Advice needed - Costs of wiring a detached garage

[insurance]

We have had a quote for the following and I have no idea - it sounds expensive to me - Please can someone help and give me some advice!!!

We had our electrician over last night, he was quoting us for running an armoured cable (about 25m of cable in total) from the house to our single detached garage.

In the garage we having the following fitted..

A small fuse board
Trunking
1x single socket
2x double sockets
1x light switch
2x 5metre flouresent lights

Keep in mind the electrical source is ready as he re-wired our house a couple of years ago and left it ready. The distance isn't far much from the house to the garage - about 5-7 metres max but because of the journey the cable has to take it will amount to like I said about 25m.

He has quoted us £450 which includes a days labour costs - is this expensive or normal?

I have no idea how much materials cost, he says the matrials cost £300 alone - is this right? or is he trying to do us out of money??

Thanks would really appreciate some advice..

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

The price will relate to the size of your garage and where the accessories are to be installed. As this will have an effect on the amount of materials you need with regard to cable lengths for lighting and sockets, also the amount of trunking you will need, will depend on this.. Are the accessories to be of a metallic material or plastic.
I can give you an about/ball park figure:
If the routes where going to take about 20m of cable for both lighting and sockets, all trunking and accessories in plastic, wall mounted back boxes for trunking.
The materials would be in the region of £200

 

[Nick98]

I am a DIY'er, not an electrician but would suggest from my perspective it is a little pricey, but not too outrageous.

The experts/electricians on here will have a view I'm sure but it is difficult to say if the materials cost is high as only he would know what calculations he has used to spec the cable.

If however you 'assumed' a 6mm 3 core SWA cable then 25 meters will cost him about £65. What he then charges you though is a matter for him.

On top of that is the cost of cleats and cable glands, probably only a few quid but I would have thought materials would have been more like £100 - if its as simple as you suggest but that would only be for the SWA. If the internal lights sockets also need to be wired then those materials would of course be in addition.

However to be fair to your electrician he then has a days wages to charge plus the cost of checking the installation and importantly issuing you a certificate.

For what its worth I have had a similar job done recently of laying 30m of cable from an external supply to a shed in a trench (that I had dug in advance) and installing a small CU, internal fluorescent and external halogen light and 3 x double sockets plus an external socket to power a swimming pool pump. That job inc the materials was £600.

All I can suggest is if you aren't convinced/happy get a second quote and see how they compare.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[Taylortwocities]

Who is going to dig the 450mm deep trench for the cable. You or the electrician?

 

[londonboy]

I am a DIY'er, not an electrician but would suggest from my perspective it is a little pricey, but not too outrageous.

That job inc the materials was £600.

All I can suggest is if you aren't convinced/happy get a second quote and see how they compare.

So yours was 30 metres and £600, the OP's is 25 metres and £450!

Your talking rubbish, no one can say its expensive, no one can say its cheap.

I've just priced up a similar scenario which worked out as just under £2000.

 

[Nick98]

So yours was 30 metres and £600, the OP's is 25 metres and £450!

Your talking rubbish, no one can say its expensive, no one can say its cheap.

I've just priced up a similar scenario which worked out as just under £2000.

Didn't mean to cause offence but struggling to see how I am talking rubbish? From the OP I read it as supply and fit 25m of SWA to a previously installed set up in the garage. The £600 I paid was to install everything other than dig and backfill the trench. All I am saying is that it seemed a bit expensive (was only thinking £50 or so too much) but as i said in my reply the electrician has to make a living and has to certify it - so I am actually sticking up for the profession not critisising it!

As I said right at the end if the OP thinks it is too much get another quote.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Your talking rubbish, no one can say its expensive, no one can say its cheap.

I've just priced up a similar scenario which worked out as just under £2000.

that's expensive oh shyt no one can say that

It's true though each individual job will bring in it's own individual problems and solutions, so it is that not easy, without knowing all the facts and being in situation where you can investigate the nature of the work needed, to give a figure.

But with the information we do have, it sounds to be a fair price!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

My instinctive feeling is the same as Nick98's - it seems a little high, but not so much that it's fair to say, sight unseen, that it really is.

He has loaded the price of the materials though, but that doesn't matter - it's the total cost to be concerned about, so get some more quotes.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Here is where some of the "hidden" cocst may be

The distance isn't far much from the house to the garage - about 5-7 metres max but because of the journey the cable has to take it will amount to like I said about 25m.

What is the route of the additional 18metres.
Up hill?
down dale?
through a roof?
under floorboards?
under the foundations?
it will all need access and then clipping and supporting,

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The electrician has said it's a day's work.

£150 for a day's work doesn't seem outrageous.

Is a day's work reasonable? He's seen the job and he thinks so.

Is £300 reasonable for:

A small fuse board
Trunking
1x single socket
2x double sockets
1x light switch
2x 5metre flouresent lights
25m SWA

 

[wotan]

Where do you buy 5 metre fluorescent lights, how do you get them home.

 

[sparkticus]

Without seeing the exact details it is not easy to estimate but £450 is close enough to a legitimate/fair price based upon your description. If you have another electrician quote then the price may go £50 either way.

Assuming your electrician provides you will full certification, LABC notification and a receipt for payment then I don't think its far off the mark. You know the electrician right? Did he do a good job at a fair price last time? If so then go with what you have.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

I think we need to recalculate the material cost for 5 metre fluorescent lights and transportation.

 

[sparkticus]

I think we need to recalculate the material cost for 5 metre fluorescent lights and transportation.

Better price for extra tubes because the 5 meter ones bend easily