5 commercial panel change out, would like an idea on charge

bullheimer

Senior Member
Location
WA
Meters stay, gutter feeding them stays, 4 can stay in about the same place but the last has to move over a foot and a closet wall has to be demoed to make room for it (the wider new panels.) I was thinking 10K but my buddy who has twice the experience and business as me said 20K minimum!! All the equipment is inside.
(The old panels are Federal and can no longer be insured and are only 12 inches wide). 2" riser is at far end of gutter and has to stay too).
 

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bullheimer

Senior Member
Location
WA
I just want to say I think it would be easy, with the power company pulling just one meter at a time and doing one a day. The pipes coming out of the tops are just stub ups for protection of cables. The SECs can probably all be landed without modification too, except for the one panel that had to be moved, and extension can be done in the gutter, if needed. The number of circuits is minimal, 10 in the bottom two, about 20 in the top 3 with one having 30. Panel cost is less than$200 ea not counting breakers. Customer pays disconnect fees. Permits probably @95ea, I'm just north of Everett, WA.
 

AC\DC

Senior Member
Location
Florence,Oregon,Lane
Occupation
EC
20k is way to much. If the meters stay and you’re just changing panels. Take me a day. Do it all at once.
I would do around 12-15k if I did not care if I got it or not.
If swamped to no point then 20k comes around lol if I got that for 20k I would drop every job and do that before they find some one else lol
 

James L

Senior Member
Location
Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
Occupation
Electrician
Who's going to make the opening/door bigger?

Are those single phase panels?

I would think once that framing and wall finish is opened up, you're looking at at least a long day for each one.

I would probably figure 70 hours with tools, plus whatever coordination/admin time (20 hours?)

At $135 it would be $12.1k labor
At $165 it would be $14.8 labor

Add materials to that
 

bullheimer

Senior Member
Location
WA
well, about that closet, i guess that would have to be me tearing it out cutting things straight and all, but not me replacing or repairing anything. I'm wanting to charge as much as i can possibly get away with, because this is my attorneys office and i have the feeling I'm not going to walk away with anything in my pocket, no matter what i charge, because he hasn't done much on my cases at all for the 5K i had to give him as a retainer.

they are single phase 120/240 how did you like that eclipse last saturday, ac/dc?
 

Fred B

Senior Member
Location
Upstate, NY
Occupation
Electrician
this is my attorneys office
Word of caution. Get every detail in writing, including clauses for unseen hidden issues as well as limitation for non-electrical work that might become necessary to do the electrical as a result of electrical repair work.
Seen attorneys use any "missed" info in a contract as a reason to not pay.
 

bullheimer

Senior Member
Location
WA
fRED B, i told basically that to the guy who has to remove the door to the left of this cabinet and build a wall there. Yes, i know he will get away without paying ME no matter what i charge him, because he will just call it a wash. i already presume his hourly rate will ad up to exactly what I charge him, and he'll STILL get to KEEP the $5K retainer i gave him. yeah, so why am i doing it? i don't know, i must need my head examined!
AcDc, i went to eastern oregon for the last one in 2017 or whenever, what a horrendous traffic jam on the Columbia river bridge, over 8 hours to go 5 miles to get back ZERO TRAFFIC CONTROL on a bridge down to one lane due to construction! Oregon's ineptitude kept me from going again. and i would have gone west and not east again, so i would have been SOL too. a Soless SOL at that! i gotta feel for those peeps, but then it is Oregon after all! I got just a peek at it at it's maximum for about 15 minutes before the clouds covered it back up. But is was barely worth looking at from up here. too far away.
So....about that price!! my estimator guy was insistent i didnt charge less than 25K. so i told the lawyer 1: the wall has to be ready first, and 2, it's 20K. My lawyer said Jeez! I think we'll just sell the building. Well guess he doesnt know he wont be selling it without dropping the price the amount of replacing it. Lawyers!
 
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