Cost to hang ceiling fan?

[ItsHot]

What do you charge to hang a ceiling fan.That is if you still do residential?:confused: I hear that Home Depot charges $150 a fan.

[mdshunk]

Install it where? Under what conditions? There's way too many variables for a generic answer. An easy open accessible attic above would yield a price about 1/3rd of what it would cost to hang that same fan on a suspended ceiling.

[peter d]

I hear that Home Depot charges $150 a fan.

Read the fine print. I'm sure that price is to replace an existing fan or light. The price will go up from there depending on many factors.

[mdshunk]

About 2 years ago the local Lowe's store inquired into whether I'd like to hang fans for them. They paid the contractor 45 dollars for this. (Gee, sign me up now!) I don't know who's hanging fans for them, but any legitimate operator has to charge at least that much just to ring the doorbell.

[robwire]

Home depot will replace a fan or install a fan in an existing box for $150
I was charging 125 for that but I bumped it up to 150 when I saw the home depot price.
They also will charge $299 to supply and install an attic fan(cut the hole in the roof,wire the fan,the whole thing complete for a one story house if there is power in the attic)
I can do that in an hour -hour and a half.Attic fan costs 70 bucks,add a switch,nail on box,plate cover,staples,15-20ft 14-2 rx,tube of flashing calk for the hole. Cutting the hole most guys are afraid of but its really easy all you need is a nail,cordless drill and sawsall.(yes my insurance covers it!!!)
I was charging 275 but now i bumped it up to 300.
Some of you guys probably think that is too low but i don't have much overhead and around here there are 25 differnet electrical contractors looking to cut anybodies throat they can for pennies.They bid out new construction jobs for less money per hour then they could make stocking shelves at walmart.

[electricmanscott]

but i don't have much overhead .


This is a classic misconception. Usually held by someone who doesn't realize just how much overhead they actually have.

[peter d]

Some of you guys probably think that is too low but i don't have much overhead and around here there are 25 differnet electrical contractors looking to cut anybodies throat they can for pennies.They bid out new construction jobs for less money per hour then they could make stocking shelves at walmart.

Yes, and with that kind of business model none of them will be in business for very long.

[Dennis Alwon]

I will hang one on an existing installation for $150 but if Marc wants to do it for $45 I would be happy to hire him. :grin:

[robwire]

This is a classic misconception. Usually held by someone who doesn't realize just how much overhead they actually have.
I know EXACTLY what my overhead is and i recently adjusted it to figure in 5 bucks a gallon of gas just incase and figured on me working five hours a day 40 weeks a year incase it slows down beacuse of the crappy economy( but I am booked solid till the first week of august so..)

[bradleyelectric]

I know EXACTLY what my overhead is and i recently adjusted it to figure in 5 bucks a gallon of gas just incase and figured on me working five hours a day 40 weeks a year incase it slows down beacuse of the crappy economy( but I am booked solid till the first week of august so..)

what's your overhead?

[stickboy1375]

I was charging 125 for that but I bumped it up to 150 when I saw the home depot price.



Thats insane, $125 for a fan install? I just did a job today where I hung some Hunter Fans, they took over an hour and a half each to assemble, drill out the fan box I had roughed in because these fans came with a hook style mounting assembly, ladder setup, clean up, garbage removal... etc, etc, etc...

[mdshunk]

, drill out the fan box I had roughed in because these fans came with a hook style mounting assembly...Reiker makes a trick adapter thing that makes that unnecessary. I'll see if I can scare one up and take a pic.

[stickboy1375]

Reiker makes a trick adapter thing that makes that unnecessary. I'll see if I can scare one up and take a pic.


These were pancake style fanboxes installed in a beam at rough, wasn't about to worry about changing them this late in the game.

[220/221]

I used to crank out fans when we were first starting up and I STILL couldn't hang a simple one in under 45 minutes complete with set up and clean up.

I figure an hour each minimum, standard fan, 8' ceiling. If I am just going there to hang one fan I would charge $150 and still not make money.

In the olden days If I charged $150, I would put $145 of it in my pocket and call it a day. I'm starting to miss the olden days.

[stickboy1375]

I used to crank out fans when we were first starting up and I STILL couldn't hang a simple one in under 45 minutes complete with set up and clean up.

I figure an hour each minimum, standard fan, 8' ceiling. If I am just going there to hang one fan I would charge $150 and still not make money.

In the olden days If I charged $150, I would put $145 of it in my pocket and call it a day. I'm starting to miss the olden days.

Agreed... 1 hour is really pushing it though, the thing had better come from HD if your gonna make your time limit.

[peter d]

I was charging 275 but now i bumped it up to 300.
Some of you guys probably think that is too low .......

Yup, $300 to install an attic fan is definitely too low!

[mdshunk]

Yup, $300 to install an attic fan is definitely too low!Right. I'm not sure where you buy a 70 dollar attic fan, but even if I did know, I'm not real sure I'd want it.

[peter d]

Right. I'm not sure where you buy a 70 dollar attic fan, but even if I did know, I'm not real sure I'd want it.

I know you can buy one that cheap at HD. I've been checking them out over there because I'm looking at putting one in my house...installing the fan is the easy part, but adding the intake ventilation is not.

[Buck Parrish]

I know you can buy one that cheap at HD. I've been checking them out over there because I'm looking at putting one in my house...installing the fan is the easy part, but adding the intake ventilation is not.



I put two attic fans in the gable vents in my house. I made them both controlled off of one thermostat. This way they will both come on at the same time. I turned one around to blow in and the other one blows out.
They work great like that. Swishhhhh the air flys out of their.

[peter d]

I put two attic fans in the gable vents in my house. I made them both controlled off of one thermostat. This way they will both come on at the same time. I turned one around to blow in and the other one blows out.
They work great like that. Swishhhhh the air flys out of their.

that's just the problem...NO attic ventilation whatsoever...no gable vents, no soffit vents, nothing. It all needs to be installed.

[quogueelectric]

Thats insane, $125 for a fan install? I just did a job today where I hung some Hunter Fans, they took over an hour and a half each to assemble, drill out the fan box I had roughed in because these fans came with a hook style mounting assembly, ladder setup, clean up, garbage removal... etc, etc, etc...
I think your milking it and I know milk.:smile:

[peter d]

I think your milking it and I know milk.:smile:

1.5 hours to install a fan is nothing.....milking it would be 3 or more hours.

[stickboy1375]

I think your milking it and I know milk.:smile:


It is T&M, so maybe a little.

[stickboy1375]

1.5 hours to install a fan is nothing.....milking it would be 3 or more hours.


Yep, these fans are a pain in the ass. opps I mean butt.

[satcom]

Thank you for making me laugh, a ceiling fan install in 1.5 hours.

[emahler]

Thank you for making me laugh, a ceiling fan install in 1.5 hours.

careful sat, don't have a stroke from laughing too hard

[LarryFine]

There's a ceiling-fan installation, and then there's a ceiling-fan, fan-box, and switch-wiring installation.

[quogueelectric]

Thank you for making me laugh, a ceiling fan install in 1.5 hours.
Havent you seen the 10 min fans at the big box stores? It says preassembled 10 min installation. 78 bucks

[480sparky]

Havent you seen the 10 min fans at the big box stores? It says preassembled 10 min installation. 78 bucks

You're starting to sound like a customer! :grin:

[quogueelectric]

You're starting to sound like a customer! :grin:
Where do you think I get all my lines??:grin:

[mdshunk]

Havent you seen the 10 min fans at the big box stores? It says preassembled 10 min installation. 78 bucksI've put together a few where the blades had keyhole slots and they just more or less clicked on the blade arms. They were actually pretty sturdy fans. I was sorta surprised. I don't know if this was the 10-minute fan you talk about or not. Every once in a while you get these really weird one's that throw you for a loop. When I have to break out the instructions for a paddle fan, I know this one's going to take a while. Had one the other week where two rods came out of a single canopy down to two little individual paddle fans. Reminded me of that Osprey helicopter/airplane thing the Marines use. That fan wasn't really that bad to install. Just took a while due to twice as many parts.

http://images.lowes.com/product/converted/646253/646253000284md.jpg

[ramsy]

..I was charging 125 for that but I bumped it up to 150 when I saw the home depot price. ..Some of you guys probably think that is too low but i don't have much overhead..

If the main audience here is fully loaded contractors, with years of success to share, consider playing along, join in on whipping wet noodles, DIY's & hacks, have fun, and eventually the intellectual capital properly rewards you, privately.

[tonyou812]

I know EXACTLY what my overhead is and i recently adjusted it to figure in 5 bucks a gallon of gas just incase and figured on me working five hours a day 40 weeks a year incase it slows down beacuse of the crappy economy( but I am booked solid till the first week of august so..)
I really dont want you to take this the wrong way but being busy till the first week of august doesnt mean ship if your charging little money just to keep busy. People like you are the reason I am not getting work. For me a service change from 100 to 200 starts at 2500 bucks and I have been loosing them to yo yo's how are charging 1600-1800 bucks and in one case 1400 bucks. And from the sound of it it doesnt seem like you are using a very scientific approach to your price increase. Its almost like you are licking your finger and holding it up in the air and saying " well looks like Ill charge another 30-50 bucks more this month".

The other day I went to look at an above ground pool and the guy told me he was getting bids from as low as 450 ....... I almost crapped my pants when he told me that because its about a 110 foot run 50 inside the garage and another 60 feet underground. How in the hell could someone charge 450 for this work and call themselves legitimate? I have lots of examples like this and my theory on it is the slow economy is turning an already crowded market (New Jersey) into a bunch of low ballers. Guys like you who just want the work so they can say "well I must be doing something right, Im busy untill August..." You probably drive a ratty ass van and pay your guys crappy wages....

I refuse to sink to that level and I am proud to say that I am sticking to my guns. I will not lowball just to say I got work. When I do a job its done right an in the HO or custormers best interest, unlike the jacka$$ who wants to do that pool for 450. I would love to see what the customer gets for that price. I personally am really starting to beileve that Electricians make for some of the worst buisness men I have ever seen.

[emahler]

I personally am really starting to beileve that Electricians make for some of the worst buisness men I have ever seen.

you aren't alone...but don't tell Bob...

[stickboy1375]

Thank you for making me laugh, a ceiling fan install in 1.5 hours.

Since we provided the fans, I had to load them at the shop, unload them at the job, carry them from my truck to the location to be installed, go back and get my 12' ladder, bring that to the fan location, go back several more times for my tools, open the fan, assemble the fan, modify the mounting hardware, hang the fan, pick up my garbage, and still bring everything back to the truck, so yeah, it took an 1 1/2 to hang a fan.

[mark32]

I got a quote two weeks ago about installing two ceiling fans through the EC we (HD) deals with. The rate for a single family dwelling was/is $500 per fan, but customer in question lives in an apartment and was told the rate is higher for that. Customer wasn't too pleased to hear at least a grand to install two fans but they do give you a $50 gift card to the HD if you have two or more fans installed.

[emahler]

Since we provided the fans, I had to load them at the shop, unload them at the job, carry them from my truck to the location to be installed, go back and get my 12' ladder, bring that to the fan location, go back several more times for my tools, open the fan, assemble the fan, modify the mounting hardware, hang the fan, pick up my garbage, and still bring everything back to the truck, so yeah, it took an 1 1/2 to hang a fan.

my guess, is sat knows that the real time is closer to 2.5 hours....don't forget the travel time from the shop to the job, or the time to acquire the fans.. if you have to run the wiring, it's even more...

[iwire]

I personally am really starting to believe that Electricians make for some of the worst business men I have ever seen.


you aren't alone...but don't tell Bob...

I still don't think you understand me. :)

Why would anyone assume that just because someone is a good or even excellent electrician that they would automatically be able to turn that into a successfully business?

In my limited experience running a successful business has absolutely nothing to do with electrical installations.

I am at least a semi skilled electrician, I don't think any amount of training or research could make me a successfull business owner.

It seems the electricians that can make the leap to businessman should put down the tools and hit that part of the business full time if their desire is to grow a business. :smile:

[aline]

Home Depot had an ad in the paper the other day that showed a ceiling fan that only took 5 minutes to install.

It's no wonder the homeowner thinks it should only cost $20 to have it installed.

I installed an outdoor 120 volt receptacle for a portable pool the other day. Another electrician was supposed to do the job but after trying to get him out for 3 weeks she called me. I asked her if he had quoted her a price for the work and she said she described what she needed over the phone and he said it would be about $75.

Why do electricians quote such ridiculous low prices over the phone?
It's no wonder I had such a hard time convincing her it was going to be $300.
$75 is a joke.

By the way I also sold her GFCI receptacles for in the kitchens and bathrooms, dimmer switches and a few other things to increase my sales ticket because I'm one of those contractors that upsells people on things they don't really need. :)

[satcom]

I still don't think you understand me. :)

Why would anyone assume that just because someone is a good or even excellent electrician that they would automatically be able to turn that into a successfully business?

In my limited experience running a successful business has absolutely nothing to do with electrical installations.

I am at least a semi skilled electrician, I don't think any amount of training or research could make me a successfull business owner.

It seems the electricians that can make the leap to businessman should put down the tools and hit that part of the business full time if their desire is to grow a business. :smile:

That is a good view of the issue.

On the ceiling fans, the times will differ depending on the job conditions.

[480sparky]

On the ceiling fans, the times will differ depending on the job conditions.

To HD, they're all the same.

[peter d]

It seems the electricians that can make the leap to businessman should put down the tools and hit that part of the business full time if their desire is to grow a business. :smile:

Without a doubt that needs to happen. Furthermore, once you spend all your time on the business end of things there is no time left to do electrical work.

To me, one definition (not the only definition ;) ) of a successful business is having people work for me doing the electrical part so I don't have to. Not only that, I'm a hack so I shouldn't anyway. :D

[macmikeman]

For $150 dollars I will be happy to come out and install one of these in your house-http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.backyardcity.com/images/gsu/outdoor-rechargeable-fan.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.backyardcitypools.com/accessories/Rechargeable-Fan-With-Radio.htm&start=5&h=600&w=540&sz=77&tbnid=x_A8NNz6wa_nkM:&tbnh=135&tbnw=122&hl=en&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dportable%2Bfans%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26 client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den-us%26sa%3DN&um=1

Somebody posted installing attic fans for $300 dollars.. I have been charging $300 dollars to go WIRE them for a company that sells and installs them. That company charges over $1200 for their portion of the work. They sell a lot of jobs. They are thriving. You can too. If you search on E-Bay, there are good books on the subject of Service work for Dummies available for a very low and attractive price. Go buy one now before they are all gone......

[DanZ]

I still don't think you understand me. :)

Why would anyone assume that just because someone is a good or even excellent electrician that they would automatically be able to turn that into a successfully business?

In my limited experience running a successful business has absolutely nothing to do with electrical installations.

I am at least a semi skilled electrician, I don't think any amount of training or research could make me a successfull business owner.

It seems the electricians that can make the leap to businessman should put down the tools and hit that part of the business full time if their desire is to grow a business. :smile:

Change electrician to person, and preach on! I've seen many people who are very skilled at what they do fail as a business owner because they don't understand business, and won't hire someone or take classes.

[DanZ]

Havent you seen the 10 min fans at the big box stores? It says preassembled 10 min installation. 78 bucks
it does install in 10 minutes! That time doesn't include anything but hanging and wiring it, so there's no removal, running wires, hanging boxes, switches, clean up, travel, etc.:roll:

Uh, feel free to use that one with your customers.:grin:

[stickboy1375]

my guess, is sat knows that the real time is closer to 2.5 hours....don't forget the travel time from the shop to the job, or the time to acquire the fans.. if you have to run the wiring, it's even more...


Oh good, I thought he might be going in that direction, but one can never really tell... except I should have known better....

[220/221]

It seems the electricians that can make the leap to businessman should put down the tools and hit that part of the business full time if their desire is to grow a business

I did it a little differently. I kept the tools on and found someone to "run" the business. I was fortunate enough to understand and accept my place in life.

[mdshunk]

I did it a little differently. I kept the tools on and found someone to "run" the business. I was fortunate enough to understand and accept my place in life.I'm with you. I'll never be able to put down the tools. It's an important part of my identity. I just wouldn't feel good about myself if I wasn't actually doing some "legitimate" work.

[quogueelectric]

I still don't think you understand me. :)
It seems the electricians that can make the leap to businessman should put down the tools and hit that part of the business full time if their desire is to grow a business. :smile:
You mean before they hurt themselves with thier tools??

[ramsy]

..I am at least a semi skilled electrician, I don't think any amount of training or research could make me a successfull business owner.

Necessity becomes the mother of invention. People learn the business from the same school of hard knocks. The beatings are not repeated indefinitely.

It seems the electricians that can make the leap to businessman should put down the tools and hit that part of the business full time if their desire is to grow a business. :smile:

I started as a college student with a Business degree. My idealistic plans without a profession, skill, or family business to run went nowhere.

After investing some time in a marketable skill, I view the stages of small-business growth as inevitable. Personal banks and licensing departments hold peoples hands to the point where the prerequisite is only a bit of integrity and the ability to balance a checkbook.

Once your name gets registered with any kind of municipal, state license or DBA the hardest part is the unsolicited business services. Everyone wants a piece of my action, even though I have none. Some wont take "no" for an answer, some barely speak my language. It has been a sad affair to be the subject of such market desperation.

Credit card services, internet advertisers (hoaksters & scams), payroll services, insurance providers, and pre-texters just collecting my information. I've tried hanging up, cutting them off, but a new voice from the same agency calls right back. My best technique to keep them away is to convince them my clients can't use their product or service, then they stop for a while.

IMO, not getting fleeced and understanding local operator laws is the hardest part of small business. By saving my pennies, not being afraid to be an employee or learn for a short time, and growing slowly by using familiar & reliable local services, its quite possible build a small service shop one step at a time.

[mdshunk]

Hey Roger, don't suppose you want to buy 30 million Sawzall blades, do you? :grin:

[ramsy]

Hey Roger, don't suppose you want to buy 30 million Sawzall blades, do you? :grin:

If it were anyone else, I'd convince them I've never used a Sawzall.

[powerslave]

I'm with you. I'll never be able to put down the tools. It's an important part of my identity. I just wouldn't feel good about myself if I wasn't actually doing some "legitimate" work.

I figure I'll give up working out in the field the day I go up in an attic and I can't get down.:)

[LarryFine]

I did it a little differently. I kept the tools on and found someone to "run" the business. I was fortunate enough to understand and accept my place in life.That's what I want, no, have to do. How? :confused:

[ItsHot]

Well, I got the fans hung today. When I quoted the customer a price, I got the famous line...."how much do you charge an hour"?:)

[LarryFine]

Well, I got the fans hung today. When I quoted the customer a price, I got the famous line...."how much do you charge an hour"?:)
Response: "Well, here's the bill. Divide that by how long it took."

[quogueelectric]

Oh btw 225 and that includes customer bought fan and a 3 wire control to switch whether or not all wires are used i refuse to put in 2 wire. Fansupport box of course.