House re-wire help

[wade88]

Hi chaps,

Right...need some help.

Had my first call through for a house re-wire. As of yet i have not done any jobs of this magnitude and frankly dont want to get it wrong/lose the job. Unfortunately the lady left a message on my voice mail while i was working and i was unable to reach her when trying to call back so as it stands i know nothing about the job so you will have to bear with me on that front.

All i want to know for now is, (as i have only carried out CU changes, small installs, remedial repairs and testing jobs so far), what are the important and essential questions/information to gather from this lady in regards to the job so i can put together and a fair and representetive quote for her? I wouldnt dream of taking this on by myself, so two good friends both (professional sparks) currently on holiday in florida, have happily agreed to help me, both part peed and 17th edition etc.

I would hugely appreciate your input on this so i can approach her in a professional and trust worthy fashion.

Best regards, :grouphug:

Ben

 

[Octopus]

Yea if i was to charge £150 a day and there is three of us on the job i think, then that comes in at £3150 + cost of materials i would imagine im looking at just over £4200 or so? Seems about right for my area on a 4 bed having just scowered the internet at similar jobs and pricing.

Only £1050.00 for materials - and with so many downlights you may be a bit "light" so be careful. Have you allowed for interlinked smokes etc?

 

[telectrix]

make sure your quote specifies exactly the extent of work, and the materials to be fitted. then anything not on the quote is additional cost.

 

[topquark]

Not being "funny" but itemise the materials and price them, don't try to allocate a budget based on guesswork, it will bite you!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Right, so far all i know is this after speaking with her today and having not yet been to the property.

Very old house, full brick contsruction through out, 4 bed. i am pressuming here also then judging by the nature of the age of the property it will be fully floor boarded up and down. She wants 30 doubles and 50 down lights. Fortunately she understands the nature of the work and will be booking i9nto a little holiday cottage down the road with hubby and kids, giving me and my little team a week to complete the job. fortunately she only lives a mile down the road from me, which is great.

However, where the hell do i start to price this? i havnt discussed making good with her yet, but i shall be informing her she will need to get a plaster in, as i will be there an easy fortnight with my plastering ability!

Any help on how to build a quote for such a job would be very handy!

Sorry for being such a needy little git on this, i just value your input and broad experience.

Cheers fellas

Spells engineering brick n all this one mate......2 ways here if so.......hammer (with plenty of brawn behind it) and chisel or......4.5" grinder with a diamond blade on it......... if dust aint an issue........

 

[Goody]

Be concise with your details because you don't want to scare them away. There are builders who can do it for a mere £2500.00

You can have a look at this for your info. -> Electrician prices for hourly rate

Cheers!

 

[KFH]

Don't forget the seven day cooling off period as you have visited her. I can never remember the details, ELECSA have an example on their web site.

 

[PB1]

Remember the cost of downlights varies widely depending on whether they are to be fire-rated or not, and also on the type of lamps to be fitted - LEDs are still expensive although obviously very efficient so your client needs to think about that. I sometimes make the mistake of pricing things on the internet then end up paying more from suppliers where i actually get the stuff so like others have said add a contingency. Also think about who's responsible for removal of waste from the site. it's a good thing to cover in your terms and conditions.
I did my first full rewire earlier this year with my mate. We did it for a lowish price because we wanted the experience. And it was an experience, frustrating at times, but a great learning time for us both in doing the job from start to finish. Good luck with it.

 

[AIM]

I find the Electrica software excellent for pricing. Takes a bit of getting use to, but once you input your discounts and rates, jobs can be priced correctly.

Follow this link to find details.

Free Electrical Estimating Software

You will soon find that pricing is more an art form than science. However if you can review time taken after the job and adjust accordingly.

If the house is occupied and furnished add at least 4 days to job for moving carpet/underlay/furniture etc..... Clarify with customer responsibility for relaying carpet BEFORE you lift anything. A Carpet Fitter will set you back £2.50 per square yard to relay existing carpets/underlay. If you are responsible, add this cost to the job. I've got a carpet stretcher/knee kicker. I put back to a reasonable standard, but make it clear, I'm not a Carpet Fitter.

There are also many versions of 'empty room' you may find the Customer has a different interpretation than you!

Good luck.

 

[72-van]

Being from an it background since your running new cabling to the various rooms had you considered running in a cat5 network at the same time or at least the cables for the same .If the lady has kids they could use it for gaming or the hubby for a home office if not it could be a fantastic future selling point.

 

[Paul.M]

Do they want a house alarm? Kitchen and bathroom extractors? Security lights, porch lights, garden lights, cctv, light in the loft, tv amp, LEDs under kitchen units? Offer them everything, you'll be surprised how quickly an extra list can build up.

Don't underestimate time, set yourself a day work plan for each day and try to beat it. Like others have said take a A4 note pad and draw a diagram of each room, location of every socket and switch + height. list how many skts in each room. As your walking around at the quote stage, look at what will be the easiest for you to install.

Don't forget how much you will be spending on the little things. Jbs, wago's, screws and raw plugs, may seem silly in the grand scheme of things but its £100 out of your pocket if you don't add it on the quote.

Wade good luck mate and one last thing, have a good line of communication with the customer. People like a daily update when your ripping their house to pieces.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Do they want a house alarm? Kitchen and bathroom extractors? Security lights, porch lights, garden lights, cctv, light in the loft, tv amp, LEDs under kitchen units? Offer them everything, you'll be surprised how quickly an extra list can build up.

Don't underestimate time, set yourself a day work plan for each day and try to beat it. Like others have said take a A4 note pad and draw a diagram of each room, location of every socket and switch + height. list how many skts in each room. As your walking around at the quote stage, look at what will be the easiest for you to install.

Don't forget how much you will be spending on the little things. Jbs, wago's, screws and raw plugs, may seem silly in the grand scheme of things but its £100 out of your pocket if you don't add it on the quote.

Wade good luck mate and one last thing, have a good line of communication with the customer. People like a daily update when your ripping their house to pieces.

Definately Paul. Evert time we go to survay...out comes that pen and pad....cant do it any other way...........

 

[i=p/u]

as you say 50 spots @£4 each = £200, 30 sockets @£2 each =£60 , pipe @ £1 for 3 meter lengths=£30 ,id say 4 rolls of 2.5mm@£60 a roll= £240. 1.5mm at £40 a roll , 6mm for cooker @£90 could get the shower out of this aswell(maybe) if not 10mm, clips ,plugs,screws ,jb's, earth, new tails, cu all breakers , back boxes , outlet plates fused spurs............. the more i think if you have 1000 squid for the basics, youl have some change for hicups ..... then offer the extras as this is the time to put them in,,, few days waork between 3 of yous have plaster on standby then take day off and get ready for 2nd fix... and if you can get wago's for your spots get them..... and remember too many spots on one breaker will trip it, id use 10A for lights... loads to consider bet you cant wait to start lol

 

[i=p/u]

ive made that mistake too by not taking enough info down when talking about and whats actualy there......

 

[Rockingit]

When I cost a job, I list out every individual component part, and the labour time to do just that. For example:
2 x Double Sockets in Lounge. Materials £8.00 Labour 3hrs
1 x Double Socket in Hall. Materials £4.00 Labour 1hr
Extract Fan for cooker hood (customer supplied). Materials £50 Labour 4hrs
Misc consumeables £ 150.


or whatever (made up figures above).

That way, the client can see that you're not pulling figures out of the air, and you get an easier way to justify extras later if something ends up taking three times as long because of something unforseen.

 

[i=p/u]

but im teching myself in a way