I have already done an estimate for a house as a stick built and now the general contractor wants to build it as a SIP home. I don't have much experience wiring these -- I know it's not rocket surgery -- but I don't want to get bit on underestimating the labor. I was thinking 3-4x the labor on rough in... Is that too much? I'm willing to eat a little on our firs couple for the learning curve so I was looking for a number that is the "correct" number.. Not the "this is our first SIP house" number.... Thanks..
SIP house wiring
- Thread starter scottvost
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- Occupation
- Licensed Electrician
You are going to be double your estimated labour so a fudge factor of X3 is not out of line. More Romex is going to be consumed too because you have to follow the predrilled chases. It's doable though.
By the time you get halfway through the house you'll have worked out some good techniques. Save the kitchen till last.
By the time you get halfway through the house you'll have worked out some good techniques. Save the kitchen till last.
elf friend
Member
- Location
- wisconsin's east shore
I have wired over 20 SIP houses so this is something I am very well versed on and there are a couple things you will need to take into account before giving your bid. First, sometimes there are no pre formed chases in the SIP walls and you will need to install your own. The builder that I work for buys his SIP panels from somewhere in MI and they come in 8ft by 24ft pieces and are cut with a CNC machine so when he gets to the jobsite it is like assembling a jig saw puzzle, but there are no chases. There are a couple ways of doing this and your imagination here will be your friend. Secondly, try and run your runs in the interior walls whenever possible so you will need to more than double your wire estimate. You cannot cut say cut slots from the floor to ceiling say like four" wide as this will weeken the structure. Installing lighting is a whole nother story since the ceiling panels are SIPs and trying to get fan boxes installed will also test your imagination.
- Location
- Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- Service Manager
Eat a little on the first couple and you're likely coincidentally only going to do a couple. There is no added joy with this that justifies giving the GC money for the privilege of doing it. Four times the labor and twice the wire sounds like a good start.
Let your numbers go down later if you feel you have a knack for it, later. But if you're still winning bids, then lowering your price is doing what for you, exactly?
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