HO wants to help

[DanZ]

I do agree with one of the above remarks about not getting mad at the HO, I understand if he can't afford it, I thanked him for his time and left on good terms. I also encouraged him to get more estimates to show him where mine stands.. I am comfortable in my estimate and do not want to be there working, wishing I wasn't because I had to lower the price.

If you wanted to help him out more, let him know what certification, licensing, bonding, insurance and permits a company needs to have to preform the work he's after. :grin:
Along with drilling holes, you could also let him install the cover plates...that would save some time and money.:roll:

 

[petersonra]

If you wanted to help him out more, let him know what certification, licensing, bonding, insurance and permits a company needs to have to preform the work he's after. :grin:
Along with drilling holes, you could also let him install the cover plates...that would save some time and money.:roll:

I don't think the requirements to be a "legit" EC are really an issue. Its mostly about money. The guy either has it and wants to spend it, or he doesn't.

 

[electricguy61]

My thoughts: either the HO has the money to do the addition/upgrade or not.

I give away a fair amount of repair work for people that can't afford it, but need their dryer/stove/outlets/lights to work (or I charge a very minimal amount to allow them their dignity, but no where near what it actually costs me or what I normally charge)

I will not drop my prices for a HO that want can lights or kitchen remodels cheaper because "money is tight". If money is tight, don't do the work!

Can you tell this is a pet pieve?:grin:

 

[tmbrk]

I learned early on not to let HOs get involved with installations.

I gave a HO a proposal for a home addition. After I hadn't heard from him I figured he passed on it. A month later he called to say he was ready for electrical work but he didn't have the funds. He told me the other trades like plumber, hvac etc. ended up costing more than originally planned because he added alot of stuff. It ticked me off but like a dummy I told him if he drilled holes, cleaned up, ran for materials, etc. I would reduce the cost. What a nightmare that turned out to be. I figured I probably spent more time than if I had done it all myself.

 

[tmbrk]

My thoughts: either the HO has the money to do the addition/upgrade or not.

I give away a fair amount of repair work for people that can't afford it, but need their dryer/stove/outlets/lights to work (or I charge a very minimal amount to allow them their dignity, but no where near what it actually costs me or what I normally charge)

I will not drop my prices for a HO that want can lights or kitchen remodels cheaper because "money is tight". If money is tight, don't do the work!

Can you tell this is a pet pieve?:grin:

The way I see it, most of what I do for people would be considered luxury items. People don't need a kitchen remodel or can lights. If they can't afford it then they will have to make do with what they have. Like the rest of us.

 

[Sparky555]

The best thing to do with a HO that wants to help is send them to the store for something. When they get get back send them for something else...over & over.

Dave

 

[bradleyelectric]

I just give a price for them to help if they ask for it. Pretty much I just add $500. to the original cost. They figure real quick they don't want to help. I figure it'll probably be about $500 worth of agrivation if they helped. Noone has asked to help in quite a while. Home remodels isn't a real big part of my market anymore.

 

[SiddMartin]

The best thing to do with a HO that wants to help is send them to the store for something. When they get get back send them for something else...over & over.

Dave

thats great

 

[bradleyelectric]

The best thing to do with a HO that wants to help is send them to the store for something. When they get get back send them for something else...over & over.

Dave

I don't bother with that type of thing. Why aggrivate the customer by waisting their time or give them the impression you don't know what you need to do the job. Just decline.

 

[SiddMartin]

I don't bother with that type of thing. Why aggrivate the customer by waisting their time or give them the impression you don't know what you need to do the job. Just decline.

I didn't think he was serious when he said that, more of figure of speech?

 

[weressl]

Since I work alone having the HO as a helper is fine with me. I work on T & M and he is there to answer questions and often expand the scope of the job. There is never a question like "are you done yet?'.

Every one of these jobs gets me two others and we become great buddies.

It is kind of sad that your type comment is in the minority.

I congratulate you for your attitude, it will be richly rewarded.

 

[mivey]

It is kind of sad that your type comment is in the minority.

I congratulate you for your attitude, it will be richly rewarded.

Laszlo, you are treading dangerously close to being excommunicated.:grin:

 

[growler]

It is kind of sad that your type comment is in the minority.

I congratulate you for your attitude, it will be richly rewarded.

It's really sad that you don't understand the difference between that comment and what the original poster was asking.

On a time and materials job it really wouldn't matter if the homeowner want to play around and try to help out because the EC is billing by the hour. If the job ends up taking longer then so much the better.

When you give a fixed bid and the homeowner wants you to reduce the amount because they are supposed to try to do some of the work that's a whole different matter. If the job takes longer then you lose even more money.

I can tell you from experience that the one group of people that you never want helping and that's engineers.

Remember that engineering is conceptual and contracting is the real world.

 

[mivey]

Remember that engineering is conceptual and contracting is the real world.

Spoken like a true non-engineer. Although I must admit, I agree with this:

I can tell you from experience that the one group of people that you never want helping and that's engineers.

 

[macmikeman]

I don't care if your an engineer or not, I'm still only paying you $20 bucks to drill the holes :grin:

 

[mivey]

I don't care if your an engineer or not, I'm still only paying you $20 bucks to drill the holes :grin:

But how much for the sketches of the hole layout plan that must be a precursor to any hole-drilling? I mean we can't just take out and start drilling can we? We must have a template or something.:grin:

 

[bikeindy]

I can tell you from experience that the one group of people that you never want helping and that's engineers.

Remember that engineering is conceptual and contracting is the real world.

AMEN! my best friend is an engineer, I don't know that he has ever started a project he wants to do he just keeps engineering it, over and over and over.

 

[bikeindy]

by the way no home owner is helping me with a project I am being paid to do, my workmans comp doesn't cover them. And i don't need the "help".

 

[bradleyelectric]

I didn't think he was serious when he said that, more of figure of speech?

your probably right. He does seem like a good guy. Sometimes I just have something on my mind and don't catch tounge in cheek if I'm not looking at the persons expression when they say something along those lines.

 

[pbeasley]

FWIW, I do want to do alot of the work, in multiple disciplines, on my own house. That said, it's taken me about 10 years to figure out that if i contract it out, for whatever reason, I should just stay out of the way. Maybe some of the HO's you work with are only on year number 7 :grin: