# Outdoor parking lot light timer question...



## UnderCaution (Nov 4, 2006)

I have a light timer in a commercial rental property. The property has several light poles in the parking lot and drive through lights as well. The light timer is inside and it has 4 poles running to it. It is a simple 7 day timer.
It is starting to make a bad humming noise, and I am afraid that it's going bad.
My question is: Can somebody give me a general idea of how much labor should be charged to replace this timer.
I have recieved a bid of $200.00 and think that is out of line and the contractor is trying to get in my pocket. I'm in Va.......Thanks for any advice.........John


----------



## Eddy Current (Nov 19, 2006)

$200 out of line? How much do you think it should be? 

If I come out and flip a tripped breaker for you I'm charging $160
($85 an hour-min 2hrs)
If the electrician gets the same brand of timer all he has to do is replace the guts. Timer about $70, one and a half hours of labour = $200.
If he gets a different brand of timer the old one has to be removed and the new one installed- More labour- same timer.

What do electricians charge by the hour where you are?
Have you ever paid less than $200 to an auto mechanic to replace something on your car?


----------



## mahlere (Aug 6, 2006)

in all honesty, if you wanted a bid on that project, it would have been at least $500 to make up for the time and aggrevation of pricing, sending the quote and waiting....

$200 is nowheres near high....


----------



## rabbitgun (Nov 16, 2006)

Run undercaution, run........ To accept this cheap proposal!

He could not possibly be furnishing a replacement 4 pole time clock........... Could he?!

A quick glance shows 7-day, 4-pole clocks from 173.00 to 402.00.


----------



## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

UnderCaution said:


> The light timer is inside and it has 4 poles running to it. It is a simple 7 day timer.


4 poles, as in 4 parking lot lighting poles (light standards)?
-or-
4 poles, as in a 4 pole timer?

For a simple 7 day timer controlling 4 light poles, 200 bucks seems quite reasonable if it is a simple guts swap. That would be real close to what I'd likely charge. For a 4 pole time clock, I might be in the 500-600 dollar range.


----------



## UnderCaution (Nov 4, 2006)

OK, the timer is a 7-day 4 pole and the electrician that I called last night said the timer would be $140.00 and the labor would be $200.00.
He came down to $150.00 on the labor for me today. 

I enjoyed the replies............John


----------



## Sparky Joe (Apr 29, 2006)

UnderCaution said:


> I have recieved a bid of $200.00 and think that is out of line and the contractor is trying to get in my pocket.



You must be on crack right? You are a business owner and think 200 bucks to keep your parking lot lights running is high. Greedy  , hate to see what you charge in your store.


----------



## mahlere (Aug 6, 2006)

UnderCaution said:


> OK, the timer is a 7-day 4 pole and the electrician that I called last night said the timer would be $140.00 and the labor would be $200.00.
> He came down to $150.00 on the labor for me today.
> 
> I enjoyed the replies............John


your electrician has no clue of his costs...better for you though...good luck.


----------



## UnderCaution (Nov 4, 2006)

Why is there so much hate on this board? I said that I thought that it
was high, and it was.....He came down to $150 labor, and that's OK
with me, and him, he's picking up the box in the morning and is going
to replace it on the way home from his regular job. He's even coming
over for some cold beers...........I asked for some opinions here, and got 
what I figured I would get......and a really big pile of it too!


----------



## UnderCaution (Nov 4, 2006)

mahlere said:


> your electrician has no clue of his costs...better for you though...good luck.


He's just picking up small jobs on the side, after his day job.......He's
fully licensed and just wants a few extra jobs to do when he can.


----------



## A.W.Davis (Oct 17, 2006)

UnderCaution said:


> Why is there so much hate on this board? I said that I thought that it
> was high, and it was.....He came down to $150 labor, and that's OK
> with me, and him, he's picking up the box in the morning and is going
> to replace it on the way home from his regular job. He's even coming
> ...


I can vouch for a lot of guys here on this forum and they offer sound and helpfull advice,I have learned in 6 months from reading things that it would take me a few years to learn hands on as a general contractor ......just dont take things so personal its the internet

:thumbup:


----------



## mahlere (Aug 6, 2006)

undercaution, make no mistake, there is no hate from me, only frustration.

frustration that my field is full of uneducated skilled labor. frustration that making a living at this field is steadily being eroded by guys who will work 24/7 for peanuts. 

Your electrician just provided a timer at cost and 3 hrs of his day (time to get the timer, travel to site, do work, and go home) for $50/hr. My technicans cost me over $40/hr. And they are not getting rich. But then again, i am pretty sure that he is not paying taxes, insurance, payroll taxes, etc. so he's making more than my guys...

But hey, you got a good deal and I don't blame you. Just, please do me one favor, the next time you get ticked because someone undercut your price with a rate that makes you just shake your head and go "how can he do it so cheap" remember this thread....


----------



## Sparky Joe (Apr 29, 2006)

mahlere said:


> Just, please do me one favor, the next time you get ticked because someone undercut your price with a rate that makes you just shake your head and go "how can he do it so cheap" remember this thread....


Also do me one favor;
If you come for advice and 100% of people respond say the same thing, do not come back and say...

Why is there so much hate on this board? 

You will only find much more hate around here.

Perhaps you should be posting on the "handy man talk" forum, or the "I think I can do it when I have free time" forum. I think in those places(if they exist) you'll find guys more than willing to cut each others throats. Fact is you didn't even hire a contractor, but yet you ask questions in a place called "contractor"talk.....And then the kicker; your question was if you're getting peeled  what a joke


----------



## RobertWilber (Mar 5, 2006)

UnderCaution said:


> Why is there so much hate on this board? I said that I thought that it
> was high, and it was.....He came down to $150 labor, and that's OK
> with me, and him, he's picking up the box in the morning and is going
> to replace it on the way home from his regular job. He's even coming
> ...



he is not in business. that is why he came down.
He started low and then cut his price
if it were not side work, he wouldn't have called you back.
no hate here.
Is jus' da truth ...


----------



## UnderCaution (Nov 4, 2006)

The man is a licensed electrician. That's what he does from 7:00 to 4:00. He is obviously in business! He finished the job, and just came
by the house, and got his check. He said that he would be happy
to do anymore work that I could throw his way...I got him two
jobs for the weekend already, while we had a beer, he is very happy, 
and he does very clean work! 

Adios


----------



## mahlere (Aug 6, 2006)

UnderCaution said:


> The man is a licensed electrician. That's what he does from 7:00 to 4:00. He is obviously in business! He finished the job, and just came
> by the house, and got his check. He said that he would be happy
> to do anymore work that I could throw his way...I got him two
> jobs for the weekend already, while we had a beer, he is very happy,
> ...


of course he is happy, he just made more in 3 hrs than he will in a full day at he regular job.

he might be licensed, he might be good, but let's let the IRS and the state board look into whether he is registered to be operating as a business... 

good luck, but you just don't get it...



UnderCaution said:


> going to replace it on the way home from his regular job





UnderCaution said:


> He's just picking up small jobs on the side, after his day job.


----------



## ATS (Jun 28, 2005)

UnderCaution said:


> The man is a licensed electrician. That's what he does from 7:00 to 4:00. He is obviously in business! He finished the job, and just came
> by the house, and got his check. He said that he would be happy
> to do anymore work that I could throw his way...I got him two
> jobs for the weekend already, while we had a beer, he is very happy,
> ...


I think you may be confused. Being "in the business" is much, much different than being a "business owner" with all the associated expenses. Ask yourself what recourse you will have if there is a fire, an electrocution or another problem. Does this person have insurance? A business license? A company name? I think you're missing the real point here altogether.


----------



## Sparky Joe (Apr 29, 2006)

UnderCaution said:


> The man is a licensed electrician. That's what he does from 7:00 to 4:00. He is obviously in business! He finished the job, and just came
> by the house, and got his check. He said that he would be happy
> to do anymore work that I could throw his way...I got him two
> jobs for the weekend already, while we had a beer, he is very happy,
> ...



I'm sure you've all heard the current issues with immagration, don't know what everyones stand point on it is, but my only problem is they come here and do our work for half the price. If they would just demand a decent wage like what everyone else needs to live on then it would be fine(in my opinion)

Actually, fact is is it's not their falt, they just need some money like everyone else. Who's fault it is is these cheapskate bastards that insist on ripping some poor guy off just becasue they know he's hungry and has a family to support. I can't believe this a--hole, and he's a business owner himself which means whether it was 200 bucks(***** down to 150) or 500 bucks it's still a tax write off.


----------



## mahlere (Aug 6, 2006)

Sparky Joe said:


> he's a business owner himself which means whether it was 200 bucks(***** down to 150) or 500 bucks it's still a tax write off.


understand something, I think undercaution is thinking wrong from my perspective (from his, he saved money)but in terms of a tax write off, the difference between $150 and $500 is probably about $50 in taxes.  But it is an extra $350 he can spend on something else for the property or, keep the $250-$300 (after taxes in his pocket)

I just think he is sorely mistaken on the credibility and legality of his "electrician"

I would be curious how much liability insurance his "electrician" is carrying in case there is an accident. $1mil? $2 mil? How much does it cost to replace a strip mall due to an electrical fire?


----------



## faber307 (Jan 7, 2007)

*Side Jobber*

I think it's the Wal-mart mentality. That you must shop for the absolute lowest price and then wonder if you actually got it.

I can't believe how many people have gravitated to that mind set.

If you own a business, Hire a business. You should check your service contractors track record if they are an unknown. But the key to keeping our privatized *nation *strong is moving the money around. 

Keep the side jobbers on the small resi work.

We Electricians should think the same way when we buy our materials for customers. Sometimes I wonder if Lowes and Home Depot are not far off the wal-mart track.

Believe it or not, We're all in this together.

Just my idealistic view!


----------

