Cost of electrical work

Susan1942

I had a contact name from someone who did work for my Daughter 
What I needed was 2 wall lights and 2 ceiling lights put up. No materials or bulbs were required.
The job took 3 and a half hours.  He was simply replacing what was already there. So no wiring...I was shocked when he told me his charge £292 
My daughter reckons this could be £70 an hour plus VAT.
I have not paid the bill as yet as he will send me his bank details.  I am absolutely sure this was the figure he informed me. Looking online it says £40 an hour average and higher for London.
Just like to run it past some of you on here.  I live in Harrogate and in a pretty upmarket apartment

My daughter says any work he did for them it certainly was not this expensive. 
I would appreciate your views 

Thanks Sue 

NSG666

Sounds high but wait for him to send a bill through with the bank details so you are sure you have used the right figure in your post.

bris

Its a tad expensive but not ridiculously high. You got the job done now you need to pay the bill.

The time to worry about the cost is before the job is done not after, try asking for a quote next time.

FaceHead

So you agreed for them to do the job, and never asked the price? Really? 

Of course they will then moderately overcharge you. 

Susan1942

Thanks. I.feel foolish but he has done a lot of work for my daughter but never paid anything like this amount.  I need some other work but will use an electrician I have used previously.  I can't find his name but will be able to.get his number from.the joiner I have used for kitchen fitting etc. 
Of course I will pay his bill when I receive it.  
He said this figure to me so will see what the bill says but I don't think I made a mistake.

Sue 

Risteard

A half-day may have been charged at a day's rate as it wasn't realistic to fill the rest of the day then. So it's not necessarily unreasonable.

Thrugelmir

Always obtain fixed quotes before engaging a tradesperson. 

grumbler

Risteard said:

A half-day may have been charged at a day's rate as it wasn't realistic to fill the rest of the day then. So it's not necessarily unreasonable.

And, of course, there is no need to tell the customer in advance that she will or can be charged for a full day.
How predictable you are!

Section62

grumbler said:

Risteard said:

A half-day may have been charged at a day's rate as it wasn't realistic to fill the rest of the day then. So it's not necessarily unreasonable.

And, of course, there is no need to tell the customer in advance that she will or can be charged for a full day.
How predictable you are!

To be fair, it is quite common for clients to believe they should only pay for the exact amount of time a trader is working in their property (not including travel time, getting parts etc), nor allow for the difficulty in fitting in other jobs if one of them is only a half-day, with the complexity of what do you do when that half-day job you start in the morning turns into a full-day when you start uncovering the mess that someone else has previously left behind.

As a client I'd be more unhappy if a trader told me at lunchtime that they had to leave to do their second job for the day, leaving me with a part-finished job and no idea when they'll be able to get back to finish it off.

I take paying for a full-day (for anything other than the simplest jobs) as part of the risk management which means not being left with half-done work, or else would get a task-specific quote.

Susan1942

Thanks for that.
It was just changing the existing light fittings which were already 
Who in their right mind would book an electrician for a full day to do that.  
I have got the bill now and it's 
I had the existing lights put up before and it only cost a fraction of that.
It's done now and I will pay him. The bill is just a figure plus bank details.  No account of bill you would normally showing cost plus VAT etc 
Won't be using him for any other work 
I have learned a lesson 
Thanks again 

NSG666

Susan1942 said:

Thanks. I.feel foolish but he has done a lot of work for my daughter but never paid anything like this amount.  I need some other work but will use an electrician I have used previously.  I can't find his name but will be able to.get his number from.the joiner I have used for kitchen fitting etc. 
Of course I will pay his bill when I receive it.  
He said this figure to me so will see what the bill says but I don't think I made a mistake.

Sue 

Don't feel foolish as he was recommended to you and there are many tradespeople who charge fairly regardless of whether a quote has been given or not. A few years ago some joiners, an electrician, a tiler and myself did some work on a flat overlooking The Stray and none of us even thought about jacking our rates up, the plasterer had £ signs in his eyes and therefore never worked for or got recommended by any of us again.

Unfortunately some tradespeople inflate their charges depending on what the property is like and where it is and furthermore will take the p when a quote has not been given. With all trades being busy at the moment I guess the temptation to do this is even higher but it's a short sighted approach as he will not retain you as a customer and probably lose your daughter as a customer along with any further recommendations you might each have given him.