angies list... the big deal....

Status
Not open for further replies.
Fulthrotl

Fulthrotl

~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
Location
HB, CA (19 Hrs. 22 Min. from Winged Horses)
Occupation
E
got an email from angie's list...
they are selling their vendors now...

LAST CHANCE! $299 for 4 New Recessed
Lights with Dimmer Switch Installed!

anyone had any experience with this?
wonder how much he has to kick
back to angies list out of that $300...?

you buy a coupon from angies list, and
they send you a email with info to redeem
your purchase with the vendor.
 
How could anyone honor a price like that when there are SO many variables regarding the installation as described. Foolish.
 
$300.00? I know pricing is area dependent but I could not (or would not) start my truck for that, much less the work involved, material cost alone then the (as noted) sales referal can't be much wiggle room there.
 
Fulthrotl said:
got an email from angie's list...
they are selling their vendors now...

LAST CHANCE! $299 for 4 New Recessed
Lights with Dimmer Switch Installed!

anyone had any experience with this?
wonder how much he has to kick
back to angies list out of that $300...?

you buy a coupon from angies list, and
they send you a email with info to redeem
your purchase with the vendor.
Click to expand...

I believe Angie's List gets half for the big deal promotion.
 
brian john said:
$300.00? I know pricing is area dependent but I could not (or would not) start my truck for that, much less the work involved, material cost alone then the (as noted) sales referal can't be much wiggle room there.
Click to expand...

This is usually a bait and switch game, they run an ad to get in the door, then turn up the sales pressure when they get in, many of these guys end up riping a customer for 10 times the ad price, and giving them a butcher job, customers looking for cheap will usually get just what they were looking for.
 
Fulthrotl said:
LAST CHANCE! $299 for 4 New Recessed
Lights with Dimmer Switch Installed!
Click to expand...

The material for lightolier 4 - 5 in recessed, trim, lamp, lutron toggle dimmer, and about 70ft of 14/2 romex is $200 without markup. add 25% and it is $250 for material.
That leaves $50 for labor. (or $100 if you stupidly do not mark up the material)

My price for the job described here would be $700.00

An easy installation (2nd floor bedroom with open attic above - existing switched receptacle in room) should take 2 guys (electrician and helper) about 2 - 3 hrs to set up, install, clean up, bill, collect check, and be back in truck on the way to another job.

You can't worry about the hack that is either lying and doing the bait and switch, or doing a very bad job, or isn't licensed, or hammers the homeowner with extra's once they get in there, or uses those cheapo catalog recessed lights and crappy trims.

I like to separate myself from those guys. It is all in presentation and sales to the homeowner. It is up to you to convince the homeowner that you are the one to go with even though you may be higher.
 
I have done similar jobs for about $120 per can including labor and materials. Of course I assume there is an attic and an existing switch etc. When I worked alone I did 4 cans in 3 hours- one man with fishing a switch. I would not touch that job for $300
 
If these are four lights in a single bay, two feet apart from each other, with the switch in the ceiling and a feed already in place, and I can get a deal on some Home Dimport special cans and BR bulbs delivered to the jobs site and I can do it when I'm starving and the guy pays me cash, maybe... ;)
 
CopperTone said:
The material for lightolier 4 - 5 in recessed, trim, lamp, lutron toggle dimmer, and about 70ft of 14/2 romex is $200 without markup. add 25% and it is $250 for material.
That leaves $50 for labor. (or $100 if you stupidly do not mark up the material)

My price for the job described here would be $700.00

An easy installation (2nd floor bedroom with open attic above - existing switched receptacle in room) should take 2 guys (electrician and helper) about 2 - 3 hrs to set up, install, clean up, bill, collect check, and be back in truck on the way to another job.

You can't worry about the hack that is either lying and doing the bait and switch, or doing a very bad job, or isn't licensed, or hammers the homeowner with extra's once they get in there, or uses those cheapo catalog recessed lights and crappy trims.

I like to separate myself from those guys. It is all in presentation and sales to the homeowner. It is up to you to convince the homeowner that you are the one to go with even though you may be higher.
Click to expand...

Add in the permit and inspection fees too
 
Dennis Alwon said:
I have done similar jobs for about $120 per can including labor and materials. Of course I assume there is an attic and an existing switch etc. When I worked alone I did 4 cans in 3 hours- one man with fishing a switch. I would not touch that job for $300
Click to expand...

it's brutal on the left coast doing the can light dance.
there are guys who speak no english, and do nothing
else. i was in a house following one of them, and
you can do can lights really fast when you just lay
them out, cut holes with a cookie cutter, and cut
the rafters and foor joints out of the way with a sawzall.

i kid you not, the guy had cut three floor joists in the middle
of a room 2x12's on 12" centers, spanning a 12' room, in HALF.

just use a 10" or so sawzall blade, follow the cut in the drywall,
and break it out with a hammer. easy peezy. :dunce:
 
mjf said:
Add in the permit and inspection fees too
Click to expand...
And don't forget the AFCI protection. Even with the "easy" 2nd story bed with the open attic, the homerun will be multiwire to a fuse panel.;)
 
Sierrasparky said:
Am I missing something " why the multiwire homerun"?
Click to expand...
If the Outlet Branch Circuit AFCI isn't available in your area, and you don't know about the capability of the GE MOD3 and later single pole AFCIs to protect one side of a multiwire branch circuit, one will then be looking for two pole AFCI to put into the new subpanel that has to be added to the existing fuse center to provide the required 210.12 protection for the new outlets (the recessed lights).
 
Fulthrotl said:
got an email from angie's list...
they are selling their vendors now...

LAST CHANCE! $299 for 4 New Recessed
Lights with Dimmer Switch Installed!

anyone had any experience with this?
wonder how much he has to kick
back to angies list out of that $300...?

you buy a coupon from angies list, and
they send you a email with info to redeem
your purchase with the vendor.
Click to expand...

Isn't this a conflict of interest in the first place?

Angie's List supposed to be a CUSTOMER driven opinion forum. How can then the Owner take money for advertisement form one of the reviewed?!

It's gotta be a hoax.....or somebody hijacked their e-mail list.
 
weressl said:
Angie's List supposed to be a CUSTOMER driven opinion forum. How can then the Owner take money for advertisement form one of the reviewed?!
Click to expand...
Part of what Angie's List offers its paying membership is the service of "featured" contractors along with access to the member written reports on the performance of that contractor.

The member reports result in a "grade" (A, B, C, etc.) but Angie's staff doesn't let that stop there. Newsletters and other publications are sent out to highly geographically targeted audiences of their membership "featuring" local businesses that elect to buy advertising placement. Angie's staff earn their keep by getting me, the electrical contractor who has had Angie's member reports turned in, to purchase direct marketing from Angie's.

No conflict. . .just more marketing. . . :roll:
 
It looks like a get your foot in the door type of type spiel. Angie's List L A has the $ 299 can light deal and another one, two hours

of electrical labor for $89. Angie's List Kansas City has deals from HVAC, painting, water softeners, tree trimming all at steep discounts.

Watch out for the upsell.
 
Assuming the switched circuit is already present and there is ample attic space above, I would install 4 recessed cans for $300*.

You will be getting the cheapest cans and trims (bulbs not included) Home Depot has to offer.
I will not take any measures to minimize the mess and I will not be responsible for any clean up involved.

Should take me 1 1/2 hours, two tops. $100 an hour+ sounds good to me.

*Should you require special placement, such that I have to crawl on my belly in the attic, or remove sheetrock -- that's extra, and I won't be responsible for patching/replacing the sheetrock.

:p
 
weressl said:
Isn't this a conflict of interest in the first place?

Angie's List supposed to be a CUSTOMER driven opinion forum. How can then the Owner take money for advertisement form one of the reviewed?!

It's gotta be a hoax.....or somebody hijacked their e-mail list.
Click to expand...

Angie is a joke anyway. At least around the area I work. Maybe if you primarily do residential work in a metro area, it could be real important to you. I don't even know if I have even ever been to the site.

I have enough customers that trust me and do refer me to others I am not worried about the kind of people that want to go shopping for an electrician. I cost what I cost and if you don't like it you are free to shop around, just like if I don't like a store I am free to buy same products at another store. Living in a rural area where you may not know everyone, but you generally do know someone in common is worth a lot more than something like Angie, for both owner and contractor.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top