Is this a decent price for a kitchen rewire?

[Sparky00]

Hi all,

The ceiling is all open and an extension is being built and in total, the kitchen is going to be about 16m². Fuse board is nearby and the following is to be first and second fixed:

1x new cooker circuit - £80
2x heat/smoke- £140
8x sockets- £320
8x downlights- £400
3x switches- £120
1x spur- £40

Total= £1100.00

everything is supplied and fitted

Property is based in London with free parking and 5 mile drive from home. How would you price it as I am new to pricing so it may be too much or too less.

 

[Sparky00]

So this is a somewhat different situation to pricing up a job normally, it sounds like you are doing this as your first private job for a mate whilst you are still an apprentice. This is a different situation to being fully qualified and running your own business.

Pricing a private job as an apprentice is difficult, you can't reasonably expect the rate of a fully qualified and experienced electrician, but also you should be charging more than minimum wage/apprentice rates.

Be careful doing private jobs as you won't be covered by your employers insurance for any damage you may accidentally do, make sure you trust the person you are working for not to stitch you up.
You also have the issue of part P these days, have you considered how you will get the work notified to LABC for the purpose of part P?

The person I'm doing the work for is the person that will be notifying LABC. I've known him for many years now. I understand where you're coming from too however, I'm quite confident now in doing my job properly in domestic properties. If I wasn't to trust myself in doing something, I will never risk it.

I'm not the one pricing it up actually, I was just very curious and thought of how much I would charge if it was my job as a qualified electrician that's why I've posted the question here and thankfully you guys have somewhat guided me and I have learnt a few things to be honest.

 

[richy3333]

And if you are doing the install then you test it and certify it. No idea about LABC notice though as I'm not in England

 

[Sparky00]

Try not to ‘price’ the job with your ‘mate’ hat on and look at it as a ‘proper’ job for a new customer.
too often in the past have I have costed up jobs on a scrap of paper as a ‘mates’ job only to leave myself well short of what the job should have been quoted at.
at this point it’s very hard to ask for more money because you didn’t bother to put together a proper detailed Quote and also look at the job beforehand rather than assuming things.
Remember your time is money , it has a value..

Exactly that. I've got enough experience surely to do a small kitchen re-wiring properly like someone qualified would do. I was due to be fully qualified this year but the pandemic has postponed everything.

As you said, that's the reason why I'll never keep myself short because at the end of the day, if I got the knowledge and experience, what really makes me different to those "qualified" electricians that do bodge jobs and charge more than average for it when in reality I do much more of a nicer job and up to the regulations standard?

I totally agree with you. Don't get me wrong guys I know I have alot to learn in the coming years therefore I don't want to put myself across to you guys as if I know everything.

 

[davesparks]

I'm quite confident now in doing my job properly in domestic properties. If I wasn't to trust myself in doing something, I will never risk it.

It doesn't matter how confident you are, or how much you trust yourself, ---- happens!

How confident are you that there isn't a cable run outside of the safe zones that you might drill in to?
How much do you trust yourself to know exactly where a pipe has been randomly buried in the plaster where you need to drill a hole?

I have a good level of confidence in doing my job properly, but have still managed to drill through various cables and pipes, and one painting.
I've nicked a burglar alarm cable and had the police turn up, and had a couple of near misses with sprinkler heads.

I've seen someone hit a fire alarm cable and face a £1k repair bill, plus making good.

Insurance cover is, in my opinion, essential before picking up your tools.

 

[Zerax]

...but have still managed to drill through various cables and pipes, and one painting.

Definitely need to hear more about how you managed to drill through a painting ?? Was it a secretly hidden rolled up canvas of the fallen Madonna with the big boobies ?

 

[davesparks]

Definitely need to hear more about how you managed to drill through a painting ?? Was it a secretly hidden rolled up canvas of the fallen Madonna with the big boobies ?

Notjing so exciting, I was an apprentice at the time.
I chopped in a shaver point box and without thinking drilled straight into the wall for the fixings, naturally the drill went straight through the wall and out the other side. When I went to check what the damage was in the other side of the wall I found that I had gone through this massive great painting!

 

[Grant1987]

Exactly that. I've got enough experience surely to do a small kitchen re-wiring properly like someone qualified would do. I was due to be fully qualified this year but the pandemic has postponed everything.

As you said, that's the reason why I'll never keep myself short because at the end of the day, if I got the knowledge and experience, what really makes me different to those "qualified" electricians that do bodge jobs and charge more than average for it when in reality I do much more of a nicer job and up to the regulations standard?

I totally agree with you. Don't get me wrong guys I know I have alot to learn in the coming years therefore I don't want to put myself across to you guys as if I know everything.

Well you certainly sound confident in your ability which is great and rightly so but don’t forget these electricians which your referring to who charge loads and do a bodge job are you doing the classic case of “It’s all too easy to find faults in other tradesmens work but not your own”? Your fairly new to the game but switched on by sounds of it just concentrate on your installs and your quality and the work will follow you ?

 

[Sparky00]

Well you certainly sound confident in your ability which is great and rightly so but don’t forget these electricians which your referring to who charge loads and do a bodge job are you doing the classic case of “It’s all too easy to find faults in other tradesmens work but not your own”? Your fairly new to the game but switched on by sounds of it just concentrate on your installs and your quality and the work will follow you ?

No no definitely not. I always double check the things I do during and right at the end before I say it's done. When I do find a mistake I correct it for sure, I like sleeping at night .
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It doesn't matter how confident you are, or how much you trust yourself, ---- happens!

How confident are you that there isn't a cable run outside of the safe zones that you might drill in to?
How much do you trust yourself to know exactly where a pipe has been randomly buried in the plaster where you need to drill a hole?

I have a good level of confidence in doing my job properly, but have still managed to drill through various cables and pipes, and one painting.
I've nicked a burglar alarm cable and had the police turn up, and had a couple of near misses with sprinkler heads.

I've seen someone hit a fire alarm cable and face a £1k repair bill, plus making good.

Insurance cover is, in my opinion, essential before picking up your tools.

Woah, sounds like you've had many close calls ey. Of course it happens it's not impossible for anyone/me not to make mistakes of course you're right. Touch wood I haven't made any serious mistakes during my apprenticeship yet but can happen some day.

I usually just go slow with drills and drywall saws in places where I don't know if anything is behind it and it has prevented some accidents but easily could've happened.

 

[Ed Evans]

Hi all,

The ceiling is all open and an extension is being built and in total, the kitchen is going to be about 16m². Fuse board is nearby and the following is to be first and second fixed:

1x new cooker circuit - £80
2x heat/smoke- £140
8x sockets- £320
8x downlights- £400
3x switches- £120
1x spur- £40

Total= £1100.00

everything is supplied and fitted

Property is based in London with free parking and 5 mile drive from home. How would you price it as I am new to pricing so it may be too much or too less.

A little low but ok.