Need help which contractor to go with

[JLeague]

So on a house rewire I have finally got back the three quotes and they are all pretty much in the same ballpark but there are some differences which may be significant or not. The main differences were.

Quote1 - Fit 10 way Crabtree Unit, schneider sockets, 4 Aico smoke alarms, - will not fit metal socket fronts supplied by me as he said 1) cannot guarantee their quality and b) they fail more often. Job will take 7 days.

Quote 2 - 12 way High Integrity Wylex unit, MK sockets, will fit metal sockets - BG are ok. 4 FireAngel smoke alarms. Job will take 5 days.

Quote 3 - Hager 10 way (can opt for RCBO). 4 smoke alarms (no mention of brand) I can supply the socket fronts. Job will take 3-4 days.

After the quotes I asked each one about adding network cables, their responses were as follows.

Quote 1 - will not fit cabling as it requires certification.

Quote 2 - Has not done a network cable install but can do.

Quote 3 - No issues with doing network install.

Now the final point is that all will provide certificates of completion but quote 1 said he will provide 2 certificates one for smoke alarms and the other for the rest of the work.

I like bits of all the quotes but I am finding it hard who to go with.

 

[Andy78]

My input.
Aico are the brand to go for if you want decent reliable smoke alarms.

I would go for an rcbo board as it's the best solution for many reasons. Any of your contractors could factor this in with any of the mentioned brands.

BG decorative sockets are cheap and cheap for a reason. The quality is low and variable. No electrician will provide warranty on customer provided parts.

Yes you should receive a certificate for the smoke alarms that would be separate.

I'm not aware of data cables requiring certification.

Go for the electrician you get on with best and who you think will be easiest to achieve what you want. Don't choose on price. Also look up reviews and recommendations for each of them.

 

[pc1966]

As Andy78 has said an all-RCBO board is your best choice if affordable, and these days it will only add a modest percentage to the overall cost.

If you are very lucky you will never have a fault or spurious event trip an RCD, but probably you will at some point and the independence of RCBO operation (A) contains the fault to just the impacted circuit, and (B) makes finding it far easier!

 

[JLeague]

I was tending to go with Quote 1 as I got on well with him but there were two possible deal breakers - he would only fit his white sockets and he doesn't do network cable install.

Schneieder was his preferred choice - do they make a nice low profile white socket? (the wife may need convincing - had planned on metal sockets)

 

[pc1966]

Schneider are a reputable company and they also do quality metal sockets as well, but they cost significantly more than white. That is the same for all brands, just the "how much more?" that varies.

If you are otherwise happy with him then discuss it. Quite possibly he quotes for plain white to avoid losing trade on cost against others who do the same.

I am pretty sure he could run in network cables as they are not much different from mains (slightly easier to damage by pulling hard though), but probably lacks any means to test them once installed as doing that properly is a bit specialised. At a push he might be able to arrange for some help on that front.
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Just to add - Crabtree RCBOs are quite good as they (like Wylex) switch both L & N which makes testing easier!

 

[davesparks]

Quote 1 - will not fit cabling as it requires certification.

I'm not aware of data cables requiring certification.

Certification of network cables in a domestic installation would be very over the top.

You'd normally only see certification be required on higher spec non-domestic network installations.

I've done a few data/network installs and only once had to hire a network tester and certify the install.

 

[DefyG]

but quote 1 said he will provide 2 certificates one for smoke alarms and the other for the rest of the work.

Thats the least you should expect as far as certification goes.

Agree with Andy #2, with regard to smoke detectors (Aico) and networking.

Final circuit protection by RCBO is always the preferred way to go, but obviously at a cost compared to a dual RCD board!

Go for the electrician you get on with best and who you think will be easiest to achieve what you want. Don't choose on price. Also look up reviews and recommendations for each of them.

Agreed!

 

[telectrix]

I'd bin no.1.
1st, he condemn BG sockets. I fit them as standard and have no problems. quality at a good price.
2nd. If an electrician can't run cat5 or cat6 cables, he's lying. probably not clued up on what has to go where.

Quotes 2 and 3. look good, but I'd opt for 12 way RCBO board, if you don't need all ways, just get him to fit necessary ones and have spare blank ways if required in future. Both Wylex and Hager are quality kit. I do however prefer Crabtree Starbreaker on the higher spec jobs, BG for when price is more of a concern.

 

[JLeague]

I'd bin no.1.
1st, he condemn BG sockets. I fit them as standard and have no problems. quality at a good price.
2nd. If an electrician can't run cat5 or cat6 cables, he's lying. probably not clued up on what has to go where.

Quotes 2 and 3. look good, but I'd opt for 12 way RCBO board, if you don't need all ways, just get him to fit necessary ones and have spare blank ways if required in future. Both Wylex and Hager are quality kit. I do however prefer Crabtree Starbreaker on the higher spec jobs, BG for when price is more of a concern.

Thanks. Quote 1 did say two certificates but quotes 2 and 3 said only one cert is needed - is that ok?

Its a 3 bed terrace house - so are those times for a full rewire correct - 3-5 days?

Had a quick look at RCBO - it may work out better if we drop the metal sockets and use that money towards upgrading to all RCBO?

 

[littlespark]

Out of interest, did any quote mention SPD's in their consumer units?

 

[davesparks]

Thanks. Quote 1 did say two certificates but quotes 2 and 3 said only one cert is needed - is that ok?

Its a 3 bed terrace house - so are those times for a full rewire correct - 3-5 days?

Had a quick look at RCBO - it may work out better if we drop the metal sockets and use that money towards upgrading to all RCBO?

There should be an electrical installation certificate and a smoke alarms certificate.

There are too many factors involved to be able to put a time to the job, how many people will be working on it, how well the job goes, how much furniture they have to move, how many problems they encounter, how many changes are made during the work.

It is easier to change white sockets to decorative ones in the future, maybe one room at a time, than it is to change to RCBO's after the job is completed.
Get the infrastructure right now and the decorative elements can be changed later.

 

[Taylortwocities]

As above, I’d probably go for 3 (I favour Hager, and all RCBO is the way to go).

Please make sure that, whoever you go with, includes certification to BS7671 and also notification to LABC. To do this, they must be registered with one if the COMPETENT PERSON SCHEMES. They should be listed here:

Home

 

[richy3333]

Hager board with RCBO's and SPD, dont get a split load board - future proofing

Data cables are simple to install

Aico fire alarms

Hager or Click sockets for us. BG is nasty in our experience. No idea why a contractor won't fit your own sockets. We would but wouldn't offer any type of guarantee on them and if they are faulty then additional costs are your expense

Certificates for Fire detection and electrical work. We only do reports/certs for data in commercial realm

No idea about Part P as not in England

 

[DefyG]

The durations quoted are a bit irrelevant I suppose as you don't know if it will be 1,2 or 3 guys turning up to work!
As they are all 'in the same ball park' its not a cost issue just a dilemma deciding who might be best!

 

[Vortigern]

Suggest you have a contract from who ever you choose. This should list all the work agreed and location of accessories such as sockets. You need to clarify items such as carpets and relaying them where removed. Rubbish removal off site. Plastering, who is going to do the making good for chases etc. The contract should mention these matters and the price and time scale. You should also see a complaints procedure if things go wrong. You should have site of their credentials such as competent person scheme, insurance details and clarify building control procedure.
Number 1 sounds a little deficient in that he will not fit the items you want. He is not sure about network cabling, and is not clear with you that he does not understand it and requirements. It would have been better for him to say it is not in his skill set rather than say certification is needed. Five days is about right assuming you don't run into problems. It is rare for a job to go perfectly as planned. If the house is occupied then maybe a couple more days.
You should have been offered the chance to fit surge protection devices, also Arc Fault detection devices. I agree with the above in that RCBO are the way to go. Dual RCD boards are so yesterday!

 

[bill01803]

I think I would look elsewhere for quotes explaining exactly what you want

 

[Dustydazzler]

You are missing a key bit of information....

the price

 

[James]

Firstly, congratulations on making best endeavours to get this done correctly.

You are doing all the right things to avoid the pitfalls many fall in to.

Get several quotes from professional contractors
Actually read quotes and compare on details, not just cost
Get advise from independent people who understand the topic

I am not keen on contractor 1, seems a bit inflexible and wants to do it his way or not at all.
Sometimes this can lead to conflict as the job progresses, often regarding the positioning of accessories etc.

As to fitting your own supplied sockets etc, I think his attitude seems stubborn and unwilling to provide the finished job that you envisioned.
As said before, as long as it meets the relevant standards then in my opinion, it should be fitted if requested.
(As with any device purchased by the end customer themselves, the warranty lies with the person that supplied it. Not the person who installed it, providing it was installed correctly)

Number 2
Just a little concerned about the comment,
Not done network install before but can do.

Although not dangerous normally if not done correctly, if you are paying someone to install networking, you expect to have someone who has experience and knowledge required to do the job correctly.

I like the “can do” attitude of number 3

Seems to want to do the job you requested, rather than provide the job that he would like to do.

The next steps you should be thinking of are

Email preferred contractor,
If not already detailed on the quote
Specifying quantities of switches and sockets required in each room
Specifying type and quantities of lights in each room

Ensure that you agree on the heights and position of sockets, switches, distribution board etc.

Suggesting a reasonable time frame for the job to start and finish within.

Ensure that payment terms are detailed correctly

Being a short job. Days, not weeks. I would not expect any staggered payments etc.

Money up front for materials etc, would be a big NO WAY, whatever the Back story or excuse was.
Personally, I won’t pay anything until presented with an invoice detailing what I am paying.

I expect there standard payment terms for that type of job are
TOTAL INVOICE DUE ON COMPLETION

If you have never dealt with them before, I would consider agreeing with them 90% on completion, final 10% on supply of all relevant certificates.

 

[Taylortwocities]

^^^What he said^^^^

…and don’t forget to check that your selected contractor really is a registered with one of the COMPETENT PERSON SCHEMES. Check if they are listed here:
www.electricalcompetentperson.co.uk

 

[James]

^^^What he said^^^^

…and don’t forget to check that your selected contractor really is a registered with one of the COMPETENT PERSON SCHEMES. Check if they are listed here:
www.electricalcompetentperson.co.uk

Dam, forgot that bit, it is really important.
Well spotted Taylor