make sure the water won't run off into the other parts of the garden and log in it.

Pending what size your dogs are the timber panels might not be the best. There is a system I seen before wire fen ring wrapped in PVC ( not chainlink) they have matching poles and the fence can be done 4/5/6 ft high grand tidy durable job I fairness.

Boiled-egg

One shot on kill wrote: »

Could you mix the concrete yourself. At 7-10 euro a tonne at most for the stone and gravel collected its hard not to mix it. Also a concrete pad that size it might not be a bad idea to consider a bit of stell mesh in it.
Do it in two halfs so it doesn't crack in The winter and you will need at least 4 inchs of concrete.

A1 on all the above. Any less than 4inches and believed it or not the concrete may curl ! And break. You will get mesh handy on adverts or done deal. The hire of a mixer is only about €30 a day, oh yea get a buddy round to help !

Philip82

Boiled-egg wrote: »

A1 on all the above. Any less than 4inches and believed it or not the concrete may curl ! And break. You will get mesh handy on adverts or done deal. The hire of a mixer is only about €30 a day, oh yea get a buddy round to help !

Come on now lads think about what yee are saying, 36ft x36ft of concrete at 4 inches deep is around 13 metres of concrete which is the bones of two lorry loads and to suggest collecting it yourself and mixing it and hiring out a mixer is crazy thinking. You would need a lorry to collect that much gravel and to collect bags of cement. Then needlessly add steel to a dogs run with four inches of concrete you would end up with a huge bill and more than likely in a wheelchair!!!!:)

One shot on kill

Philip82 wrote: »

Come on now lads think about what yee are saying, 36ft x36ft of concrete at 4 inches deep is around 13 metres of concrete which is the bones of two lorry loads and to suggest collecting it yourself and mixing it and hiring out a mixer is crazy thinking. You would need a lorry to collect that much gravel and to collect bags of cement. Then needlessly add steel to a dogs run with four inches of concrete you would end up with a huge bill and more than likely in a wheelchair!!!!:)

If you get a truck in and poor 2 inches of concrete in a 36x36 pad it will crack in ****e in no time.

If it were me I'd do it in 3 12x36 sections with a single or double bag mixer. If you were to poor the 4 inchs you would need 12 meters of concrete. Which would still work out around the same money you said for a2 inch high pad.

There has to be a floor in the run. For washing cleaning **** up etc the dogs would have the grass in muck in no time at all for definite.

Philip82

One shot on kill wrote: »

If you get a truck in and poor 2 inches of concrete in a 36x36 pad it will crack in ****e in no time.

If it were me I'd do it in 3 12x36 sections with a single or double bag mixer. If you were to poor the 4 inchs you would need 12 meters of concrete. Which would still work out around the same money you said for a2 inch high pad.

There has to be a floor in the run. For washing cleaning **** up etc the dogs would have the grass in muck in no time at all for definite.

How would 4 inches of concrete work out the same as 2 inches of concrete????
2 inches of concrete in my view anyhow is loads as long as it has a good solid base with plenty expansion joints. After all they wont be any traffic on it only a few dogs.

One shot on kill

Your price for 2 inchs is expensive. If your having loads of expansion joints then there shouldn't be a problem mixing it himself.

If that's the way you would do it great well done.

I'm just saying I wouldn't dream off doing it that way. If your dedicating that much of a plot to a dog run the last thing you want is an eye sore now or in ten years. Do it once and do it right.

Philip82

One shot on kill wrote: »

Your price for 2 inchs is expensive. If your having loads of expansion joints then there shouldn't be a problem mixing it himself.

If that's the way you would do it great well done.

I'm just saying I wouldn't dream off doing it that way. If your dedicating that much of a plot to a dog run the last thing you want is an eye sore now or in ten years. Do it once and do it right.

Have you worked out how many tonnes of gravel and how many bags of cement is required?? As you said go and collect it yourself did you work out how many runs that would take in a car trailer?? Do you know the price of steel mesh these days??
My price was a guide price to show the OP roughly what it would cost and I think Im not far off the mark.
I still doubt if he goes down this route as it seems very expensive. It may be worth putting down a few feet of concrete at the top where the dogs mostly walk and leave the rest like I said under mulch or fine screenings.

One shot on kill

Get Philip you said the concret would cost 800 euro it won't no even if it was delivered in a truck.

It's the mans first time to give it a go. Let him take it slow put in a third of the base this week and the next third next week. You would get a lorry load of gravel dropped in the yard for less the 200 euro definitely.

The most expensive part is bags of cement. But he could get a pallet if that dropped aswell.

It's obvious you don't have dogs and if so you don't clean up after them. After a few months on grass mulch stone anything the place will start to smell at least the concret can be power washed with little effort.

Another thing the op should think about is crest water supply out in the run and think about the way the water will run off when he is washing it down. You could also do it stage by stage making it bigger as you want until you get to the 36ft square.

Philip82

One shot on kill wrote: »

Get Philip you said the concret would cost 800 euro it won't no even if it was delivered in a truck.

It's the mans first time to give it a go. Let him take it slow put in a third of the base this week and the next third next week. You would get a lorry load of gravel dropped in the yard for less the 200 euro definitely.

The most expensive part is bags of cement. But he could get a pallet if that dropped aswell.

It's obvious you don't have dogs and if so you don't clean up after them. After a few months on grass mulch stone anything the place will start to smell at least the concret can be power washed with little effort.

Another thing the op should think about is crest water supply out in the run and think about the way the water will run off when he is washing it down. You could also do it stage by stage making it bigger as you want until you get to the 36ft square.

If you dont agree with my price so be it but that does not give you a right to go making suggestions about me owning dogs or cleaning up after my dogs. For your information Im a bigger dog owner than you may think and I own a proffesional setup with purpose built Kennels with everything you possibly need to train dogs so be careful what your saying here.
Personally I dont have and never will have concrete pens because number one they are a lot bigger than 36x36 and number two dogs running on concrete is poor practice and leaving your dogs open for injuries.
OP you have my opinion (and its only an opinion) so your entitled to do whatever suits you at the end of the day.

One shot on kill

He has my opinion aswell.

Why should I be carefull did I say anything wrong. I don't think so commercially keeping dogs far greater than keeping a dog in a back yard and I think your confusing the two. Maybe your ceaser Milan I don't know nor do I care. Sorry.

I offered my opinion in a field I feel very comfartable working in and supplying information on. I that doesn't suit you stop quoting my posts.

I don't mean to offend you but I feel I was Giving correct and sound advice to the op.

Stoner

ok guys, let's keep this thread on the OPs question please.