Need estimate-labor hours for 3/4" rigid conduit run and device installations

[Part 77]

1 run of 3/4" RMC. Rewiring 3 coal conveyors-emergency stop pull cords, misalignment switches and start alarm horns. first conv.=125' second conv = 115' 3rd conv.=950'
To be done by savvy maintenance electrician guys, not highball construction guys. Relatively straight runs at waist level along the conveyors. Conveyors are in a underground tunnel, so no driving to the area of work. Lots of trudging back and forth from the tunnel entrance to pack the materials. Bender and threader will be at tunnel entrance. Maybe a small saddle bend to clear obstacles every 50' average. 9 devices (switches, horn) on each short conveyor. Long conveyor-15 devices. all conductors to be 14 THHN stranded. Existing uni-strut every 10', we will add double to cut support to 5' as mechanics, laborers willl use the conduit to stand on. I've been tasked to come up with an estimate on labor for a 2 man team and the boss will give me the stink eye if I way under estimate it.
Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[cmreschke]

And will you be paying us to do your job?

 

[Fulthrotl]

I've been tasked to come up with an estimate on labor for a 2 man team and the boss will give me the stink eye if I way under estimate it.
Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!

i will share something with you, based on my experience here....

first off, nobody is gonna take off your job for you here. get your
pencil sharpener and get to work.

how you ask here is as important as what you ask.

i've posted a scope of work, and what i thought was
a good number to bid at, and asked for opinions as
to high, low, etc.... and i've gotten some smart people
who took the time to tell me i was way low.... they were
right. saved me the privilege of paying to do the work for free.

then, in a moment of self absorption, i posted something
that sounded like i was treating the forum as my personal
TURF, and had my *** neatly handed to me.

your milage may vary.

note: freaking coal mine. two guys, three weeks.
and allow a week to wash up afterwards.

i've done piping in coke barns. plan on tyvex suits,
and unless it's wet coal, purple cartridges on respirators.
is it a CL1 Div1 occupancy? dry coal dust?

AND BUY YOUR MUPPETS A NEW PAIR OF SHOES WHEN
IT'S DONE. TWO PAIRS OF RED WINGS, $500.

 

[John120/240]

i will share something with you, based on my experience here....

first off, nobody is gonna take off your job for you here. get your
pencil sharpener and get to work.

how you ask here is as important as what you ask.

i've posted a scope of work, and what i thought was
a good number to bid at, and asked for opinions as
to high, low, etc.... and i've gotten some smart people
who took the time to tell me i was way low.... they were
right. saved me the privilege of paying to do the work for free.

then, in a moment of self absorption, i posted something
that sounded like i was treating the forum as my personal
TURF, and had my *** neatly handed to me.

your milage may vary.

note: freaking coal mine. two guys, three weeks.
and allow a week to wash up afterwards.

i've done piping in coke barns. plan on tyvex suits,
and unless it's wet coal, purple cartridges on respirators.
is it a CL1 Div1 occupancy? dry coal dust?

AND BUY YOUR MUPPETS A NEW PAIR OF SHOES WHEN
IT'S DONE. TWO PAIRS OF RED WINGS, $500.

Randy I enjoy reading your response. You cut to the chase an tell it like it is.

 

[jumper]

Randy I enjoy reading your response. You cut to the chase an tell it like it is.

Yep, the man knows what he is doing and can tell it like few others, no baloney from him.:thumbsup:

 

[Fulthrotl]

Yep, the man knows what he is doing and can tell it like few others, no baloney from him.:thumbsup:

HEY! you fiddled with my WORD! hmy:

 

[stevebea]

Existing uni-strut every 10', we will add double to cut support to 5' as mechanics, laborers willl use the conduit to stand on.

I would not be too comfortable with that if I was responsible for the install.

 

[weressl]

1 run of 3/4" RMC. Rewiring 3 coal conveyors-emergency stop pull cords, misalignment switches and start alarm horns. first conv.=125' second conv = 115' 3rd conv.=950'
To be done by savvy maintenance electrician guys, not highball construction guys. Relatively straight runs at waist level along the conveyors. Conveyors are in a underground tunnel, so no driving to the area of work. Lots of trudging back and forth from the tunnel entrance to pack the materials. Bender and threader will be at tunnel entrance. Maybe a small saddle bend to clear obstacles every 50' average. 9 devices (switches, horn) on each short conveyor. Long conveyor-15 devices. all conductors to be 14 THHN stranded. Existing uni-strut every 10', we will add double to cut support to 5' as mechanics, laborers willl use the conduit to stand on. I've been tasked to come up with an estimate on labor for a 2 man team and the boss will give me the stink eye if I way under estimate it.
Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!

Don't forget expansion joints on the long run and pullboxes, unions. Wonder if it is a classified location - should be - then you have additional cost occuring there. Sounds like you may not even be under NEC, but MSHA.

 

[Part 77]

And will you be paying us to do your job?

Apparently I mis-understood the forum scope. As my post history shows, I'm not a regular visitor.
My post did not have all the info. This isn't for a bid. No competing bid willl be coming in from a contractor. I am not a contractor. I am an hourly paid employee in a power plant.
Control and electrical tech. for 5 years in the plant. MSHA certified low, med. and high voltage surface mine electrician for 27 years before(Hence the Part 77 handle).
The job titles translate to "Jack of all electrical work". If I shot myself in the foot looking for some experienceed advice here on a rarely done conduit job (at least in my case), so be it.
BTW, I wear Danner's

 

[Part 77]

weressl,
Thanks for the tips. It's neither NEC or MSHA jurisdiction as we are a "Utility". I do have a WA State Master electrician license in addition to the MSHA card FWIW. Not much exprience estimating though...
The installation is classified. Devices, horns, etc. and all will meet NEC Chap. 5 Hazardous Locations requirements.

Fulthrotl, Thanks for the input.

 

[weressl]

weressl,
Thanks for the tips. It's neither NEC or MSHA jurisdiction as we are a "Utility". I do have a WA State Master electrician license in addition to the MSHA card FWIW. Not much exprience estimating though...
The installation is classified. Devices, horns, etc. and all will meet NEC Chap. 5 Hazardous Locations requirements.

Fulthrotl, Thanks for the input.

If you still need actual estimating numbers on Monday, I can give you some, send me a PM. 3/4" GRC, XHHW ?AWG singles? I work in the Chem industry, similar, do my own estimate $50K-$50M.

 

[Part 77]

Thank you for the gracious offer!

 

[growler]

I've been tasked to come up with an estimate on labor for a 2 man team and the boss will give me the stink eye if I way under estimate it.
Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!

This isn't for a bid. No competing bid willl be coming in from a contractor. I am not a contractor.

The solution is simple. Instead of trying to impress the boss and give a fast completion time give an estimated time to do a really good job. Give an honest estimate on how long it will take a couple of you guys to do the work and do it right.

You are a better judge of how fast you or a couple of your people can work than anyone on a forum that has no knowledge of the experience and physical condition of the worker is going to be. You also know the job conditions and how many hours of productive work you can put in each day.

One little question? Has this job been engineered and layed out with the correct drawings or is it comething that will be designed and argued about as you go?

 

[twoelk]

My 2min guesstimate, $32k

 

[kwired]

And will you be paying us to do your job?

I truly expect my fair share of what any advice I offer is worth

As has been said, you know the capabilities of the guys performing this task better than any of us. You also know better the conditions and any restrictions related to doing this work.

Not every crew will be able to do the task in the same time depending on their experiences, as well as possible complications just because of working conditions.

 

[cdslotz]

I would labor each nut, bolt, fitting, wire, strap, strut, etc with realistic labor units, comparing and applying low-to-high difficulty factors. Then I would apply required safety and protocol.
I don't argue labor units. They have been developed and proven. If boss wants to override me, that's his call.

 

[Part 77]

To all,
I apologize for my poor form here. I didn't realize the purpose of the estimating forum.
To answer a couple questions, nothing has been layed out or engineered. I was tasked with coming up with a "plan of action". This has morphed since last Thursday to include estimating the labor, compiling a materials list, and engineering and designing the applicable control adaptation to mesh with our distributed control system (Ovation)
I was uncomfortable with the labor estimate for my supervisor and jumped on here with both feet.
I did not intend to rub anyone's fur the wrong way. I will "pay it forward" the help/advice I have received.
Thank you.
Brian Vetch

 

[growler]

To all,
I apologize for my poor form here. I didn't realize the purpose of the estimating forum.
To answer a couple questions, nothing has been layed out or engineered. I was tasked with coming up with a "plan of action". This has morphed since last Thursday to include estimating the labor, compiling a materials list, and engineering and designing the applicable control adaptation to mesh with our distributed control system (Ovation)
I was uncomfortable with the labor estimate for my supervisor and jumped on here with both feet.
I did not intend to rub anyone's fur the wrong way. I will "pay it forward" the help/advice I have received.
Thank you.
Brian Vetch

I would think that the first steps are to design the job and then come up with a materials list and then will come the labor estimate.

It's very hard to try and come up with an accurate labor estimate until you have outlined exactly what needs to be done. On a job like this it's easy to figure out how long it will take to run the straight runs of conduit but it's the little details that will eat up your time.

Don't worry about rubbing anyone's fur the wrong way, this is a forum and these are only opinions.