Expected Electrician costs

stotherd

Hi,
We've a lot of work to do in our house so we're looking to budget for an electrician to come do some work and wanting a ballpark figure for how much it would cost:
- Fitting another socket/double socket so we can run the Washing machine and drier at the same time. It currently overheats and trips on an extension from a single socket.
- Fitting a cheap outside security light and outside socket (which I'll then add lights myself in future). The house was built around 1890, with cavity walls.
- Fitting 5 double sockets in our cellar. This has been recently tanked and we've no skirting board yet so we don't mind running the cables outside the wall along the edge of the floor, to be put behind a cavity in the skirting if possible.
- There's very few sockets in the house as is so it may need a new fusebox - though it seems only about 10-20 years old. 
I'm guessing it can be all done in a day as the cables aren't being run down the wall for the cellar and materials should be less than £200? We've had no actual quotes yet as they all want to come take a look which is difficult at this time... so would £500 total seem reasonable? We're in Yorkshire.

Thanks

Risteard

That is far, far in excess of a day's work.

£500 is nowhere near reasonable. It will be multiples of that.

(Even your £200 for materials is wishful thinking.)

You need to get quotes. These will likely need to wait until competent Electricians can survey the job. (I certainly wouldn't quote without seeing it.)

FreeBear

stotherd said: - Fitting another socket/double socket so we can run the Washing machine and drier at the same time. It currently overheats and trips on an extension from a single socket.

- Fitting 5 double sockets in our cellar. This has been recently tanked and we've no skirting board yet so we don't mind running the cables outside the wall along the edge of the floor, to be put behind a cavity in the skirting if possible.

You do realise that if/when the washing machine and/or tumble dryer starts a fire, the insurance company will probably refuse to pay out on any claim.

Running a washing machine or a dryer off an extension lead is very, very dangerous. Extension leads are not designed for that sort of continuous use. Plug the washing machine in to the single socket, and hang the washing up outside to dry. Safer for you, better for the environment, and will save a good chunk on electricity.

Now that you have had your cellar tanked <sigh>, you do not want to be drilling holes in the wall that will puncture the tanking. Sockets, conduit (yes, the cabling will need to be in conduit) will all need holes drilled in the walls. You can not run the cables behind the skirting boards (not a recognised safe [prescribed] zone ), but you can drop the cable down from the ceiling.

womble12345

I reckon £2000 based on my limited experience.

SameOldRoundabout

We are having similar done next week, probably about 15 extra sockets added in, a couple of lights moved etc and even with mates rates of around half price it’s a rough cost of £750 labour plus £200 materials. In our last house a new board cost us £400 by itself, this house has 2 of them so thank god they don’t need replacing here!

rach_k

A new fuse box was a day's work minimum in our 1900 house.  It's not just a case of swapping over the box itself; once that's done, they need to check every socket and light fitting in the house.  If you're lucky, that'll be it, but if your wiring is old and there are any problems, newer equipment is more sensitive to that than older stuff, so you may need other issues too.  I think the worst case scenario is a full rewire.  There's no point me telling you how much we paid for it recently (we were lucky, everything worked straight away) as we're in London, but it was more than £500.  

Heedtheadvice

You could budget £500 for the consumer unit......parts and time......if all goes well. If problems are found then.....??? who knows!

As Risteard posted, one cannot sensibly give a cost, budgetary or otherwise, for the remainder as we do not know how much work is involved or what problems might be encountered.

I can well imagine in current circumstances work will take a longer time too!