Is someone taking the P***?

[Kraythorne]

I'm looking for some advice on this one.

Background:

I've had a flood and the house is just short of being a building site

...so while we're in a mess we've decided to knock the galley kitchen through into the dining room (already have the RSJ fitted and building regs passed), and change the old kitchen layout to a new one.

As part of fitting a new kitchen we need to have some new sockets fitted and old ones repositioned so we invited a sparky round to quote.

Unfortunately when the sparky arrived I was out to the missus showed him what we were looking to do. He had a quick look, tutted and shook his head and started quoting new regs saying that we needed a new consumer unit (which we knew anyway - already quoted £250 for a new one, including fitting), which would cost around £700 just for the unit - reason being that we would need about 12 circuits under the new regs.

He then looked at the wiring and said that we would also be looking at a house rewire costing at least £3500!!!


Now the house was rewired in 1996 and other than the consumer unit needing upgrading, the wires are the same core thickness and dimensions as the current BS stamped stuff - although they are black, red and earth rather than blue, brown and earth.


Question:


I need a consumer unit with upstairs and downstairs lighting, ring main, central heating (which is currently on it's own circuit), shower, cooker and garage. That's 7 circuits not 12.


I need 3 sockets moving in the kitchen and 2 adding.


....and all for the measly sum of £4200.

Is this guy taking the P***?

 

[rebuke]

Without seeing the existing stuff it's hard to know - did any of the wiring get wet in the flood, as if so that might need replacing (while it may work, an insulation test may get too low a reading from it, requiring replacement).

Is the £700 he quoted you for the CU just a parts figure, as if so that is ridiculous - new CU, even with 12 RCBOs you could get for <£300.

If it was rewired in 1996, then assuming it was done properly (correct cable sizes etc), there's no need to replace any cabling just to replace the CU (unless there's been water damage as mentioned above, or tests reveal any other issues).

I'd suggest you get another electrician in (ask friends for recommendations, but make sure whoever you get is listed (either themselves or the company) on www.competentperson.co.uk), and get them round for another quote - that will give you something to compare it to...

 

[AndyPRK]

does sound like his is taking the ****.

Why not get the other bloke back that quoted for the CU ?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Maybe he smells insurance claim...

 

[nozspark]

While £700 seems to be high & would suspect that a 1996 house would not require rewiring, £250 sounds a bit low (if it includes materials). I would think you shoule be paying another £50 - £100 for the CU change

 

[NickB_99]

I've recently moved into a place (built late 1960s) and we wanted the CU upgrading to RCDs etc.
First quote suggested a rewire (again ~£3k, similar reaction to yourself ). Recommendation was it would be advisable to do as place in a mess and would save doing later. Other quotes we had said wiring not new, but looked ok. We were warned that if the CU was connected and any circuits tripped they would need to be sorted.

In the end work was done and all circuits fine. ~£320 for CU & 3 extra double sockets.
When they signed off the work done they did a full PIR and all was well.

Suggest another opinion - your initial quote may be taking a similar long term view.
Of course if they are all well qualified and offer the same course of action, it's probably best way in the long term

 

[sparkiedave]

agree with what has been said already, I often get asked to quote for a rewire, go round to look and if all the cabling is all PVC, there is an earth in the lights, 10mm bond to water & gas and everything looks ok, I usually suggest a PIR, then quote for the work based on the results of the PIR, I then offer a small discount for a CU swap because I've already got my test figures for each circuit.

 

[Kraythorne]

I've had another quote for a new CU - £360 including fitting. (the first Guy that quoted is busy for nearly a month before he can do any work! - lucky so and so)

The new guy checked a few sockets and light fittings and said the wiring was up to scratch but the current CU doesn't have any RCDs on it and has 2 separate 45amp fused isolators spurred off it for the kitchen cooker and shower, so he's going to upgrade and test each circuit as he connects it.

The only extras I will have to pay for are correcting any faults that may pop up if the RCD's trip or the test highlight something.

He reckons the guy who quoted nearly £4.5k was either scare mongering my missus or was pricing himself out as the electricians around here seem to be stacked out with work at the moment.

 

[sparkyspike]

I have to agree with BAS - he was trying it on, knowing it was an insurance claim. .. and why not?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Because it's illegal?

 

[mattylad]

Because it's illegal?

Ooooh, what where, how...... what law is that against?
Please tell I'd like to know this one.
A must have law to know about for high quotes

 

[scousespark]

The word is unethical.
There is no law against giving a high quote.

 

[Stoday]

The word is unethical.

Why is a high quote unethical?

Because it's not the going rate? If it's higher than the going rate, the tradesman will soon be without work.

A tradesman should be charging the going rate. If that's high, there will be lots of would-be tradesmen taking short courses to enter the trade and the going rate will then fall.

Ross gets £16m for being a tw@. That seems to be the going rate; it's distasteful but not unethical.

 

[Pensdown]

The new guy checked a few sockets and light fittings and said the wiring was up to scratch :

Did he actually test the circuits or just have a look? Without testing he can only make an educated guess.

The only extras I will have to pay for are correcting any faults that may pop up if the RCD's trip or the test highlight something.

Be careful because if he had tested properly he would know where the problems were before he started and could quote you accordingly.

If the RCD does trip on completion or the testing highlights something else the remedial works will almost certainly cost more than the CU change.

 

[holmslaw]

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