How Would You Handle It...update

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360Youth

360Youth

Senior Member
Location
Newport, NC
I posted sometime back about a current job that is increasingly frustrating because of the lack of substantial electrical plans. It is a multi-million dollar home with high-end high-budget everything and nobody takes the time to design and settle on an elctrical layout. (I am becoming increasingly aware that every phase of construction is dealing with the same issues. The GC asked me to price another set of plans and said it is just floor plans, no electrical yet but he was looking for a starting figure. I joked him if there would be a set of electrical plans eventually :grin: ? He just walked off and laughed and said, "You've got me there.") Anyway, I thought I would include some photos and see what you think?

Miles4.jpg

This is the top floor, what I call mezzanine/rotunda. Notice the lack of any switch locations or what comes on with what.

Miles3.jpg

The downstairs kitchen and lighting "layout." :roll:

Miles2.jpg

The main kitchen. I will say that the cabinet plans are detailed and give all the dimensions, but no dimensions on crown molding and how far off the walls these recessed light need to be.

Miles1.jpg

The master bath. Same issues. No sconce heights. Any resemblance of a switch location does not match existing walls, etc.

BTW, the cost of the house is not the issue. We put the same care into every project we do. Everybody's house is their home and it deserves to be treated as such, but you expect more of projects of this magnitude, if for no other reason than to stay on top of the details.
 
If the cost is not an issue, why is the GC pestering you for a price?

If I was in that situation, I would say, "Well, to start, let's say 50K for code basics....."
 
mdshunk said:
What's the problem? "Just do what you normally do" :grin:
(how many times have you heard that?)
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I have heard that several times already.:roll: Have you been talking to the deisigner, too? :D

frizbeedog said:
Are those bad pictures or what? Because it looks like they were drawn with a carpenter's pencil.
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No, your eyes do not deceive you. :)
 
I would put a unit price on everything i saw and put 3-ways and single poles where I thought they should be and recp by code and work a number from that, then make a copy of the drawing with the stuff you added and hand it back with a proposal that states this is for that and if anything gets added just put a seperate price on it.
 
360Youth said:
I have heard that several times already.:roll: Have you been talking to the deisigner, too? :D
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Maybe! I had a sneaky feeling about one job that I asked how wide the door casings were going to be. The best answer I could get was "normal". Well, when I got there for the finish, not even the thinnest regular cover plates would fit without hitting the molding. So, 6 weeks later a batch of custom made cover plates arrived UPS from Mulberry (the only people I know of that can make anything custom in the cover plate line and not screw it up).
 
1) Get a clean, dated, set of these plans ASAP. (PDF would be good)
2) If you cant get PDFs make copies to so you can keep a clean set of originals.
3) Get your layout tools: Mech. Pencils, rulers, stencils, and MS Excel, then sit down and fix this design, including your load calcs in excel. Take your time and make it look good. (this would be better if you had, and knew how to use CAD)
4) Make a copy of your work and submit the copy for approval.
5) Make a list of all your questions and submit them in writing as RFIs. Keep records of what you asked and when.
6) Don't forget to get a signed copy of a transmittal for your submitted drawings.
7) Take better pictures...
 
mdshunk said:
Maybe! I had a sneaky feeling about one job that I asked how wide the door casings were going to be. The best answer I could get was "normal". Well, when I got there for the finish, not even the thinnest regular cover plates would fit without hitting the molding. So, 6 weeks later a batch of custom made cover plates arrived UPS from Mulberry (the only people I know of that can make anything custom in the cover plate line and not screw it up).
Click to expand...
you got a link to them.im doing one now that they have changed what their going to use 6 times already and sheet rock hasnt even gone up.i might need some later:grin:
 
ITO said:
1) Get a clean, dated, set of these plans ASAP. (PDF would be good)
2) If you cant get PDFs make copies to so you can keep a clean set of originals.
3) Get your layout tools: Mech. Pencils, rulers, stencils, and MS Excel, then sit down and fix this design, including your load calcs in excel. Take your time and make it look good. (this would be better if you had, and knew how to use CAD)
4) Make a copy of your work and submit the copy for approval.
5) Make a list of all your questions and submit them in writing as RFIs. Keep records of what you asked and when.
6) Don't forget to get a signed copy of a transmittal for your submitted drawings.
Click to expand...

You must do a lot of commercial work, because you sure don't do any residential in eastern NC. :grin: I might be able to handle #3 for you.

ITO said:
7) Take better pictures...
Click to expand...

You think I'm kidding, but the pics are pretty accurate, except for the excessive blur on #1 and the blue hue. I am still working on the settings for a new camera phone.
 
ITO said:
1) Get a clean, dated, set of these plans ASAP. (PDF would be good)
Click to expand...

Something tells me that if there were a real set of plans ( floor plans ) that he would not be useing these chicken scratches.

I'll bet that this is a set of rather generic plans that the builder just does some variations of. Nothing really designed for this project ( they just sort of wing it ). That doesn't look like the work of an architect or even a designer.
 
Just bid it really high. You will be earning your money.

I like these jobs. When the money is available you can afford to take whatever time it takes to do a really good job. When in doubt, overkill it.

Once it's framed you can lay it out. Nail up the boxes and go over it room by room with the owner, designer, builder or whoever is in charge.

The lighting design will be the only tricky part if you haven't done a lot of it.
 
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