Discuss Pricing in the UK Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net
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?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.
You could but think you are under pricing at that unless all virtually next to one another on a stud wall!Could you say £40 per point?
Per point can still have so many variations etc .You could but think you are under pricing at that unless all virtually next to one another on a stud wall!
£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.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
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£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.
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,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
New builds! Complete unoccupied refurbs!Must be somewhere where you do point pricing.
So new builds then, do you price per point and what do you price?New builds! Complete unoccupied refurbs!
Never occupied premises.
How long is a piece of string?So new builds then, do you price per point and what do you price?
So new builds then, do you price per point and what do you price?
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?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...
Im not far off thatBefore 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.
You should just take the first and last week of the month off!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
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.
Then how would I pay the day to day running costs to stay in business ? that would then have to come out of weeks 2 & 3You should just take the first and last week of the month off!
Then how would I pay the day to day running costs to stay in business ? that would then have to come out of weeks 2 & 3
As I say its costs me roughly a grand a month just to remain in business before I even earn a single penny
If i take a week off a month the business costs remain the same , scams need paying , van needs paying etc
I got that and its not a bad idea ?I think he was joking ?
I got that and its not a bad idea ?
1 man band, based in west wales, 6 yr old van£16k sounds a bit more than me. I assume you’re not a 1 man band, or that you buy a new Transporter Sportline each year!?
THis 100% .Its going to be another race to the bottom soon. Ive just worked for a client at a super luxury retirement place in the very north of london .Its "Gods waiting room" . And marketed as been heaven (US owned company) It was all done of the cheap and nasty as they dont expect most residents to live long and the company takes 20% of the sale price !!! Some of the guys working there where seriously "straight off the boat .." but not a real boat .Just arrived from Albania . Many with zero clue . Every contractor was taken down to the bone on price etc and you can tell .As none of them will return to snag etc . They are high and dry and many new residents ----ed off at nothing been done . They paid peanuts and treated people badly . I roll up , do my private work in a apartment and the lady that they cannot fix . pays me , then sends them a bill as she wont stand for stuff not working or needing silly amounts of snagging etc . They bitch about my costs . ONLY as they are so use to people working cheaply . Domestic work is still the best I think . easier to walk away from as well if it starts getting bent out of shape .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...
Totally agree I was @ a school the other day..just finishing a nice refit…estate manager/caretaker asked if I could change a twin socket..took the front off you never seen such a bodge.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.
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