BillGalbraith
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2009
- Messages
- 270
Thought I'd relate my experieince with Electrical contractor (EC) on my detached garage build recently, just so that others don't get screwed as well.
I was initially told by the county that all the EC had to do was run power to the detached garage subpanel, and that I could wire it up after the final inspection, when I got around to it. At the rough-in inspection, the inspector failed me because I didn't have the required indoor and outdoor light, and electrical receptacle. I had the EC do it, and although I talked to him about me trimming it out, we never agreed to anything or finalized anything on paper. I wanted him to do it, because I didn't know the code, and if anything was done wrong, I'd rather have him have to fix it than me.
EC charged me $125 for each light and receptacle for the rough in, then wanted to charge me for the trim-out as time and material. I also had some additional electrical work by (moved a/c unit to behind garage, so had to move power there, added a couple extra circuits).
Since we never had anything on paper as far as what he was going to charge me, his price just kept going up. He initially put the wrong outlets in (didn't use the newly-required tamper resistant outlets marked TR), didn't use the weather resistant outlets marked WR outside, and even screwed up one of the two lights that they installed.
Along with charging me by the circuit, he presented me a bill for 20 hours of labor ofr trim-out. This was for 2 indoor outlets, 2 outlet outlets, two light switches, 2 light fixtures (installation only), and adding a ground rod and ground plate (which had to be buried 30 inches deep). We're talking about 2 hours of work, not 20.
Luckily, I was there the whole time that the Laurel and Hardy electrical team was there. They mounted the subpanel in the wrong place initially, and I only call it the wrong place because it wasn't according the the plans. The EC swears that he placed it where we talked about it, but when I pointed out that he has done dozens of jobs this years, I've only build one garage. He backed down on that.
I also go him to back down on the rework required because he wired the wrong outlets in. It was a tough fight when he wanted me to fund digging the hole for the ground plate not once but twice, and he also wanted me to fund having his guy go to Home Depot then Lowe's for gound wire, when they didn't show up with enough to do the job.
None of these guys showed up in an electrician's truck, with things like, oh, I don't know, maybe WIRE!!! They had wire cut at Home Depot for each job, which is about 20% more than buying bulk from Home Depot. It's probably cheaper if you get it from an electrical distrutor.
Okay, enough ranting. My point is, make sure that you get IN WRITING exactly what the electical contractor will and will not do, and exactly what he is going to charge you. I would also recommend marking on the walls exactly where you want things, because I guess they are not capable of reading the blueprints.
The only good thing was that his rate was $25 an hour, instead of the normal around here of $45-$65.
I was initially told by the county that all the EC had to do was run power to the detached garage subpanel, and that I could wire it up after the final inspection, when I got around to it. At the rough-in inspection, the inspector failed me because I didn't have the required indoor and outdoor light, and electrical receptacle. I had the EC do it, and although I talked to him about me trimming it out, we never agreed to anything or finalized anything on paper. I wanted him to do it, because I didn't know the code, and if anything was done wrong, I'd rather have him have to fix it than me.
EC charged me $125 for each light and receptacle for the rough in, then wanted to charge me for the trim-out as time and material. I also had some additional electrical work by (moved a/c unit to behind garage, so had to move power there, added a couple extra circuits).
Since we never had anything on paper as far as what he was going to charge me, his price just kept going up. He initially put the wrong outlets in (didn't use the newly-required tamper resistant outlets marked TR), didn't use the weather resistant outlets marked WR outside, and even screwed up one of the two lights that they installed.
Along with charging me by the circuit, he presented me a bill for 20 hours of labor ofr trim-out. This was for 2 indoor outlets, 2 outlet outlets, two light switches, 2 light fixtures (installation only), and adding a ground rod and ground plate (which had to be buried 30 inches deep). We're talking about 2 hours of work, not 20.
Luckily, I was there the whole time that the Laurel and Hardy electrical team was there. They mounted the subpanel in the wrong place initially, and I only call it the wrong place because it wasn't according the the plans. The EC swears that he placed it where we talked about it, but when I pointed out that he has done dozens of jobs this years, I've only build one garage. He backed down on that.
I also go him to back down on the rework required because he wired the wrong outlets in. It was a tough fight when he wanted me to fund digging the hole for the ground plate not once but twice, and he also wanted me to fund having his guy go to Home Depot then Lowe's for gound wire, when they didn't show up with enough to do the job.
None of these guys showed up in an electrician's truck, with things like, oh, I don't know, maybe WIRE!!! They had wire cut at Home Depot for each job, which is about 20% more than buying bulk from Home Depot. It's probably cheaper if you get it from an electrical distrutor.
Okay, enough ranting. My point is, make sure that you get IN WRITING exactly what the electical contractor will and will not do, and exactly what he is going to charge you. I would also recommend marking on the walls exactly where you want things, because I guess they are not capable of reading the blueprints.
The only good thing was that his rate was $25 an hour, instead of the normal around here of $45-$65.
