Pricing

[jimjamjimajam]

Hi guys, only recently set up on my own and need some advice on pricing of c/u changes please. Had done one for a property agent domestic/off peak at £200 fitted, priced low to get my foot in the door sort of speak but have friends say even that is way too cheap!
Obviously am not wanting to rip anyone off but need to make it worth while me doing so any advice be great thanks

 

[Welchyboy1]

When you say off peak what do you mean?

off peak consumer unit as in economy 7 supply or you done the work out of hours?

and did you supply and fit the job


also did that include any bonding/earthing and full testing and certification of the system afterwards

 

[telectrix]

when you allow for the time taken testing and certificating, added to the time it takes for a pre-test ( to ensure you're not going to get problems with RCDs etc.), you need to allow for a full day's labour. IMO £200 min. + cost of materials.

 

[Hiddo]

^^^^As Above^^^^

 

[jimjamjimajam]

thanks guys great help. just a bit cautious on charging too much as trying to build a solid rep. to get the work coming in

 

[Octopus]

Way too cheap IMHO. At that rate you'll be a very busy, poor, fool.

 

[Midwest]

Yep I've taken two days, half a day to replace the supply tails, main earth & bonding and a whole day to fit CU test etc, i.e. too late on the first day to change the CU. Been pricing the same as jimjam, to try and get my name around. But £15-20 isn't going to make me rich. Just quoted £90 for whole days work, and the client said they had decided to pursue other 'projects'! Some people expect things done for nothing, rant over :furious3:

 

[stuartcourt]

I found when i priced low I did not get the job as client wondered why so low, you need to set a price and stick to it £200 a day labour more than fair, after time to look at job, quote, invoice, sign off, insurance, extra courses, tools etc etc you will barely make end meet

 

[markythesparky]

Hi guys, only recently set up on my own and need some advice on pricing of c/u changes please. Had done one for a property agent domestic/off peak at £200 fitted, priced low to get my foot in the door sort of speak but have friends say even that is way too cheap!
Obviously am not wanting to rip anyone off but need to make it worth while me doing so any advice be great thanks

You got to be mad! why oh why do you guys keep pricing things like this? Surely you know how ling it takes to fit a fuseboard and surely you know what you want to earn a day? all you are doing is cocking up the whole trade by doing things like this. its so annoying. when you price at a more realistic price next time, your clients will say 'im not paying that you did it for less than half that before'. even if they don't there will be another mug out there who charges a silly figure just to earn his £15 fuel money. Come on, wake up guys. this is a professional trade with professionals in it working to pay for mortgages and holidays like everyone else. Prices should be going up as there is a shortage of sparks, not into the floor.

 

[nottz_spark]

You got to be mad! why oh why do you guys keep pricing things like this? Surely you know how ling it takes to fit a fuseboard and surely you know what you want to earn a day? all you are doing is cocking up the whole trade by doing things like this. its so annoying. when you price at a more realistic price next time, your clients will say 'im not paying that you did it for less than half that before'. even if they don't there will be another mug out there who charges a silly figure just to earn his £15 fuel money. Come on, wake up guys. this is a professional trade with professionals in it working to pay for mortgages and holidays like everyone else. Prices should be going up as there is a shortage of sparks, not into the floor.

did you read the bit where he said he was just starting out on his own and wanted to get his foot in the door? Perhaps he has been over generous in his pricing but that is one of the things you do when your new to running your own business. There was no need for the arrogant snooty response to someone asking for constructive advice. I joined this forum to chat about work related issues and coincidentally one main issue i have found is an abundance of over arrogant sparkies who are nearly always the only arrogant ones on site. Its nice to be important and important to be nice.!!.....ps..to the original poster, i understand your logic and commend you for putting doing a quality job at equal importance with making money but you wont be able to pay for all the things you will need to purchase with those prices,you could mention to the client that you priced that job as an introductory offer in order to show the quality of your work,im sure if the work is quality then the client will not dispute your motives. Personally i find it refreshuing to come across someone not just chasing money money money...you will soon suss it out mate,its easier than getting through exams anyway.

 

[markythesparky]

did you read the bit where he said he was just starting out on his own and wanted to get his foot in the door? Perhaps he has been over generous in his pricing but that is one of the things you do when your new to running your own business. There was no need for the arrogant snooty response to someone asking for constructive advice. I joined this forum to chat about work related issues and coincidentally one main issue i have found is an abundance of over arrogant sparkies who are nearly always the only arrogant ones on site. Its nice to be important and important to be nice.!!.....ps..to the original poster, i understand your logic and commend you for putting doing a quality job at equal importance with making money but you wont be able to pay for all the things you will need to purchase with those prices,you could mention to the client that you priced that job as an introductory offer in order to show the quality of your work,im sure if the work is quality then the client will not dispute your motives. Personally i find it refreshuing to come across someone not just chasing money money money...you will soon suss it out mate,its easier than getting through exams anyway.

Im sorry if I came across as arrogant, I don't mean to be but I'm being realistic. There is no way that this guy can afford to live on the money he gets from that fuseboard. Thereefore what is the point in doing it. He may well be trying to 'get his foot in the door' but he is giving a false sense of the cost of electrical work to his clients. All he is doing is making every other sparks on £180-£200 a day look expensive. By definition he is creating the very problem that he himself will find in his more experienced years. it blights this industry. Plumbers don't have this problem, they are charging £60 an hour and they are no more qualified than your professional electrician. and I resent the implication that I am 'chasing money money money'. it is simple maths. if you don't cover your costs then you will go under. I don't overcharge and I am very proud of the work that I produce and the knowledge that I possess, its just a shame that the original poster didn't work his costs out before giving the quotation. I suspect the next time he does it, he will loose his foot in the door!

 

[Midwest]

I agree with you both, but we are dealing with the some members of the public, who still believe they can do electrics themselves, after all it's only a few wires! Trouble is half the time (i.e. CU changes), we are only 'repairing' things, and they don't see anything different. Bit like getting your car serviced. Anyway, seen my comments posted before. Plumbers, I think don't get so closely scrutinised 'cos they're puting in expensive bathroom suites or wet rooms. I think once you get yourself rooted somewhere, you can put in your quote, and move onto the next one. But until you do, you have to accept some of us have to conduct ourselves like jimjam.

 

[markythesparky]

I agree with you both, but we are dealing with the some members of the public, who still believe they can do electrics themselves, after all it's only a few wires! Trouble is half the time (i.e. CU changes), we are only 'repairing' things, and they don't see anything different. Bit like getting your car serviced. Anyway, seen my comments posted before. Plumbers, I think don't get so closely scrutinised 'cos they're puting in expensive bathroom suites or wet rooms. I think once you get yourself rooted somewhere, you can put in your quote, and move onto the next one. But until you do, you have to accept some of us have to conduct ourselves like jimjam.

I understand what jimjam is doing but his materials alone couldn't have been too much less than the total quote. my argument is that he hasn't worked out the costs properly at all. its almost as if he has guessed it. this is a real problem for the rest of the professional electricians. Fine, do it cheaper but for gods sake be realistic too.

 

[Midwest]

*Hmmm, I suppose he could get a cheap CU/tails for £60 from **** etc, and get £17 an hour for a day's work? But I can talk, sat on my bum at home. Doing my accounts & quotations of course!

 

[Welchyboy1]

I was guilty of underpricing my jobs at first too but i bet when his client base grows a bit and hes had a few callbacks on jobs on a sunday morning or hes looking at whats left of his profit at the end of the week after all the hassle hes been through, he will soon be putting his prices up!

i think most of us have been through this stage and its just something that comes through confidence and experience

to the OP the general ball park cost for a cu change is usually around £300 to £400 +vat, depending on a few variables, so think about the profit you have missed out on this time and bear it in mind next time you price a cu change

its a learning curve, so just chalk it up and move on!