LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
That guy probably made a dollar, too.
Residential prices
- Thread starter fisherelectric
- Start date
- Status
RH1
Member
- Location
- Rick From Los Angeles
General contractors always say that, it's gotten so old and so clich? that I laugh out loud every time a GC delivers that tired old line. My response is "Sure, let's sign a contract for all the houses right now and I'll give you a killer price!"
People love to gush about "all their other work", they think we will suddenly bow and scrape and humble ourselves at their feet. In reality, what they are offering us is the amazing, once in a lifetime opportunity to work long and hard at below market rates.
Yippee! I can't wait!
Power Tech
Senior Member
- Location
- Lebec, California
I think you are too cheep.
I bid a against Mennonite electrical company that bid a house for a ridicules price.
I had to stop by. I could not believe it. Little girls in (Little House on The Prairie dresses) running wire in the attic. I was kinda thinking that maybe little girls can do this job. Aren't there laws against that?
Guys with scruffy beards, hats and suspenders.
I stepped back in time into the Twilight Zone.
That was weird.
I bid a against Mennonite electrical company that bid a house for a ridicules price.
I had to stop by. I could not believe it. Little girls in (Little House on The Prairie dresses) running wire in the attic. I was kinda thinking that maybe little girls can do this job. Aren't there laws against that?
Guys with scruffy beards, hats and suspenders.
I stepped back in time into the Twilight Zone.
That was weird.
fisherelectric
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern Va
I thought it was too cheap (cheep) myself.
macmikeman
Senior Member
- Location
- Planet macmikeman
Bingo- correct answer.
TOOL_5150
Senior Member
- Location
- bay area, ca
Unless he lost 22 wire nuts.
you must use cheap wire nuts, mine cost double that.
Either that, or my supply house is sticking it to me.... Wouldnt be the first time.
~Matt
scottam99
Member
- Location
- Vero Beach Florida
One of my old bosses had a saying for this. 2 bums are sitting on a park bench. One says to the other, " Ya know what? I never lost a bid."
There's much easier ways to end up in the poor house than having to work for it!!!! LOL
There's much easier ways to end up in the poor house than having to work for it!!!! LOL
shermansfather
Member
- Location
- Northeast Ohio
Last summer a neighbor is GCing his own McMansion a couple blocks away, he already has some numbers from new build ECs. Anyway I've got 2 boys 16 & 17 both thinking about the trade, too young to take on my kind of job sites. I figure this would be perfect intro course for my sons (lots a time on the rough, I can work odd hours, close to home, friendly with GC). I come up with the kind of numbers I would charge my mother. Customer loves the idea.
OUTCOME - I was about 4 grand high
OUTCOME - I was about 4 grand high
RCRosson
Member
- Location
- Thousand Oaks, CA
I'm in So. Calif. and did a 3400 sq ft house (rough)/ T&M, 2 years ago for $20,000. This included 95 recessed cans, LV wiring, Service upgrade with remoted load center. I ended up in court cause the guy thought it "should have cost $10,000". Times are EXTREMELY tough right now; but be careful you don't pay him to keep your guys working.
peter d
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
Now, to be fair, you do live in the land of illegal day labor. Of course your price was too high. :roll:
Sierrasparky
Senior Member
- Location
- USA
- Occupation
- Electrician ,contractor
How did you wind up in court ,no contract for that 20k?
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
To which the other replied "That's funny; I've never won one."
iMuse97
Senior Member
- Location
- Chicagoland
To which the other replied "That's funny; I've never won one."
Could be funny if it weren't so likely true. :roll:
sparky 134
Senior Member
- Location
- Joliet, IL
Chatting with two carpenters that are employees of the GC about the jobs they're working on. I asked who's doing the electric ?
"Some fat kid that charges $40.00 per opening. Switch, 3way, GFCI, recessed light, furnace, etc."
This is using conduit and wire.....
And he probably thinks he's making money and this particular GC will string him out for 60-90 days on payouts.
He doesn't use supports on the 1900 boxes when they're mounted to metal studs so the receptacle ends up pushing back into the wall when someone tries to plug something in.
Same GC had me bid a bathroom remodel. Old house, cloth wire, black pipe. We found a 1.25" PVC chase from the attic to the basement so I planned on running a piece of 1/2" greenfield thru it, land a junction box in the attic and basement, run pipe back to the panel and thru the attic (big attic with a floor), install one shower can, one exhaust fan, one light opening, one GFCI and supply a circuit for the floor heat.
My price was $1,275.00 and I never heard back from him....
"Some fat kid that charges $40.00 per opening. Switch, 3way, GFCI, recessed light, furnace, etc."
This is using conduit and wire.....
And he probably thinks he's making money and this particular GC will string him out for 60-90 days on payouts.
He doesn't use supports on the 1900 boxes when they're mounted to metal studs so the receptacle ends up pushing back into the wall when someone tries to plug something in.
Same GC had me bid a bathroom remodel. Old house, cloth wire, black pipe. We found a 1.25" PVC chase from the attic to the basement so I planned on running a piece of 1/2" greenfield thru it, land a junction box in the attic and basement, run pipe back to the panel and thru the attic (big attic with a floor), install one shower can, one exhaust fan, one light opening, one GFCI and supply a circuit for the floor heat.
My price was $1,275.00 and I never heard back from him....
Mr. Wizard
Senior Member
- Location
- Texas
Maybe he meant your price was too low :grin: If it were too high, wouldn't he say that you knocked it OUT of the ballpark??!?!
Mr. Wizard
Senior Member
- Location
- Texas
How does that happen? This is not the first I've heard of someone being hauled into court because they "charged me too much." If a contract is signed, certainly the contract was read by the customer. An if it was signed, then certainly the dollar amount was read and agreed to by the customer. How on earth can you be taken to court after the fact? The customer agreed to the price. If he didn't like it, he could have went elewhere. That is absolute lunacy. What was the outcome of the court proceedings? I hope you won on the grounds the customer was a lawsuit-happy moron.
Bill Ruffner
Member
- Location
- Plainfield, IL
Here's what I came up with based on your info. It includes 159.9 hours which is right on per your comment of 2 guys for 10 days. The material pricing is based on a national average.
jmsbrush
Senior Member
- Location
- Central Florida
We just did a house that size with more can lights for $20,000 and had $3000 in change orders, It wasn't near enough.
- Status