# Elec sub does this guy not want to work with me



## Murphy (Mar 28, 2006)

Pricing is not my main concern.

Developing a new relationship with a electric sub is my main concern. I guess you have been in business long enough so that you have a guy you go to for everything you need. 

Like I said this guy is a friend of a friend. So hopefully I can work with this guy on further projects if he does a good job, shows up when he is supposed to and cleans up after himself. 

If I am a dirtbag for not being big enough to throw 2000 away then I am a dirtbag.


----------



## RobertWilber (Mar 5, 2006)

I figure the guy from Louisiana was working for dirt cause they didn't have any dirt to work in Louisiana....
Friend of a friend? Is he in business or just out of work?
I would want to see an insurance cert and license if I were you
... good luck ...
Four and change sounds about right to me, maybe a tad low


----------



## mahlere (Aug 6, 2006)

i love it when MD forgets to take his meds...it is great..:thumbup:


----------



## Murphy (Mar 28, 2006)

Licensed master electrician. He has done a bunch of work for my HVAC guy, so friend of a friend. 

Four and change sounds like retail pricing to me for a wide open basement. 

My louisiana guy left because he got divorced. He gave me good pricing because I gave him a lot of work.


----------



## RobertWilber (Mar 5, 2006)

Been there, done that..
divorce sucks
I can see that, I give discounts under the right circumstances ...


----------



## mahlere (Aug 6, 2006)

murphy,

there are wholesale electricians and there are retail electricians. businesses are setup differently. 

Retail company. Overhead is retail size. You can't expect them to work wholesale, when everything they do is geared towards retail. 

in addition, too many wholesale guys are actually selling below cost. They just make it up in volume.


----------



## Murphy (Mar 28, 2006)

I understand being a bit touchy about pricing I have to deal with a bunch of unlicensed rif raff calling themselves remodelers. 

I was a bit lost not having worked with any other electricians yet so I wanted some informed opionions. I cant exactly go ask my competition what they pay for this and that. So I came here.

Unfortunately along with the opionions came some insults, but it is a message board so what the hey.


----------



## mdcorreia (May 21, 2006)

mdshunk said:


> You sound like a scumbag homeowner. Sorry to learn that price is your main concern. Maybe the other guy was right on, and this second guy is too cheap? What's "realistic" mean, when you're talking about pricing anyhow? Never mind. Don't respond. I've already decided that you're acting like a dirtbag.


I go along with that.

The price around $4,500.00 is about right - depending on the area.

Also when asked - where is your electrician? That is exctly what I ask when a contractor asks me for an estimate. Contractors use the same elctrician most of the time and suddenly they have to seek another? Many contractors default paying the electrician and keep getting another. After all it takes a few dozen years, depending on the area - in my it would take 75 years! before repeating the same wire puller.

Actually I already graduated from doing work which a handiperson or home owner can go down to Home depot, by a book and by the materials and do it! If it is new like a new rec. room, they want it for 1/2 of the price, if it is a renovation, you will become a HOSTAGE to the building! Most of the time one underestimates the job due to many
unknown factors due to owners/contractor neglegence.

My rule: If a HO or handiperson can do it, don' touch it. Do only work which requires skill and a permit can not be avoided - like a service upgrade, etc.


----------



## mdcorreia (May 21, 2006)

RobertWilber said:


> I figure the guy from Louisiana was working for dirt cause they didn't have any dirt to work in Louisiana....
> Friend of a friend? Is he in business or just out of work?
> I would want to see an insurance cert and license if I were you
> ... good luck ...
> Four and change sounds about right to me, maybe a tad low




Yes! Ask for his liability insurance details and licencing credentials, don't let the work start without taking out the permit. If he has no insurance allow, in your budget, to pay for damadges caused if there may be a fire due to faulty electrical work not just a month from now but 20 years or more down the road and then (both of you) be prepared to be jailed especially if a fire causes a death. When you mention about the JUICE in such a high number of outlets, I began to be suspicious. 
I wonder, if we all here keep an eye on you, you may be one of those, who, I was talking about, who never keep the same electrical contractor? but keep fishing for cheap prices and screwing us all as somebody already mention it!
Now all that said - it feels good!

Thanks - MDSHUNK- for many good points in this forum! 

To the moderator; In this forum, I thought we suppose to be ALL ELECTRICIANS?

(ok, I feel better now)


----------



## Project53 (Oct 4, 2006)

Well it seems like he was pricing, per outlet. Are you suppling the lighting? is it already in place, dose he just have to wire it up?
Price per outlet comes out to basically $125 per. Your comeing close to local 3 pricing in NYC for that. In VA...your being taken for a ride.


----------



## hcecalaska (Apr 1, 2007)

having a masters lisence in most areas dont make you a contractor. most masters have the skill to do the work, but the skill dosnt make u a contractor. you can tell the comments here from the contractors, and the electricians doing side jobs. if you want to use an electrician you better be ready to cover the liability and responsibilities for doing so. i guess that is assuming that you have a contractors lisence too, or are you a DIY moving onto someone eleses palce.


----------



## Sparky Joe (Apr 29, 2006)

Murphy said:


> Got a quote from an electric sub today for a basement finish I am doing. 18 receptacles, 15 recessed in drop ceiling, 3 fans, one bath vent light, one bath line GFCI stole off the bath directly above, one vanity light, one new 20 circuit to a treadmill.
> Receptacle circuit and the lighting circuit are already run there.
> 
> His price was 4680. Is this about right it seems awful high to me. Just need another opinion before I pull the trigger. He comes highly recommended and I though we were on good terms after speaking to him.
> Murph


Nearly 5k sounds very high to me. I didn't read any further, but I see about 2 to 2.5 days on rough and 1.5 days of finish worth of work there.


----------



## drlightman (Apr 15, 2007)

*All I got was this darn T shirt....*



mdcorreia said:


> I go along with that.
> 
> The price around $4,500.00 is about right - depending on the area.
> 
> ...



I have to agree with this assesment having been led down the primrose path a time or two myself. "Simple 3 day job" turns into 3 week nightmare. Then customer adds insult to injury by stiffing me for the final third of the bid. Not a thing I can do, ex wife's best friend etc. Good luck to your new sub.


----------



## Murphy (Mar 28, 2006)

Doctor Lightman,
Me thinks thou doust assume too much. 
I have never stiffed a sub and never will. I am not a price minded contractor that cuts corners, nor will I ever be. I want a great job performed for a fair price. 


"There's always time to go back and fix it later. Why not just use that time to do it right in the first place?" (Shut up, Murphy!) 

Who are you to tell me to Shut up????????? Maybe we can talk this over next time I am in Oklahoma

By the way my electrician and one helper roughed in the basement in one 8 hour day. This time does not include the time it took him to pick up materials, pull permit, and schedule inspections. 
He was not present for the actual inspection I take care of that trip to save my subs time. 

Maybe it is a 5K electric job.


----------



## Sparky Joe (Apr 29, 2006)

Murphy said:


> Doctor Lightman,
> Me thinks thou doust assume too much.
> I have never stiffed a sub and never will. I am not a price minded contractor that cuts corners, nor will I ever be. I want a great job performed for a fair price.
> 
> ...




:clap: :clap: :clap: :thumbsup: 

Of course it's not 5k worth of electric


----------



## Murphy (Mar 28, 2006)

Thanks Sparky I didn't think so either.

Murph


----------



## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

Murphy said:


> Thanks Sparky I didn't think so either.
> 
> Murph


How would Joe know, anyhow? Think about who you're taking your advice from. Joe's a very competant electrician, but a union apprentice. He doesn't operate a business, and he's giving out pricing advice. :whistling Sorry, Joe. Nothing personal.


----------



## Sparky Joe (Apr 29, 2006)

mdshunk said:


> How would Joe know, anyhow? Think about who you're taking your advice from. Joe's a very competant electrician, but a union apprentice. He doesn't operate a business, and he's giving out pricing advice. :whistling Sorry, Joe. Nothing personal.


Wow MD, you seemed to have so much input on this one, calling someone a dirtbag solves it all.
Point being there was nothing constructive you helped with.

Now lets address the issue, me and you. I am not an electrical contractor as it says under my name in every post I make.
If you know something contrary to what I said then point it out. I don't see how me not being a contractor would dictate that I have no clue about what's going on in the job that i do?

This basement finish sounds about 1k square feet, given that much wire and the amount of time and amount of other parts needed, I see two thousand bucks at the absolute most.

I would like for someone (particularly MD) to explain how a basement finish could cost 5 thousand dollars in electrical alone. And please don't just call me a dirtbag and call it over with, I know your morals are higher than that.


----------



## macmikeman (Sep 12, 2005)

I have a question. Why is an electrician not supposed to make any profit on his work, but the general contractor never forgets to markup all his subs, cause as all general contractors know, thats what it is all about, markup and profit?:furious:


----------



## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

Sparky Joe said:


> I would like for someone (particularly MD) to explain how a basement finish could cost 5 thousand dollars in electrical alone. .


No problem. You go first. Explain how you arrived at your price.


----------

