Thoughts on How To Price These Jobs?

[nlbhoy]

I just got an email from a guy I know from way back, he owns a good sized plumbing and heating
company (also has many rental properties) and he has asked me to put together quotes various electrical works.

Mostly heating related.

I've not long gone out on my own so I'm trying to get a handle on how to price effectively and having
other sparks opinions would be great.

Types of jobs I've to price for including labour and materials. I've put prices I was thinking of charging him next to the job. All work is domestic properties.

1. Run supply to boiler (£80)
2. Run supply to emersion heater (£100)
3. Run 10mm earth (if needed) (£80)
4. Wire and fit heat detector (£80)
5. Wire and fit smoke detectors (£70)
6. Wire and fit co detectors (£70)
7. Pat Testing house (£50 per house)
8. Electrical Condition report (£100)

I recently became an NIC Approved contractor which is obviously an added expense so I'm not wanting to
undervalue myself, but on the flip side I do want the work as it's steady and there's enough of it to fill my weeks!

 

[SJD]

No 8, an EICR, will depend very much on the size of the property - the £100 would barely cover the smallest property - assuming you plan to do it properly.

 

[Pete999]

I just got an email from a guy I know from way back, he owns a good sized plumbing and heating
company (also has many rental properties) and he has asked me to put together quotes various electrical works.

Mostly heating related.

I've not long gone out on my own so I'm trying to get a handle on how to price effectively and having
other sparks opinions would be great.

Types of jobs I've to price for including labour and materials. I've put prices I was thinking of charging him next to the job. All work is domestic properties.

1. Run supply to boiler (£80)
2. Run supply to emersion heater (£100)
3. Run 10mm earth (if needed) (£80)
4. Wire and fit heat detector (£80)
5. Wire and fit smoke detectors (£70)
6. Wire and fit co detectors (£70)
7. Pat Testing house (£50 per house)
8. Electrical Condition report (£100)

I recently became an NIC Approved contractor which is obviously an added expense so I'm not wanting to
undervalue myself, but on the flip side I do want the work as it's steady and there's enough of it to fill my weeks!

PAT test the house??

 

[stevethesparks]

And for 4,5 & 6 if you are supplying these detectors, you could end up being out of pocket. I hate to give set prices, a day rate plus materials is much more secure IMHO.
However, good luck with your new venture.

 

[nlbhoy]

PAT test the house??

Yeah, all appliances in the house.

Should have been more specific.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

I just got an email from a guy I know from way back, he owns a good sized plumbing and heating
company (also has many rental properties) and he has asked me to put together quotes various electrical works.

Mostly heating related.

I've not long gone out on my own so I'm trying to get a handle on how to price effectively and having
other sparks opinions would be great.

Types of jobs I've to price for including labour and materials. I've put prices I was thinking of charging him next to the job. All work is domestic properties.

1. Run supply to boiler (£80)
2. Run supply to emersion heater (£100)
3. Run 10mm earth (if needed) (£80)
4. Wire and fit heat detector (£80)
5. Wire and fit smoke detectors (£70)
6. Wire and fit co detectors (£70)
7. Pat Testing house (£50 per house)
8. Electrical Condition report (£100)

I recently became an NIC Approved contractor which is obviously an added expense so I'm not wanting to
undervalue myself, but on the flip side I do want the work as it's steady and there's enough of it to fill my weeks!

Perhaps you can give the chap a rough idea of the cost (as above), but I'd be very wary of saying 'this is what I will charge', as you may find some of the jobs really tricky. For example the 'running a new 10mm earth' (expect it'll be 16mm), could mean taking up floorboards all over the place (£200 approx) or everything may be really easy to access and it'll cost far, far less.

At a rough approximation I would say all of the above are too low.

 

[nlbhoy]

And for 4,5 & 6 if you are supplying these detectors, you could end up being out of pocket. I hate to give set prices, a day rate plus materials is much more secure IMHO.
However, good luck with your new venture.

Yeah, I'll be suppling all materials.

I've done a lot of detectors in rented properties with my old company, so I have a good idea of how long they can take
best and worst case. I have know idea what the company I worked for charged though!

 

[Midwest]

And for 4,5 & 6 if you are supplying these detectors, you could end up being out of pocket. I hate to give set prices, a day rate plus materials is much more secure IMHO.
However, good luck with your new venture.

Concur with that, decent heat alarm for example could set you back £45. Think you need to re think your prices.

 

[Pete999]

Yeah, all appliances in the house.

Should have been more specific.

£50 is a bit expensive IMO

 

[nlbhoy]

No 8, an EICR, will depend very much on the size of the property - the £100 would barely cover the smallest property - assuming you plan to do it properly.

Should have put £100/£200 depending on no of circuits/boards etc

 

[nlbhoy]

£50 is a bit expensive IMO

That price came from the last place I worked, they would charge £60 flat rate for a house/flat.

But I does seem a bit on the high side considering how much time it takes... maybe half that to £25?

 

[stevethesparks]

As a guide £25 per circuit with a minimum of £150

 

[HappyHippyDad]

£50 is a bit expensive IMO

I don't do PAT testing Pete but £50 to PAT test all appliances in the house? How long does a PAT test take? Perhaps they're really quick?

 

[stevethesparks]

That price came from the last place I worked, they would charge £60 flat rate for a house/flat.

But I does seem a bit on the high side considering how much time it takes... maybe half that to £25?

Don't screw yourself down, some of the smallest jobs may waste half a day, you're in business and each day needs paying for, minimum charge half a day unless you have several in close locality.

 

[Leesparkykent]

That price came from the last place I worked, they would charge £60 flat rate for a house/flat.

But I does seem a bit on the high side considering how much time it takes... maybe half that to £25?

I wouldn't say its high especially if you are going there just to pat test.

 

[Pete999]

I don't do PAT testing Pete but £50 to PAT test all appliances in the house? How long does a PAT test take? Perhaps they're really quick?

Thinking about it a bit more, fixed appliances say: shower, boiler, cooker/hob, does take a bit more time that a kettle say, so maybe my first impression was a bit off, depends really on how many appliances in the property, £50 may not be to far off.

£200/£00 for the EICR

 

[nlbhoy]

Concur with that, decent heat alarm for example could set you back £45. Think you need to re think your prices.

I get Aico heat detectors for under £30.

But yeah, I do need to get the pricing right, that's why I asked here as many of you guys will be more
experienced in pricing jobs than I am

 

[Octopus]

I get Aico heat detectors for under £30.

But yeah, I do need to get the pricing right, that's why I asked here as many of you guys will be more
experienced in pricing jobs than I am

Where in the UK are you?

If you are in my patch you would end up a VERY busy, poor fool!

 

[Midwest]

How about this for PAT testing;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44JWRu681Ao

 

[Midwest]

I get Aico heat detectors for under £30.

But yeah, I do need to get the pricing right, that's why I asked here as many of you guys will be more
experienced in pricing jobs than I am

Yeah but shush, we don't tell the customers that!

 

[stevethesparks]

For PAT testing you need to set a price for "portable" appliances with a minimum charge, otherwise you could be doing a lot of fuel burning for a couple of appliances, and any fixed appliances need a separate set price - it can be a lot of bother accessing and isolating properly to allow proper testing.

 

[Pete999]

How about this for PAT testing;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44JWRu681Ao

Didn't see any Certificates being thrown out of the window

 

[Midwest]

Didn't see any Certificates being thrown out of the window

They'll be in the post!

 

[nlbhoy]

Where in the UK are you?

I'm in Scotland.

Just trying to get a feel for what others are charging for similar jobs.

If you have any suggestions that would be great.

 

[Octopus]

I'm in Scotland.

Just trying to get a feel for what others are charging for similar jobs.

If you have any suggestions that would be great.

Why not update your location - with the nearest large City / Town?

 

[nlbhoy]

A lot of the work will be wiring supply to boiler spur.

What do you think I should charge for this? I understand there's many variables but If I have a base
price to work from that will be half the battle.

 

[Pete999]

A lot of the work will be wiring supply to boiler spur.

What do you think I should charge for this? I understand there's many variables but If I have a base
price to work from that will be half the battle.

Solid floors? chasing in or mini trunking? any spare ways in the CU? any RCD protection? main bonding in place. You need to go and look at a sample house, before making any solid prices.

 

[NDG Elecs]

As a guide £25 per circuit with a minimum of £150

I charge approx £40 for first cct and £22 per cct thereafter. With a minimum of £150 which covers up to 6 ccts. So I think you are 100% spot on there Steve!

 

[polo1]

Think this should be in the Arms and the op given temporary access if necessary.

 

[Phil Thompson]

You've the guts of £45-50 for materials for a CO detector, so £20-25 for labour, can you fit every single one in under an hour? Possibly going back to CU, and a new MCB. I'd be looking your price for replacement never mind installation.

The PAT testing at £50 may seem low until you have an hour or more drive each way and are there for an hour or 2.

Basically you need to work out what hourly rate you need to be charging, then estimate how many man hours for each task, add in materials and you'll get a more accurate price that you should be charging, then give that as the minimum or approximation.

Be realistic in estimations of work supply, if you pay yourself for a 40hr week at say £600, x52, then add in all your other expenses, insurance, any other costs like tools and vehicles etc, then divide that by 46, as you should be allowing for 6 weeks of no earnings to cover your own holidays, Christmas, Easter etc etc.

Now you need to estimate how many billable hours you can charge each week, remembering that you will have travel time between jobs, so for calculations we go with 30 billable hours, you can deduct a bit if you are all day or multiple days at one job, as you will be able to bill more hrs and have less travel costs. To stay competitive on larger jobs. If you know your weekly target then you can calculate a day rate for the bigger jobs.
By my calculations it's around £27-30 minimum to be able to get the same wage as if you were on the cards for someone else. So you either increase your labour rate to reflect the extra stress and admin work, or you add up to 30% on materials. To me the extra on materials is best as some folks tend to assume that your labour rate is actually your hourly wage, forgetting that it's covering a whole lot more.

Now these are rough estimates, only you know your expenses and desired target wage, so work that out and start from there.