EICR Costing

[Neil Neil orange peel]

Hi Guys,

Just wondering how people charge for EICR's?

I've seen one post mention a 'Day Rate' and estimate of number of days.

Is this the general feeling?

Or does anybody charge per circuit?

I mainly deal with domestics but have been asked to do a local Conservative Club, it has an attached dwelling fed from it's own isolator at the 3Ph incomer, an external club house supply and numerous DB's within the main building for floodlights, bar areas, stage, cellar pumps etc etc... 50 single phase final circuits with a few sub mains to the different DB's.

There may be some previous paperwork if the caretaker can find it.

I'm guessing that I'll need to draw up new plans for this site, although hopefully the guy will get them.

Obviously a lot of work will depend on how much I have to find out for myself with regard to circuit layout and design.

I'd like to charge fairly obviously but if this is my first real step in to commercial working as a self employed spark, I don't want to scare them off with an unrealistic high price.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance chaps.

Neil.
 

 

[Murdoch]

Location matters A LOT - so if people mention prices, they will ONLY be relevant if they give their location and its near you

Are you VAT reg?

With respect to testing 50 circuits - how long do you think it will take to "map" the circuits? especially doing this on your own.

Personally I'd give this opportunity a big swerve.

 

[Neil Neil orange peel]

Location matters A LOT - so if people mention prices, they will ONLY be relevant if they give their location and its near you

Are you VAT reg?

With respect to testing 50 circuits - how long do you think it will take to "map" the circuits? especially doing this on your own.

Personally I'd give this opportunity a big swerve.

Murdoch, no not VAT reg. 

Working alone and if I need to map it, it's a fair size so probably days..... 

I understand what your saying about location. I'd probably want to charge per circuit over day rate. It is a big unknown really... 

 

[Murdoch]

Maybe give them a quote which shows x hours / days for mapping the site and x hours / days for the tests

If its as big as you suggest, maybe get them to agree to label up as many accessories with the DB and circuit number ............ so the savings will be every time a spark attends site there after

You should also consider updating your profile to give your location too - not exact, but enough for somebody viewing the site who may want work to get in contact with you ......

 

[Neil Neil orange peel]

To be fair, the circuits look fairly well segregated and well labelled in the dbs. No labels on accessories though. And most circuits would appear to be radials so may not be too bad. 

I will take on board your point about quoting for mapping if needed then separately for i&t. 

I'll update profile as well. Cheers. 

 

[Phoenix]

Start with a sort of rate 'template' and add 'fiddle factors' to adjust as necessary. So assume 25 circuits a day to start with (count submains as well as finals) in a reasonably well marked up installation, adjust downwards if its a very poorly labeled board, downwards even more if its going to be a pig to trace out (i.e. board in outside plant room of a three storey block). Whats the ease of taking readings, adjust downwards if there is a lot of spots or anticorrosives etc, as opposed to simple flouro battens, is the area in use? or are you doing it on a closed day, is it easy to arrange a shutdown, or very limited scope on timings? with IT to deal with ref servers etc, do you therefore need weekend working? Whats your initial opinion on the condition? losts of problems takes longer to type than a report with not much.

My starting point would be two *long* days on site (possibly increasing to three depending on the tracing involved), with paperwork time on top which probably wouldnt be a full day paperwork, but would be more than half in all likelyhood

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

The first question I would be wanting to know is...

Who has done previous inspections on this installation...?

And why have they changed to ask you to do it in place of the previous electricians?

Sometimes a job can be such a nightmare nobody wants to go back after they have been there once!

Then..

If  you have no previous certificates test readings documentation etc..

Assume everything on each DB is labelled wrong, until you have proved otherwise!

(the number of times circuits get changed, moved, removed but the DB still says what it was when it was originally installed...

Still amazes me why people cannot change the label when they modify a circuit!)

If there are 50+ circuits and you need to spend 10mins per circuit walking around checking they do supply what they say they supply..

calculate how long that is likely to take..

So if they have NO documentation for you 

Tell them you want minimum 1 day labour to identify the composition of all circuits etc.. 

Before you can commence testing..

Once you know the composition of the circuits you can then calculate how long it will take you..

(Otherwise its a bit like asking someone how much they charge to come and do you ironing for you..

But not telling them how many shirts you have!)

DONT undercharge unless you are doing the work for charitable reasons..

No good working yourself silly for 2-days to only get 7hours of pay!!

Guinness    

.

 

[Neil Neil orange peel]

Phoenix, thanks for that. Some good advice there pal. 

Special Location, yes your right, I'm assuming the labelling is correct.... My first mistake.  

Previous inspection label is from a local firm so not sure why they aren't using the same. 

Yes, definitely a full day just checking each item is supplied from where it claims. 

More good advice. 

It'll be an interesting one...

Thanks for the help all.  

I'll update with an outcome. 

 

[ProDave]

I would only take this on at an hourly rate not at a fixed rate.

 

[Sharpend]

I suspect that the local firm probably charged higher then you would due to higher overheads and/or experience with the customer. However this is not a reason to charge low it just gives you a bigger margin to price. 
if you have no experience of this type of work then you will need to take this into consideration, it would be wrong to charge the customer over the odds to allow for your learning curve. Having said that if you follow a logical approach such as 1) identify all circuits - do not get distracted into testing what you think is an easy one, complete circuit identification this way you will/should have identified all outlets. 
2) now start with the smallest circuits to eliminate the straightforward ones Then progress onto the larger circuits as these are more likely to give rise to problems. 
 

I think I would agree with Dave and do it on an hourly rate. 

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

I'd like to charge fairly obviously but if this is my first real step in to commercial working as a self employed spark, I don't want to scare them off with an unrealistic high price.

Few other points re: "A fair price"....   we often get people on here asking how much to charge....

BUT  in my opinion.. this is a personal evaluation and judgement...

i.e.  ONLY you know what your overheads are and how quickly and efficiently you work...

And how much you need to earn per hour that you work, in order to earn enough to keep a roof over your head, food on your table and clothes on your back..

Two electricians doing the same work with the same abilities may charge completely different rates..

If one has a young family, average mortgage wife who works part time and minimal savings in reserve..

But another is an only-child, living with his partner,  who works full time, no children, in a property with no mortgage as they inherited substantial funds from parents who have both passed away..

If you are not earning enough to cover your overheads and finish each day with a sense of accomplishment then its not a fair price...

I don't care what any customer thinks..

They either accept my price or they don't!

If they are not happy with what I need to earn, then its best that I don't work for them!

Guinness

 

[binky]

I would give an estimate for works to keep price 'fair' but not shoot yourself in the foot. 

 

[Neil Neil orange peel]

Cheers guys. 

You've all given me something to think about.

I've put in a day rate and an estimated number of days. 

Slightly higher rate than normal but I do think it'll be a can of worms. 

If I get the work I'll report back with my findings, if anyone is interested.  

Thanks again. 

Neil.