Pricing

[Sparks321]

Hi, wondering what’s peoples opinions on pricing for work. How do you price for installing sockets and lights? Do you have a fixed price per socket and that includes materials and first fix and 2nd fix?

 

[Intoelectrics]

Depends on the job, if its new build then pricing per item is generally straightforward.
Jobs that include alterations and/or additions can be a more awkward due to what you might find during the job. What might on the face of it look like a straightforward job can end up a nightmare if you come across some previously dodgy or old installs.
You can offer a set price to your client with a caveat that upon inspection if you find additional requirements these may be extra.
I generally price which ever way fits the job best. Sometimes I work it all out and whack on a 10-20% contingency, if I fear the job may entail more work than expected. After a while you get a feel for it and can judge one way or another. This also applies to the client, in that whether they appear to be mean, generous or sensible.

 

[LukeD]

Its down to customer attitude, their property and the ease of working there etc .There is more than just the work itself sometimes

 

[Sparks321]

Depends on the job, if its new build then pricing per item is generally straightforward.
Jobs that include alterations and/or additions can be a more awkward due to what you might find during the job. What might on the face of it look like a straightforward job can end up a nightmare if you come across some previously dodgy or old installs.
You can offer a set price to your client with a caveat that upon inspection if you find additional requirements these may be extra.
I generally price which ever way fits the job best. Sometimes I work it all out and whack on a 10-20% contingency, if I fear the job may entail more work than expected. After a while you get a feel for it and can judge one way or another. This also applies to the client, in that whether they appear to be mean, generous or sensible.

So what price per item is a good guide? Say some one wants 4 extra sockets and they bought the cable and sockets. Could you say £40 per point?

 

[Dustydazzler]

If you are unsure of the extent of work required , then an hourly rate is your safest best. somewhere in the £50-60 per hour is what most sparks in my area charge for small jobs. Some charge a lot more especially for more specialised stuff like board changes and eicrs but as a rule I quote £60 ph nearly always...

40£ per socket is way too cheap imo , if the customer really wants you 'on price' then I would quote £300 otherwise I let some other shmuck do it

 

[DefyG]

Could you say £40 per point?

You could but think you are under pricing at that unless all virtually next to one another on a stud wall!

 

[LukeD]

You could but think you are under pricing at that unless all virtually next to one another on a stud wall!

Per point can still have so many variations etc .

 

[Sparks321]

If you are unsure of the extent of work required , then an hourly rate is your safest best. somewhere in the £50-60 per hour is what most sparks in my area charge for small jobs. Some charge a lot more especially for more specialised stuff like board changes and eicrs but as a rule I quote £60 ph nearly always...

40£ per socket is way too cheap imo , if the customer really wants you 'on price' then I would quote £300 otherwise I let some other shmuck do it

£50-60 an hr?? Thought £25 an hr was kind of going rate to be honest. So how do you quote a full rewire? Do you charge per point? Trying to sort my pricing out as I don’t like an hrly rate as i can put the work in fast on jobs at times.

 

[Dustydazzler]

£50-60 an hr?? Thought £25 an hr was kind of going rate to be honest. So how do you quote a full rewire? Do you charge per point? Trying to sort my pricing out as I don’t like an hrly rate as i can put the work in fast on jobs at times.

I was charging £25 ph 15 years ago but had so much work on it was getting silly , so i slowly upped my rate year on year on year

a full re-wire would involve a site visit , inspection of the loft area , flooring , walls , discuss making damage , making good , redecoration , what they want , what they don;t want etc etc

once you are armed with all this information you can estimate a price

i have done re-wires as cheap as 3 grand right up to 10 grand and more

no 2 jobs are ever the same so imo point per price doesnt work unless its a string of identical new builds

 

[Sparks321]

I was charging £25 ph 15 years ago but had so much work on it was getting silly , so i slowly upped my rate year on year on year

a full re-wire would involve a site visit , inspection of the loft area , flooring , walls , discuss making damage , making good , redecoration , what they want , what they don;t want etc etc

once you are armed with all this information you can estimate a price

i have done re-wires as cheap as 3 grand right up to 10 grand and more

no 2 jobs are ever the same so imo point per price doesnt work unless its a string of identical new builds

Yeah i know that but just when a customer asks for a breakdown or if they did i would be able to cover myself in the pricing. Must be somewhere where you do point pricing. A house is a house end of day all pretty similar in build etc,

 

[DefyG]

Must be somewhere where you do point pricing.

New builds! Complete unoccupied refurbs!

Never occupied premises.

 

[loz2754]

Rule number 1: never allow the customer to purchase standard electrical materials.
Rule number 2: never give a detailed breakdown of costs.
Rule number 3: remember it costs you money to be in business before you even get out of bed, and this has to be accounted for.

Start by working out materials plus markup. Add the number of hours to complete the whole job.
Add a contingency sum. From this total you can work out a price per point. Mine is between £65 and £75 per point (so in a room you have a light, a switch, 3 sockets etc, all at £65 each).
Cooker circuit, consumer unit and shower circuit each have their own special price, again based on time and materials.

If the customer quibbles I walk away without asking questions...

 

[Sparks321]

New builds! Complete unoccupied refurbs!

Never occupied premises.

So new builds then, do you price per point and what do you price?

 

[DefyG]

So new builds then, do you price per point and what do you price?

How long is a piece of string?
We tend to do individual properties where high or quite high end accessories are specified so PPP will vary considerably from a Persimmon Homes estate house for example. PPP in the south will again vary from your part of the world.
A recent project for example with metal accessories was priced at £92.50 per double socket but that wont have much bearing on what you are asking.

 

[Dustydazzler]

So new builds then, do you price per point and what do you price?

5 houses or 500 houses

i have known sparks charge as little as 50 quid a point when lashing is stuff for the big house builders but the margins are so tight its hardly worth getting off the sofa for

 

[James]

Per point is not my preferred option.

I don't get involved in domestic work now but did many years ago.

Always look at a job before giving a price,

The day you quote over the phone for 1 additional socket @£80 is the day you will regret all week.

The customer grumbles at the price because another guy quoted £60 but cant make it for a week because he is too busy.
you take the job

after discovering bricks that melt your masonry drill bits,
a cable route that just throws you problems every step of the way,
a DB that although looked fine at first glance, has an rcd that is bypassed because there are other serious issues in the install.
after 3 hours work, you tell them it cant be connected because the circuit has dangerous faults and it will take at least a day to rectify them at £300

Customer is convinced you are just spinning the job for extra money and wont pay a penny because you have not done the job they asked you to do.

Going round to quote a job is not just looking at the work involved and estimating time and materials,
it also gives you an opportunity to meet and assess the customer, think carefully especially if others have quoted for it but have not been accepted.

The world of television has convinced a lot of the domestic customers that every trade is out to get them, however I have seen many a tradesperson brought to their knees by an unreasonable customer and the tv crews are not there to share it with the world.

 

[Sparks321]

Rule number 1: never allow the customer to purchase standard electrical materials.
Rule number 2: never give a detailed breakdown of costs.
Rule number 3: remember it costs you money to be in business before you even get out of bed, and this has to be accounted for.

Start by working out materials plus markup. Add the number of hours to complete the whole job.
Add a contingency sum. From this total you can work out a price per point. Mine is between £65 and £75 per point (so in a room you have a light, a switch, 3 sockets etc, all at £65 each).
Cooker circuit, consumer unit and shower circuit each have their own special price, again based on time and materials.

If the customer quibbles I walk away without asking questions...

Think am way too cheap. So when you price per point does that include the time to chase walls, pull cables in, lift floor boards and first and 2nd fix?

 

[Dustydazzler]

A Point per price usually included everything , hence 'per point' 1 box 1 front plate 1-2 length of clipped cable etc

It was a very crude way back in the day if a house builder wanted a ball park for 30 houses you just said 50 squid per point and they could roughly work out the price

these were rough arse building jobs where you throw in the cheapest arse stuff you could get your hands on

 

[Sparky Pat]

Before you try working out a price sit down with a piece of paper and write down all your behind the scenes operating costs, eg insurances, nic membership, accountants, vehicle , fuel , accounts software, certificate software, tools, bank charges etc
I did a rough guide recently and it is costing me in the region of £16K a year to operate before taking a wage.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Before you try working out a price sit down with a piece of paper and write down all your behind the scenes operating costs, eg insurances, nic membership, accountants, vehicle , fuel , accounts software, certificate software, tools, bank charges etc
I did a rough guide recently and it is costing me in the region of £16K a year to operate before taking a wage.

Im not far off that

I reckon it costs me a grand a month just to be a sparks before I actually do any work

The way i look at things now is the first week i work is spent on expenses , the second 2 week goes to me and the last week goes straight to the tax man

I know a couple guys who reckon to pay yourself £50K a year you need to turn over £150K of business