[sbrn33]

What law?

From our city codes.

ARTICLE 230.43
DELETE the following from the first paragraph:
(1) Open wiring on insulators;
(2) Type IGS cable
(4) intermediate metal conduit;
(7) service-entrance cables;
(13) Type Me cable;
(14) mineral-insulated, metal sheathed cable.

One of the best things our city has done.

 

[Salvatoreg02]

Hey guy I'm happy many of you chimed in. I have to credit the sparks that were flying to captkirk he made it interesting to checkin every so often. My main concern is that most service upgrades take a day to do. Sometimes we lies a half day for some last minute grounding but, for the most part a day is very common. My pricing lately per man hr is about $65.00 and on occasion I can hit as much as $105 per hr.

I recently had to add new PLP panel for a customer which included many calls to poco, inspections and switch over to live when new meter was installed. It was a small 20 circuit panel. But, I got $3600.00 for it.

And interestingly enough I wasn't the lower bidder. I was actually higher by 625.00.

 

[MTW]

One of the dumbest things our city has done.

Fify

 

[Salvatoreg02]

Do yourself a favor and have people or friends call around to other well established ecs in your area...and ask them for prices on stuff. 2700 is pretty middle road when I did my market reaserch. If your selling something for 1800 that people are paying 3500 for your leaving big money on the table.. Just using round figures is a big failure in my opinion. Its like you guys are just ball parking..... 650 for material 150 permit and 1000 for me..... thats not how to stay in buisness and grow your company.. I know plllllllllenty of guys that were charging 1800 14 years ago and for some reason I see that same number today.. My guys have insurance, 401, sick and vacation pay. I take a shi t ton of pride in providing a real job to grown men. I dont just look at my bank account and say "oh time to make the doughnuts when it gets low. But wtf do I know..... But keep in mind guys im in north jersey. Expensive area to live and filled to the brim with folk that make money. I got 3200 for my last service change two weeks ago. And we got It done in a day not to mention I got the ho to sit for inspection so i really made out on it. If you guys like selling them for 1800 knock yourselves out... I guarantee I will be around longer then you. And god willi ng I will be in a position to take the tools off one day and become more of a buisness man with people doing all the jobs I try to do myself. And im not saying this because im patting myself on the back. We as tradesmen need to stick together so we can all make money. Good hunting....

So what were your total expenses??

 

[sbrn33]

Fify

You should be banned for changing good comments with idiotic ones.
You are one of the main reasons this place is dying.

 

[MTW]

You should be banned for changing good comments with idiotic ones.
You are one of the main reasons this place is dying.

I'm honored. :laughing:

 

[robnj772]

From our city codes. ARTICLE 230.43 DELETE the following from the first paragraph: (1) Open wiring on insulators; (2) Type IGS cable (4) intermediate metal conduit; (7) service-entrance cables; (13) Type Me cable; (14) mineral-insulated, metal sheathed cable. One of the best things our city has done.

That's ridiculous !!!

Nothing like adding more expense to a customer for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

 

[captkirk]

So what were your total expenses??

Not much different than most of you. I use QO ALU conductors and "include" a 55 dollar panel tvss device.
But like I was saying, even if I make my nut at 25-2700 I know for a fact that many established ECs are charging upwards of 3500 and some like Ryan and Mister Electric are even higher...
Services changes are like one of the few slam dunks we have, and I try to make the most of them.
It is very important to know what your competition is charging. And its standard practice in the corporate arena.

When we had that freak snowstorm a few years ago in Oct here , a well established EC overheard that I was charging 5-600 to replace a service riser in the supply house. So the next day when I went in for supplies the counter guy told me that he said I was a typical a hole start up and that I wouldnt be around long......LOL swear to god im not making this sh it up..... and im pretty friendly with the counter guys there because I bring them coffee and pizza once in a blue moon. He said "That dum ass doesn't realize that the insurance companies are the ones paying the bill and I could get twice that price.."
And if you knew this guy, he has been in business for 35 years and pretty much has all the good commercial accounts locked up in town. And he is a big a hole to anyone with a license number over 10000.... really unfriendly type. And I heard he is a bigger a hole to work for.
Little did he know he really helped me out... lol...

 

[robnj772]

Not much different than most of you. I use QO ALU conductors and "include" a 55 dollar panel tvss device. But like I was saying, even if I make my nut at 25-2700 I know for a fact that many established ECs are charging upwards of 3500 and some like Ryan and Mister Electric are even higher... Services changes are like one of the few slam dunks we have, and I try to make the most of them. It is very important to know what your competition is charging. And its standard practice in the corporate arena. When we had that freak snowstorm a few years ago in Oct here , a well established EC overheard that I was charging 5-600 to replace a service riser in the supply house. So the next day when I went in for supplies the counter guy told me that he said I was a typical a hole start up and that I wouldnt be around long......LOL swear to god im not making this sh it up..... and im pretty friendly with the counter guys there because I bring them coffee and pizza once in a blue moon. He said "That dum ass doesn't realize that the insurance companies are the ones paying the bill and I could get twice that price.." And if you knew this guy, he has been in business for 35 years and pretty much has all the good commercial accounts locked up in town. And he is a big a hole to anyone with a license number over 10000.... really unfriendly type. And I heard he is a bigger a hole to work for. Little did he know he really helped me out... lol...

The insurance companies are the ones paying the bill???? There are deductibles,restrictions and price caps on that stuff. Most of the risers I replaced after Floyd , Gloria , Irene ,sandy etc etc were not covered by insurance. AND you can lose your license for that , I know two guys that had to go In front of the board for charging more after a storm .

 

[captkirk]

The insurance companies are the ones paying the bill???? There are deductibles,restrictions and price caps on that stuff. Most of the risers I replaced after Floyd , Gloria , Irene ,sandy etc etc were not covered by insurance. AND you can lose your license for that , I know two guys that had to go In front of the board for charging more after a storm .

Yea I can see if your charging 5000... but 1000-1200 for meter and riser plus inspection.....very doable. Think Union scale...

I had one guy try to tell me his meter which was held together with duct tape that was older then dirt was damaged by Sandy. I laughed at him and said hey man its this much to replace what you do with the bill is on you...

The ec I told you about was charging 1800....

 

[T&K]

Really? Hot headed? I saw it as sound, upfront advice worth WAY more than it cost.

thanks for your input. It, along with the advice that I was given by someone who has been in business for 6 years, will be filed in the same drawer...it was a simple question, that has been asked again by someone else, and the answer has still not been given. If you read on pumpkin, you'll see my stance on it. That my friend, is well worth the money.

 

[captkirk]

You electricians are a funny breed...I would just include the extra circuits on the same line item as the service work...

 

[120/208]

You should be banned for changing good comments with idiotic ones.
You are one of the main reasons this place is dying.

:thumbsup:

 

[robnj772]

Yea I can see if your charging 5000... but 1000-1200 for meter and riser plus inspection.....very doable. Think Union scale... I had one guy try to tell me his meter which was held together with duct tape that was older then dirt was damaged by Sandy. I laughed at him and said hey man its this much to replace what you do with the bill is on you... The ec I told you about was charging 1800....

You didn't say anything about the meter.


A riser is just the riser, the pipe. I was charging 5-600 for them. I just replaced the mast itself. No meter, 75-100 bucks in material and not even an hour in labor.

A lot of people got screwed by insurance. The " Insurance pays the bill" crap really pisses me off. So many people got so screwed by contractors who thought that after sandy. No one I know got enough money to fix what happened.

We set my parents new modular today, finally after all this time. They lost their home from sandy. Paid insurance on a 450,000 home. They got 150,000 from insurance and had to pay the rest out of pocket.

 

[captkirk]

You didn't say anything about the meter.

A riser is just the riser, the pipe. I was charging 5-600 for them. I just replaced the mast itself. No meter, 75-100 bucks in material and not even an hour in labor.

A lot of people got screwed by insurance. The " Insurance pays the bill" crap really pisses me off. So many people got so screwed by contractors who thought that after sandy. No one I know got enough money to fix what happened.

We set my parents new modular today, finally after all this time. They lost their home from sandy. Paid insurance on a 450,000 home. They got 150,000 from insurance and had to pay the rest out of pocket.

So are you in business to make money or provide a public service...? I know I would like to retire someday and try to work it so my wife can stay home with my THREE kids as much as possible. Health insurance is really expensive as is workmans comp, gas and all the other crap that goes with it..
I was in a home in which a national handman service replace 2 feet of ac condenser drip line and was probably there 30 minutes and charged the HO 450... would you feel bad for them too...

 

[captkirk]

Also if you touch the meter pan around here you need a permit...that opens up a whole new can of worms..and im talking even if you open it...and not replace it.

 

[captkirk]

I feel bad for all those people but thats the risk you take when you build a home 200 yards from the ocean.. it amazes me that we as a society were completely indifferent to that fact ..
Especially in NOLA... I mean that city was basically built under a lake.
And yea I agree insurance companies blow but thats nothing new..
If people want to pay lower premiums and have high deductibles thats on them .

 

[robnj772]

I feel bad for all those people but thats the risk you take when you build a home 200 yards from the ocean.. it amazes me that we as a society were completely indifferent to that fact .. Especially in NOLA... I mean that city was basically built under a lake. And yea I agree insurance companies blow but thats nothing new.. If people want to pay lower premiums and have high deductibles thats on them .

200 yards from the ocean????

Pay a lower premium ????

You really have no clue about flood insurance or how far the storm surge came in do you?

 

[captkirk]

...........

 

[captkirk]

200 yards from the ocean????

Pay a lower premium ????

You really have no clue about flood insurance or how far the storm surge came in do you?

I do... take it easy ... rob. Im just making a point.