How long left to rewire house

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m0t

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I had a guy in to rewire my 3 bed semi, it seems to be just 1 guy and he has been on the job for 3 days (house is empty).

So far all the cables for sockets and lights are in, but the switch cables need chasing in to the walls and so do all the sockets and switches.

The fusebox is not yet in and the kitchen hasn't been wired at all.

I don't want to pressure the guy too much and I have only just got back from the house so it is a bit late to call, but I am trying to work out how much longer it is going to take him to finish because we have a tight deadline to meet.

Any one able to estimate how long it would take 1 person to chase in 22 double sockets, 7 light switches, 7 switch cables, oven, hob, and 3 appliances and fit 7 pendant lights?
 
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Not particularly hard - internal walls are single brick & plastered.
 
3 days?

Give the geezer a break!

Tell me honestly how long you thought it would take. Then tell us how long he told you he thought it would take before he started.

Has he hit any unforeseen problems?

If you're that desperate to hit the deadline and he's that far behind, give him a hand!!

I would say a week, maybe more. I can't see your house!

Don't forget, he has to do the board and bond and test out the install as well.
 
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Is the house truly empty? as in just the person and the floorboards? as i've seen it when i did cat5 installs for people where they'd say the place was empty and then you'd find you had to shift all the furniture around to get into the required place and for a lot of electrical work where you only have certain areas to run cables the moving of the sofa for the 98th time to get into a spot must be mind numbing
 
m0t said:
Not particularly hard - internal walls are single brick & plastered.
Click to expand...

Depends how deep the plaster is and how hard the brick.

I had a houseful of sockets and switches to do - a Victorian three-storey villa when I was an apprentice, plaster very thin (unusual for that age) and the walls were all engineering brick.... :evil:

Max: I've also done a rewire where the loft was literally stuffed to the rafters with gear.
 
It took me and another electrician a full day just to chop in 11 twin boxes into brick walls, even with our SDS drills and chisels going full tilt the other week.

I did one by hand yesterday in about 5 mins.

Did you ask your electrician how long he thought the job would take before he started as you have a deadline to meet?

I reckon it'll take about 2 weeks for 1 man on his own to do that amount of work.
 
House is completely empty.

Guy said it would take 5 days to finish, which I am now starting to doubt since it appears as though there is a lot left to do, but have a really tight deadline to move in and need to fit a kitchen first.

I had thought it would take 7 but was told 5-6 days by the 3 guys that quoted.
 
m0t said:
House is completely empty.

Guy said it would take 5 days to finish, which I am now starting to doubt since it appears as though there is a lot left to do, but have a really tight deadline to move in and need to fit a kitchen first.

I had thought it would take 7 but was told 5-6 days by the 3 guys that quoted.
Click to expand...

Ask him to get the kitchen circuits done and dead tested next, then you can proceed with fitting the kitchen whilst he works in other areas.

If time really is important, consider offering to hire him a labourer to cut the backboxes and chases into the walls, or if you can, do it yourself. I doubt he would mind someone else doing the noisy, dirty, slow work!
 
ban-all-sheds said:
m0t said:
Guy said it would take 5 days to finish, which I am now starting to doubt since it appears as though there is a lot left to do
Click to expand...
How do you know it's not the first one he's ever done?
Click to expand...

I am getting the impression that this is the first house he has ever rewired that wasn't either a new build or a complete renovation being done all at once.

Yesterday he informed me that he could put the lights up until I replastered all the ceilings. I told him I wasn't replastering the ceilings because there was nothing wrong with them. He then told me he couldn't put the switches on until the walls were completely reskimmed, again there is no reason to do this.

Partly the confusion is my fault because I just left him alone to get on with it. Unfortunately because he was waiting for some non existent plasterers he didn't turn up today and has put us behind.
 
I'd love to see your scope / spec for works, and his quote back to you.

It sort of sounds like there is a communication problem between you both.


I'd suggest you relax and have a chat over a cuppa and a bacon sandwich. Explain your problems and agree solutions. As mentioned if he jumps on to the kitchen work he then won't hold up your kitchen fitting. After doing the kitchen he could then be asked to fit the board and give you a temp circuit or two for tools and site lighting.

That should take the pressure off both sides.
 
Me and my mate have just finished rewiring an occupied 3 bedroomed ex-council house. Solid floors downstairs, normal floors upstairs.


26no. sockets (2no. ring finals, and 1no. radial circuit)
13no. light points and switches, and 1no. two way switch (2no. circuits)
3no. outside lights wired back to independant centre off switches at CU on own circuit
1no. 10.5kW shower supply
1no. 6kW cooker supply
1no. 4" bathroom fan, including core cutting through double skin wall.
1no. boiler supply on own circuit
1no. alarm supply on own circuit
1no. burglar alarm including 7 detectors, remote keypad, and bell box.


All power back on every night before we left.
Work around existing fitted kitchen.
All wiring and accesories flush mounted.
All making good of plasterwork by us.
Testing and notify LABC


Took us 8 days.
 
D

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