Why so big a difference in price?

[steve_jones]

Hi All,

Just wanted anyone's views on why electricians prices are so different, had a few quotes for wiring in a kitchen, quotes came in at:

£1200
£950 (reduced to £850 when I questioned it)
£460

Went with the £460, did a great job, safety certificate the lot. I know none of you will have seen the job in question but how do people quote up for jobs and why the vast difference?

 

[Tes369]

So let's see the pics of this installation.... I don't think you'll put pics up though

Too many one man band domestic installers set up that's the problem the market is flooded with so called "Electricians".

I was sat in a Co op car park yesterday eating my lunch and in the space of half an hour two Electrical Installation vans part P registered and the classic plumber van pulled in and a member of a scheme also does electrics local guys and a pretty small town.

Cheers

 

[Tes369]

Unquallified .. I'd say so

I'd like to see him put a bubble set in a length of 20mm galv conduit.

Cheers

 

[RWJ]

I'd like to see him put a bubble set in a length of 20mm galv conduit.

Think you'll find it's a "three point saddle"..... Yep I love getting corrected by the apprentices!!!

 

[RWJ]

So an electrician recommended by the fitter who has worked on many building sites and has the following is unqualified?

EAL DOMESTIC INSTALLERS CERTIFICATE
CITY AND GUILDS
PART P

Trying to start the old DI vs Apprenticeship served argument......Definitely a WIND UP!!!!!!

How could he have shown the Part P qualification.... It's a building reg!

 

[Spoon]

How could he have shown the Part P qualification.... It's a building reg!

I've heard this lots of times on here. I don't quite get it...
Yes Part P is a building reg but there are courses out there were you take a test and get a piece of paper saying you have passed 'Part P qualification'
I could say that the 17th Ed is a reg and not a qualification, but still you can take a test and get a piece of paper saying you have passed.

and, yes, I feel the OP is just trying to wind people up...

 

[MDJ]

Okay lets get back on track, the guy asked for cash, I never accepted cash when I ran a business but then I was Limited and liked everything clean as a whistle, that said nothing wrong with cash, however did you get a proper company invoice? the actual quote is cheap to be fair, I would have priced the job based on your description at 850 quid plus vat if I really wanted the job and 1200-1300 plus vat if I was busy and didn't. Saying this did the guy actually allow for examining the existing installation? was the Consumer unit up to scratch? was there main equipotential bonding in place and was it satisfactory? did he confirm existing RCDs or RCBOs were satisfactory? was the down lighters he installed fireproof? who plastered up the chases for the new socket and switch drops? if all above was done or explained then you have just had a spark around who dropped a clanger and maybe next time he will get it right.

 

[peterhyper]

I am suprised Dr Jones isn't at work, although I suspect that he is as much a doctor as Dr Hook was (the older members will remember him). Ironically if Dr Jones isn't on a wind up, I doubt he would be in love with a beautiful woman because I would be sure he lived alone (again for the younger members that was a reference to one of Dr Hooks songs).

 

[Risteard]

So an electrician recommended by the fitter who has worked on many building sites and has the following is unqualified?

EAL DOMESTIC INSTALLERS CERTIFICATE
CITY AND GUILDS
PART P

Absolutely. In fact he's not an Electrician but a "Domestic Electrical Installer". How do you even know his qualifications? Is this a wind-up?

 

[Andy78]

So an electrician recommended by the fitter who has worked on many building sites and has the following is unqualified?

EAL DOMESTIC INSTALLERS CERTIFICATE
CITY AND GUILDS
PART P

If he's advertising that array of mickey mouse quals then he's almost certainly not what the industry would recognise as fully qualified. That coupled with the cheap price would have me with serious doubts about the quality of service.

Could also all be fine though.

 

[NDG Elecs]

Steve, I think you are making assumptions. You are assuming the spark that did the work did it to a very good level. Your £460 job may be a lash up and not satisfy the regs. You are also assuming how much electricians earn.
I come across plenty of dodgy electrics installed by qualified sparks with shiny sign written vans. And plenty of people are willing to sign 'safety certs' even though things are not correct.
Was bonding, earthing and circuit protection up to scratch?
Other considerations are that as this particular spark works with the kitchen fitters regularly they will have a better idea as to how they work. The other quoters may have thought it sounded a bit of a pain to do. They may have thought it would take longer than it actually took.
Or they may be really busy and not want nor need the work so tried to price themselves out of the equation. Or it may be the case that they didn't take too you on a professional level and priced accordingly.
For the works done I think 460 is to cheap by a few hundred pounds, and I would suspect something is awry. But you seem set firm in the belief that they were trying to rip you off.

 

[Octopus]

People can pay me by cash, cheque, or BACs - the price is always the same ................ I don't care how people pay me, all I ask is that they pay.....

There are also people who deliberately earn below certain thresholds so they can continue to receive tax free "tax credits"

 

[Nigel]

I've heard this lots of times on here. I don't quite get it...
Yes Part P is a building reg but there are courses out there were you take a test and get a piece of paper saying you have passed 'Part P qualification'
I could say that the 17th Ed is a reg and not a qualification, but still you can take a test and get a piece of paper saying you have passed.

and, yes, I feel the OP is just trying to wind people up...

I think the issue may be that as a bolt-on to a fully qualified electrician these sort of one day courses are perfectly fine.

As a stand alone course however they are completely worthless. Doing the 17th Edition course but no other qualifications does not make you anywhere near an electrician and this is what these cowboys are trading on - giving a false sense of security to joe public that knows nothing better.

 

[MJPD29]

So an electrician recommended by the fitter who has worked on many building sites and has the following is unqualified?

EAL DOMESTIC INSTALLERS CERTIFICATE
CITY AND GUILDS
PART P

Anyone recommended by a fitter is most probably not an electrician. If he is a domestic installer, he is not an electrician. Let's make that very clear as domestic installers are exactly that and not electricians. What city and guild is that? There are thousands or city and guild courses but is it the required one? I think your another member of the public who doesn' actually understand electrical work or what is involved and jump at cheap prices. I can't blame you for that. 90 per cent of the public is the same.

 

[Spoon]

If he is a domestic installer, he is not an electrician. Let's make that very clear as domestic installers are exactly that and not electricians.

wow... that sounds very stuck-up...
I suppose it's everyone to their own opinion.
How about just thinking that they are electricians, but just at a different knowledge base to you...

 

[elsparko]

wow... that sounds very stuck-up...
I suppose it's everyone to their own opinion.
How about just thinking that they are electricians, but just at a different knowledge base to you...

i agree, ive seen industrial guys struggle with routing cables inside houses, having the ability to guess where dwangs are in walls, fishing for cables in victorian properties.

most sparkies can adapt from one to the other but it takes time