We recently started a landscaping project and were hoping to keep the brick driveway. unfortunately tree roots in the stormwater drains threw a spanner in the works and the driveway had to be ripped up. Our driveway slopes gently and in that area the bricks had visibly slipped.

We have now been given 2 quotes by the landscaper to redo the 130 m2 driveway. A third of it is already ripped up to replace the drain pipes.

The first suggestion was to rip up the remainder of the existing driveway. Brick heddercourse on concrete mixture. Surface of driveway to be asphalt. Quote $15,000.

The second suggestion was to rip up the remainder of the existing driveway. Pour reinforced concrete slab of 100mm. Pave on wet mixture of 3 parts sand to 1 part cement using existing bricks. Quote $22,000.

We prefer to restore the old look of the brick paving.

My question is 2-fold:

-What questions should we ask regarding the specifications (extension joints, right mortar mix, should lime be added,...)

-Is the $22,000 anywhere near a reasonable quote. I'm happy to pay good money for a job well done, but I'm not sure how to assess the quote. From other posts in 2005 I worked out that a 100 mm concrete slab would cost around $65/m2 -> $8500 for 130m2. Make that around $10,000 for 2007?? So that leaves the remaining $12,000 for ripping up and recycling the rest of the bricks and relaying them in a mortar mix. I would be grateful for some advice.

Thanks in advance,

Luro