Is this a legitimate quote?

[Jakemedic]

Hello!
I am in the quoting phase of my new shop build. I have been having a hard time getting an electrician to come out and give me a quote. Here is what I need:

100 amp service run from my house to my proposed shop. I will need to have the outdoor breaker disconnect (already 200 amp) replaced and 150’ of wire placed underground, terminating in a new 100 amp square d breaker panel.

After waiting a month for a quote, I called today and the gentleman came out, took a look and said he would get back to me.

About 2 hours later, I got a text that said 3950 tax included and I could deduct 250 if i trenched it myself. Does this electrician not want the job, so it is quoted way high or is that the going rate? It has been quite a while since I hired anything electrical so my sticker shock is quite high. Thank you in advance for any input that can be provided.

 

[Kevin Essiambre]

If you're worried about if he is high on his price, I would suggest calling another company to quote the same work.

It's not unusual for people to get 3 quotes before deciding.

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[Jakemedic]

I do understand that, but as I said, I’m having a hard time getting anyone to even come quote the job. Thanks for your response though!

 

[ard]

I will need to have the outdoor breaker disconnect (already 200 amp) replaced

What does this mean???

If it is hard to get guys to come out, they might be busy....hence numbers like you are seeing.

 

[FJ 432]

So, just the run from the house, 150 feet away to a 100 amp panel they provide.
Not bad.

 

[spitfire557]

Not sure if this is helpful or not, but I just paid $415 to have a Square D 100amp panel mounted/connected in my pole barn. I trenched and laid the feed myself from my house's basement.

So, if relevant, you are essentially paying $3,535 to have the disconnect replaced, trench dug, and feed laid. Seems expensive, and I'd be doing it myself to save $3,500+.

 

[Jakemedic]

What does this mean???

If it is hard to get guys to come out, they might be busy....hence numbers like you are seeing.

I have a main disconnect outside directly under my electric meter. It only has the single 200 amp circuit. No other openings. Electrician stated I need to replace the meter socket along with the main disconnect in order to pull power from house.

 

[Jakemedic]

Not sure if this is helpful or not, but I just paid $415 to have a Square D 100amp panel mounted/connected in my pole barn. I trenched and laid the feed myself from my house's basement.

So, if relevant, you are essentially paying $3,535 to have the disconnect replaced, trench dug, and feed laid. Seems expensive, and I'd be doing it myself to save $3,500+.

I don’t disagree it seemed very expensive to me as well. A square d 100 amp panel is just over 100.00 here. But pulling the meter isn’t allowed here without an electrician (rightly so). The wire, even at 3.00 per foot (total guess) would be 450.00. But they do have overhead, employees and insurance. I found the same with running natural gas. One guy wanted 4500.00 to run a nat gas line and install a 1000.00 heater.

 

[Kevin Essiambre]

I do understand that, but as I said, I’m having a hard time getting anyone to even come quote the job. Thanks for your response though!

Ah, I thought you were just having issues with the one guy. Sorry about that.

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[Stuart in MN]

I don't have my estimating information at home so I can't answer with authority, but that number doesn't feel that far out of line. There's a fair chunk of change just in materials - 150 feet of wire isn't cheap.

 

[James-W]

Not sure if this is helpful or not, but I just paid $415 to have a Square D 100amp panel mounted/connected in my pole barn. I trenched and laid the feed myself from my house's basement.

So, if relevant, you are essentially paying $3,535 to have the disconnect replaced, trench dug, and feed laid. Seems expensive, and I'd be doing it myself to save $3,500+.

Around here you can't do some things yourself. I couldn't install a new service for my garage, I had to hire a master electrician to pull a permit and install the new service. I could have done it easily, in fact, I did most of it myself, but I still had to have a master electrician pull the permit and sign off on the new service.

 

[SGKent]

Let's say $1000 is materials and trenching. That leaves $2900 +/-. If the guy works alone and makes $100K a year gross before insurance, professional fees, advertising etc., ($1900 a week), then $2900 is about 10 days income. Will it take him 10 days to do it alone, or 7 days with a helper? If the answer is yes then it is a fair price. If the answer is no way, it is only a 3 day job, then the price is high. Someone grossing $1000 a day labor is in the $250,000 a year range. That represents a very small percentage of Americans.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Don't confuse what he charges per hour with what he takes home in salary per hour. A rough rule of thumb is take home pay is typically around 1/3 of the hourly rate.

 

[SGKent]

Don't confuse what he charges per hour with what he takes home in salary per hour. A rough rule of thumb is take home pay is typically around 1/3 of the hourly rate.

Stu - It depends if someone works alone or has help. If someone charges $3000 a week for their services, and they have no equipment that burns fuel, or wears out, most of that $3000 is theirs. If however they have equipment that wears out, burns fuel, if they have helpers that they have to pay hourly and social security, workmans comp, other benefits then that $3000 is greatly reduced. I read business P&L's and tax returns in lending for 30 years before going back to college for another career. If an electrician works alone and is NOT using up equipment to trench, tunnel, etc., most of that labor is his. If he can't hang onto most of that he is a lousy businessman. Most likely he writes off part of his house, all of his vehicles, any tool he buys regardless what it is really for, any office supplies he uses, his phone and monthly fees. Maybe he keeps a post office box a mile away and drops by each day so every mile past that he takes gets paid by the business. He might write off his snow blower that he bought because he has to be able to get out of the drive way on emergency calls and he can't call in snowed in. So yes, after he pays much of his living expense, and part of his "company" retirement and the salary he pays himself and his wife, he might only have 1/3 left, maybe less. If he hires help that comes out too plus the other overhead associated with a helper.

 

[ard]

I have a main disconnect outside directly under my electric meter. It only has the single 200 amp circuit. No other openings. Electrician stated I need to replace the meter socket along with the main disconnect in order to pull power from house.

Hmmm.

Maybe post a picture of the panel, meter, any labels...see if the folks here concur.

Did he say what he is replacing it with? Is he proposing a larger service??

Do you have a sub-panel that is fed by that 200A 'circuit'? Why not feed the garage off that? How much power does the home use? How much will you really use in the garage??

Lots of questions, but it will help you focus on what is really needed...instead of trusting an electrician that comes out for an estimate (who might not be unbiased.....)

 

[Terry D]

What seems cheap is the trenching, 250.00 for 150 ft. That would be quite a bit higher around here. I would see if your indoor panel has room for the 100 amp breaker. It would save replacing the outside equipment. But its probably the same amount of labor. Don't know the requirements in your area, but here, all meters now have to be the bypass type, so that meter enclosure with a main and spaces for branch circuits are around 300.00. The price could be on the high side, don't know your prices there. Like others said, get another bid. If they have around 24 man hours in it, figuring around 1000.00 in material, permit fess, that's around 120.00 per hr, give or take. There are contactors here charging that much per hr. And there are ones charging less. A lot to take into consideration, quality of work, references. This is what I am talking about

https://www.ebay.com/itm/372693906611

 

[Jakemedic]

Here are the pictures of my outside setup along with the outdoor breaker panel. I thought about running the 100 amp breaker in my main panel, but getting wire outside would be next to impossible. The basement ceiling is drywall plus I believe I would need an outdoor junction box to switch from indoor wire to direct bury wire. Thanks for the assistance!

 

[Bert_]

Here are the pictures of my outside setup along with the outdoor breaker panel. I thought about running the 100 amp breaker in my main panel, but getting wire outside would be next to impossible. The basement ceiling is drywall plus I believe I would need an outdoor junction box to switch from indoor wire to direct bury wire. Thanks for the assistance!

No pictures...

 

[MattT]

What seems cheap is the trenching, 250.00 for 150 ft. That would be quite a bit higher around here.

Yeah $250 isn't near enough for that trench. I'm guessing the guy left some money in the quote to cover dealing with the customer supplied trench.

Here are the pictures of my outside setup along with the outdoor breaker panel. I thought about running the 100 amp breaker in my main panel, but getting wire outside would be next to impossible.

A new meter main does appear to be the correct solution

If you can live with 90A to the shop that'll probably drop the price some.

 

[mcbane]

Iowa probably not as bad as some parts of CA, but it isnt unusual to see close to $1K in permit fee for a simple job along with a 1/2 day time slot for inspection during which the electrician is expected to be present and is therefore unable to work other jobs.

 

[yatg]

No pictures...

https://photos.app.goo.gl/aed8sWcmykoPrsJv8

Something weird with the forum software. On another thread, it was suggested to use the (quote) button to reply and the links show up.

 

[Jakemedic]

Iowa probably not as bad as some parts of CA, but it isnt unusual to see close to $1K in permit fee for a simple job along with a 1/2 day time slot for inspection during which the electrician is expected to be present and is therefore unable to work other jobs.

Heck where I am at, there isn’t even an electrical inspection. I do want to get it right though.

 

[yatg]

Open up the disconnect and let's see what's in there.

 

[foolishpride]

You can buy a 500' spool of #2 THHN at Home Depot for $630. #8 THHN ground wire is $0.61 a foot so $91.50 for that. 150' of 1 1/4 PVC conduit is $81. A Square D subpanel with 12 spaces is $50. So your looking at around just under $1000 for materials to feed your shop. I guess you could go cheaper and use aluminum wire, but I like copper.

 

[foolishpride]

Do you have any unused spaces in your 200 Amp Main Panel, that you could put a 2 pole 100A breaker in to feed your shop?

 

[Jakemedic]

Do you have any unused spaces in your 200 Amp Main Panel, that you could put a 2 pole 100A breaker in to feed your shop?

Hi yes I do. My problem is that the ceiling is finished throughout the basement. I can take a fishing tape and see just how far I can get.

The sun is setting here, will get a pic of inside the panel in the morning.

Another thought, my dirt work guy knows someone that might be interested in some trench work and is an electrician.
Thanks everyone!

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Don't confuse what he charges per hour with what he takes home in salary per hour. A rough rule of thumb is take home pay is typically around 1/3 of the hourly rate.

^ this



I always get a chuckle out of these types of posts.

Theres no way to answer such a question on an internet forum AND what a contractor charges is NOT what he brings home. Overhead for a contractor can vary wildly and going rates for labor and materials can vary from area to area.

If you want to know if its a legitimate price, go get 2 more quotes from reputable contractors. Asking people on an internet forum who arent even in your area is a fools errand!

 

[Bighead38]

 

[sberry]

What's it to you if he does it himself or hires? How does that change the price? 1k a day is about right for a legit outfit.

 

[dcg9381]

I can't tell you the specifics of your economy, but where I live, housing is still booming and getting any trade to come out and do a one off job - it's difficult... Unless they mark it up enough.

Personally, I'd go ahead (yourself) and trench 2" conduit with a pull string. This might change the bid as well as the amount of time that it takes for a contractor to complete it - enough so that you may have more luck.

I have about 150' feet spec'd for a 200A home. My soil is really really hard (rock) and requires some equipment. Bid was $3800 just for the trench and wire.