Revisiting ~ elusive neutral ???

[celtic]

About a month ago (almost to the date!) I posted the Troubleshooting ~ elusive neutral
...well today the phone rings...
"Can you come and check the wiring here, we have fixtures hanging by the wires, no power in some rooms, etc etc etc"
Sure..what's the address?
"It's 123 main street"

The same damn house ~ but the new owners!

The house really needs some serious attention (and lots of bucks) after having been passed through the family for 90 years w/o ever calling in a tradesman - until the closing last month. The place is a horror show with circuits operating devices in all three units from one panel, mis-marked/mis landed circuits, spontaneous construction, etc.

Obviously, this will be T&M all the way...but I'd rather be running pipe/pulling wire cselectric

 

[cselectric]

Re: Revisiting ~ elusive neutral ???

I feel your pain. There's a reason why I no longer do residential service... and you just posted that reason.

 

[apauling]

Re: Revisiting ~ elusive neutral ???

didn't you put fixtures back up?

Sounds like the only safe thing is a rewire. If you don't have the experience, but want the job, there have been many discussions on this site about techniques, tips, bidding, methods.

Don't give them a price until you get a handle on what's the actual time and material.

i did a bunch that were no extra holes, and that is more expensive. Might be cheaper to have owners contract for patching.

paul

 

[celtic]

Re: Revisiting ~ elusive neutral ???

Doing the work isn't the issue - wanting the work is the issue.
I have no problem doing resi work, other than it's mostly "lightweight" and boring.

To give a bid on whatever it is that they want done is impossible - I know enough about the property to know that it has the reverse midas touch (everything touched turns to crap)...the only "safe" way is T&M. If they are unwilling to agree with my terms, that's fine - like I said "Doing the work isn't the issue - wanting the work is the issue."...I really don't want this headache, although I know it will make me money.