Am I being over charged?

[Andrewbullie]

I've just had a small commercial job done on a new building unit. The budget for the electrical work was 10K which was written in to the contract with the supplier. During the project a few modifications to the spec were made which were verbally agreed. It was agreed between me and the electrical company that everything used in the building scope would be pretty much the cheapest on the market from electrical wholesalers (so no MK!) as we have to demolish the building in 18 months time (long story!)

I was advised that the additional work would be peanuts and can be done within the same timescale as the rest of the job, however, they have now submitted a bill which comes to over £18K!..... £8k over budget.

In a nutshell, the prices charged as below (all ex. VAT):

2 compartment Dado trunking = £37 per metre (installed) x 62m
Installation of double sockets to dado trunking per unit = £55 each x 53
Installation of 600x600 modular recessed light to ceiling grid = £65 each x 86
Install 1 x 3phase DB 14way including breakers (no RCD's) = £725
1st fix of 40 x double data points to dado trunking (CAT 5E cable and back box only) = £2516 ( £62.19 each)
1 x 2.4m power pole from suspended ceiling to floor inc. 2 x 1 gang sockets = £590

There are various other installs as well, but I am not overly bothered about the price of them so I won't go too much in to it.

Appreciate any feedback you have.

Many Thanks

Andrew

 

[mark80]

Well have you not talked to the contractor and asked why it is so over budget? What changes were these that you made? Personally, id talk to the contractor and try and work through it all.

 

[RWJ]

I think it's more of a legal contract problem than an electrical one.. So I think you'll get limited help here

Have you contacted your solicitor to see where you stand?

 

[Andrewbullie]

I know legally that the contractor doesn't have a leg to stand on as it was never agreed in writing and clearly states a maximum chargeable amount in the contract. But, I want to pay the builder for the extra works that I requested that is what agreed to, but rates which his electrical s/c has come up with seem very high in particular cat5 cable 3 boxes of 300m £45 each cost, 40 back boxes and it took 2 guys 4 hours to pull in...£2500 seems very expensive!

 

[1shortcircuit]

I think it's more of a legal contract problem than an electrical one.. So I think you'll get limited help here

Have you contacted your solicitor to see where you stand?

Agreed

 

[Dean]

£2500 to install 40 cat5 points!!!

 

[alarm man]

sounds like the extra work is being done on daywork rates as opposed to the fixed price of the original installation or an extra fixed price for the additional work,you need to see what his daywork rate is..

 

[mayfair]

Time to get of the fence, it sounds a lot of money to me

 

[BertUK]

dick turpin comes to mind on this 1

 

[Marvo]

It does sound expensive to me even for UK prices. There's a couple of possibilities that might mitigate the extras being charged at day-rates for example he might have come short on the work in the original contract for reasons outside his control and he's trying to make it up on the extras. I would sit down with him and discuss. If you have given signed variation orders for the extra works and not asked for a quotation first then he might have the law on his side.

 

[nikmet]

Has he charged more than you agreed?, and if you didnt agree a price its difficult to say he overcharged?
If a guy on here offers to rewire houses for £500 does that make the rest of us guilty of overcharging?
I think open dialogue with the electricianis the way forward as each job has its own issues, although i would work out the increase as a percentage of the original quote and try to establish how it got to it.

 

[rallyandy]

way way inflated

 

[Andrewbullie]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I have since spoken to the guy that recommended this building firm to me and he said that the builder did comment that the job was a "real cushy number" and judging by the size of the company that he could make a few extra quid out of it.

He is right, the company is huge (over 70,000 employees), but unfortunately, it operates with small company mentality and strict budgets are delivered to local management with very little scope for adjustment after the budget has been agreed. However, regardless of the size of the company, it doesn't present a right to manipulate fees for his advantage at the detriment of his client on the basis that they are a big company which can absorb extra costs.

Anyway, I have compiled a spreadsheet which details original scope, additions, omissions and anomalies. I have also indicated that I am willing to turn a blind eye to areas of the original scope which has not been carried out.

My honest gut feeling is that he has under quoted for the project on the electrical side or his sub-contractor is taking the ****. As a result, I am guessing that has chosen to try and pass costs on which were included in the contract price to our company, classing them as extras.

Thanks for you comments.

 

[nikmet]

I once subcontracted to a local builder, my work came to approx £300, i found out by chance a year or so later that the builder had charged my work to the customer at over £900 , apparently because he underquoted on building work.................now i ALLWAYS invoice customer direct, to avoid SERIOUS harm to my reputation.
Hope you are able to resolve this satisfactorily and find out who decided on the inflated prices....

 

[mogga]

A lot of builders "Allow " a PC sum for electrics and its pot luck whether they are near the mark or WAY off as in your case dependant on spec of material used copper prices cableruns ect ect ect He may have had to sub in the cat5 install then put his cut on top As for if your getting ripped off I Personaly havent seen the job and wouldnt comment apart from to say YOU Should go and negotiate as YOUR the one who feels agrieved but approach it in a softly softly manner

 

[Big n Daft]

Sounds like the builder trying it on.

 

[1shortcircuit]

Sounds like the builder trying it on.

Naughty.... but likely

It's nice to see that you're going to enter discussion with all the ammo you need. It would be nice to hear how you get on.

 

[Electricalserv]

The contract should have a fixed price and a time scale that it should be finished in or penalties emposed. 8K over budget is an absolute joke & somewhere along the line someone has made a major **** up

 

[i=p/u]

they didnt agree a price we dont know all the info, and if its a big firm, big overheads just big prices... the main point is you should get it signed for extras and quote/price.. level 2 stuff

 

[lookeydookey]

very expensive!!! £55 db socket on dado!!! db socket cost and box £10 max and 2 mins to install and cable would be passing box if there were less sockets anyway so £55 is a rip off.