Book times for chopping boxes in walls

[stimpy]

I think another question should be how long to chase and drill down behind the skirting, then thread the cables up.
Sounds easy but some times with a joist in the wrong place. Ages!

New build large concrete tensed beams so no concern there.

 

[VoltzElectrical]

5 mins to make correct size hole for 1g, 8 mins for 2g.
3 mins to get metal back box securely fitted, hole knocked out and rubber grommet in.
Add 5-10 minutes if brick/concrete starts crumbling and its difficult to get rawl plugs in.
Those would be my times (approx)

and you can't get the box square to the wall which is why I don't fix them that way in old houses, instead I bed them in with Hardwall or drywall adhesive. Works REALLY well with a bit of corrupted water so it goes off quicker. Hold the cable in place in the chase and gunk over with same mix thus negating the need for clips or capping. It also means that one can quote for the whole gig rather than saying see you when the plaster is done.

 

[VoltzElectrical]

This Developer seems a bit hit and miss, make sure you dot the Is cross the Ts and check to the enth degree these "mates" will screw you for everything if you ain't careful, bit of a chancer by the sound of it, seen plenty of them as soon as something goes wrong, hes not to blame. I told him this that and the other as long as the ess H one T don't stick to him/her.

A really good point there Pete, @ the OP, if you are going to go ahead, make sure your terms and conditions are watertight.

 

[stimpy]

and you can't get the box square to the wall which is why I don't fix them that way in old houses, instead I bed them in with Hardwall or drywall adhesive. Works REALLY well with a bit of corrupted water so it goes off quicker. Hold the cable in place in the chase and gunk over with same mix thus negating the need for clips or capping. It also means that one can quote for the whole gig rather than saying see you when the plaster is done.

Not applicable on these projects.

But have used both with success over the years though I'd always use metal capping. These days I largely send a plasterer in after so we can get on our next jobs.

 

[davesparks]

and you can't get the box square to the wall which is why I don't fix them that way in old houses, instead I bed them in with Hardwall or drywall adhesive. Works REALLY well with a bit of corrupted water so it goes off quicker. Hold the cable in place in the chase and gunk over with same mix thus negating the need for clips or capping. It also means that one can quote for the whole gig rather than saying see you when the plaster is done.

Dave's special recipe:
Bonding coat plaster with a sprinkling of OPC,
Wet the chase first to make it stick
Slap it in quick and half hour later it's gone off hard.

Or for the really speedy jobs substitute rapid setting cement for the OPC!

 

[shanky887614]

Dave's special recipe:
Bonding coat plaster with a sprinkling of OPC,
Wet the chase first to make it stick
Slap it in quick and half hour later it's gone off hard.

Or for the really speedy jobs substitute rapid setting cement for the OPC!

just throw a bit of bonding in, leave a couple mm for finish coat

 

[davesparks]

Takes too long to set, I don't want to wait around for ages before I can do anything with the box!

 

[i=p/u]

yh you could well be but what if you blew the main fuse with your dodgy lead or cut a cable or waterpipe,lol

i like the answer it takes as long as it takes.............. just my opinion and what i say

Flip me that rinsin it a bit aint it? I could chop in, put the socket on, test it and on the way home within an hour.

 

[uksparks]

Buy the time he has been on here and wasted half his Electrical Trainee life away thinking about it, he could have knocked a load of them out and be getting on with it nicely, or did they show him how to do that?

 

[edexlab]

Bit of info missed here I think ....

New builds are generally dot and dabbled...

How deep are the boxes to chase in and are the walls dot and dabbed?

ie you might be be fitting 35 mm boxes or more and only have to chase in 10/20mm allowing roughly 25mm for boarding
I'm guessing the answers here are along the thinking that its most likely 35mm knocked flush.

 

[stimpy]

Buy the time he has been on here and wasted half his Electrical Trainee life away thinking about it, he could have knocked a load of them out and be getting on with it nicely, or did they show him how to do that?

I'm not sure I've misunderstood but it looks like this comment may be aimed at me?

If so have you read this entire post or just being an arrogant ignorant ****? If not I'm still unsure you understand the purpose of forums.

 

[uksparks]

I was trying to extract the urine, come on, you are asking about book times on fixing sodding back boxes. How longs a bit of string...

 

[stimpy]

I was trying to extract the urine, come on, you are asking about book times on fixing sodding back boxes. How longs a bit of string...

Furry muff, just didn't come across that way.

And yes, I can understand the subject matter can be a little ambiguous/ tricky/ tedious.

But as per posts there are genuine book times hence my genuine question - would have posted in the business section but required a quickish comparative answer. If folk could only answer the actual asked question or not at all on forums that would be fab, but then it could be a little sterile... But to rip folks for asking a genuine question and not fully read or understand the original post... well thats just ignorant in my book.

Oh, and just for future reference I've been a self employed electrician for just over 20 years and its seen me pretty good. And that doesn't make me the best electrician - but means I must be doing something right.....

 

[Knobhead]

So when you’ve tied the job to the minute are you going to dock the guys pay because the job took a bit longer than your book says. If you don’t dock their pay there’s no point tallying everything beforehand.

It will take a damn site longer when everyone’s walked of the job.

You’re a fool if you think you can price a project to the N[SUP]th[/SUP] degree. What are you going to do if you overrun on costs because you’ve cut your margins?

 

[shanky887614]

schedules of work are just to keep the accountants happy etc, unless there continuously update its rare they actually happen when they say they will.

for example the guys are coming out to balance the fans on friday.

the cable feeding our panel isnt going in till thuraday, they have no chance

 

[stimpy]

So when you’ve tied the job to the minute are you going to dock the guys pay because the job took a bit longer than your book says. If you don’t dock their pay there’s no point tallying everything beforehand.

It will take a damn site longer when everyone’s walked of the job.

You’re a fool if you think you can price a project to the N[SUP]th[/SUP] degree. What are you going to do if you overrun on costs because you’ve cut your margins?

Crikey... You lot are hard work - you need to take your fingers out your ears! And what is all this dribble Tony!?? I'd never cut blokes wages, if I get my price wrong its my fault only!? Hence I need to get it right...

And I've never stated I was pricing to the nth degree - where does this come from?

 

[stimpy]

For the first time in 20 years making a successfull living as a self employed sparky I decided to try book pricing as this particular project is very large to me, I'm up against the big boys and I was a bit un confident in my usual methods so thought I'd try it. Hence the very specific original post!???

so why all the ignorant comments?

"It'll take as long as it takes" or " why do you even care?" Won't be received very well on my tender....

And what with book pricing being new to me I thought what with this being a forum and all I'd ask...

stupidly..... Expecting an adult answer......

 

[stimpy]

schedules of work are just to keep the accountants happy etc, unless there continuously update its rare they actually happen when they say they will.

for example the guys are coming out to balance the fans on friday.

the cable feeding our panel isnt going in till thuraday, they have no chance

Perhaps I wasn't clear. I mean working out the original base man hrs to complete the project then compare to the build schedule and set your base no. Of men to meet the build requirements... A schedule of works to me but may be the wrong terminology...

 

[shanky887614]

Perhaps I wasn't clear. I mean working out the original base man hrs to complete the project then compare to the build schedule and set your base no. Of men to meet the build requirements... A schedule of works to me but may be the wrong terminology...

ive just re read op.

would be worth booking at least 1.5times how long it would take you.

some subbies wont go as quick as you yourself would

 

[polo1]

I have to say guys, some of you are really takin the urine. You're trying to look at this from the perspective of what you do/ how you do it on the various jobs you work on. This query has nowt to do with that directly. This is the sort of stuff which allows a job to turn a profit or deliver a loss, and too many of the latter and it's no jobs for the boys.
A perfectly sensible question and some right leery answers.