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?

 

[robd]

Just because someone is cheaper doesn’t mean they’ll do a bad job, same as someone expensive doing a good job. Yes in general you do get what you pay for but that price seemed reasonable to me. Don’t you think it says something about the other electrician who dropped £100 once I questioned his pricing? To me that shows a chancer. I bet he pulled up, saw my house on a private estate and put on £200.

I had somebody knock me down in my early days, would never do it again. Put it down to experience and him being a bit over bearing and pushy. Well done for having your house on a private estate by the way.

 

[steve_jones]

I had somebody knock me down in my early days, would never do it again. Put it down to experience and him being a bit over bearing and pushy. Well done for having your house on a private estate by the way.

I didn’t try and knock him down, after not replying to his quote for a few days he asked if it was too expensive and I said yes then we took £100 off.

 

[PEG]

I had somebody knock me down in my early days, would never do it again. Put it down to experience and him being a bit over bearing and pushy. Well done for having your house on a private estate by the way.

That made me laugh...the thread was going all Joe Pesci versus Spider,in Goodfellas...but you cured it

 

[sparksburnout]

Just because someone is cheaper doesn’t mean they’ll do a bad job, same as someone expensive doing a good job. Yes in general you do get what you pay for but that price seemed reasonable to me. Don’t you think it says something about the other electrician who dropped £100 once I questioned his pricing? To me that shows a chancer. I bet he pulled up, saw my house on a private estate and put on £200.

Oh, well, if it's on a private estate that's another thing entirely. You didn't say you were the Duke of Devonshire did you??

 

[pirate]

You get what you pay for...yes...but sometimes you get good value too, even at the mid-range of the market. I can't afford to have my car serviced by the main dealer, it is too old to warrant that "premium service". My mechanic comes to the house (20 miles), drops off his courtesy car and takes mine away, and brings it back when he is satisfied that all is good...and he charges £60/hour labour. I'm happy with that, it suits me, and he is a good mechanic.
Paying cash is always a game, and too few people see the catch...
I had a plumber fit a shower pump for me...not a difficult job, but a time-consuming one and it was needed in a hurry and I simply hadn't the time to do it myself. He charged me the shop price for the pump, and again £60/hour. He asked if I wanted VAT invoice etc and I said yes, because with an invoice I could set it against the rental income, and I had a comeback if it failed.
Maths: Price for the labour was £300 +VAT of £60 =£360. He said he could "lose" the VAT for cash. Thus, I save £60. He however makes £300 either way. £360 and he pays the vatman £60, so pockets £300, but minus income tax at 40%, so he nets £180. £300 cash and he makes, well...£300! No tax, no comeback. So, I save £60, he saves 3x that, I have no invoice and he has no liability. Therefore, offering to "lose the VAT" is a very poor offer for me...if he wanted cash, he would have to come down to £200...he gets £200 and I save £160...or somewhere in between.
And that is just one of many reasons why prices vary so much.
As an aside, I put in the power supply for the pump and as it's Scotland I didn't part P anyone. However, I did get a proper electrician to do my testing afterwards of that new circuit and the new supply to the smokes...and I was happy to pay him his charge for that.

 

[The Ghost]

One thing considering the fact you said 6 downlights, I like to use something like JCC which are £20-£25.00 per fitting, that would be £120. But you can get them far cheaper. Also it is a lot to do with perception of the job and estimating labour. I usually put in 20% more labour as experience tells me things never go smoothly. Like, I find out you have insulation in the void above the kitchen which is going to be slightly more work and so on. At £35 p.h. (I charge) thats £350 with my 20% its £420 so thats £540 easily. If I was VAT registered then VAT on top. Then there are the other materials like under cupboard lighting, cooker upgrade mats. and so on Maybe £100?
You say it is a good job, how do you know it is? Not being challenging just curious.

 

[Risteard]

Went with the £460

Without trying to establish why it was less than half of the price of the other quotes? That is completely the wrong way to deal with quotes.

 

[Risteard]

People might put a higher price in if they think someone is likely to be a pain in the backside.

Or a gap in the rectum cavity.

 

[MJPD29]

Sounds to me like either you have found a decent guy who undervalues his work, or you have found an unqualified handy man who has a good image and looks with his van etc but has made an absolute mess in areas that you can't see. Most probably and hopefully the first though!

 

[Risteard]

Most probably ... the first though!

I doubt that.

 

[davesparks]

I paid the bloke cash, he runs his own business just himself, had a smart van with professional artwork on the side and fully registered.

The kitchen fitter recommend him and said he has worked on many building sites with him. I should think £460 for 10 hours work is a decent rate, minus the cabling and downlights he's easy made at least £350. £35 an hour seems reasonable for an electrician, or is £70 or £110 a more reasonable rate like the other chancers?

He hasn’t easily made £350 because his overheads, tax and national insurance will need to be taken out of that figure.

 

[Anthony S]

As long as your happy with the cost and work and the electrician is happy then it does not matter what others think so a pointless thread really.

 

[Wilko]

Take your car to be fixed, compare the wages of the mechanic to the hourly rate you are charged. I'm off to buy a garage

 

[MJPD29]

I doubt that.

I was trying to be positive for the OP lol

 

[steve_jones]

Sounds to me like either you have found a decent guy who undervalues his work, or you have found an unqualified handy man who has a good image and looks with his van etc but has made an absolute mess in areas that you can't see. Most probably and hopefully the first though!

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