Vanity Light

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elvis_931

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Tennessee
I have to give an estimate to install a new vanity light in a bathroom. Also I have to install a new switch for that light. Right now the only thing in the bathroom is a light switch that operates a fartfan/light. I met with the customer briefly a few days ago, but did not get to look in the ceiling or panel to find where I can get power from(she was in a hurry to get to a dr. appointment). My estimate is:
Install new vanity light: $65.00
Install new 15A switch: $64:00
$129.00 total estimate.
Customer already has fixture. (I know, not the best situation for customer to provide their own cheap fixtures, but that is the deal here.)
Is this a good price? Too high/low?
Any feedback is appreciated.:)
 
Also depends on what's above the room. If open attic, and you can simply pick up power at the existing switch (i.e., a neutral present), to replace the single-gang box with a 2-gang box, install a box for the fixture, fish wire down both locations, I'd charge around $200-$250, incl. parts.
 
Low
75 to run wire and cut in gem box
75 to convert existing single to double with switch and plate
75 to install light
225 and thats minimum.
Add 18 to change old switch to match
 
LarryFine said:
Also depends on what's above the room. If open attic, and you can simply pick up power at the existing switch (i.e., a neutral present), to replace the single-gang box with a 2-gang box, install a box for the fixture, fish wire down both locations, I'd charge around $200-$250, incl. parts.
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I am pretty sure it is an open attic. This sounds like the information i was looking for.(I love this forum!). New question: Replacing the single-gang with a 2-gang box is a great idea. I was just going to add a cut-in box besdide the existing one, but i like your idea a lot better. If existing box is a nail on box; will i have to remove a big chunk of drywall to remove the box? I apologize if any of my questions seem dumb or over-simple; I have been out of the residential side of wiring for over 6 years now, just doing industrial wiring, so i am a little rusty on the res. side.
 
Elvis, simple explanation:

Open existing box and remove switch, trace cutout for 2-gang old-work box away from stud, cut opening with drywall saw, pry old box or cut nails with recip saw, fish new wire with hole open, install 2-gang box.

In other words, make the larger opening you'll need anyway first, and work through that. A good electrician should never have to patch. (Almost never.) Nothing looks worse than two boxes side-by-side.

I always strive to make new work look like it was always there; match heights with the room's existing boxes, use same color devices, and I agree with Oakey about using two new switches so they match.
 
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Thanks Larry.I probably should have thought of that myself, but i didnt. Again, I love this forum. You guys are all great, and its great that you are willing to share your experience and knowledge with others. Forgive me for my ignorance.

Serving a higher Power!
Myron McKenzie
 
elvis_931 said:
I met with the customer briefly a few days ago, but did not get to look in the ceiling or panel to find where I can get power from(she was in a hurry to get to a dr. appointment).
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Maybe I'm just conditioned by working exclusively on old houses, but here's a general caution: you need to never be in too much of a hurry to carefully look over the situation in cases like this before you bid. Get out your stud finder, look above and below for pipes and access points, see what's on the other side of that wall, etc. Sometimes there's a physical reason that bathroom didn't already have a vanity lamp, and if you stumble onto that reason after the fact you're going to lose money with a low bid.

And your estimate does seem low. $129 is almost enough for the light switch.

Good luck,
 
http://www.smarthomeusa.com/Shop/Hardware-Cable/Item/SB1G/ In that situation, try a box like this. It is the same dimensions as typical nail on boxes, so you wont have the problem that old work boxes will give you in a hole cut for a nail on. How much do you think you need to make a day? How long do you think this will take you? What else do you think you could do the same day? Anything that takes less than an hour is $105-$125. Anything that takes over an hour is $250 minimun for me.
 
bradleyelectric said:
Anything that takes less than an hour is $105-$125. Anything that takes over an hour is $250 minimun for me.
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Very good advice!
Most homeowners expect to pay $100 for any professional to make a call to their house. If your not a professional then you are charging what your worth. An hour for a handy man to hang a towel rack and replace a drawer pull will cost less than $100. No plumber or A/C serviceman will come out for less than $125.
 
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Jiffy the clown won't come out and entertain your children for any less than $200 an hour, so why do tool wearing clowns come out and entertain the grownups for much much less?
 
Jeff Weissman Electric said:
Very good advice!
Most homeowners expect to pay $100 for any professional to make a call to their house. If your not a professional then you are charging what your worth. An hour for a handy man to hang a towel rack and replace a drawer pull will cost less than $100. No plumber or A/C serviceman will come out for less than $125.
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Round here, rates are lower; aparently. A/C serviceman: $65.00; Plumber: $40.00; Electrical: $40-50.00. I guess it depends on what evryone else in a aprticular area is charging. I charge $50.00/hr service rate. I came up with that rate by taking total working hrs. for a year @40hrs/wk. Took 60% of that actual billable hrs. doing the job. Added my ins., liscenses, start-up costs, gas, etc. Plus what I wanted to make as profit for the year. Divided that by billable hrs. and got my service rate. Any other job that is not a service call is expected to be more income above the service rate. That is just how I did it, not saying it is right or wrong.:smile:
 
macmikeman said:
Jiffy the clown won't come out and entertain your children for any less than $200 an hour, so why do tool wearing clowns come out and entertain the grownups for much much less?
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Neither will handydandy the local handy clowns, in this area they are getting what averages $150 an hour, some get more, they all give a job price, not an hourly rate, and even at that, people complain they can't get a handyman, they are all so busy.

In the metro areas, the overhead, and operatings expenses, before any direct labor, and profit is added can be over $50
 
vanity light

vanity light

before you trace out and cut your new holefor switch make sure the wall is clear to the side you are going to open up larger. Just take your sheetrock saw and slide it along the top and bottom of existing box make sure you cut on the instroke so you dont chip paint away beyond the cover of the plate. And feel to the sides that the bay is clear with no switch boxes on other side of wall. Fiberglass boxes easilly break up and fall down wall. Plastic boxes are easilly cut away by using bat pwered sawzall like the hatchet from milwaukee just cut the 2 nails without wrecking the wall. Smart boxes work awesome for this kind of work. Sooner or later you will run into a steel box with side bracket and screws I just had one sat dogone union guys moonlighting again with parts from the job I was able to break the spotwelds and cut the bracket free with a metal blade and 18v hatchet. Also able to get raised adaptor screws out to drop adaptor down wall. What a pain.
 
Usually when I run into removing a box and using a smartbox is changing a single switch to a 2 gang for the fan w/ light kit. First cut out the hole for the 2 gang using the check the wall method discribed in a previous post, than just stick a screw driver between the existing box and the stud its nailed to. pry the box off the stud.
 
elvis_931 said:
Round here, rates are lower; aparently. A/C serviceman: $65.00; Plumber: $40.00; Electrical: $40-50.00. I guess it depends on what evryone else in a aprticular area is charging. Any other job that is not a service call is expected to be more income above the service rate. That is just how I did it, not saying it is right or wrong.:smile:
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There is something wrong with your rates. A/C service men can actually afford to come out for free because they plan to sell a new system or at least a compresser ( some major item every few calls ). I'm sure that the $40 to $50 for electricians and plumbers is added to a show up fee or travel fee. The fees charged for service calls should be your highest rates.
I would find an actual service contractor ( not a company doing service calls as a sideline ) and see what their fees are.
 
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