No phase taping allow per my customer sow

[jcassity]

Customer indicates in the sow that color coded cable conductors shall be used , "no phase taping"


My install will consist of wires up to 600mcm

what is the cost delta between color coded wires vs non color coded?

looking for a simple approximation to add into my home made electrical estimate tool..

so if you come back and say,, just add about 5% or 21% ect then that will suffice.

the objective here is to find a "real world" experienced answer.

 

[jumper]

Customer should pay for any and all costs for this extra installation cost. Phase taping or other effective means is allowed and if speced otherwise, it should be an an additional financial burden on the specifier, not the EC IMHO.

 

[curt swartz]

Using large colored large wire is pretty common in the SF bay area now. Supply houses are stocking the most common sized wire in 9 colors. The cost is the same no matter which color. Using the colored wire actually saves money since you don't have to spend the time phase taping each wire.

 

[LEO2854]

Customer indicates in the sow that color coded cable conductors shall be used , "no phase taping"


My install will consist of wires up to 600mcm

what is the cost delta between color coded wires vs non color coded?

looking for a simple approximation to add into my home made electrical estimate tool..

so if you come back and say,, just add about 5% or 21% ect then that will suffice.

the objective here is to find a "real world" experienced answer.

I believe you can order reels already color code for whatever length you wish to pull without any extra cost.

 

[JDBrown]

I believe you can order reels already color code for whatever length you wish to pull without any extra cost.

... unless your local supply house doesn't stock the colors you need and you have to pay an expedite fee to get them brought in in time to meet your job schedule.

I agree that the customer should pay for any extra costs resulting from this requirement, but I have no idea how large or small those costs might be.

 

[cowboyjwc]

I believe you can order reels already color code for whatever length you wish to pull without any extra cost.

Yes, but you have to order them vs. them being in stock. Though he did say up to 600 so he was probably going to have to order wire anyway.

 

[petersonra]

I have ordered larger wire in different colors. it has always been the same price, but only black is quick to get.

 

[jcassity]

My company does not stock wire,, we only recently started "supplying" installation materials but i limit myself to the big ticket items as to avoid a double mark up.
we order all materials from supply houses and we expect / factor in min 3week lead time to "complete" the misc materials order.
This works out because all my "Equipment" like Gens, battery strings, dc plants, ATS's, MTS's, lug boxes, UPS systems, inverters, HVAC systems all have a 3 to 10 week lead time anyway. most of my projects are 500k to up in the 2-3M$ range.

normally i let the EC supply lab and misc wire/plumbing but there is a mark up that i have call "my cost" and therefore being the GC, i have to mark up materials again a tad bit.

If my EC bids my project and he gets me a BOM of what he knows he will need, that makes it much easier for me to supply the materials so he doenst have to handle them.

the bad part is the liability is on me to react with materials get hosed up, thats begining to prove to become a large burden on our company.
I have always said its cheaper to let the EC supply misc materials because they end up have more control over thier part of the installation.

oh well, thanks for the answers guys, all your opinions arrive at a similar conclusion, the cost "nowadays" doesnt change with colored wires.

 

[Fulthrotl]

Customer indicates in the sow that color coded cable conductors shall be used , "no phase taping"


My install will consist of wires up to 600mcm

what is the cost delta between color coded wires vs non color coded?

looking for a simple approximation to add into my home made electrical estimate tool..

so if you come back and say,, just add about 5% or 21% ect then that will suffice.

the objective here is to find a "real world" experienced answer.

depends on how you plan your work....

as long as you order your wire cut to length, and delivered that way, there
shouldn't be really any difference in cost... and now you can get it with a
pulling head already on it if you like, and all you have to do is hook it up
to a clevice, and go.

price it both ways, and see how much it will cost to just have the pulls
delivered with pulling heads on them.

 

[LEO2854]

Yup, the black wire is always available on the spot,and getting the colors you must order them cut to length . Anyhow any of you big commercial guys order from these guys?

I wonder how much more that will cost ,if it's even worth it.

 

[Besoeker]

Customer indicates in the sow that color coded cable conductors shall be used , "no phase taping"


My install will consist of wires up to 600mcm

what is the cost delta between color coded wires vs non color coded?

looking for a simple approximation to add into my home made electrical estimate tool..

so if you come back and say,, just add about 5% or 21% ect then that will suffice.

the objective here is to find a "real world" experienced answer.

Being from the other side of pond, the right one we have somewhat different wiring practices.
Since we build mostly VSD systems for industrial applications coloured phase tape is a no-no. It wouldn't be considered a permanent identifier.

You mention up to 600mcm which is a pretty big conductor if I've done my conversion correctly.
But here's an idea that you could maybe use that might be acceptable to your customer.
On larger conductors we sometimes use coloured heat shrink to identify the phases. It comes as a roll. Cut a short length, slip it over the the end of the cable, apply heat, job done.
It's a little bit of work I know but possibly not a lot more than winding tape around a few times. And it does mean that we can use all black cable.
And I'm not sure if we can actually get individual phase colours at 600mcm equivalent.

 

[jcassity]

no heat shrink option.
the scope is clear,, and spelled out. My customer doesnt appreciate or have the time to sit around debating this stuff and i know it. I avoid "putting them to work" when they are asking me for turn key services.

im doing 3) 600mcm per phase,,, and this customer requires full amperage design at 75degc column ,, in sch80 burried encased in concrete for the out door run, then using wide rigid sweeps up to grade, then all exposed conduits must have expansion fittings and supported 100% with sainless strut and hardware on the new full stainless HFrame with stainless lug box n3r & all fittings must have bonding bushings. in additon, my gen, utility and N3R ATS trenches must not intersect or cross over anywhere.


example,
1) 500mcm is a failure for 400Amp ,,

thanks for the answers,, again it looks like there really isnt any additonal cost

 

[GoldDigger]

... again it looks like there really isnt any additonal cost

Unless "Time is Money".
Or you order extra wire to be sure you have enough and then do not get to use it.

 

[jcassity]

we dont stock misc install materials, with my lead times on equipment such as ATS's, gens', dc plants, batteries, INverters, UPS"s, ect ect, the misc install parts will beat everything else to site.

i site survey and engineer the jobs so the only extra wire is what i figure in as slack on either end, not much beer money remains.