Fair price for electrical work ?

[Dan-Dan]

Hi

Can anyone advise on this price for a job i have had quoted, i am in SW Wales , someone suggested it was too cheap so i would be interested in any opinions

Install 6 new double sockets adj to existing sockets.

Replace 12 single sockets to double sockets.

Replace 3 existing double sockets

Replace 6 existing light switches, and 1 dimmer switch.

Replace the existing extractor fan and ducting.

Install a new outside light fitting provided by the client.

Replace the fuseboard

Upgrade the earthing system to the oil and water.

Carry out an NICEIC condition report on the electricial installation and produce a test certificate.

This quotation does not include repair work to any faults found during testing.

Total inc materials & vat £ 998.20

 

[EFLImpudence]

Who's supplying the parts? What are you having in the new Consumer Unit (fuseboard) - e.g. all RCBOs?

 

[Dan-Dan]

Who's supplying the parts? What are you having in the new Consumer Unit (fuseboard) - e.g. all RCBOs?

Hello

The electrician is supplying parts , other than outside light

Can you tell me how to ask what kind of CU is being supplied please?

Thanks

 

[Taylortwocities]

Can you tell me how to ask what kind of CU is being supplied please?

I'm not being sarcastic, but surely you say to him "Can you tell me the specifcation of CU that is being supplied please?"

 

[Dan-Dan]

Can you tell me how to ask what kind of CU is being supplied please?

I'm not being sarcastic, but surely you say to him "Can you tell me the specifcation of CU that is being supplied please?"

Fair point , but i kind of meant , what sort of CU SHOULD i be asking for/getting

 

[EFLImpudence]

Yes, he should have explained the choices and asked you what you want.

 

[flameport]

Unless labour costs in Wales are tiny, it's underpriced.

£1000 is £830 without VAT, parts would be at least 200-250 even if using the cheapest available, so that leaves about 600 for labour.
Labour about 40 hours assuming easy bonding, small CU and minimal other works required. Equivalent to about £15 per hour.

Or perhaps they will be rushing the job to complete it as fast as possible, with surface clipped cables, converter sockets for the outlets, discounted giveaway plastic non compliant consumer unit and the 'NICEIC condition report' is a visual inspection only.

 

[Dan-Dan]

Thanks All

I think i`ll get another quote as well so that i can compare

Cheers

 

[flameport]

what sort of CU SHOULD i be asking for/getting

The cheap and usually nasty option favoured by those obsessed with having everything as cheap as possible is a 'dual RCD' effort which contains a main switch, two RCDs and a selection of MCBs, one for each circuit. When something goes wrong, half the house has no power.
Often sold as '17th edition' consumer units by DIY sheds who don't know or care what they are selling, and frequently supplied already filled with various values of MCBs, most of which are not wanted or needed.
Example here: http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p82853

The more expensive option is RCBOs, where any fault only affects a single circuit.
One of these: http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p22433
and a selection of these: http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Electrical/d190/CED+Consumer+Units/sd2979/RCBO/p40593

Combinations of the two are possible. Examples are of the cheapest type, other makes will cost significantly more.

 

[deadshort]

Hi

Can anyone advise on this price for a job i have had quoted, i am in SW Wales , someone suggested it was too cheap so i would be interested in any opinions

Install 6 new double sockets adj to existing sockets.

Replace 12 single sockets to double sockets.

Replace 3 existing double sockets

Replace 6 existing light switches, and 1 dimmer switch.

Replace the existing extractor fan and ducting.

Install a new outside light fitting provided by the client.

Replace the fuseboard

Upgrade the earthing system to the oil and water.

Carry out an NICEIC condition report on the electricial installation and produce a test certificate.

This quotation does not include repair work to any faults found during testing.

Total inc materials & vat £ 998.20

This quotation does not include repair work to any faults found during testing.

 

[Dan-Dan]

Hi

Can anyone advise on this price for a job i have had quoted, i am in SW Wales , someone suggested it was too cheap so i would be interested in any opinions

Install 6 new double sockets adj to existing sockets.

Replace 12 single sockets to double sockets.

Replace 3 existing double sockets

Replace 6 existing light switches, and 1 dimmer switch.

Replace the existing extractor fan and ducting.

Install a new outside light fitting provided by the client.

Replace the fuseboard

Upgrade the earthing system to the oil and water.

Carry out an NICEIC condition report on the electricial installation and produce a test certificate.

This quotation does not include repair work to any faults found during testing.

Total inc materials & vat £ 998.20

This quotation does not include repair work to any faults found during testing.

Presumably you mean he wants to make his money at that stage?

 

[deadshort]

Yes. Tests and condition report first , then get him to quote for the works required.

DS

 

[ericmark]

Many firms bank on getting extras, and not only domestic even large jobs. The one I remember was helping another electrician doing some work in a kitchen, he had quoted for the work and selected what he was using. During the job the lady of the house would frequently ask can you do this or can you do that, the answer always seemed to be yes, she thought he was a great electrician pampering to her every wish, until they got the bill, every thing she had asked for was also billed for, the bill was twice the quote, and the electrician explained to the guy how his wife had authorised the extra work, he paid up as she clearly had asked for the work.

After I talked to him and said how I didn't think she had expected to be charged for the extras and should he have not said it would be added to the bill at the time, his reply was of course not, that's how I make my money.

As for number of RCD's in a consumer unit, I have tried to explain to people the options using all RCBO's and a mixture and just two RCD's and after 2 hours they are still asking questions. I have two RCD's and I have never lost a freezer full of food due to them tripping, but that is just good luck. Use a RCBO then less likely to trip, but also if it does trip more likely to miss seeing it has tripped. Above my stairs I have an emergency light which comes on in the day if I lose power, I have two RCD's and one freezer on each. When the main one trips I see it straight away. But I have woken up in the night and thought it's very quiet, and got up to see why, wife reading a book, Oh I says thought it was quiet, yes she says power has tripped, well why have you not reset it, answer it will wait until morning it's cold outside, consumer unit is in garage. On resetting freezer was up to -12°C by morning it would have been too warm. So their have been some near misses.

Mother has RCBO's in the kitchen and they have never tripped but should the sockets trip then until she comes to boil a kettle or use microwave she would not know. So although less likely to trip, if it does trip also more likely to miss it has tripped.

 

[endecotp]

Are all those new and wider sockets going to be sunk into a solid wall, sunk into plasterboard (easier), or surface mounted (easiest)?

 

[stillp]

On resetting freezer was up to 12°C by morning it would have been too warm.

Your freezer has very poor insulation Eric, or your garage is very warm, or both.