Residential Remodel/Rewire in MC

[BMacky]

I just quoted a re-wire of a residential job in NM. The homeowner has been doing a little of his own research in wiring and asked for a quote where I will use MC cable instaead of NM. I believe he is concerned about interference with audio/video cabling, and perhaps some health/radiation concerns.

I'm curious if anyone else here in the forum who may catch this post can offer a labor mark-up rule-of-thumb of sorts, when it comes to handling MC vs. NM? I have done a bit of MC work in commercial projects over the years, and know what additional labor actions are involved, but just looking to see if anyone actually has a conversion factor when going between these types of materials.

You needn't include additional materials costs in your response, as I am proposing a labor-only quotation.

Thanks!

 

[jumper]

You needn't include additional materials costs in your response, as I am proposing a labor-only quotation.

Thanks!

I am not an EC so I cannot help with costs, but who is buying materials?

 

[BMacky]

I am not an EC so I cannot help with costs, but who is buying materials?

Homeowner is purchasing all materials.

 

[electricalist]

If the homeowner is buying material.
Suggest it be done in emt.
I ve never been a fan of mc through wood.

 

[ActionDave]

If the homeowner is buying material. Suggest it be done in emt. I ve never been a fan of mc through wood.

Did you get to Dallas via Chicago? ..........I did a house using mc once because that is what the HO wanted. I can't say why, but pulling mc in a house was a lot tougher than in a commercial building.

 

[BMacky]

Did you get to Dallas via Chicago? ..........I did a house using mc once because that is what the HO wanted. I can't say why, but pulling mc in a house was a lot tougher than in a commercial building.

Agreed, though our plan was to take flex or EMT to a central location near kitchen, bedrooms and baths etc., and pull MC for dedicateds out of a good size can in each location. We'd have splices to contend with but it saves having all the MC entering the panel(s).

Thanks for the response.

 

[ActionDave]

Agreed, though our plan was to take flex or EMT to a central location near kitchen, bedrooms and baths etc., and pull MC for dedicateds out of a good size can in each location. We'd have splices to contend with but it saves having all the MC entering the panel(s).

Thanks for the response.

We did the same thing. It is the same style we would do for commercial. I can say for sure that labor was more doing it in a house. How much more, IDK, like Jumper, I'm not an EC.

 

[iwire]

Agreed, though our plan was to take flex or EMT to a central location near kitchen, bedrooms and baths etc., and pull MC for dedicateds out of a good size can in each location. We'd have splices to contend with but it saves having all the MC entering the panel(s).

Thanks for the response.

I would not run an inch of pipe or flex, all that does is introduce the need for more stock, derating issues, splicing time, more marking and labeling time.

Just use the MC exactly like you would use NM.

 

[iwire]

If the homeowner is buying material.
Suggest it be done in emt.
I ve never been a fan of mc through wood.

This makes no sense to me at all.

Why EMT?

What is the problem with MC and wood?

How does the homeowner paying for materials change what wiring method is used?

 

[infinity]

I would not run an inch of pipe or flex, all that does is introduce the need for more stock, derating issues, splicing time, more marking and labeling time.

Just use the MC exactly like you would use NM.

I agree, take your NM price and multiply by 2X and you'll have your labor cost (I'm guessing at the 2X number) .

My entire house is wired with AC cable and metal boxes which was left over stock from a commercial job. :thumbsup:

 

[masterinbama]

When pulling MC, an important thing to remember is it will pull easier in one direction.

 

[iwire]

When pulling MC, an important thing to remember is it will pull easier in one direction.

For sure on that.

 

[Sierrasparky]

For sure on that.

I'll second that!
Clean drilled holes too.

 

[Canton]

I agree, take your NM price and multiply by 2X and you'll have your labor cost (I'm guessing at the 2X number) .

My entire house is wired with AC cable and metal boxes which was left over stock from a commercial job. :thumbsup:

Rob is not far off on the 2x price of Romex vs MC. Think about it....Romex you run around the house and mount boxes with a hammer and install the romex. MC you have to screw the box mount (depends on box), bond the box, ground screw, rotto split, MC connector, pulls MC is more labor intensive. Stick with the romex

 

[augie47]

I wired a house with conduit home runs to j boxes & MC branch circuits and would say 2X on labor is fairly accurate.
(With my industrial background I actually enjoyed it more)

 

[readydave8]

I suspect an all-around electrician would take 2x as long running mc, an experienced romex specialist more like 3x. In other words, some guys are extremely fast running romex but anything out of their ordinary messes them up.

 

[cdslotz]

Homeowner is purchasing all materials.

I would never do a job where the owner furnishes all material.
What you have is an all labor job...so now with no material to markup...you have no protection on your labor.
You have zero wiggle room to be guessing at the estimated labor hours.
How many hours are you estimating using NM? Did you do an actual take-off, or unit price?

 

[Canton]

I wired a house with conduit home runs to j boxes & MC branch circuits and would say 2X on labor is fairly accurate.
(With my industrial background I actually enjoyed it more)

:thumbsup: I hate pulling Romex, I would pipe every house if I could bid and win them with pipe and wire......probably 3x the price.

 

[kwired]

When pulling MC, an important thing to remember is it will pull easier in one direction.

Pulling any cable or conductor in more then one direction at a time will introduce at least some difficulty.

When someone is pulling on one end a second person better be pushing instead of pulling on the other end

 

[kwired]

The homeowner has been doing a little of his own research in wiring and asked for a quote where I will use MC cable instaead of NM. I believe he is concerned about interference with audio/video cabling, and perhaps some health/radiation concerns.

I question whether the HO is going to gain anything related to what he is concerned about here - especially with aluminum sheathed cable. Steel sheath maybe does gain some, but probably not enough to be worth investment. Steel sheath will be heavier and a little harder to handle making more labor necessary also.

Most MC will have twisted conductors inside which may better reduce EMF effects, but keeping all conductors of a circuit in same raceway or cable does a fairly effective job of that anyway.

Though you only asked about labor, use of MC will make cheap plastic outlet boxes go away, will also fill up KO's in panelboard faster as you will only get one cable in each hole, duplex connectors are possible but take up enough room not all KO's will be available, NM cables can generally have two cables enter a KO. Same for other enclosures where multiple cables may be entering. Securing cables may take more materials, more expensive materials, and/or time compared to NM cables. MC cable doesn't make as tight of bends as NM cable and it is harder to get to some places at times then NM cable is.