# Electric during home construction



## jaredhvay (Jul 9, 2009)

So wanted to get a bit of feedback from people with more experience than myself on the matter. 

I got a text from a client whom we are currently building a home for indicating that he received his first electric bill with the implication that I am responsible for it. 

I am on good terms with him and would prefer to maintain that but I have no interest in paying for his electric. 

*Of course, this expense detail is not specified in our contract; something I will be adding in future contracts.* 

What is normal in this case? 

I can't imagine hiring a company to perform work at my home and then trying to get them to pay for the electric they used.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

New construction or remodel?

remodel is it occupied?

should be in contract


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## jaredhvay (Jul 9, 2009)

This is new construction.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

it's your bill.

should have been in your overhead.


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## We Fix Houses (Aug 15, 2007)

His first electric bill ? 

Did you or him use the power ?

Who put up the temp power box ?

Just curious ....should be in the contract for new work. Remodel...owner is responsible for electric, water, most times contract says.


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

My SOP is to have the bill sent to the owner.

If I have to pay the bill, I would merely add it to the bid.

Either way, the owner is going to pay.


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## platinumLLC (Nov 18, 2008)

If it's new construction and he isn't living in the house then it's your bill while you build the house.


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## jaredhvay (Jul 9, 2009)

We Fix Houses said:


> His first electric bill ?
> 
> Did you or him use the power ?
> 
> ...


We used the power in order to maintain heat, run power tools etc. 

We never had a temp power box. We used generators until we could get the service installed. 

I agree, it should have been in the contract.


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## We Fix Houses (Aug 15, 2007)

Don't forget P&O applies to your utilities line item.

That's why on remodels its on the HO, cause I would add 30%.


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## ScipioAfricanus (Sep 13, 2008)

How much are we talking about in fees?
3-400$ on a 250,000.00 job?

Andy.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Everything is the HO bill. If you are building a house for HIM, why would he think that you are paying for anything? You might be a nice guy and pay for the HO lunch while you are discussing some build items.

But everything is on them.


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## Big Johnson (Jun 2, 2017)

Tell him he either gets an electric bill from the PC or a gasoline bill from you. The electric bill will always be smaller. 

I’m assuming you factored in generator running costs when quoting the job? If I’m doing a framing job and there’s no power on site I’m tacking on extra to cover gas and trips to the gas station. Electric on site is always cheaper and it’s the property owner/customer that saves the money.


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## Randy Bush (Mar 7, 2011)

Here most of the time on a new build the builder will have a temp power put in. No meter flat fee for x amount of time. Normally it is until the house is wired and ready for permanent power hookup. Are times when a generator is used to . which I am sure is figured into the contract.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Whom ever owns the house.


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## sunkist (Apr 27, 2012)

One time I had a HO complain about me using her power for my table saw while installing a new front door.

We turn up another time to do some work on a house no power,crap so I go next door and ask if I can use some power and offer to pay, the guy goes sure so I shoot him $30.00 plug in off we go cheap to keep 5 guys working meanwhile I call the HO and tell him to get the power on pronto.

Now the rest of the story mid day some guy walks in really pissed off he owns the house were pulling power from and its his brother living there but the brother does not pay the bills, calls the police on us for theft etc nothing came of the police showing up, once they heard the story but a drama filled hour and loss of work we had to call it a day.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Which is one of the reasons I have an inverter on the truck.


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## NYgutterguy (Mar 3, 2014)

sunkist said:


> One time I had a HO complain about me using her power for my table saw while installing a new front door.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Almost suffered a major ass beating for plugging into this guys outlet next door to unit we were doing in an apartment complex. Would have felt a lot safer if he actually did call cops. Took a lot of apologizing and ass kissing to calm this 6'5 275 pound, white trash in a Bettis jersey to calm down. First and last time I ever did that. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

It is in my contract owner is responsible for utilities during construction, that way for some reason the power company is dicking me around they will be paying for the generators that I bring out and if the water company can't get water hooked up when they say they will be paying for a portable water facility. Has never happened but it is a concern for sure with these utility companies . 

But has never come up with a client. How does that even work? They send you the bill to your house and then you tell the electric company to start sending it to the owner when they move in? LOL. 

If an owner did ask about it I would tell them to be glad that they got the bill directly, I Mark everything up that goes through my books, so if they want me to pay the electric bill that's cool with me I just made more money. S*** I'll buy your gas every morning while you're on your way out, pay your yard guy and your housekeeper too. LOL


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

ScipioAfricanus said:


> How much are we talking about in fees?
> 3-400$ on a 250,000.00 job?
> 
> Andy.


The builders you see retired well and not working were watching their nickels and dimes, the dollars take care of themselves

That goes for any profession, but builders are responsible for the whole package and thinking $100 is not a lot on a million dollar project is a bad mindset to have.

Don't get me wrong if I screw something up or something isn't right I'll spend whatever I need to to fix it, I just paid $2,600 to have a porch epoxied because it had a stain in the concrete, not even sure it was us that did it. But I'm not going to trash a referral from a half a million-dollar client over it. The epoxy porch is not even a big one on the list of mess-ups we have paid for in the past

But I would definitely tell her to pay her own electric bill and I sent a three-paragraph email explaining that we would not be covering the cost of a gas line repair we damaged digging a ditch to run a bigger power line to the house during the remodel, it is very clear in our contract any kind of trench work we are not responsible for anything below the surface. Probably cost $150, but it set a precedent. Handled well it did not affect our working relationship one bit and I am sure so I will get referrals from her.


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## Fishindude (Aug 15, 2017)

It really just depends on how your contract is written. I always put a statement in my proposals that utility cost during construction will be paid for by the owner. Also, the utility bills are going to wind up in the clients name at some point anyway, so why not start there.

Now this can get interesting during winter when you are doing things like temporary heat, etc. that can get expensive. If everything is at owners expense some contractors might not be as quick getting a project wrapped up or may not be very conservative with utility use. This is an item that should be talked about with the client beforehand to determine what is fair.


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