Residential electrical cost . New construction

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nizak

Senior Member
I realize this is a subject that many may not care to share info on.

I’m trying to make sense of some of the prices I’m seeing locally from licensed contractors doing new construction.

Several in my immediate area are working on a sq ft pricing basis for spec houses and “ basic” custom homes.

I’m seeing $4.50- 6.00 a sq ft which includes minimum code requirements and up to (20) 6” recessed lights.

All other fixtures, fans, are provided by the General Contractor or owner.

This also includes permit fees.

These are prices I was working with 5+ years ago.

When pricing sq ft I’m currently at $8.50 for basic work and Custom homes closer to $12.00

I can’t see the profitability in $5/sq ft work.

All replies welcome
 
There will be (perhaps significant) differences between all-electric vs. nat gas for heat/hot water/cooking. Which are we talking about?
 
retirede said:
There will be (perhaps significant) differences between all-electric vs. nat gas for heat/hot water/cooking. Which are we talking about?
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240 V items include:
- Clothes dryer
-Range
-Air Conditioning

These are included in the $4.50-$6.00 price
 
nizak said:
I can’t see the profitability in $5/sq ft work
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The only way to be profitable at $5 per square foot is to work really fast and efficiently, or to pay others really cheap to do the work.

Just about every new construction home I've wired, the material cost was 40% of the total price.

That means your labor is $3 per square foot

If you're talking about a really basic 2500 square foot house, that's about $7,500 labor for the rough-in and and finish.

Can you rough it in and finish it in 75 hours?
Doesn't seem like a stretch to me,
If so, that's $100 per hour
 
Efficiency. A two man crew that does only residential should be knocking out 75 houses per year. My first job was for a resi EC and myself and two helpers were averaging over 100 houses a year. We were working our tails off though.

Your price isn’t unreasonable, but there are EC’s making money at those lower prices. It may only be $800-$1000 per house, but multiplied by several hundred or thousand homes, they’re doing ok.

Now if it’s just the owner a couple helpers at those rates, they’re not making money.
 
And I think that’s why the better the electricians are not doing new construction.

If someone has a good background in electrical theory and Code, they don’t need to be racing to the bottom roping houses. They are doing troubleshooting and commercial.
 
Contracting is the essence of freedom ! Your on your own the pioneering spirit. No boss, no one tells you what to do. Until ... ?
 
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