Looking for help on Price Quotes

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twodawggs

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Can anyone give me a heads up on the going rate for new construction homes in the state of North Carolina,trying to stay competitive in a dog eat dog trade...Trying to give a fair price but I seem to keep getting the run around form the GC....The price I have set is $2.00/sq.ft of heated space . Any help would be greatly appreciated.I have read some other responses to this type of question and it seems like there is a lot of low bidding going on.. don't want know part of that just trying to keep it real...

[ May 03, 2005, 06:10 PM: Message edited by: twodawggs ]
 
Re: Looking for help on Price Quotes

Your material cost will be around $1.00 sq ft.
Your labor cost will be around $1.00 sq ft.

That's not much for profit.

ex. 2000.00 sq ft house Your bid: $4000.00
total for being the job for 5 days. Contractor furnishes fixtures

Permits: $100.00
Service material: $500
Wire: $600 (3000ft #12)+ large loads
Boxes: $120.00
Devices: $350.00
labor: $1120 ($28@40) 1 mech 1 helper
workmans comp.: $60 ($5.00 per hundred)
truck cost: $250 (gas,insurance, maint.)
time meeting inspectors: $130 (2hrs@65)rough/final
Testing house and marking panel: $200.00 (3hrs@65)

Other factors: office rent, business insurance?

Not much left after all is said and done for $2.00 sq. ft.
 
Re: Looking for help on Price Quotes

2000.00 sq ft house Your bid: $4000.00
[/QB]
Click to expand...
big J,
Just got through running your #'bers taking off the top.

$570 profit..And thats about in-line, what I hear also for given area.$600-$700 profit on average,for that sized dwelling.

Noted: I'm not a residential electrical contractor either,but was interested in the feed back.
 
Re: Looking for help on Price Quotes

We don't do NM homes but $500-700 at the end of the job seems like a weak joke. I'm not calling it proffit because there are more biz expences that what was listed. Also more time involved ordering parts, bidding out, and billing. To make $100-125 a day for over head, running the biz, and proffit does not seem like it's worth being open for bisiness.

If I understand it $28 an hour for 2 guys seems low also (about 58K per year for 2). Can 2 familys with children live off that? Did not see anything in there for vacation or medical insurance. Maybe electricians don't deserve that anymore.

If I want to make a few hundred I would hang a few cieling fans or cut in some cans.

I wish we could all charge a better price to afford better pay, proffit, and benifits.

Tom
 
Re: Looking for help on Price Quotes

We don't do NM homes but $500-700 at the end of the job seems like a weak joke.

Click to expand...
It does sound like a weak joke,but from one EC that I know from my area who has his business.Its very much in-line, with what he's told me.The wiring of dwellings of this size,he just couldn't justify in the continuing of, for just little profit.

He had started, basing his business of wiring new dwellings, of this square footage size in N.C. area.Just to get a up-start/ foothold in work and in the attempt stay busy.Other -new- Electrical Contractors,were knocking the bottom out of their prices,just to get their foot in the door to obtain same work.It had become so competitive, and his GC's were always shopping the absolute lowest -quoted-bucks-..

This EC I speak of told me at the MOST he could expect was $800 in maxium profit for the 2000 square foot size new dwelling.

And he was also looking for a way out,without burning bridges with General Contractors.So he helped set-up one of his younger Employees. Helped the young man in his start-up, taking over these G.C.'s/and the dwelling construction wiring..And then he washed his hands of it..Just no money in it, based on the given market in this area,in his opinion..

This Electrical Contractor that I speak of,now does service call work, maintenance contracts and chases the commercial jobs.

I can't comment on residenial wiring in other areas of the country,or even the dwelling wiring pricing.But can offer, accurate conversation in subject had with this EC..If you guys are making tall profits in dwellings in your areas,my hats is off to you..

[ May 09, 2005, 10:28 AM: Message edited by: dillon3c ]
 
Re: Looking for help on Price Quotes

This whole topic makes me glad that I live in an area where QUALITY EC's are hard to find.

I personally would not wire a 2000Sq' house for a $500 profit. I would do a service upgrade for a $500 profit, but not a house wire. The last house wire job I just finished last Friday 3200Sq' brought in a $2200 profit. The bid was competitive in my area and the profit was after all overhead, building material, and labor costs were figured in.

I hate the guys who underbid everyone just to get in the door. We are all professionals and should make the buck of a professional. If someone doesn?t like your price, I tell them "Sorry, that is the best I can do." if they don?t like it they can find someone else, 9 out of 10 times they accept the bid. I find it more honorable to stand by your price with confidence then to drop it a few hundred or thousand dollars.

Figure you price schedule and stand by it.

Steve
 
Re: Looking for help on Price Quotes

We're in Chicagoland.

The bisness is not going great for us. Got to say at least the work we do get pays the bills and then some.

I would rather not have the emploiees, do the work, or have the responcability if there is no $$ in it.

I made the mistake in the past tring to go too low when things are slow to get work to keep the guys busy & pay them. I end up with a lot to do but almost nothing to show for it.

For small home we don't get that type of work. The ones here tend to be run by big developers. The biger EC that pay the guys 30+/hr get those. We don't belong to that group.
 
Re: Looking for help on Price Quotes

I think that in a lot of areas the homes are done by people that are not making a lot of money. NC wages are very low. So are the prices of houses. I'm in MD. The larger EC around here are doing the houses by the big boys and are only paying the top man on the job about $12 and putting a couple other guys in the houses with them that are making about $8. A commercial guy around here may be making around $21.
 
Re: Looking for help on Price Quotes

I'm in MD.
The larger EC around here are doing the houses by the big boys and are only paying the top man on the job about $12 and putting a couple other guys in the houses with them that are making about $8. A commercial guy around here may be making around $21. [/QUOTE]

Bradley,

Commercial,industrial electricians in the area of NC where I reside make upwards of $17-18.5.And with the proper certifications can make more,$19-22-25 an hour,depending on the contractor and the nature/size of the job and your background/& what roll of employment you play.But again,it's depending on who and (what company) writing the paycheck and depending in need..-(Also Bradley cost of homes,not as inexpensive as you might think)-Neighbor across the street sold his for $249K, just 7 months ago,on the market just over 30 days.Just of the mid-size home of 2,200 sq.ft..As to the Residental Electrical Contractors in my area..Knowing residental electrician wages to be -darn- low but also in knowing, not my bag..


I heard of some in this form offering craftmanship in the residental side of the industry,and as it SHOULD be I might add too..But seems like around here,if you can hang-on to a drill motor w/ auger,show up and stretch a little NM cable and such,all that is being required.And it is(sad).Simple fact of the flood ,along with other contributing reasons continues to keep that industy side in check.The other contractor, seems like he can do it cheaper....(as denoted)..


I have shopped the wages on the internet,of States closer to the equator (south of my location) and depending on where you go,same or lower..Have noticed that since I've left great State of Texas,wages haven't progressed a whole heck of lot down there.And just North of me in Virginia, the larger metropolitan areas,wages could be as much as $2.00 more or better on the hour, for the commerial/industrial Electrician.

Florida, the wages are coming more in-line with the area,to where reside in NC..Where at one time Florida wages were -TERRIBLE-,second to South Carolina.Even carrying the "yellow-ticket",wages were bad & below the average.But it seems to have gotten somewhat better through the years.In the wake of "after-math" of last BIG storm,and devestation to the Florida area.In noticing Contractor's in Florida were scrambling, in the posting ads on the net and in the offering of decent wages.(texacan companies were advertising too, with work in that location)
-NOTED:My heart goes out to you Floridians,you have some good Electrical Authors down there..Someone in my area,commented to me just the other day, of the ammount of Electrical Guru's(and knowledge) residing in State of Florida..

I've been "Mr. Suitcase" in the past,in the chasing of the higher wage of this craft.And still today, I'm always keeping a watchfull eye on the Neighboring States wage-rates.(-loved to travel and work).But the suitcase has been unpacked for a while now,but still in the knowing what closet its in..I'm watching this current,administration's effects on Country,waiting for the next solid -BOOM- of the construction industy..(you just never, get completely out of your blood)..In the meeting of the new people,and their methods of the electrical installation..


->dillon
 
Re: Looking for help on Price Quotes

What does an electrician have to know compared to other vocations like: auto mechanics, retail, truck driver, mail man, ...
MUCH MORE

What regulates a correct/legal installation?
A LIBRARY OF INFORMATION: NEC, STATE REGULATIONS, LOCAL JURASTICTION, OSHA, ...

Is an electrician?s job simple?
NO, IT REQUIRES GREAT INTELAGANCE, PHISICAL DEXTERITY AND WORK ETHICS

Consider this; if you pay an electrician low wages you will always have turnover with staff but pay your electrician what they are worth, and go to the markets that enable this, and you will have a solid reliable staff.

If your market does not allow fair wages for a critical trade like ours then you have a choice: leave the market or do the work yourself. If you do the work yourself all the wages are profit, you will just be anxious when you are down to a half a job and anxious again when you have a job and a half. So, if you cannot mentally handle the ?ebb & flow? of a one-man shop income you will remain anxious doing all the work yourself especially in residential construction.

Do you think a Journeyman electrician has enough responsibility to be worth middle class values in your area?
 
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