Just priced my first rewire, why is it so cheap?

[Tidy Max]

Hello everyone!

Just priced my first domestic rewire and i appear to be pretty darn cheap. I spent all of yesterday doing the quote, couldn't believe what it came out at. So i slept on it and have been back through it all again this morning and i can't seem to find where i have gone wrong.

I really wanted to avoid starting the old 'how much for a rewire' thread as other than the fact its been done to the death nobody can price a rewire without going seeing the job!

Anyway,
2 x men x 4 days
250m 2.5 t+e
150 1.5 t+e
100 3core 1.5t+e
10way wylex CU
all the breakers + 1xrcbo for appliance circuit
tails
bonding conductors
+ a contingent for the house being lived in

The client asked me to price the job WITHOUT fittings and the price came to £2200. I then priced up with the second fix being completed also just with basic white fittings and even then with the additional labour it only came to £2600.

The house is a medium sized council house, 2 up 2 down but large kitchen/garage. I am not making good after as she is getting plasterer/painter and decorator.

Of the jobs i've been pricing the passed couple of months a rewire should be very straight forward to quote but i can't help but feel i'm missing something!

Any help/advice would be much appreciated. Maybe i am just not putting enough profit on, not only do i not want to do myself out of money but i don't want to be massively under cutting other sparks too.

I charge 360 a day per 2 man team (inc myself!) and the other lad gets 150 a day.

Any advice as always is much appreciated!

 

[Darkwood]

If the other lad is a competent Electrician then charge at same rate as yourself but obviously pay him his going rate as standard... if hes a just your labour monkey then the Labour costs are about right regionally variable.

 

[RyanCheetham]

I think you are being optimistic with 4 days for an occupied rewire

 

[i=p/u]

You obviously estimated your time + materials and came up with figure that will complete the job ... It's what we all do.. The question have you estimated correctly .. Move stuff about , all carpets/floors lifted...

 

[Sparks1962]

I think you are being optimistic with 4 days for an occupied rewire

So do I, I would allow seven days at least with moving furniture around, lifting flooring and replacing at the end of each day.

 

[worzol99]

So do I, I would allow seven days at least with moving furniture around, lifting flooring and replacing at the end of each day.

7 Days for a 2 up 2 down. Hmmm

 

[KAS1]

Only you can decide on what you estimate the time / materials will total and how much profit you wish to make don't forget all jobs can be very different and remember you win some and you lose some it's swings and roundabouts as they say also another saying is small profits quick returns, another way is to get them to get two other quotes and let you see them and put yours in midway, all the best. If it was me I can't stick all that house bashing, too much hard work, I would think of a price as you have and double it, then sub it out.

 

[Sparks1962]

7 Days for a 2 up 2 down. Hmmm

Well I'm not a scrab arse like some lol!

 

[Tidy Max]

Thanks for the replies. Yes the other guy is a competent (and qualified) spark. I thought 4 days may be optimistic but the house is having some extensive work done, she's not bothered about any of the floors, there's NO laminate/solid floors and not a great deal of furniture to be honest.

But then again i do have a habit of being too optimistic/under estimating labour so your probably spot on with that one.

I was searching the forum yesterday for this/similar topics and i notice alot of the forum regulars (the ones whos replies are usually spot on) saying that as soon as they are quoting for a 'lived in' rewire they add 15-20%.

Might i add that the 4 days was for first fix only, granted i had only allowed 1 day for second fix. And to be honest its only just dawned on me that i haven't allowed time for testing!! Which takes me a long time!!

Thanks for the replies.

 

[D Skelton]

For a standard and empty/partially empty two up two down I'd be allowing around seven or eight days for two of my lads to do the work and either myself or another to test during and after, this would include making good. For an occupied I'd be adding 100% on to my labour costs (9/10 times I purposly price myself out of an occupied rewire).

All materials are marked up by 20% also.

 

[Sparks1962]

Much the same as the way I price....

 

[RyanCheetham]

If you do as many tests as you can as go it saves time later. And just in case you didnt know already do all your testing before dressing the CU to keep it all pretty

 

[KAS1]

I bet you try and get your lads to do the job in 2-3 days lol

For a standard and empty/partially empty two up two down I'd be allowing around seven or eight days for two of my lads to do the work and either myself or another to test during and after, this would include making good. For an occupied I'd be adding 100% on to my labour costs (9/10 times I purposly price myself out of an occupied rewire).

All materials are marked up by 20% also.

 

[D Skelton]

Huh, what?!?! Who said anything about a whip cracking?!?! Ah crap! no one! erm.....

 

[Tidy Max]

Cheers Ryan, much appreciated. I've already made the dressing in prior to testing mistake at my previous job

Ta Mr Skelton! That was informative, i certainly won't be banging an extra 100% on haha but i can appreciate why you would. I think i will allow for 7 days labour though. I still can't see how it will take me that long but as previously mentioned, i have caused myself problems all too much by under estimating on labour.

I always mark up by 20% also. I got two quotes from wholesalers, Call Eddies First and another local, much to my amazement CEF came in £160 cheaper than my preferred WS?! I know the manager there wants my custom as he's always on the blower but the price shocked me a little! He did try to palm off one of there own MCG boards which i have never used and never intend on doing to be honest but even so there price was VERY competitive!

In my head i'm flash gordon but in reality i'm a bumbling fool!

 

[Sparks1962]

Can't say I like CEF's boards much either.....

 

[Tidy Max]

I wouldn't know mate ive never given them the chance. Went sorting out another sparks (NIC registered) terrible mess and he had fitted a BG board, and it was the most terrible piece of crap ever, you could of wrapped your buttys in the plastic it was that thin.

Whenever i do quotes i always give the customer abit of a lecture about crap gear and that my labour costs will probably be cheaper than the next mans but i refuse to install crap because its complete and utter false economy so my price may come abit higher but to bear in mind that it's worth it. This strategy has paid off so far!

 

[Jdsparky]

I think you also need to factor in the time you have spent quoting already, as you said you've spent yesterday and this morning sorting it out so looks like your going toward the 3 grander sort of figure for this one, I think you've over estimated some of the material (although this is a good thing) ie 100 mtrs 3 core is way too much for a start and 250m of 2.5 also too much probably <150m more like it

 

[Jdsparky]

Also u could use 1.0mm rather than 1.5 dependant on loadings for domestic, easier to connect in smokes etc and save a bit over the year

 

[kingeri]

I see you haven't included any 6mm or 10mm T&E in the list, so there is no electric cooker or shower? Just checking you haven't forgotten about them