FA Unit Labor

[mstrlucky74]

I know different installations warrant varied labor hours but I've heard guys throw around an average for a certain amount of hours to install a fire alarm device( either smoke det., strobe etc.) inclusive of the cable. Say 3 hours per device. Anyone use a ROT like this to check your estimate?

 

[gadfly56]

I know different installations warrant varied labor hours but I've heard guys throw around an average for a certain amount of hours to install a fire alarm device( either smoke det., strobe etc.) inclusive of the cable. Say 3 hours per device. Anyone use a ROT like this to check your estimate?

Small systems with <100 devices or so, 2 hours a pop, but not less than 8 hours. Also, if you do a more detailed cost estimate, don't do less than 1/2 day increments. If you say something is going to take 6 hours, where do you put the other 2 hours of the tech's time for that day? Also, productivity is never 100%. I always used 6 hours per day per man.

 

[sameguy]

I was happy to get a good 6 hr. day from the men. The rest of the time is getting to/ from break, hog house, looking for materials, prints, bsing, adding to the boneyard, bathroom, etc, depends on the job and who you got for a crew.
Tracked jobs will give you manpower, be careful, when I was young they put me on a rough in to do a time study; I had to slow down to give them an average time so they wouldn't lose money, when the other guys would be doing the work. We did elec., hvac, plumbing, condos they sent the 3 best one from each trade, after the first day we all could see a loser if we didn't slow down.
You do need to get out to the jobs.