Electrician Prices

[fattony]

I was doing a little research into what is deemed reasonable to charge customers etc, I came accross this site http://www.whatprice.co.uk/electrician/prices.html and to be honest I was way off the mark, as an example I was trying to work hypethetically out how much I'd charge to install 1 x additional double socket, I was thinking around £50, but that site says £90.

Im not looking for exact numbers but a guide on how you would price a job, is the best way to look at how many hours it would take me, work out how much my overhead cost me and apply that to my cost, obviously you'd then have to add a wee bit more to make a bit of profit not just cover your costs.

The location I'll be working in is Kent, SE London and Surrey

 

[Goldberg]

When you say "install one additional double socket", this could be anything from converting a single to a double to extending the ring to a brand new accessory location, so what exactly do you mean?

 

[ColJack]

the £90 on that site is an average worked out from a list of charges that people have put on there for adding a socket.. reading the comments it ranges from £30 to add a double in a partition wall next to another one, uo to £300 to add a socket on the other side of the room with concrete floors and engineering brick walls...

 

[sparkybird]

I don't think you can have a standard price.

For sockets I always charge 1 hour for testing - it can easily take that to check out that it's a ring circuit - plus my estimate for labour and materials. TBH one socket would generally be around the 100 mark as by the time you've got the tools out, tested, installed and done the paperwork, you're looking at 2+ hours even for a straightforward job.

I'm London based and charge £40/hour, no VAT if that helps

SB

 

[ColJack]

an hour to check it's a ring or not?

surely you intend to spur off ( or break into ) a ring at an existing socket..

turn the breaker off, take the socket off, seperate the 2 live, 2 neutral, 2 eart and check for continuity.. 5 mins tops.. 10 if you include getting the tools out of the van..

 

[Goldberg]

an hour to check it's a ring or not?

surely you intend to spur off ( or break into ) a ring at an existing socket..

turn the breaker off, take the socket off...

...find that it's not on a ring, put the socket back, move the sofa, take another socket off, find that it's not on a ring, put the socket back, fight off the licky dog...

 

[fattony]

cheers sparkybird thats very helpful, Im trying to work out my overheads would cost me per hour then see what is a minimum I could charge.

And it will generally always take longer then you think to check its on the ring or not. What do you do for a living Coljack, your very quick to judge so curious as to what industry your in

 

[ColJack]

I'm an electrician as it happens, but an industrial / commercial one more than a domestic one..
I also don't do my own jobs.. I work for others who do the main contracting and pay me by the hour..

my comment was bsaed on sparkybird saying it could easlily take an hour to check out that it's a ring circuit.., not on testing the condition of the circuit and finding a suitable socket to take the new one from, nor the need to check and possibly correct main bonding etc..