ECN Electrical Forum - Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals
ECN Shout Chat
ShoutChat
Recent Posts
Increasing demand factors in residential
by gfretwell - 03/28/24 12:43 AM
Portable generator question
by Steve Miller - 03/19/24 08:50 PM
Do we need grounding?
by NORCAL - 03/19/24 05:11 PM
240V only in a home and NEC?
by dsk - 03/19/24 06:33 AM
Cordless Tools: The Obvious Question
by renosteinke - 03/14/24 08:05 PM
New in the Gallery:
This is a new one
This is a new one
by timmp, September 24
Few pics I found
Few pics I found
by timmp, August 15
Who's Online Now
1 members (Scott35), 260 guests, and 19 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Page 2 of 3 1 2 3
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 241
S
SJT Offline
Member
I try to make the service look good. It's one time where our work gets a chance to show its self off. With service upgrades, I allways paint the 3/4" 2x4 plywood with 1 coat of weatherproof primer and 2 coats of weatherproof battleship gray paint. It looks good with the panel on it, and the wires neatly put into the panel. With the water main clamps, I use the scotchkote 3M coating over the clamp. The clamp does not rust or corrode with that stuff on it.
Those pipes build a lot of moisture on them in the summer time. Price range from 1,200.00 and up, for 100 amp. 200 amp in the area of 1,800.00 and up. All are with PVC conduit.

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,392
S
Member
the state of Vermont had upgraded 210.12 to encompass all living area''s.

this meant new breakers, material wise, outcost all else.(anyone else ever try and stuff 30 AFCI's in a panel here?)

Jeff Sargent, on behalf of somebody who inquired (no, i'm not sure who) 'interpeted' 210.12 as not being meant for upgrades.

you won't find this in our state addendums, but as i was told this point blank from a state inspector i trust , i consider it solid.

as such, estimates are now back down to what the rest of the world is doing...

~S~

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,429
L
LK Offline
Member
In this area 200A Copper bus panel with 20 breakers installed, lateral in PVC with copper conductors. 2 ground rods as required, re-run the undersized grounding elect, with #4. To cover overhead and make 8% profit. $1,870 plus permit fee. They could be done for less if I drop my E&O insurance and get an $800.00 a year policy,
instead of $3,500 a year policy. Pick up a junker truck and run it to the ground, stop medical payments of $2,490 per mo., stop paying company share of income tax, stop paying $1,200 a month advertising, stop paying for accounting services, and all other insurances, stop paying fo truck maint. and repair. Well then about $1,100 for a 200A service.

Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 914
E
Member
LK, you bring up a good point about the difference in overhead. For me, I have office rent, a full time inventory manager/phone answerer/controller, office utilities, vehicle payments, vehicle insurance, workmans comp, liability ins, CPA, etc. If a guy's working out of his house with an old truck an no workman's comp, he can do the job much cheaper. I notice you said a 200 amp panel with 20 breakers, in our area the houses must be larger because we usually come close to filling up a 40 circuit panel.

[This message has been edited by Electric Eagle (edited 01-20-2004).]

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,429
L
LK Offline
Member
Eagle,
If you fill them up, you have to charge more. Yes, the guys working from home, not realizing their real overhead, until it's too late, usually end up going back to work at the local Salt Mine. It's just that while they are out there losing money, It costs the rest of us, that are trying to pay our bills.

Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 259
J
Member
Just because a one man shop does a job cheaper does not mean he is unaware of business costs. I am a 1 man show and don't have nearly the monthly expense you do, should I be charging the same price as a 10-20 man shop for work?

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,392
S
Member
A one man show competes by trading volume (in which we are not competitive) for cost efficy, so it evens out imho...

One also gets the master, and not the apprentice , or any half hearted 'ratio' that most bigger outfits tend to fudge on.

a local plumbing shop serves as good example here, having approx 75 employees, and a 1/2 dz masters

of course, my state has only one plumbing inspector, he's new btw...(the last one rumored to have succumbed to alchol dependency)

(see....someone always has it worse!)

~S~



[This message has been edited by sparky (edited 01-21-2004).]

Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 24
D
Member
So on average, everyone is charging on the average of $8.00 per amp on a service upgrade. Wow, in my area the contractors would be sitting around more than working. The most in my area is between $6.00 to $7.00 per amp.
Doug

Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,056
R
Member
Other than inheriting a business, doesn't mostly everybody begin by "working from home" and also "doing side work".
As long as you are properly licensed and carry liability insurance, what's the issue?


[This message has been edited by Redsy (edited 01-21-2004).]

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,429
L
LK Offline
Member
Redsy,
We are a small shop 3 men, There is no issue,
I was ref. to the area we work in, where costs of being in business are very high along with labor costs. Not all areas of the country are the same. The shops that have the same overhead and are not aware of it, not the one man operation, which is fine as you said most small business start this way and grow. It is best to track your real expenses from day one, and this will help your business grow.

[This message has been edited by LK (edited 01-21-2004).]

Page 2 of 3 1 2 3

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5