Are people doing service upgrades this cheap?

[readydave8]

I charge $10,000 for a service change. I don't do a lot of service changes, but then again I don't have to.

Now we know how big that check with a drawing of a service change on the back needs to be.

 

[templdl]

I have no problem letting most of the bargain hunters go, the ones I have worked for in past I generally wished that someone else had gotten the job. If all that matters is price I am not the right person to do the job, we will not agree on much, and it is better for both of us if I don't do the job.

My outside salesman and I used to have a saying "We just can't afford him as a customer."

 

[goldstar]

You have to know a red flag when you see it waving in the breeze. This is why I don't advertise in the Yellow Pages. People (especially retired people) will price shop until the cows come home (when do they come home anyway ?) Many here have heard me say this before - like the Kenny Rogers song says "You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run". Stand your ground. If that's the price you want and if it's a fair price and the norm for your area then that's what you should get. If I was going to lose a job for $100 or so then I'd negotiate but I'm certainly not going to drop down in the gutter and leave $1K on the table.

Prices start going all over the map when the economy is down. I can't understand the $800 # though. Depending on the amount of existing circuits you have you may have upward of $700 in material alone (even if you buy it from the Big Orange box store). Prices will also vary from county to county. In a lower income county a 200 amp service may go from $1800-2200; move one county over and you're now between $2000-2400; work in a wealthier county and you're up to $2400-2800 and up. All in a 50 mile radius. Go figure !

 

[Teaspoon]

For just a panel change only around here I start out at about $1200.00
Depends on number of circuits,how many gfci's that will have to be installed. how many bed rooms,

Panel change and rebuilding the service entrance usually starts around$1600.00 and goes up depending on what needs to be done.
I never price over the phone. Have to look at the job first.

 

[cowboyjwc]

I remember that my boss bid on a job one time that we neither wanted nor had time for. We told him that but he was told we were good and he wanted us to bid it any way. Did the bid, tacked on about $20,000.00 extra and the guy calls and ask's when we can start.

My point is that you can have half a dozen customers complain about a $2500 service change and you could have another half dozen ask, "that's all?"

 

[Fulthrotl]

You have to know a red flag when you see it waving in the breeze. This is why I don't advertise in the Yellow Pages. People (especially retired people) will price shop until the cows come home (when do they come home anyway ?) Many here have heard me say this before - like the Kenny Rogers song says "You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run". Stand your ground. If that's the price you want and if it's a fair price and the norm for your area then that's what you should get. If I was going to lose a job for $100 or so then I'd negotiate but I'm certainly not going to drop down in the gutter and leave $1K on the table.

Prices start going all over the map when the economy is down. I can't understand the $800 # though. Depending on the amount of existing circuits you have you may have upward of $700 in material alone (even if you buy it from the Big Orange box store). Prices will also vary from county to county. In a lower income county a 200 amp service may go from $1800-2200; move one county over and you're now between $2000-2400; work in a wealthier county and you're up to $2400-2800 and up. All in a 50 mile radius. Go figure !

one of the craigslist whizbangs that convinced me not to post on there any more....

wanted an engineered set of drawings for a laser eye center... this was a board certified opthamalogist,
and a control freak. he had done the drawings himself, and just needed them certified.

he drew them in adobe illustrator. :dunce:

my electrical engineer and i were laughing so hard we almost peed our pants,
then he wanted to know how much the stamp would cost from the EE, and i said
it depended on the number of sheets he had to review... and he said that he
really only needed the top sheet stamped, and would $100 be enough?

he also wanted me to do the hookup of the circuits he ran himself, into the
subpanel... how much just to hook up the wires, he wanted to know?

i'd ported his drawings into autocad, and at that point, i told him i'd rather
not ever hear from him again, and if i had to eat the fee for the cad work,
that was better than continuing this madness.

he actually sent me a check for i think $425 for my labor.... i don't know
how he determined that number, i think he decided that is what my work
was worth...... .... bless his heart.

i cashed the check, and i guess he managed to annoy everyone from his
landlord to the building department in irvine, to the point where they let
him do his own wiring as an owner builder... :lol:

seems he is still in business. he did me a huge favor. never again on
craigslist.

but the best part was when he was complaining about how prices varied
from one area to the next, and as he lived in newport beach, i asked him
if he had a problem with house prices being different in corona, and
corona del mar.... i mean, what's in a name?

 

[Rewire]

dont let the chance pass you by

dont let the chance pass you by

My favorite customer is the one who calls back with lower quotes. I want that customer . you see a customer who calls back has given me a two valuable peices of information. First he has told me he is not just shopping by price if he was he would have already gone with the lowest price. Second he has told me that he really wants me to do the work otherwise he would not be calling. This customer is no longer a tire kicker but a customer waiting to be sold on the value of our service. As long as he is on the phone he is my customer and if I fail to book the call it is all on me. I have a lot higher closing rate with these customers sinse I changed my attitude towards them from being they are a PIA tire kicker to one of they want me now I need to sell me.

 

[kwired]

I remember that my boss bid on a job one time that we neither wanted nor had time for. We told him that but he was told we were good and he wanted us to bid it any way. Did the bid, tacked on about $20,000.00 extra and the guy calls and ask's when we can start.

My point is that you can have half a dozen customers complain about a $2500 service change and you could have another half dozen ask, "that's all?"

I know which ones I will be willing to work for, and will drop the complainers in a heartbeat to go work for the others, even if smaller project than the complainers project.

 

[A1cbr]

$2,500 here.

Starting $2000 here.

 

[tbakelis]

I get about $2500 consistently. Includes permit and stucco repair. They are lieing if they say anything less than $1800 in San Jose ca.

 

[hillbilly1]

I went out to quote a 200 amp service to a double wide trailer years ago, the homeowner said one of my competitors quoted him $125 to do it. I told him it wasn't even worth me getting out of my truck to quote it, because I couldn't even buy the materials for that, and on top of that, he was trying to shop for an even lower price than that!

 

[Fulthrotl]

I went out to quote a 200 amp service to a double wide trailer years ago, the homeowner said one of my competitors quoted him $125 to do it. I told him it wasn't even worth me getting out of my truck to quote it, because I couldn't even buy the materials for that, and on top of that, he was trying to shop for an even lower price than that!

wonder what the single wide price was....

 

[mjf]

Yesterday I went out and looked at a job for a tire kicker to do a service upgrade. 100amp up to a 200 amp, lateral service. I quote the guy $1850, today he emails me back telling me he got over the phone quotes for $800-$1500 and asked if I can be "competitive". Is this guy messing with me or are people really doing service upgrades for only cost of material? I wanted to tell him where he can stick his over the phone quotes but I politely told him my prices are non-negotiable as I have already given him the best price I could. Not surprising this guy found me on craigslist.

I would politely ask this customer why they are bothering to call me back. When I price an upgrade it includes everything from the permit to the inspection and everything in between. If the other prices your customer received are apples to apples, then I'd just wish them good luck and suggest they get a copy of the electricians business license and liability insurance. If we are pricing different items then I do what I can to sell the job at my price.

 

[kwired]

I went out to quote a 200 amp service to a double wide trailer years ago, the homeowner said one of my competitors quoted him $125 to do it. I told him it wasn't even worth me getting out of my truck to quote it, because I couldn't even buy the materials for that, and on top of that, he was trying to shop for an even lower price than that!

That is when you need to have a little fun with it. Ask who it is, and say I need some work done at my own place:lol:

 

[CTCOX]

Got it!

Got it!

I went out to quote a 200 amp service to a double wide trailer years ago, the homeowner said one of my competitors quoted him $125 to do it. I told him it wasn't even worth me getting out of my truck to quote it, because I couldn't even buy the materials for that, and on top of that, he was trying to shop for an even lower price than that!

That was my quote for $125. He asked, "How much would it cost to change my 100A breaker to a 200A breaker." I figured in the drive time as well.

 

[mtfallsmikey]

Musings from the house plumber...

Musings from the house plumber...

BIL was complaining of lights flickering at his mom's cabin, 60 amp sevice from the 60's. Old ITE panel (not Pushmatic), breaker/bus had signs of arcing, switched circuit out to a breaker for a dedicated circuit for a portable electric heater no longer being used. Now I'm not interested in changing the panel/service, no time for that. I told the MIL that it would be $1500-2000 to do it, based on what some of my contractor buddies charge. There was wailing and gnashing of teeth, can't help 'em.

 

[Strathead]

My neighbor needed a service change. I wouldn't do it as an unlicensed contractor so I just gave advise. When they told me the quoted price, I told them to call back and find out what it was going to cost to do it right. (the 1970's install typical for the area was a meter outside and SE run through the attic to a panel 40 feet inside, with 2 hots and a grounded wire). Oh in that case add $1,000.00

 

[mtfallsmikey]

The cabin entrance was approx. 20' of SE up the side to the head, panel was directly inside from the meter. Piece of cake changeout, IMO. Last time I did one, it was such a PITA with the inspector/utility, I swore I'd never do another one, don't blame any of you for charging what you do....I still have all of my tradesman's certs, bus. lic., but no local license in that county. Since it's in-laws, don't want to be involved...plus there's some aluminum Romex as well to be dealt with.

 

[Fulthrotl]

don't want to be involved...plus there's some aluminum Romex as well to be dealt with.

DING!
we will now commence a test of your general liability insurance program.
if this was a real emergency, you'd be informed to call your attorney.

again, this is only a test.

 

[GUNNING]

$3500

$3500

I used to do panel change outs for $500 or $600.
I can't get the breakers for that anymore. I replaced a 100amp meter can and mast wire with new inside panel. It had 8 20 amp CAFCI's and a new ground rod and utility ground.

Parts $500 not including permit which encompassed 2 jurisdictions.
I regularly give estimates for service upgrades of $3500. Never hear from them again.

On a MH sevice do you include CAFCI's on the inside panels? Just curious, it is a manufactured product.


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