Electrician quote for materials

[Hayley Evans]

Hello there, this is my first post, I am not an electrician but I wondered if anyone could help me out with a quote I have been given.

The electrician was recommended by our builder and I just wondered if his quote was accurate. I've looked myself at the same materials and they are half the price - but other than the downlighter they are the same brands etc as he said he would be installing (so not cheap stuff that's going to break).

I've priced it at 50% less than the electricians quote for materials. The one thing I can't price up is the cabling and I imagine there is way more cable used that I would have initially thought.

Before I ask the electrician about the price and potentially ---- him off, I just wondered if it was possible that the wire could come to £400? It's a standard 3 bed semi, on the 1st floor the lighting ring and sockets need rewiring and a new (large, 9m x 5m) loft needs to be wired.

Thanks

 

[telectrix]

looks as if that materials quote is OTT. have you any individual prices he's quoted for sockets, etc.? £400 for cable would do a whole house.

 

[Octopus]

Hum ...... you have cherry picked the obvious items you can cost but there are far more items needed .......and all these cost ...... plus there is the cable ......

 

[Pete999]

Seems a bit OTT to be honest, is he a Spark, or a bloke from the Pub? ask him for his CPS details (NICEIC or similar) see what the response is before you commit to anything, as well as getting quotes from other Electricians, if he is in cahoots with the builder, it could be his mate and a con is in progress, I hasten to add the words "it could be" could well be a genuine quote but get a couple more for comparison.

 

[Wilko]

Hi Hayley and welcome to the Forum.
It's normal to add something to the cost of items, to cover the time taken to order, collect and provide you with warranty. But it does sound high so perhaps seek a 2nd quote?

 

[Toneyz]

Get other quotes.

 

[richy3333]

Impossible to say really without a host of more info. Fire clips are now much more expensive than normal cable clips. We don’t know the cable routes etc. If you have doubts perhaps get a second price? To be honest there are other aspects that account for estimates - location/travel, awkward customers, work time, guarantees/warranties the list could go on. Have you considered screws, trunking, capping glands, bushes, intumescent sealants?

 

[davesparks]

OP could you be a bit more specific about the pricing please? At least let us know what the materials list is to get a rough idea of how much cable and other accessories will be making up that £400

That £400 could also include RCBOs, back boxes, conduit, clips, screws and other fixings etc etc.

 

[snowhead]

Hayley
You could offer to supply the materials yourself.
BUT, they would need to be there when the Electrician needs them.
If there were any problems with any items, you'd have to pay the Electrician extra to remove them , go back to the supplier and get them exchanged yourself, then pay the Electrician to fit the replacements.
Also if anything you supplied failed within their warranty period the same would apply, you'd have to pay extra and arrange for the replacements

 

[123]

This is one of the reasons I don't break down my quotes into materials & labour. And certainly wouldn't give a customer an itemised list of materials and costs.

 

[Hayley Evans]

Thanks everyone lots of replies and lots of things I didn't know about, @davesparks you're right I hadn't factored in any of those things. Maybe it's lots of little things added together.

@snowhead, that's what I was thinking, a little bit more for the peace of mind/less headaches would be worth it, but it does seem like a lot to pay.

@Wilko, what sort of warranty should I expect? The electrician hasn't mentioned one? I just assumed he would wire it up and be off. I understand a small surcharge on sourcing the items needed and that's very fair.

I don't have a materials list, just a price, £840. So I've probably missed stuff off. It's 10 x white double sockets, 7 smoke alarms, 1 heat alarm, 1 three way switch, 1 dimmer, 3x1 way switch, 4 downlighters, 6x6"pendants and a bathroom light. The switches and sockets are click brand and the alarm Aico, putting it quality stuff makes sense and I don't mind paying for that.

Maybe I should ask for a breakdown but I don't want to be a pain! I have asked for 2 others to come and quote too.

 

[davesparks]

What brand are the downlights?

 

[Hayley Evans]

@davesparks I don't know which ones the electrician will install but the ones I priced were Aurora MPRO1 7W LED 2700K Extra Warm White, at just under £25 each which included VAT and the Bezel. The electrician did say his lights were 3/400k (they give me a headache if they are too white, that's why Initially thought I would get the materials because I'm fussy).

 

[Wilko]

Regarding warranty, again I'd discuss with the Electrician. FYI, some lamp manufacturers offer an extended warranty if the product registered. I think your selected brand have this - you'll see if it's there on their web site.

 

[Octopus]

7 smoke alarms .... is this a HMO?

 

[Deleted member 105166]

@davesparks I don't know which ones the electrician will install but the ones I priced were Aurora MPRO1 7W LED 2700K Extra Warm White, at just under £25 each which included VAT and the Bezel.

Hi Hayley

As you are going with Scolmore sockets, why not go for their downlights as well? I'd highly recommend their Inceptor Nano range, this will save you some money over the Aurora.

Hope this helps.

 

[AJshep]

The trouble is the general public can pretty much always buy the materials for same price as someone in the trade. Especially if you are getting them from mutiple places online im sure you will find them cheaper.
Clips, capping/oval, backboxes, grommits screws cable etc. Do add up though and is surprising.

Worth remembering if you brought the materials and something (a downlight) went faulty then you would have to expect to pay for the revisit. So its also worth bearing that in mind.

 

[Hayley Evans]

Regarding warranty, again I'd discuss with the Electrician. FYI, some lamp manufacturers offer an extended warranty if the product registered. I think your selected brand have this - you'll see if it's there on their web site.

Yup, I tried to price products with a warranty but I sort of assumed that if anything failed (say 2 years later) the electrician would still want paying again?

@Murdoch - no, it's a loft conversion and instead of fire doors we can use heat/smoke alarms in every room.

 

[Hayley Evans]

Hi Hayley

As you are going with Scolmore sockets, why not go for their downlights as well? I'd highly recommend their Inceptor Nano range, this will save you some money over the Aurora.

Hope this helps.

Thanks, I'll have a look

 

[Markyd]

why 7 smokes?.......but if needed and 1 heat will come to about £250 alone for quality ones

 

[Idpost]

Hi Hayley, are the smoke alarms being interlinked with cable or via radio link? If it’s the latter then they are a lot more expensive.

 

[Wilko]

Yup, I tried to price products with a warranty but I sort of assumed that if anything failed (say 2 years later) the electrician would still want paying again?

Hi - probably want some payment, but you can discuss this. My standard terms are 1 year on lamps and dimmers. Longer warranty period is entirely possible but would likely incur an additional charge.

 

[Bob Geldoff1234]

"I don't have a materials list, just a price, £840. So I've probably missed stuff off. It's 10 x white double sockets, 7 smoke alarms, 1 heat alarm, 1 three way switch, 1 dimmer, 3x1 way switch, 4 downlighters, 6x6"pendants and a bathroom light."

Is this price just for the materials or is it to wire all that lot up as well?
If wiring then the sockets alone would come to £700.As a very rough price it would come to over £2000 for that lot wired,supplied and fitted.

 

[Hayley Evans]

why 7 smokes?.......but if needed and 1 heat will come to about £250 alone for quality ones

Yup, it's £233 for the ones that the electrician recommended (AICO EI161E) and it's £264 for the multi sensor ones which I prefer (from fire angel)

Hi Hayley, are the smoke alarms being interlinked with cable or via radio link? If it’s the latter then they are a lot more expensive.

Cable, the radio ones (We'd have NEST) are £366 more, if it takes 1/2 day for 2 electricians to link all the smoke alarms together then it's only slightly more expensive for the wireless ones (roughly £100 more). But I'm not sure how long it would take?

@Bob Geldoff1234 it's just materials, labour is £3,000 plus vat.

 

[Octopus]

Yup, it's £233 for the ones that the electrician recommended (AICO EI161E) and it's £264 for the multi sensor ones which I prefer (from fire angel)

My advice to you

Accept the sparkies quote or get more sparkies to quote

Messing around to try and save a few pennies will just leave you in dispute or with an unfinished job on your hands

When you take your car to the garage you leave them to it

PS : Aico produce the best alarms

 

[MJPD29]

If you don't like the quote don't take it, simple as that. I certainly wouldn't be going ahead with the work or providing an itemized breakdown of the quote either

 

[Hayley Evans]

My advice to you

Accept the sparkies quote or get more sparkies to quote

Messing around to try and save a few pennies will just leave you in dispute or with an unfinished job on your hands

When you take your car to the garage you leave them to it

PS : Aico produce the best alarms

I think that's part of the problem, when I take my car to the garage they let me go in the pit and have a look at what needs doing, they give me a price for a part and sometimes I get my own part if it's much cheaper to do so. I've used the same garage for 14 years. I'm used to fixing things myself but gas and electrics I wont touch.

I am worried about messing him around hence me asking if it's feasible all the small ratings come to around £400, but £400 is a lot of money I think, not pennies?

Good to know that you rate Aico, is that from an installation and longevity point of view? I read on their website they rate the multi sensor alarms more over the separate optical / ionisation alarms? But their multi sensor alarm is slower than the fire angels / nest in some fire instances like wood fires.

It's only a 3 minute difference but I am deaf so it will take me longer to hear the alarm and I live with my father who is disabled so 3 minutes can make a difference to us.

I'll wait and see what the other electricians say, the second quote was £3000 and it included changing the RCD (£600) and steel rather than white fixtures, they aren't VAT registered so excluding Vat it's £900 cheaper than the first guy.

 

[Toneyz]

You will be surprised how getting just a few items soon add up.

 

[Silly Sausage]

I think that's part of the problem, when I take my car to the garage they let me go in the pit and have a look at what needs doing, they give me a price for a part and sometimes I get my own part if it's much cheaper to do so. I've used the same garage for 14 years.

And here lies your problem.
You've obviously got a long term relationship with the garage and they're happy to accommodate you. Whereas, you're expecting the equivalent with a brand new (to you!) electrician. It's not going to happen ... really!

 

[Hayley Evans]

And here lies your problem.
You've obviously got a long term relationship with the garage and they're happy to accommodate you. Whereas, you're expecting the equivalent with a brand new (to you!) electrician. It's not going to happen ... really!

They've always let me

 

[GMES]

Also worth remembering that a lot of local electricians know each other and speak with each other, if you go around getting loads of quotes and questioning them, then you may find others start pricing high just so they don't get the job.you could become a customer to avoid.
Don't take this the wrong way but if you're this much trouble before the jobs even started I for one would walk away rapidly if I was the Electrician.
All you have to ask yourself is a few simple questions,
1 can you afford it
2 is he a reputable tradesman
3 is it worth nit picking over what you can get the parts for.
He is running a business and therefore has to make profit, how much he makes it of no concern to anyone except him.
Either accept or decline it's that simple.

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Hi Hayley

As you are going with Scolmore sockets, why not go for their downlights as well? I'd highly recommend their Inceptor Nano range, this will save you some money over the Aurora.

Hope this helps.

If going for click scolmore, have a look at the denmans range. it is made using exactly the same moulds for the faceplates as click scolmore. also cheaper.

 

[telectrix]

my friendly garage would also allow me to get under and see what needs doing, but i never bother.it's a Toyota Hiace. nothing ever needs fixing. (invincible, see Top Gear).

 

[Deleted member 105166]

when I take my car to the garage they let me go in the pit and have a look at what needs doing

Really? I suggest they ratify this practice with their public liabilities insurer! All great until something goes wrong...

 

[GMES]

my friendly garage would also allow me to get under and see what needs doing, but i never bother.it's a Toyota Hiace. nothing ever needs fixing. (invincible, see Top Gear).

I thought the one in Top gear was an HILUX

 

[diditrain]

It was

 

[Octopus]

I am worried about messing him around hence me asking if it's feasible all the small ratings come to around £400, but £400 is a lot of money I think, not pennies?

Please read post #4 again ........................

FWIW I never break down my quotes and if people start asking these questions I normally politely decline to answer questions about parts costs - and if I don't get the work ......... I don't care

You need to make sure that ALL the quotes include electrical certification AND Part P notification too.

 

[buzzlightyear]

I love customer start complaining about the quotes and the much things cost , next time you take your car to a garage and they say your big ends gone ..what would you say then when the man in the garage .
Fix it or scrap it .
Things cost, a penny saved or a pound lost ...

 

[MG201]

The electrician will be pricing all items from 1 supplier,£400 for all accessories and cable isn’t exactly miles off , , yes if you shop around on line you can save £5 here and there but got to remember that if you want him to do that then u have to pay for his time and also no guarantee that all items will arrive on time , , if the quote is from a company with professional accreditation then also remember that these accreditations are not free , they give the customer the assurance that the job will be done right if not then you have procedures in place to resolve , if you want to use wee jimmy from the pub and get materials yourself that’s up to you but as you said your father/ family will be staying there, more chance of dieing in a house fire than winning the lottery ,, do you buy a ticket ??

 

[Strima]

My kitchen fit was close to £800 on materials alone, not a huge kitchen either.

However £250 of that was materials solely for the solid oak lamp over the dining table...

 

[Squid]

My kitchen fit was close to £800 on materials alone, not a huge kitchen either.

However £250 of that was materials solely for the solid oak lamp over the dining table...

Cheaper then getting divorced, VOE......

 

[Squid]

What sort of property s this as 7 smokes seem extreme, people need to make a living and a bit of a profit to pay their bills, if the sparks is supplying the products then he should warrantee them for a set period of time, you could offer to supply your own stuff but if anything goes wrong then prepare to be billed for his/their time in resolving any issues.

 

[Hayley Evans]

The electrician said I can get the materials myself that's why I'm asking, I don't know if it's worth the potential stress, if the smaller things make up the £400 difference.

@MG201 the materials are £840 from the electrician, £400 if I get them (and they are chrome, not white as the electrician quoted). He said I could get my own materials so I was asking if the cable and stuff like that I don't know about as a consumer, might come to £400 or there about; in which case it's easier to let him get everything to save any hassle.

Also I don't play the lottery, what procedures would be in place? Should the electrician come back with no costs if something goes wrong in the future?

@SWD the smokes are instead of fire doors. I'm assuming any warranty wouldn't include labour fees?

 

[MG201]

If I’m not wrong all works carried out are the responsibility of the contractor for 5 years ( excluding parts warranty unless agreed )

 

[Hayley Evans]

I love customer start complaining about the quotes and the much things cost , next time you take your car to a garage and they say your big ends gone ..what would you say then when the man in the garage .
Fix it or scrap it .
Things cost, a penny saved or a pound lost ...

I think I've been misunderstood. The electrician says I can supply my own materials, he gave me a list of brands he recommends but not a complete list of materials. I looked up the big branded things he mentioned and it's £400 cheaper than he says.

So I'm asking will the cabling (and other stuff I don't know about) make up that £400 - in which was it's easier to just let the electrician supply everything. But if it's £400 cheaper I'll order myself and deal with potential problems, which may end up costing more.

 

[Squid]

So tell us what sort of property is this as it seems to be a BTL or HOMO as in a domestic you don't need that amount of smokes or fire doors, tell us the full story.

 

[MG201]

Let him get it then it’s up to him to replace should there be any issues , and yes cable and accessories could easily be 400

 

[Hayley Evans]

So tell us what sort of property is this as it seems to be a BTL or HOMO as in a domestic you don't need that amount of smokes or fire doors, tell us the full story.

It's just my house, a 3 bed semi, soon to be 4 bed as we have a loft conversion being done. We don't want to replace the original 1930s doors with fire doors. Building regs say as the doors fit in their frames we can keep them, but we need an alarm in every room and on every landing.

 

[Deleted member 105166]

I think I've been misunderstood. The electrician says I can supply my own materials, he gave me a list of brands he recommends but not a complete list of materials. I looked up the big branded things he mentioned and it's £400 cheaper than he says.

Just supply them then Hayley, as he's invited you to. Sounds a decent chap, so don't try to push it and squeeze a few more ££ on all the fiddly stuff that will become a PITA for you!

 

[Hayley Evans]

Let him get it then it’s up to him to replace should there be any issues , and yes cable and accessories could easily be 400

Fab thanks and just to clarify by accessories you mean like clips and other electricians stuff (that I have no idea about), not switches, sockets, smoke alarms or light fittings?