im a new custom home electrical contractor and im having pretty good luck at it. one customer gave me the job which i bid at $4.00/sq. ft. am i in the ballpark?

The per foot price would definitely be geographical, getting a job does not mean you're where you need to be. Do you know where your opposition was per foot?

Roger

We do take off pricing. Pricing per switch, gfi, fan, etc.. it's a more accurate approach.

When I give a bid it has the total number of each thing I provide. If the customer adds something than I charge for 1 more thing.

Does pricing per foot lead to problems with getting money for adds with an unspecified number of openings?

Custom homes can have a big swing on price depending on # of cans, type of can, can trim, can bulb, chandeliers, 2 story lighting, # of HVAC units, extra appliances, spa tubs, dimmers, device type, etc..

I knew a GC that was cring about going broke over a new custom home. He never priced the electrical out before the job was started. I think he used $4.00/ft too but it did not figure for over 100 cans and a generator.


Tom

I think Tom hit the nail on the head.
I estimated commercial projects for the past several years and the first thing I learned was to never put a bid out based on sq/ft. Just too many variables. Specs alone can kill a job. So I have always qualified my bid to death on what I was going to include and exclude.

If you are new to estimating and estimating homes you can go to a Home Depot store and pick up a free CD that carries their pricing and also has an estimating package included. I have found that the hours they show for any given task are very close to the units that I use. Since I've never bid residential until now I kind of felt like I have been getting away with something considering the cost of esimating packages.

We've used a square foot price for some work, but not just a flat sq ft price. We came up with a sq ft price for outlets, switches, hvac, basic/standard kitchen, basic lights(only the standard required items). On top of that we added a fee for the service, recessed cans we extra, heat pumps were extra, and any other non standard items were additional.

I have some pre-set maximums for general lighting, a/c units & etc. When I review the plans I make note of the numbers and inform the homeowner of any specialty items not covered. Any item added over the pre-set maximums will incur an additional charge. Hey, Im just a sparky with a skill under my belt trying to make some money. Estimating is still new to me. But, so far so good. I have made about a 45%-50% profit on all of my jobs. Also, by putting together 3 cost levels--basic, upgraded, and premium, I have been able to incorporate small upgrades at a premium price.
I will definitely go to the deopt to get that software. Thanks a million

[This message has been edited by marixelectric_dfw (edited 03-03-2004).]

I also learned that my competitors on a few jobs beat me out by a total of 10-15% Later the homeowner told me that they were confused on what was being installed and found out that alot of things were installed incorrectly or with substandard material. In a way I felt that my numbers were good based on the level of quality that I have to offer.

Where are you located? In my area $2.00 per sq/ft is just for basic up to code, no ups, no extras. From there I go $75 per fan and recessed can (Not including the trim). $1000.00 for an upgrade to 200 amp. $125.00 for hydromassage tub and extra circuits as needed.

Blessings, Mark

Im in the San Francisco Bay Area. Things are pretty expensive hers. Where I live the average house costs around $310,000.
The avg cost to build a house is about $150 per sq. ft. The avg cost per acre is about $275, 000

[This message has been edited by marixelectric_dfw (edited 03-04-2004).]