Electrician - accept day rate or hold out for fixed quote?

orangecrush · 22 September 2017 at 7:49PM

Hello wise internet people,

Some sense checking required! To cut a long story short, our builder has run off and left us with a 75% finished kitchen extension (I may post about this as we go through the motions!). He's done some electrical work, but we still need isolation for 4 appliances and some new circuits added. We also need a new board, as the old one has no RCD.

I've been seeking quotes, and the electricians that are offering to help have said because there were no electrical drawings (builder took them with him) and a fair few unknowns they would only offer day rates/ hourly rates.

Would you accept day rates (one at £240 a day, one £40 an hour) or hold out for a fixed price? I suspect the latter is going to cost a lot more, but after being burned by one tradesman, I am nervous about going for a pay as you go job.

What would you do?

Thank you and happy Friday!

stator · 22 September 2017 at 9:06PM

Pay the day rates. If you want a fixed quote they will have to assume the other guy messed everything up and quote you high.
Just pay hourly or daily and keep on top of what they are doing, make sure they bring anything that's wrong to your attention quickly so you can see for yourself and make your own judgements.

orangecrush · 22 September 2017 at 9:14PM

Thank you, that's my gut feeling, but I wanted to check I wasn't being daft. (After hiring a cowboy builder my confidence is severely dented!)

Jackmydad · 22 September 2017 at 9:15PM

stator wrote: »

Pay the day rates. If you want a fixed quote they will have to assume the other guy messed everything up and quote you high.
Just pay hourly or daily and keep on top of what they are doing, make sure they bring anything that's wrong to your attention quickly so you can see for yourself and make your own judgements.

That's what I'd do. I'm a qualified electrician, although I haven't worked as one for years.
Coming into a job halfway through can be more difficult than doing the whole job. People do things different ways.
They probably won't want to hang around anyway. Most of the decent ones seem busy these days,

orangecrush · 22 September 2017 at 9:38PM

I totally get that, I would hate to come into a half finished job, especially a really sh*tty one. We knew it was sh*tty as we were going along, and the builder kept saying he'd fix it, over and over...

Think that's what we'll do. Both guys seemed decent. But then the builder did too lol.

glasgowdan · 22 September 2017 at 9:53PM

I reckon that's not a bad day rate... I'd be keener to make more money doing smaller fixed price work if it were me. But if you get a good guy with time available at that then aye, go for it.

Jackmydad · 23 September 2017 at 1:48PM

glasgowdan wrote: »

I reckon that's not a bad day rate... I'd be keener to make more money doing smaller fixed price work if it were me. But if you get a good guy with time available at that then aye, go for it.

I always preferred fixed price work. No surprises.
I prefer it when I have jobs done myself as well, although I have a good "Handyman" who does all sorts on an hourly rate and is good value for money IMO.
I've been thinking back. I didn't actually work for that long house bashing, as I worked in industry for some years, but I can think of at least a couple of jobs that were picked up where someone else had left off.
Usually it's at the stage of some of the first fix being there, so you have to decide what needs to be added first, and often which cable goes where.
It usually adds up to at least as much work than doing the job from scratch.
Strangely both those jobs were where sparks had just "disappeared" although the customers were OK to work for.

brightontraveller · 23 September 2017 at 9:39PM

Extension requiring new circuits, cu change etc as described then sounds little to no electrical work before they skipped? Don’t confuse what’s charged by some as to what’s actually done ? Post what needs/has been done you,ll get more informed answers than guess? If its guess your after then your being taken for a ride...

tony6403 · 25 September 2017 at 12:35AM

Fixed price every time.
If you decide on an hourly/daily rate try to ensure that you do not have to pay for "nipping" off to get unexpected items,mobile phone distractions (which these days can be very intrusive ) ,approximate time recording and bear in mind the lack of incentive to work at an acceptable pace.

baldelectrician · 25 September 2017 at 3:00AM

May I suggest a fixed price per point (say £40 or £45), then you know where you are

This is a ballpark price and a reasonable rate- remember a double socket is one item, a single socket is also one item but a double switch is 2 items.
Also an appliance is 2 items (a socket / outlet and a separate switch)

longwalks1 · 25 September 2017 at 11:27AM

fixed price if you can, not ideal in your situation given the drawings etc. Id get a couple of fixed prices, then ask one who wants a day rate how many days it will take him, and copare yourself.

My sister had 2 builders do a tiny porch a few years ago on a day rate, twice when i arrived (on different days) they were stood around 'waiting for more bricks' and wasted best part of a day waiting, sweeping up, waiting and sweeping again. They weren't used again on any of the family's properties

Electrician - accept day rate or hold out for fixed quote?

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