flat rewire pricey or not?

[e-spark]

Called out to have a look at a failed EICR remedials quote earlier, down stairs 2 bed flat, lounge, kitchen dining room. needs a new swa from the communal utility room (same floor) and rewired tbf. Over £7k quoted to owner; someone either doesn't want the job or is very expensive. thoughts on pricing?

I'm normally £5-6k for occupied house rewire and £1k cheaper empty that's based on 3 beds, lounge, kitchen, dining room, utility and garage so £7k for a flat seems steep

 

[Deleted account]

Don’t knock the quote. Just undercut it by a grand.

£6000 for @ flat happy days.

 

[e-spark]

Tbf Pete I never criticise others work or pricing to clients etc, if its not right I normally say it needs bit tidying up etc, pricing folk have different overheads to cover. If you need to slag folk off for work you must be struggling!

 

[Deleted account]

Seriously prices have gone rediculously high. You need to keep up Or be left behind.

quote £6000. Not being funny. you will probably get it.

 

[Petej999]

Seriously prices have gone rediculously high. You need to keep up Or be left behind.

quote £6000. Not being funny. you will probably get it.

Need to have eyes on before any comment on price

 

[LukeD]

Offer to do it for £5300 . Its sill a good earner !

 

[Dave OCD]

Being that it's a ground floor flat I assume there'll be no access from above so it might have to be rewired in surface trunking - or is there an existing flush conduit system that could possibly be used ?

 

[pc1966]

Not my professional area, but whenever I have tackled smaller home jobs it is getting cables out/in that I hate most of all.

Old buildings never designed for electrics in the first place. New buildings with cable plastered in and assumption of major damage/redecorating to fix it

I read on this forum that it is the norm in NI to put in plastic conduit for plastered-in stuff so cables are theoretically replaceable later. That ought to be part of building standards!

 

[Dustydazzler]

7 grand could be fully chased in , made good , rcbo board with spd , decent quality accessories and led lights etc

re-wires aren't everyones cup of tea and 7 grand may sound high but at least it leaves the spark a decent profit which is why we are in business.... is it not

 

[MJPD29]

I read on this forum that it is the norm in NI to put in plastic conduit for plastered-in stuff so cables are theoretically replaceable later. That ought to be part of building standards!

it is, and nearly everyone does it. I've never came across capping in my working career, and I've only came across cables directly plastered into walls when it's butchered by a DIY artist. I actually thought it was the same across the water until I went to work in London a few years ago and got an eye opener.

 

[nicebutdim]

it is, and nearly everyone does it. I've never came across capping in my working career, and I've only came across cables directly plastered into walls when it's butchered by a DIY artist. I actually thought it was the same across the water until I went to work in London a few years ago and got an eye opener.

Nick Bundy recently started using oval conduit and talks about it as though this is some new invention - hateful stuff to pull two legs of 2.5 through, after the fact. On the average installation, round conduit and female bushes would add about 0.000001% to the overall cost and, considering the rates charged in parts of England, it amazes me that cables are capped or plastered with no regard given to future works.

 

[MJPD29]

Nick Bundy recently started using oval conduit and talks about it as though this is some new invention - hateful stuff to pull two legs of 2.5 through, after the fact. On the average installation, round conduit and female bushes would add about 0.000001% to the overall cost and, considering the rates charged in parts of England, it amazes me that cables are capped or plastered with no regard given to future works.

It amazed me too the effort required to add a conduit is minimal and as you say leaves it available for future works

 

[Pretty Mouth]

It amazed me too the effort required to add a conduit is minimal and as you say leaves it available for future works

I can see switch drops in conduit being useful, for when a client wants to add an extra switch to the point. Other than that, what are the benefits? I can't think of many, and could actually see it being a hindrance to future works. (My point of view, of course comes from working a particular way though, so may be blinkered.)

OP, £7K for a standard 2 flat rewire seems steep to me, I'd expect it to be a lot cheaper

 

[Dustydazzler]

I have done rewires in the past and used 20mm round pvc conduit and bushed it to the box , but in reality most of the conduits you would struggle to push another cable down it. So you would in 9 out of 10 cases need to chop in a new cable anyways.
If we started wiring houses in singles with conduit then it would make rewiring and alterations a doddle.

 

[MJPD29]

I can see switch drops in conduit being useful, for when a client wants to add an extra switch to the point. Other than that, what are the benefits? I can't think of many, and could actually see it being a hindrance to future works. (My point of view, of course comes from working a particular way though, so may be blinkered.)

OP, £7K for a standard 2 flat rewire seems steep to me, I'd expect it to be a lot cheaper

I think we are all just used to our own way of working

 

[telectrix]

the advantage of oval conduit, egatube springs to mind as a brand name, is that it's shallow chasing depth. into plaster but not into brick,as you usually need for round 20mm tube. what i have done in the past is to make a 1" chase slightly wavy, so the oval tube wedges in without fixings.

 

[123]

I can see switch drops in conduit being useful, for when a client wants to add an extra switch to the point. Other than that, what are the benefits? I can't think of many, and could actually see it being a hindrance to future works. (My point of view, of course comes from working a particular way though, so may be blinkered.)

OP, £7K for a standard 2 flat rewire seems steep to me, I'd expect it to be a lot cheaper

I do a lot of kitchen refurbs, round conduit makes it easy to pull cables back out which quite often leaves enough length to take them to where they are needed without the need for a jb.

 

[Dustydazzler]

I do a lot of kitchen refurbs, round conduit makes it easy to pull cables back out which quite often leaves enough length to take them to where they are needed without the need for a jb.

Yes I can see the advantage of wiring kitchens in 20mm conduit , it allowed for appliances to be moved and cables pulled out without the need to mash off the tiles

 

[LukeD]

Given the chance , I will use conduits .Ive even thrown in some pull string to future proof .Makes it easier to pull through if required

 

[cliffed]

Given the chance , I will use conduits .Ive even thrown in some pull string to future proof .Makes it easier to pull through if required

Sounds good idea, but you still have to get from A-B

 

[Dave OCD]

Nick Bundy recently started using oval conduit and talks about it as though this is some new invention - hateful stuff to pull two legs of 2.5 through, after the fact. On the average installation, round conduit and female bushes would add about 0.000001% to the overall cost and, considering the rates charged in parts of England, it amazes me that cables are capped or plastered with no regard given to future works.

It's all I've ever used in chases, in a long drop 2 x 2.5s can be tight in 20mm but 25mm makes it a doddle.

 

[e-spark]

I use oval conduit and round band on chases regularly mostly as i got sick of hitting my finger with a hammer with capping and clout nails!
The property has high ceilings and cornice so wont be surface mounted; be strips and fishing for the lights and a plasterer to repair (not on my price).
£5.4k including new SWA from communal utility to consumer unit, its currently on 6mm T and E with 4mm main earth and no main protective bonding!

 

[e-spark]

7 grand could be fully chased in , made good , rcbo board with spd , decent quality accessories and led lights etc

re-wires aren't everyones cup of tea and 7 grand may sound high but at least it leaves the spark a decent profit which is why we are in business.... is it not

I always go with SPD and RCBO boards on a full rewire, you can factor it in to price and still get plenty but CU changes i give 2 prices for RCBO and dual RCD both with SPD though.

 

[Mike Johnson]

I read flat re-wire as using T&E as opposed to singles. ?

 

[Dustydazzler]

In 25 years I have never yet seen anyone re-wire a conduit style flat back in using new singles , its always a case of trying to shove twin and earth down the pipe where you can then grind out what you cant use and cap in twin and earth

 

[7029 dave]

In 25 years I have never yet seen anyone re-wire a conduit style flat back in using new singles , its always a case of trying to shove twin and earth down the pipe where you can then grind out what you cant use and cap in twin and earth

We done some flats in North London(1930's), managed to rewire the whole lighting using the existing conduit. Some of the pulls were tight (fairy liquid on some lol).
The sockets etc were all done surface trunking.

 

[pc1966]

In 25 years I have never yet seen anyone re-wire a conduit style flat back in using new singles , its always a case of trying to shove twin and earth down the pipe where you can then grind out what you cant use and cap in twin and earth

How often do the conductors (in PVC) actually need replacing when in conduit? Usually it is external damage (UV, rodents, etc) that puts cable past it useful life, or the layout is so old that you need more things added where no conduit run originally.

 

[BiddeldyBwah]

For the skill, investment, tools and CPD required to be a good electrician, all rewires should be priced as above. My opinion is people should realise paying for such skill isn't cheap and stop complaining about highly qualified men 'trying to rip me off' because they charge what they're worth.

 

[Dustydazzler]

10000% THIS ^^^^

Just like me wife pays £85 for her hair cut , in and out in 45 mins but she is paying for the hairdressers experience and expertise

If a wet pants can charge you £150 per hour to fix a leaky ball cock then why shouldn't a qualified sparks charge £150 to change a light fitting