200 amp upgrade bargain blowout sale.

[tmbrk]

A couple of weeks ago I gave an estimate for 200 amp upgrade to a guy that called me out of the phonebook. Overhead service, rigid pipe about 15 feet. Old house but has a nine foot ceiling in basement. Existing 100 amp panel was installed in mid 90s. Panel is attached to side of floor joist. Bottom of panel is about seven feet from floor. I told the homeowner that in addition to the upgrade I would mount the new panel lower and would have to put in a junction box where the existing panel is to extend the circuits to the new panel location. He lives about two miles from my shop. My price: $2300

I called today to check in and he told me he was going with a different "contractor". I asked what the other guys price was and he told me $1200. I was actually in line with two other contractors he told me he was getting quotes from. They are also in the phone book and have been around for awhile and are legit. He told me he was gonna go with me until this other guy gave him his price.

I told him he better check the other "contractors" credentials and to keep my phone number. This should be interesting to see how it plays out. I drive by this guys house every day so I can't wait to see what happens.

 

[stickboy1375]

A couple of weeks ago I gave an estimate for 200 amp upgrade to a guy that called me out of the phonebook. Overhead service, rigid pipe about 15 feet. Old house but has a nine foot ceiling in basement. Existing 100 amp panel was installed in mid 90s. Panel is attached to side of floor joist. Bottom of panel is about seven feet from floor. I told the homeowner that in addition to the upgrade I would mount the new panel lower and would have to put in a junction box where the existing panel is to extend the circuits to the new panel location. He lives about two miles from my shop. My price: $2300

I called today to check in and he told me he was going with a different "contractor". I asked what the other guys price was and he told me $1200. I was actually in line with two other contractors he told me he was getting quotes from. They are also in the phone book and have been around for awhile and are legit. He told me he was gonna go with me until this other guy gave him his price.

I told him he better check the other "contractors" credentials and to keep my phone number. This should be interesting to see how it plays out. I drive by this guys house every day so I can't wait to see what happens.

It wouldn't surprise me, I was talking to another contractor the other day, saying how tired he was with all the work he's been doing, 7 days a week 10 hours a day, at first I was impressed, then I asked how much he charges, his answer explained everything.

 

[tmbrk]

The thing is that's less than I would normally ask. But I figured since it's so close. Oh well, ya win some ya lose some...:roll:

 

[JohnE]

A few years ago I had a few weeks where I had too many guys and not enough work. I bid a 200 amp overhead service very close to our shop for $1200 and was just looking to kill a day for 2 guys. (Not the point, and I don't do that anymore....) Anyhow, he gave the job to a contractor who came in at $800! I know the other contractor, and he is legit. Oh well....

 

[mdshunk]

I've toyed with the idea of putting ads out for "200 amp service upgrades starting at $899". I think that might attract the wrong kind of customer, but I'm sure the phone would ring. The actual upgrade for most people would be well over that price.

 

[quogueelectric]

A couple of weeks ago I gave an estimate for 200 amp upgrade to a guy that called me out of the phonebook. Overhead service, rigid pipe about 15 feet. Old house but has a nine foot ceiling in basement. Existing 100 amp panel was installed in mid 90s. Panel is attached to side of floor joist. Bottom of panel is about seven feet from floor. I told the homeowner that in addition to the upgrade I would mount the new panel lower and would have to put in a junction box where the existing panel is to extend the circuits to the new panel location. He lives about two miles from my shop. My price: $2300

I called today to check in and he told me he was going with a different "contractor". I asked what the other guys price was and he told me $1200. I was actually in line with two other contractors he told me he was getting quotes from. They are also in the phone book and have been around for awhile and are legit. He told me he was gonna go with me until this other guy gave him his price.

I told him he better check the other "contractors" credentials and to keep my phone number. This should be interesting to see how it plays out. I drive by this guys house every day so I can't wait to see what happens.

Let him have it you dont need pita customers he will get what he paid for and then you can bang him when he calls you back it is 1000 in material alone depending on all new breakers and the ground to the water main. Make sure you mention the all new breakers to the homeowner to stick this guy at least for annother hundred bucks or so

 

[76nemo]

Last one I did was $660 in materials. HO's mouth dropped:roll: That's materials maam, labor's not included in that

Who do they think we are,......plumbers?:grin:

 

[LarryFine]

Who do they think we are,......plumbers?:grin:

Not a chance! We don't wear our pants low enough.

 

[quogueelectric]

Not a chance! We don't wear our pants low enough.

If I was a plumber I would have a brand new truck not a year old.

 

[goldstar]

I gave an estimate for 200 amp upgrade to a guy that called me out of the phonebook.

There's your problem. I found that when I advertised in the phone book I constantly got people who would call dozens of contractors until they finally get that very special price. At that point things like "are they insured, licensed, capable, will they do a good job" all go out the window to save a few bucks. I don't mind being competitive but I hope I never get that hungry for work.

 

[growler]

I quess it's really better that the guy is doing the job for $1200. He could have probably had the job for $2000 and even made a dollar or two but at $1200 he's just working for the fun of it. If he does very many of those he won't be around to long.

I do wish people would learn how bidding a job works, you should try to beat the competition by not more than 10% and not 50%. There just isn't that much profit in a job like this.

By the way during the last work slow down I knew and electrician ( not licensed ) that was doing cheap work like this and he and his wife were living off food stamps. When I saw him at the grocery store it explained a lot.

 

[mdshunk]

By the way during the last work slow down I knew and electrician ( not licensed ) that was doing cheap work like this and he and his wife were living off food stamps. When I saw him at the grocery store it explained a lot.

I saw a name I recognized in the newspaper under the police log for passing bad checks. He's another famous under-cutter. I cut that article out and made a dozen Xerox copies for "future use".

 

[emahler]

There's your problem. I found that when I advertised in the phone book I constantly got people who would call dozens of contractors until they finally get that very special price. At that point things like "are they insured, licensed, capable, will they do a good job" all go out the window to save a few bucks. I don't mind being competitive but I hope I never get that hungry for work.

i gotta disagree....you are in NJ, open up your phone book and look at the ads...there are 2 ways to advertise in the phone book...take a small (business card sized to 1/4 page) generic ad, like everyone else, and have the problem you have...

or...

take a larger, more professionally designed ad (like the guys in the front of the book)...you'll still get tire kickers, but you'll also get more calls, more opportunities, and more work.

when we were doing a lot of resi service work, we spent a lot of money on YP ads...we'd get $3500 service upgrades all day long out of the phone book...

but a big part of it is how you handle the calls. If you are giving prices over the phone, or just selling on price, you will have this happen a lot...

 

[satcom]

i gotta disagree....you are in NJ, open up your phone book and look at the ads...there are 2 ways to advertise in the phone book...take a small (business card sized to 1/4 page) generic ad, like everyone else, and have the problem you have...

or...

take a larger, more professionally designed ad (like the guys in the front of the book)...you'll still get tire kickers, but you'll also get more calls, more opportunities, and more work.

when we were doing a lot of resi service work, we spent a lot of money on YP ads...we'd get $3500 service upgrades all day long out of the phone book...

but a big part of it is how you handle the calls. If you are giving prices over the phone, or just selling on price, you will have this happen a lot...

You have it right, good ad's bring great results, but the first thing some look for is how much it will cost for the ad, not how well will it produce.

I have seen new guys try everything, ad's on supermarket boards, flyers, and door hanger ad's, mailers, and finally when they discover a professional palced ad in the phone book, you see theiir business take off.

 

[emahler]

it's funny...as electrician's we get all upset when someone does their own electrical work...since they are not professionals...

yet, we somehow think that since we can install wire, we can design our own marketing and advertising program...

 

[tonyou812]

Crap.....I just took out a buissness card size ad in the YP.Thought I was doing good by it. I tried to appeal to the customer that I want. I tried to use the advice from Mike Holts getting your phone to ring. I think Im gonna try and change it to a 1/2 page ad....hope its not too late

 

[ItsHot]

full page

full page

Crap.....I just took out a buissness card size ad in the YP.Thought I was doing good by it. I tried to appeal to the customer that I want. I tried to use the advice from Mike Holts getting your phone to ring. I think Im gonna try and change it to a 1/2 page ad....hope its not too late

You are suppose to go "full page" ad like those blood sucking lawyers use to make big money!!! :grin:

 

[tonyou812]

Full page??????? Thats a bit out of my reach right now... but ill try

 

[emahler]

Full page??????? Thats a bit out of my reach right now... but ill try

paying for the ad is easy....finding the employees to convert the calls into money and a good ROI is not....

 

[satcom]

Crap.....I just took out a buissness card size ad in the YP.Thought I was doing good by it. I tried to appeal to the customer that I want. I tried to use the advice from Mike Holts getting your phone to ring. I think Im gonna try and change it to a 1/2 page ad....hope its not too late

Tony,

In your area the dollar bill size ad should pretty good, and not much more then the business size.