Do family and friends ask for free work ?

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djohns6

Senior Member
Location
Louisiana
I'm not an electrical contractor , I'm a technician for a power company .
Somehow that still makes me the " resident family electrician " . I don't mind hanging ceiling fans or troubleshooting the occasional appliance but sometimes things get out of hand . No , I don't want to wire your new house or rewire the knob and tube crap in your attic . I have a brother in law that is a carpenter and we help each other out , but neither of us takes advantage of the other .

Anybody else have this problem ?
 
djohns6 said:
Anybody else have this problem ?
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Not anymore. I put a stop to it as it began to eat into much of my free time. But I'm always there for ma and pa cause the free food is good. :smile:

Politely as I can I say no thank you to most.
 
This may be wrong to say but that is flesh and blood i do it all the time for mine if i have the time and don't take time from my wife. I know by doing that for them if i ever need them they will return the favor.
 
Texhunter7 said:
This may be wrong to say but that is flesh and blood i do it all the time for mine if i have the time and don't take time from my wife. I know by doing that for them if i ever need them they will return the favor.
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I agree family is one thing, I don't do work for friends, good way to ruin a freindship. If you want to do work for a friend, then don't expect payment, just do it.
 
my family stopped asking when I always told them that i am a business man not an electrician. although I was in field for almost ten years before I started into management and then my own company.
 
satcom said:
If you want to do it so a friend then don't expect payment, just do it.
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My friends have no problem paying for materials and permits. They are true friends. Fun to be around even if I'm working and always get fed.
 
I think most of us here are willing to help parents and other family members with the odd job or emergency , but I had a cousin tell me that I could come wire his new house on the weekends . No mention of money , but he did say that he thought I could get some wire for free at my work . Geeezzz ...
 
I don't do side work for pay anymore, but I do help friends and family for free. I'd just as soon the job was done right as opposed to somebody screwing it up and having to come in later and fix it anyway. :)

I just wish I was an electrician back when my dad was rewiring his house when they first bought it - it would have saved a lot of headaches for me now.

Edit:
Texhunter said:
I know by doing that for them if i ever need them they will return the favor.
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http://forums.mikeholt.com/editpost.php?do=editpost&p=849176Exactly. People have been there a lot for me in the past, it's the least I can do to return the favor.
 
My family never asked and when I did work for them they have wanted to pay, I REFUSE to accept money. When friends ask I explain I am not that kind of electrician.

Though DO NOT ask how in 35 years of never doing work for friends I let my mouth get me into a job for a friend, finishing a kitchen at present. I have paid one of the apprentices DT to help.
 
Other then Mom I don't do freebie electrical work, I will do almost anything else but not electrical work, I do that enough during the week.

I pretty much tell everyone that all I know is commercial work and I do not know how to wire homes. But I never ask anyone else to do free work for me either.
 
My position is this:

My firends & family know and trust me. If I can't get them to pay me, why should I expect total strangers to pay me?

Therefore, the only ones on my freebie list is Mom & Dad. They are forever on my IOU list.
 
480sparky said:
My position is this:



Therefore, the only ones on my freebie list is Mom & Dad. They are forever on my IOU list.
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I dont know, I've done so much for my mom I asked her if I was close to paying her back for 18 years... :grin:
 
stickboy1375 said:
I dont know, I've done so much for my mom I asked her if I was close to paying her back for 18 years... :grin:
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I'll never live long enough to pay them back in electrical work alone. I also do odd jobs around their place when I'm there (I'm in Iowa, they're in Texas). They also eat free when they're visiting here.
 
FIRST ELECTRICAL JOB WAS AT MY PARENTS HOUSE freebie

FIRST ELECTRICAL JOB WAS AT MY PARENTS HOUSE freebie

MY INSTRUCTORS AT TECH SCHOOL TALKED ME THROUGHT IT, A INSTRUCTOR HELP WITH THE SERVICE ON A SATURDAY MY BROTHER OWES ME BIG TIME I HAD A UNCLE GIVE ME A CHECK FOR $15.00 WHEN I ASKED FOR $20.00 FOR GAS MONEY IF I GOT BACK HALF MY FAVORS I'D HAVE EASY SUMMER:smile:
 
I have done a good bit of work over the years for friends and family, mostly service work or small installs. It is one of the main reasons I got my license, so I could help them out and not get in trouble myself. I can not think of a single one that did not offer to pay me something. If I accepted anything, it was usually a trade for a new tool or toy I had my eye on.
 
Free work for my parents only. I charge my wifes parents, and all siblings, including mine. Sorry, but I have to draw the line. Ofcourse I give them at least 25% off labor, and don't mark up materials. If you don't draw the line some people, family or not, WILL take advantage of you.
 
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