Am I being overcharged?

[Tanarif]

Hi all, would much appreciate some help on this. We've been quoted £2000 to get kitchen work done, and £2200 for the bathroom.

For the kitchen, this includes rewiring the wires in the kitchen (they're currently out of the wall and covered), and these will be moved into the wall. As this will damage the walls, tilling will also be done. Most of the costs I assume are labour costs.

For the bathroom it's not electric work, but they will be doing the tiling on the floor and walls, re-plastering the ceiling, and fitting in new sink and bath. For the bathroom we've been quoted about £600 for all the materials - the other £1600 is labour costs.

Both the bathroom and kitchen are really small - we live in a 4 bed flat and you can't really walk more than 3 walking steps in either. I ask as to whether the prices are too much as I had people round to rewire the bathroom light from the ceiling to the wall due to water leak, and in total including labour and materials they charged £350. In comparison, the £2000 looks extortionate. All in all, any advice is appreciated. I do feel like the guy is trying to rip us of - we've been given insurance money and I think he's just trying to get as much as he can. They start work monday so any help appreciated!

 

[LlandrilloSpark]

I think that is a complete rip off
I do kitchens for two local fitters , if it's an addition/alteration I provide points for 2 integrated appliances , 2 extra sockets, extractor , hob ignition then it's 450-500, if it has cabinet lights then upto 575 with downlights maybe up to 700, that's labour and materials , day rate for it's fix and day rate for second fix

If its a full kitchen rewire then 800-900 at a max

Think about it, 3000 to rewire a 3 bed semi, 3000 that's maybe 9 rooms and your being charged 2000 for 1 room,....no chance .

And as far as the bathroom is convened then that's even worse, I mean at max it's maybe 4 downlights? 2 shavers, pull cord and shower and isolator ....don't pay it

 

[DurhamSparky]

aggreed with above ^^^

i rewired a kitchen and installed downlights, all metal as well and only charged 765...!!

 

[malcolmsanford]

Hi all, would much appreciate some help on this. We've been quoted £2000 to get kitchen work done, and £2200 for the bathroom.

For the kitchen, this includes rewiring the wires in the kitchen (they're currently out of the wall and covered), and these will be moved into the wall. As this will damage the walls, tilling will also be done. Most of the costs I assume are labour costs.

For the bathroom it's not electric work, but they will be doing the tiling on the floor and walls, re-plastering the ceiling, and fitting in new sink and bath. For the bathroom we've been quoted about £600 for all the materials - the other £1600 is labour costs.

Both the bathroom and kitchen are really small - we live in a 4 bed flat and you can't really walk more than 3 walking steps in either. I ask as to whether the prices are too much as I had people round to rewire the bathroom light from the ceiling to the wall due to water leak, and in total including labour and materials they charged £350. In comparison, the £2000 looks extortionate. All in all, any advice is appreciated. I do feel like the guy is trying to rip us of - we've been given insurance money and I think he's just trying to get as much as he can. They start work monday so any help appreciated!

We do have a plumbing forum for the bathroom side of things so they may be able to give you a better idea.

You are in London and if your 4 bed flat is in Belgravia I'm sure that is a normal price, if it's in Brick Lane then chances are your being ripped off.

@k for burying a few cables though does seem excessive. How many quotes did you get?

 

[cogsey133]

Hi all, would much appreciate some help on this. We've been quoted £2000 to get kitchen work done, and £2200 for the bathroom.

For the kitchen, this includes rewiring the wires in the kitchen (they're currently out of the wall and covered), and these will be moved into the wall. As this will damage the walls, tilling will also be done. Most of the costs I assume are labour costs.

For the bathroom it's not electric work, but they will be doing the tiling on the floor and walls, re-plastering the ceiling, and fitting in new sink and bath. For the bathroom we've been quoted about £600 for all the materials - the other £1600 is labour costs.

Both the bathroom and kitchen are really small - we live in a 4 bed flat and you can't really walk more than 3 walking steps in either. I ask as to whether the prices are too much as I had people round to rewire the bathroom light from the ceiling to the wall due to water leak, and in total including labour and materials they charged £350. In comparison, the £2000 looks extortionate. All in all, any advice is appreciated. I do feel like the guy is trying to rip us of - we've been given insurance money and I think he's just trying to get as much as he can. They start work monday so any help appreciated!

Why let them start? if you are unhappy with the quote get some more i would have thought.

 

[drew35]

Wow I think that is really cheap!!! Do you have their number I need some work doing? I would tear their arm off at that price...

 

[DurhamSparky]

price would probably double if you tore their arm off!! labour costs would shoot up plus you would need to install a disabled drop kerb and parking areas for his van..!

 

[pennywise]

Where abouts in london are you?, is it a top floor flat? whats parking like? are you in the congestion zone? What standard are the original circuits?, do you already have a new consumer unit?. The list is endless without all the information I can't even begin to start pointing fingers and passing judgement on another companies pricing. Did you find the company or did the insurance company?

 

[Tanarif]

We do have a plumbing forum for the bathroom side of things so they may be able to give you a better idea.

You are in London and if your 4 bed flat is in Belgravia I'm sure that is a normal price, if it's in Brick Lane then chances are your being ripped off.

for burying a few cables though does seem excessive. How many quotes did you get?

It's pretty much close to Brick Lane - same property prices / standard. It's actually my sister's property, and she lives as a single parent with her kids and I think she only got one quote from builders and took it on faith from the builder people that the price was good - she could pay as she got £5kish for various stuff from insurance. My worry is though that had the builder not known it was insurance money - he wouldn't have charged anywhere near that amount.

Where abouts in london are you?, is it a top floor flat? whats parking like? are you in the congestion zone? What standard are the original circuits?, do you already have a new consumer unit?. The list is endless without all the information I can't even begin to start pointing fingers and passing judgement on another companies pricing. Did you find the company or did the insurance company?

It's in the Whitechapel area (east london), first floor flat, and free parking on weekends / close by free parking weekdays. Not in congestion zone. No idea about the other two questions - the wiring is fairly old though I know, but the electrician that came by the other day to the bathroom said the kitchen wiring is old but not old enough to desperately need to switch the circuit board.

Thank you for all the responses by the way, a little mixed but much appreciated. If you guys honestly do think it's overpriced I'll suggest stopping the job / getting other qoutes before then.

 

[LlandrilloSpark]

At least get 3 quotes

 

[pennywise]

Didn't you get three quotes from other companies (Sorry just saw your last line of your post). I would suspend works until you've got some other prices, also make a common spec for them all to price from, then there should be a little consistency.

- - - Updated - - -

At least get 3 quotes

Got there first lol

 

[Brightspark2]

At least get 3 quotes

Exactly what I was going to say....

 

[Tanarif]

I think my sister's a little keen to just get it done as it's been dragging on for a long while now (the insurance claim mostly), and not sure the builders would be the open to rescheduling now considering they were due to start monday.

 

[Rampage]

You are calling them builders? Are they builders or electricians? Will they give you safety certificates (Electrical Installation Certificate) for the completed work? Are they Part P registered?

I imagine if you cancel they will say they have already bought the materials and that you'll have to pay for them.

 

[flyingsparc]

Sorry to say it but your sister has not helped her situation, keen or otherwise, even if the claim has taken a long time, she should have used that time to get more quotes. If work has started, and assuming that her specification has not changed and is relervent to their initial pricing then she will just have to accecpt the costs. Like someone else has said, you dont know the extent of the electrical work. I have been to look at jobs where they are having a new kitchen fitted, and they just want to add a couple of sockets, and move a few points around, the board needs updating, all the other circuits require remedial work etc etc. Total cost seems high for what you can see. Just my view, and obviously not fully in the picture.