Resi service calls

[RichB]

Just curious folks--What are you charging for a Resi service call?--Just heard an add on the radio-- $99 gets you a Lic/Bonded/Insured electrician in your home for the first half hour--In my world of "Old Math" that comes out to $198 per hour!!

 

[stars13bars2]

You must be transporting yourself in some kind of time machine.

 

[busman]

$90 for first half hour. $90 per hour additional billed in 1/4 hour increments.

The price you showed doesn't seem unreasonable.

 

[480sparky]

What I charge has no bearing on what anyone else charges, and vice-versa. Trying to charge "The Going Rate" will make you go broke real quick.

 

[RichB]

LOL--I haven't called in anyone--I do all my own work cuz I have the time to do it--Last I remember it was about $60 and hour to call someone in.

I guess working for the State as an inspector and doing signals/lighjting maintenance for the last 10 years and comm/industrial miantenance for the 20 years before that kinda keeps me out of the loop for prices!

It just took me by suprise when they quoted that.

You folks are awesome--I learn a lot just looking around in here--Thanks for Sharing all the knowledge and expertise!!!

 

[satcom]

I just got back from the dentist and for 20 minutes of work he charged me $450 and I had to go to him, he does not make service calls!

 

[Sparky555]

I had a lawyer that charged me for phone tag, as in...

"Hey, can I get a meeting with Jim?"
"I'll have him get back to you"...............$55.00

"Hi Sparky, how's Friday?"
"OK, see you then Jim".........................$55.00

My cost before the meeting...................$110.00

 

[growler]

LOL--I haven't called in anyone--I do all my own work cuz I have the time to do it--Last I remember it was about $60 and hour to call someone in.

I had a customer tell me that back in 1978 it only cost him $48 for a one hour service call. He wasn't complaining he just wondered why prices had gone up so much so we took a quick look ( on line ) at an inflation calculator to see what that $48 dollars would be in today's inflated money. The cost was just about the same and the only difference is that an EC could make more in those days doing a $48 service call because his expenses were less.

Starting about the time of world war two what a person could actually buy with a dollars has taken a real nose dive and continued to drop. People just assume their property values have gone up when in fact the value of the green stuff in the wallet has gone down.

 

[480sparky]

I had a customer tell me that back in 1978 it only cost him $48 for a one hour service call. He wasn't complaining he just wondered why prices had gone up so much so we took a quick look ( on line ) at an inflation calculator to see what that $48 dollars would be in today's inflated money. The cost was just about the same and the only difference is that an EC could make more in those days doing a $48 service call because his expenses were less.

Starting about the time of world war two what a person could actually buy with a dollars has taken a real nose dive and continued to drop. People just assume their property values have gone up when in fact the value of the green stuff in the wallet has gone down.

48 clams from 1978 is $159.56 today.

 

[xformer]

Can anyone give me an estimation on the cost of a service change out for a 2000 sq ft house? Going from 150 amps to 200 amp service?

 

[rcarroll]

I had a lawyer that charged me for phone tag, as in...

"Hey, can I get a meeting with Jim?"
"I'll have him get back to you"...............$55.00

"Hi Sparky, how's Friday?"
"OK, see you then Jim".........................$55.00

My cost before the meeting...................$110.00

I can only hope that someday he hires you for a service call!

 

[satcom]

Can anyone give me an estimation on the cost of a service change out for a 2000 sq ft house? Going from 150 amps to 200 amp service?

There is no set price for any jobs, each job is priced after considering the job conditions and material, and the contractors overhead and operating expenses, and direct labor costs, there is no such thing as a going rate.

 

[480sparky]

Can anyone give me an estimation on the cost of a service change out for a 2000 sq ft house? Going from 150 amps to 200 amp service?

Anywhere from $400 to $12000.

 

[electricguy]

48 clams from 1978 is $159.56 today.

Thought I would repost this

http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=102112&highlight=calculator

 

[satcom]

48 clams from 1978 is $159.56 today.

That is right on target, the average price in my area is $139 to $159 and just about all the trades are in that range somewhere, I often wonder how they can do calls so cheap, considering how the cost of operating a service business has increased so much.

 

[LarryFine]

$150 1st hr, $100 each addt'l hr.

I'll consider negotiation after I see what the work is, maybe.

 

[TOOL_5150]

$150 1st hr, $100 each addt'l hr.

I'll consider negotiation after I see what the work is, maybe.

This is what my shop charges as well. However, we Usually bid jobs rather than T&M

~Matt

 

[jaylectricity]

Can anyone give me an estimation on the cost of a service change out for a 2000 sq ft house? Going from 150 amps to 200 amp service?

For me, that's a new service. doesn't matter if they had a 60 amp service with fuses before. I'm just gonna rip out the old service and install a new service 95% of the time.

 

[cowboyjwc]

I had a lawyer that charged me for phone tag, as in...

"Hey, can I get a meeting with Jim?"
"I'll have him get back to you"...............$55.00

"Hi Sparky, how's Friday?"
"OK, see you then Jim".........................$55.00

My cost before the meeting...................$110.00

Electrician goes over to a lawyers house and does a 1/2 hour service call and hands the lawyer a bill for $150.

"$150 for a half hour, that's $300 an hour! I'm a lawyer and I don't even make $300 an hour!"
"Yeah when I was a lawyer I didn't make $300 an hour either."

You can bet that $99 service call does not include all the upselling and the new service that everyone always seems to need.:roll:

 

[growler]

Just heard an add on the radio-- $99 gets you a Lic/Bonded/Insured electrician in your home for the first half hour--In my world of "Old Math" that comes out to $198 per hour!!

You can bet that $99 service call does not include all the upselling and the new service that everyone always seems to need.:roll:

Well you do have to admit an add like that is a pretty decent attempt at making the customer think they will get a service call for under $100.00.

There are very few problems that will be solved in that first 1/2 hour and for the occasional tripped breaker it will at least get their foot in the door.

People tend to hear only what they wish to hear and that is $99.00.