UK Advice on electrical quote

[morsing]

Hi,

New to the forum, but an experienced electrical DYIer. Decades of work on cars, also, house electrics, model railroad automation and arduino monitoring.

My reason for joining though, is really to get some advice regarding a quote I have received to get a property EICR compliant. The property is a '70s, smallish three bedroom semi-detached house with a garage.

I have been quoted a staggering £2140 for what appears to be relatively straight forward work.

- Supply and fit 10 way consumer unit with RCBOs
- Drill out back of kitchen unit to reveal water earth bond
- Change sleeving on immersion heater spur
- Change cable to immersion heater
- Fit screw to immersion heater cap
- Supply and fit 20 fire rated downlights
- Correctly terminate wiring for downlights
- Supply and fit rubber grommets to all back boxes
- Fit stuffing glands to garage sockets
- Remove rewirable fuseboard in garage and replace with fused spur
- Replace wiring between garage switches
- Replace non-working immersion heater boost switch
- Remove ceiling fan bracket and fit pendant cover in front bedroom
- Supply 5 year Electrical Installation Certificate

Most of these I could do in a day myself. If I add up items needed, consumer unit, RCBOs, downlighters, maybe I can see £400-450 in that. That leaves £1700 for the actual work to carry out. Even at £250/day, that's 7 days work.

Am I missing something obviously expensive in that list?

"Drill out back of kitchen unit to reveal water earth bond" - Is that just for inspection?
"Correctly terminate wiring for downlights" - what is actually needed here?

Hope for some guidance here.

Thanks

 

[Vortigern]

I think the mats would be more in the order of £800 plus a mark up, say £1000. Sounds like about 3 days work. £300 per day plus a labourer @ £120 a day. Don't forget time for issuing/making up certificate and testing on all circuits. Would have to issue an EIC and an EICR lets say about four hours in all, that's half a day. As well if you did the work you would have to pay BC £350, which you save because I am doing it as a registered installer. So my price would be higher if you do the figures. i.e. £2410

 

[Baddegg]

I doubt you’d get all the materials needed for less than £800-£900 mate let alone £450, that would cover the full rcbo unit and fitting and test, 20 decent downlights supplied and fitted is gonna set you back about £500-£700 and that’s with out all the other bits that will probably be a pain in an occupied property, price seems reasonable to me and as for completing it all in one day on your own, I doubt that personally...the other thing to consider when looking at the price is the spark has spent a few hours sourcing prices and writing uk the quote, that will be in the price....and unlike yourself he/she will have overheads in liability/indemnity/scheme costs/notifications cost and again more time writing up the certificates and notifications....I’d be charging approx £2800-£3000 depending on state of property and and ease of access ?



"Drill out back of kitchen unit to reveal water earth bond" - Is that just for inspection?
"Correctly terminate wiring for downlights" - what is actually needed here?

Yes to reveal if bond is there to confirm visually

I’d assume diy Dave has had a pop at installation of the downlights and now they need doing properly ?

 

[ferg]

Without looking at the job I get a price somewhere between your quote and Vortigerns estimate.

I am sometimes surprised by the quotes I see from other trades on jobs but the truth of the matter is it's not my field and the guys doing the work are making a living and there are costs involved I just don't see.

 

[Paul L]

The problem is that people get hold of a well known companies catalogue and price things up from there. Of course you can buy 20 downlighters in there for about £100 and a board for about £150 (i haven't actually looked, just an educated guess). The other materials will add up to a bit so you can see what people compare things to but in reality there is no comparison.
An electrician will hopefully price for good quality materials that he has used before and would be happy to guarantee for a good while and this costs more.
As for labour, it would definitely take more than a day if it was done properly. I was always on the cheaper side for labour but there are so many costs involved now that these prices have to be charged.
At the end of the day you get what you pay for and with knowing you have a good electrical system safely installed then it is a price worth paying.

 

[morsing]

Hi,

"as for completing it all in one day on your own"

No, I said most of it. All the rubber grommets, everything mentioned on the immersion heater, all the downlights I could probably do in a day. Maybe not an 8h day but stil.

Anyway, fair enough, I will accept the quote. Doesn't sound like I have much choice, and if I do any of it myself, he'd need to go round and check it anyway.

Thanks both.

 

[LewisM]

That is a reasonable quote for the work.

Get the work done right once and you'll not have to do it again

 

[morsing]

That is a reasonable quote for the work.

Get the work done right once and you'll not have to do it again

Yes, it probably is, it was just a bit of a shock out of the blue so wanted to get it confirmed.

Thanks again.

 

[Baddegg]

Yes, it probably is, it was just a bit of a shock out of the blue so wanted to get it confirmed.

Thanks again.

I bet if you sat down and factored in using the same materials the spark would use, these won’t be the cheapest available for good reason, then added your notification cost to LABC of approx £350 and by the time you add your own time on the difference will sound like a bargain ?

 

[FatAlan]

Just doing the rubber grommets would be time consuming. Basically having to re terminate ever switch and socket. Unless I suppose, you cut the grommets.

 

[stewartrossinv]

As an experienced DIYer myself I agree with the pros here. I reckon actual labour charges are higher than you've allowed for and the time for the job is likely to be much more than you estimated. All in all, given the scope of the works I think you've had a very reasonable quote. On labour charges, just consider what car dealers charge per hour... in no way are you being overcharged.

 

[Spoon]

I don't have any grommets in my backboxes.
My question is:
What reg states this about the backboxes having grommets?
I know people say they are there for vibration but if the cables are buried in the wall then they are not going to move.

 

[stevethesparks]

Looks like a good price to me.
It's frustrating (to me at least) that a plumber will not normally quote less than £2500 for a boiler change, allowing £1000 for bits it's a good days profit compared to what's involved compared to us sparkies.

 

[telectrix]

i'm on the cheaper side with quotes as my overheads are low ( van is 16 yrs old with 210,000 on clock) and i get a reduced state pension, but even so i'd be over 2K. so your quote is not excessive, as others have said.

 

[Zerax]

Doesn't sound like I have much choice...

I think you have lots of choices... but given that the general consensus amongst these learned folk is that the quote you have is on the lower end of the scale... I think I know which choice I'd be making !

 

[Deleted account]

The price seems reasonable to me as well.

yes it can be a bit of a shock when getting quotes to do jobs if you haven’t had anything like it done before.

This is the best place to come for honest advice. I done blame you for checking, because there are scammers out there.

if you’d come on and said some one had quoted you £3000- £4000 plus the responses would have
been very different.

 

[GBDamo]

Just doing the rubber grommets would be time consuming. Basically having to re terminate ever switch and socket. Unless I suppose, you cut the grommets.

Getting grommets in a fitted backbox can be a right pain, even cutting them in.

 

[loz2754]

I don't have any grommets in my backboxes.
My question is:
What reg states this about the backboxes having grommets?
I know people say they are there for vibration but if the cables are buried in the wall then they are not going to move.

Protection of sheath of cables against mechanical damage. Thermal cycling could have an effect over a long period of time. I would have thought though in many cases a C3 would be appropriate. Unless you can see actual damage. Anyone know what codebreakers says?

 

[Spoon]

Protection of sheath of cables against mechanical damage. Thermal cycling could have an effect over a long period of time. I would have thought though in many cases a C3 would be appropriate. Unless you can see actual damage. Anyone know what codebreakers says?

What mechanical damage mate? They are plastered into a wall and are not moving. No damage to the sheath unless the things are moving.

 

[telectrix]

yup. the grommet issue is a minor thing and should only warrant a C3 if that. get him to leave that part out and knock off the cost of 20 smokes and a couple of pints.

 

[Risteard]

Hi,

New to the forum, but an experienced electrical DYIer. Decades of work on cars, also, house electrics, model railroad automation and arduino monitoring.

My reason for joining though, is really to get some advice regarding a quote I have received to get a property EICR compliant. The property is a '70s, smallish three bedroom semi-detached house with a garage.

I have been quoted a staggering £2140 for what appears to be relatively straight forward work.

- Supply and fit 10 way consumer unit with RCBOs
- Drill out back of kitchen unit to reveal water earth bond
- Change sleeving on immersion heater spur
- Change cable to immersion heater
- Fit screw to immersion heater cap
- Supply and fit 20 fire rated downlights
- Correctly terminate wiring for downlights
- Supply and fit rubber grommets to all back boxes
- Fit stuffing glands to garage sockets
- Remove rewirable fuseboard in garage and replace with fused spur
- Replace wiring between garage switches
- Replace non-working immersion heater boost switch
- Remove ceiling fan bracket and fit pendant cover in front bedroom
- Supply 5 year Electrical Installation Certificate

Most of these I could do in a day myself. If I add up items needed, consumer unit, RCBOs, downlighters, maybe I can see £400-450 in that. That leaves £1700 for the actual work to carry out. Even at £250/day, that's 7 days work.

Am I missing something obviously expensive in that list?

"Drill out back of kitchen unit to reveal water earth bond" - Is that just for inspection?
"Correctly terminate wiring for downlights" - what is actually needed here?

Hope for some guidance here.

Thanks

No harm to you but there's well, well over a day's work in that.

 

[dodger421]

I don't have any grommets in my backboxes.
My question is:
What reg states this about the backboxes having grommets?

Arguably 522.8.11 “Cable supports and enclosures shall not have sharp edges liable to damage the wiring system”

But like you say, if the cables are plastered in they’re not going to move so is the sharp edge liable to damage the wiring system other than during installation? Probably not.

For what it’s worth Codebreakers doesn’t mention grommets specifically. The closest you’ll get is probably un-bushed cable entry (sheathed cables) which gets a C3 if there are no signs of mechanical strain or damage, a C2 if there are and a C1 for access to live parts.

Again you could argue a C3 for equipment inappropriately installed but unlikely to lead to potential danger (134.1.1), but really that’s about it I think.

 

[loz2754]

What mechanical damage mate? They are plastered into a wall and are not moving. No damage to the sheath unless the things are moving.

The reg mentions protection during installation as well. So as the spreader spreads his muck, he may inflict damage. It's up to the judgement of the inspector on whether to code it or not.
And some metal boxes are not bedded in plaster, being fixed to a wooden noggin with plenty of free movement of the cables. And if the sheath doesn't fully enter the box that's got very little protection. I've seen it many times. Only last week I had a cooker tripping the RCD, traced it to a neutral core chafing against the ungrommetted (made up word) back box.

 

[Wilko]

I have been quoted a staggering £2140 for what appears to be relatively straight forward work.

Hi - as you have concerns about your quote then perhaps you just need some more quotes? I find that the more specific you can be the more likely you will get a quote that reflects what you actually want. Perhaps spend some time researching what down lights you would like installed, for example. Likewise with CUs, there is a significant variation in material costs with included functionality.

 

[DefyG]

The price quoted for the volume of work is as others said - reasonable.
Not sure all items are necessary though for a satisfactory EICR;
Replace Consumer Unit - Reasons/RCD protection? Category?
Replace cable between switches in garage - why?
Install grommets to back boxes - C3!
Change sleeving on immersion heater spur - ?? BPG4 pg17 (Does not require reporting)
Change cable to immersion heater - Why?
Supply and fit 20 fire rated downlights - Non fire rated C3 at best unless something not telling us!
Correctly terminate wiring for downlights ) - Could be just connector blocks??
Fit stuffing glands to garage sockets - Why, Abrasion/IP issue?
Remove rewirable fuseboard in garage and replace with fused spur - Not necessarily a C2?
Replace non-working immersion heater boost switch - Not necessarily an EICR issue.
Remove ceiling fan bracket and fit pendant cover in front bedroom - More info req'd /C3
Supply 5 year Electrical Installation Certificate - 'Maximum' recommended interval is 5 years but the inspector could for various reasons recommend 1 or 3 years for example!