Is this a bit of a stitch-up

[Russ9411]

I want same electrical work done, it's not new works just replacement as in I don't want single light pendants in my hallways I want downlighters,a couple surface mounted cables buried and surface mounted sockets moved down and sunk in the wall. The fella is telling me that I need a new whole new fuse box because that's the new regs. I didn't think downlighters had to be RCD protected. This is a picture of my box and I believe that it doesn't need replacing.

 

[Russ9411]

£57 for all the downlights and switches etc seems awfully low

So did you include the GU10 LED downlights?

I only supply decent ones and 14 decent LED's could cost far more than £57 alone.

The downlighters were

Another consideration with cheapo downlights is, as mentioned, that there will be two cables at most fittings. If the cheap fittings will only take one cable satisfactorily then the spark may have factored in numerous enclosures, terminals and lengths of flex to fit them correctly. This is time consuming and fiddly to do. Screwfix do Enlite E5 and E8's. Both are decent quality for the price and are really quick to fit, which would/should reduce labour costs. Need to buy the bezels separately though.
Get a few quotes I would say. But beware, the cheapest may be the cheapest for a good reason....
And coming on a sparks forum asking whether it is a stitch up is probably not going to elicit good responses to be honest Russ! I would call it a quote not a stitch up. There is no obligation to accept it on your part afterall..

Another consideration with cheapo downlights is, as mentioned, that there will be two cables at most fittings. If the cheap fittings will only take one cable satisfactorily then the spark may have factored in numerous enclosures, terminals and lengths of flex to fit them correctly. This is time consuming and fiddly to do. Screwfix do Enlite E5 and E8's. Both are decent quality for the price and are really quick to fit, which would/should reduce labour costs. Need to buy the bezels separately though.
Get a few quotes I would say. But beware, the cheapest may be the cheapest for a good reason....
And coming on a sparks forum asking whether it is a stitch up is probably not going to elicit good responses to be honest Russ! I would call it a quote not a stitch up. There is no obligation to accept it on your part afterall..

I take your point about my choice of words (stitch up) and thanks for the recommendations.
I understand I certainly don't have to accept it but as I said he was recommended and his checkatrade is 9.99 % out of 94 reviews. It's just when he was explaining what it was he had to do ,I felt like that he was 'dressing it up ' and making out its very differcult to do but the job would take two days.
After he left he text me saying he'd forgotten to look at the fuse board and to send him a picture so he could price it up.
And in the back of my mind I had my suspicion that he was going to go for a new board.

 

[DPG]

He'd forgotten to look at the fuse board? I find that hard to believe!

 

[NDG Elecs]

The downlighters were


I take your point about my choice of words (stitch up) and thanks for the recommendations.
I understand I certainly don't have to accept it but as I said he was recommended and his checkatrade is 9.99 % out of 94 reviews. It's just when he was explaining what it was he had to do ,I felt like that he was 'dressing it up ' and making out its very differcult to do but the job would take two days.
After he left he text me saying he'd forgotten to look at the fuse board and to send him a picture so he could price it up.
And in the back of my mind I had my suspicion that he was going to go for a new board.

No worries Russ. Without seeing the property it is hard for us to compare what our prices would be. Sounds a bit more than two days to me also. The new fuse board issue could be circumnavigated possibly by providing a separate RCD unit for the chased in light switch drops.
But I would be wary of taking the cheapest quote you get. Many many times I have been asked to rectify carppy electrical work done by a cowboy on the cheap. Dodgy electrics can and does kill afterall.
Get more quotes, ask pertinent questions, trust your gut instinct would be my advice..

 

[streamer]

After he left he text me saying he'd forgotten to look at the fuse board and to send him a picture so he could price it up.

He'd forgotten to look at the fuse board? I find that hard to believe!

I suspect he may have looked at it but hadn't made a note of the circuits

 

[Pete999]

One of you old experienced gentlemen will have to explain what a rawlplug jumper is.

Bit like a Christmas jumper Mate
3x VINTAGE RAWLPLUG no.10 no.14 JUMPER CHISELS DRILLS HANDLES MADE IN ENGLAND | eBay - https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3x-VINTAGE-RAWLPLUG-no-10-no-14-JUMPER-CHISELS-DRILLS-HANDLES-MADE-IN-ENGLAND-/322900261035

 

[streamer]

Bit like a Christmas jumper Mate
3x VINTAGE RAWLPLUG no.10 no.14 JUMPER CHISELS DRILLS HANDLES MADE IN ENGLAND | eBay - https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3x-VINTAGE-RAWLPLUG-no-10-no-14-JUMPER-CHISELS-DRILLS-HANDLES-MADE-IN-ENGLAND-/322900261035

Thanks Pete. Looks like hard work!

 

[Pete999]

Thanks Pete. Looks like hard work!

It was

 

[Leesparkykent]

Looks about the right money to me if inc VAT.

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Being london that quote seems quite fair. But get more as a comparison. Do not get pimlico plumbers army of electricians in though they charge 95+ per hour. Plus materials on top.
Remember though buy cheap buy twice. Its a false economy buying shoddy cheap parts.

 

[Leesparkykent]

And the cheapest quote is normally that for a reason....when I quote domestic jobs I can normally suss the customer in a few minutes. I wouldn't entertain the customer buying the gear unless I gave them the list which included makes and models....again this would be madness as I would almost certainly be able to get it cheaper than the customer and any call backs that turned out to be component failure would be chargeable....where as if I had brought them I would honour it for a period of time. I normally tell the customer outright that I'm not the cheapest and not the most expensive if I can see they're just fishing for the cheapest quote...usually weeds them out! Customers that just want the cheapest quote without considering things like customer service, workmanship etc are not the type of customers I'm interested in.

 

[Russ9411]

£57 for all the downlights and switches etc seems awfully low

So did you include the GU10 LED downlights?

I only supply decent ones and 14 decent LED's could cost far more than £57 alone.

The downlighters were

Another consideration with cheapo downlights is, as mentioned, that there will be two cables at most fittings. If the cheap fittings will only take one cable satisfactorily then the spark may have factored in numerous enclosures, terminals and lengths of flex to fit them correctly. This is time consuming and fiddly to do. Screwfix do Enlite E5 and E8's. Both are decent quality for the price and are really quick to fit, which would/should reduce labour costs. Need to buy the bezels separately though.
Get a few quotes I would say. But beware, the cheapest may be the cheapest for a good reason....
And coming on a sparks forum asking whether it is a stitch up is probably not going to elicit good responses to be honest Russ! I would call it a quote not a stitch up. There is no obligation to accept it on your part afterall..

Another consideration with cheapo downlights is, as mentioned, that there will be two cables at most fittings. If the cheap fittings will only take one cable satisfactorily then the spark may have factored in numerous enclosures, terminals and lengths of flex to fit them correctly. This is time consuming and fiddly to do. Screwfix do Enlite E5 and E8's. Both are decent quality for the price and are really quick to fit, which would/should reduce labour costs. Need to buy the bezels separately though.
Get a few quotes I would say. But beware, the cheapest may be the cheapest for a good reason....
And coming on a sparks forum asking whether it is a stitch up is probably not going to elicit good responses to be honest Russ! I would call it a quote not a stitch up. There is no obligation to accept it on your part afterall..

I take your point about my choice of words (stitch up) and thanks for the recommendations.
I understand I certainly don't have to accept it but as I said he was recommended and his checkatrade is 9.99 % out of 94 reviews. It's just when he was explaining what it was he had to do ,I felt like that he was 'dressing it up ' and making out its very differcult to do but the job would take two days.
After he left he text me saying he'd forgotten to look at the fuse board and to send him a picture so he could price it up.
And in the back of my mind I had my suspicion that he was going to go for a new board.

 

[Octopus]

^^ it's not in London, it's Hampshire - exactly where hasn't been disclosed.

As for Checkatrade, the points score is like skating, so ignore the first number.

 

[Russ9411]

Being london that quote seems quite fair. But get more as a comparison. Do not get pimlico plumbers army of electricians in though they charge 95+ per hour. Plus materials on top.
Remember though buy cheap buy twice. Its a false economy buying shoddy cheap parts.

The place that needs doing is near Portsmouth. I don't want to be paying London price's for Portsmouth. There's no CC and no parking. As for the materials I'm more than happy for a sparky to tell me which lights etc to get from screwfix, toolstation, wickes or whatever catalogue.

 

[Octopus]

What do you think you will achieve by getting the parts yourself?

If people do this to me I increase my hourly rate.

 

[NDG Elecs]

Customers that just want the cheapest quote without considering things like customer service, workmanship etc are not the type of customers I'm interested in.

Nail, hammer, head there Lee!