# what do you think of my price



## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

An employee of a company I've worked with for years asked me to install some receptacles, a double duplex on one circuit about 2' below the panel and a single duplex on the outside (vinyl) of the house (below the panel).

I told him I'd do it for $230 (permit extra at cost). I thought it was a reasonable price, but his reaction said otherwise. Since I'm not used to doing residential, I'm asking, is that a reasonable price (I was expecting it to be below what most people would do it for, but maybe I'm mistaken) or no?

2 single pole Homeline breakers, 2 GFCI receptacles, 1 decora receptacle, box for vinyl siding, 2-gang old work box, double duplex cover, little bit of wire.

Your thoughts?


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## electricalwiz (Mar 12, 2011)

That price sounds fine
I would have charged $300-$350 for a stranger and possibly less depending on how much I liked him or how much work his company gave me

How far from your house was the job


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

What? Install $45 worth of material for $230 plus the cost of permit?!?!!?

Jeez, what a rip-off.


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

electricalwiz said:


> That price sounds fine
> I would have charged $300-$350 for a stranger and possibly less depending on how much I liked him or how much work his company gave me
> 
> How far from your house was the job


About 4 miles. Thanks for the confirmation on your price.


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

480sparky said:


> What? Install $45 worth of material for $230 plus the cost of permit?!?!!?
> 
> Jeez, what a rip-off.


LOL, I can't tell if your serious or being facetious. I believe the 2nd.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

That's cheap for a real electrician.


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## Black Dog (Oct 16, 2011)

Lou, you're giving it away.....:blink:

Just the permit is at least 2 hours labor.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

99cents said:


> That's cheap for a real electrician.


That's real for a cheap electrician. :whistling2:


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

You have to remember, this is work relationship that I don't want to do for nothing but I want to make sure it's a very low price. 

Looks like I've succeeded. :laughing:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

hardworkingstiff said:


> You have to remember, I wanted to train my co-worker that highly-qualified, skilled and trained electricians can be hired for beer money.
> 
> Looks like I've succeeded. :laughing:


Fify.


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

hardworkingstiff said:


> An employee of a company I've worked with for years asked me to install some receptacles, a double duplex on one circuit about 2' below the panel and a single duplex on the outside (vinyl) of the house (below the panel).
> 
> I told him I'd do it for $230 (permit extra at cost). I thought it was a reasonable price, but his reaction said otherwise. Since I'm not used to doing residential, I'm asking, is that a reasonable price (I was expecting it to be below what most people would do it for, but maybe I'm mistaken) or no?
> 
> ...


What would have been the cost of the permit?


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

RIVETER said:


> What would have been the cost of the permit?


I think it's $75, not sure though, it might be less since it's residential.


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

480sparky said:


> Fify.


Really? I thought you were above that kind of crap, guess not.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

hardworkingstiff said:


> Really? I thought you were above that kind of crap, guess not.


Above what? Commoditizing our trade? We all should be against that.


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

480sparky said:


> Above what?


Above changing someone's post and leaving it as if they posted it.

You could have just expressed your disdain (like you did above) w/out modifying my post.

It's a pet peeve of mine. Bash me, criticize me, insult me, whatever, but leave my posts as I left them.


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## LuckyLuke (Jun 1, 2015)

Your price was a deal as far as I am concerned I would have been $350 easily


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Some fellas look at the eyes
Some fellas look at the nose
Some fellas look at the size
Some fellas look at the clothes
I don't care if her eyes are red
I don't care if her nose is long
I don't care if she's underfed
I don't care if her clothes are worn
First I look at the purse!
Some fellas like the smiles they wear
Some fellas like the legs that's all
Some fellas like the style of their hair
Want their waist to be small.
I don't care if their legs are thin
I don't care if their teeth are big
I don't care if their hair's a wig
Why waste time lookin' at the waistline?
First I look at the purse!
A woman can be fat as can be,
Kisses sweet as honey
But that don't mean a thing to me
If you ain't got no money
If the purse is fat.... That's where it's at.
Some fellas like the way they walk
The way they swing and sway
Some fellas like the way they talk
Dig the things they say.
I don't care if they wobble like a...
Or talk with a lisp
I still think I'm a good lover
If the dollar bills are crisp
First I look at the purse!
First I look at the purse!
First I look at the purse!
First I look at the purse!
I don't care if you got yourself a wrap
All I want is your pretty green cash
Bought me a suit, bought me a car
Want me to look like a hollywood star
Money, (Money!) I want money (Money!)
Baby, ain't no "why", baby (Money!)
I need money!
First I look at the purse!
First I look at the purse!
First I look at the purse!
First I look at the purse!

J. Giles band


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

hardworkingstiff said:


> Above changing someone's post and leaving it as if they posted it.
> 
> You could have just expressed your disdain (like you did above) w/out modifying my post.
> 
> It's a pet peeve of mine. Bash me, criticize me, insult me, whatever, but leave my posts as I left them.


Try looking up what 'Fify' stands for. :whistling2:


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## IEC (Sep 20, 2015)

For residential work, we bill out at $65/hr with a 2-hour minimum plus materials at 10% over and the permit fee. For jobs more than 30 miles from the shop, customer is billed drive time one way.

For this area, that's top money. For an area like Dallas, it's more like $130/hr and 20% material markup. 

Your price sounds very reasonable to me.

You said, "An employee of a company I've worked with for years..." I bet that s/he was expecting a friendly freebie or maybe, _I'll buy the beer and materials if you'll put them in_ type of thing. I get that all the darn time. If I know the person behind the service call, the first thing I tell them is that I don't have "friend" pricing and that I'll be happy to submit a bid like any other professional.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

IEC said:


> For residential work, we bill out at $65/hr with a 2-hour minimum plus materials at 10% over and the permit fee. For jobs more than 30 miles from the shop, customer is billed drive time one way.
> 
> For this area, that's top money. For an area like Dallas, it's more like $130/hr and 20% material markup.
> 
> Your price sounds very reasonable to me.


Amazing how geography dictates hourly rate. Sixty five bucks is chump change. $130 sounds more like the going rate you should have almost anywhere.


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## Achilles (Sep 11, 2014)

I know I'm going to get killed for this, but for this simple work that can be done in 2 hours, half of it drinking a beer and shooting the breeze.

Family = Free + Dinner
Friend = $50 + Beer
Semi-Friend = $125 + Beer

The way I look at it I'm stopping over on the way home to have a beer with a friend and pocketing $75.

But the work has to be on my time w/o any inconvenience. This is all assuming you like the person, or wish to network with the person.


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## IEC (Sep 20, 2015)

99cents said:


> Amazing how geography dictates hourly rate. Sixty five bucks is chump change. $130 sounds more like the going rate you should have almost anywhere.


It really is. While I don't intend to open the union can o' worms, it would be nice if we could all get on the same page.

I'm from Phoenix. While it is cutthroat out there, it's nothing like this small, rural area I moved to. Here is the "good ol' boys' club" and most of them are hardly professional electricians. I have seen more Code violations here than anywhere else in my travels. And I can't tell you where to find an NFPA 70E anywhere in the area outside of my desk. 

I actually make less here owning the company than I did as a foreman in Phoenix. And that is sad. But my wife and I love the area and if I am going to make a go of it here I have to be competitive. Believe it or not, I lose a LOT of jobs because I bid it too high. The typical going rate around here is closer to $45/hr; they are generally handymen calling themselves "wiremen" because they learned to rope a house half-arse. A 4-year JW tops out at $14, foreman about $23. And that's for the biggest commercial company in the area. Most others are paying senior men about $17 with no benefits. 

Believe me, I have considered throwing it out on many more occasions than one. For all the hassle of the paperwork and the phone constantly ringing and trying to find good help, if someone offered me what I'm worth I'd close down without too much debate.


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## MF Dagger (Dec 24, 2007)

I'm at 225 first hour minimum BUT I have plenty of work and don't need to take the smaller service calls. That being said I regularly get that rate and haven't had any complaints.


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## electricmanscott (Feb 11, 2010)

hardworkingstiff said:


> An employee of a company I've worked with for years asked me to install some receptacles, a double duplex on one circuit about 2' below the panel and a single duplex on the outside (vinyl) of the house (below the panel).
> 
> I told him I'd do it for $230 (permit extra at cost). I thought it was a reasonable price, but his reaction said otherwise. Since I'm not used to doing residential, I'm asking, is that a reasonable price (I was expecting it to be below what most people would do it for, but maybe I'm mistaken) or no?
> 
> ...



Where I work that would run $147 for the outlet under panel, $293 for the outside outlet, service fee of $89 for a grand total of $529 (permit fee of $125 not included)


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## Wirenut951 (Aug 3, 2014)

hardworkingstiff said:


> An employee of a company I've worked with for years asked me to install some receptacles, a double duplex on one circuit about 2' below the panel and a single duplex on the outside (vinyl) of the house (below the panel).
> 
> I told him I'd do it for $230 (permit extra at cost). I thought it was a reasonable price, but his reaction said otherwise. Since I'm not used to doing residential, I'm asking, is that a reasonable price (I was expecting it to be below what most people would do it for, but maybe I'm mistaken) or no?
> 
> ...


The price is completely reasonable. Your time and effort is worth something and a lot of electricians would ask for more. This is a common issue... You meet people through work, they get to know you a little and then expect you to basically do charity work for them. The bigger problem is these people don't take a small amount of time to research what companies charge, they just expect you to "hook them up". I have done residential side jobs that were more involved than this and charged around the same price($200-250) and at the end of the jobs I felt like I sold myself short. Nobody wants to work to break even, but a lot of the time that's what happens when you first start doing side jobs for people.


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