PIR, How much?
- Thread starter scrag
- Start date
Help Support Talk Electrician Forum:
Work out a day rate Scrag and charge accordingly.
AndyGuinness
AndyGuinness
green-hornet
Distinguished Member
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2009
- Messages
- 3,741
- Reaction score
- 0
The trouble is some people can not do a proper PIR and have no idea on how much it would actually cost in labour time alone.
An example of this is a quote I did for a commercial premises, I along with three other companies quoted in the region of
An example of this is a quote I did for a commercial premises, I along with three other companies quoted in the region of
Read My sig GH and chuckle ROTFWL (regarding turning water/gas off)
AndyGuinness
AndyGuinness
The problem is that customers/companies are only interested in the paperwork and not the testing!
So long as it says "Satisfactory" they are happy
Work it out to your day rate (to the nearest 1/2 day) and add any extra costs!!
So long as it says "Satisfactory" they are happy
Work it out to your day rate (to the nearest 1/2 day) and add any extra costs!!
I've always priced on a day rate and judged how long the test will take, I have never priced a job (install, maint or test) by points\circuits, but then, I have never been too keen to get a job, by which I mean the customers after the cheapest price will likely not bother having half of the remedials done as they only want a cert so they can say they've had one and won;t pay anyway. Some end up coming to you later when it all goes wrong with their cheapest company willing to pay.
Work out how much you want to charge, within reason, for the time taken and overheads as per normal. Don;t give it another thought.
Work out how much you want to charge, within reason, for the time taken and overheads as per normal. Don;t give it another thought.
yes I agree with what you say. But I have a PIR to quote, and its a job I want to do as theres not much around. From my first visit I can see there is loads of remedial work to do. Its an old installation and very bodged. I have seen too many companies quoting on the steep side to do these kind of PIR's knowing in advance that there will be so many limitations on the report that its not worth the paper its written on. They will price it for 2 or 3 days and do it in a morning because the condition of the property is too dangerous to work safely. How do you get it right. I try my best to educate customers but at the end of the day people are driven by money and when they realise they have chosen the wrong sparks very few of them will come back cap in hand.
Just be honest with your client scrag, you cant be faulted then.
AndyGuinness
AndyGuinness
So what you're saying is yes we are right, however you disagree. So the only option then is to do the opposite, I think what you want is for someone to come along and say what you want to hear, which is a bit pointless. Just price it for whatever you want, if you want the job at any cost then price it accordingly, if you're happy to do it for
green-hornet
Distinguished Member
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2009
- Messages
- 3,741
- Reaction score
- 0
I have, in the past been to do an initial survey, and been totaly frank with the customer.
If you feel there would be some major problems tell them, tell them you could also quote for a full PIR, but your visit has just failed the installation on visual alone.
I was called into a commercial kitchen where the PIR was done with no tests carried out, they failed it on visual alone, the owner was so upset that they charged the full going rate for the PIR and did not actual tests.
Problem is I think they were going to get the remedial works, but that did not happen.
If you feel there would be some major problems tell them, tell them you could also quote for a full PIR, but your visit has just failed the installation on visual alone.
I was called into a commercial kitchen where the PIR was done with no tests carried out, they failed it on visual alone, the owner was so upset that they charged the full going rate for the PIR and did not actual tests.
Problem is I think they were going to get the remedial works, but that did not happen.
I am just trying to be honest with the customer. I want to do the job. If the installation (and you will only verify this when inspection starts) is too bad and testing would not be cost effective I, personally would only charge for the time spent on the job and would not hold them to the original quote. they are new customers and dont know how I work as we have not built up a relationship as yet
How can you price per circuit...
You could have an imersion circuit (1 point)
or a socket ring (15 points)
are you trying to say that it'd take the same amount of time to I&T those circuits???
You could have an imersion circuit (1 point)
or a socket ring (15 points)
are you trying to say that it'd take the same amount of time to I&T those circuits???
I know some people DO work cost of PIR per cct; but, TBH, I`ve never done this.
Standard domestic, 6 way board or less, standard rate.
For larger, more involved properties, you have to take a risk - guesstimate how long it`ll take you.
In the position you`re in, you may be worth speaking frankly to the customer, explaining that, in your opinion, the installation will fail a PIR anyway, and you could provide a quote for works, effectively saving them the cost of the PIR.
Thinking back, Special location had a post on pricing PIRs, about a year ago. I wonder if the tame vet remembers the one I`m thinking of.........
KME
Standard domestic, 6 way board or less, standard rate.
For larger, more involved properties, you have to take a risk - guesstimate how long it`ll take you.
In the position you`re in, you may be worth speaking frankly to the customer, explaining that, in your opinion, the installation will fail a PIR anyway, and you could provide a quote for works, effectively saving them the cost of the PIR.
Thinking back, Special location had a post on pricing PIRs, about a year ago. I wonder if the tame vet remembers the one I`m thinking of.........
KME
No i'm not. Lets just say this. 1 No ring cct 15 skts. 2 hrs to do. 1 No immersion, 20 mins to do. 1 No radial skt, 20 mins to do. 1 No lighting cct, 20 mins to do. Equals 3 hrs. This is just an example but in the real world things do round up roughly. 4 No circuits takes 3 hours therefore you price for 4 circuits at say
Yes, I "get your drift". I also get a local hotel, for who I do all the electrical work (except PAT). The reason? The company that had this year`s PAT were checking:
4 electrical items per hotel room (200 rooms ish). All the computer, kitchen, maintenance equipment etc. They`re pricing was per day - 1 man doing 600-800 items per day!!!!
I was quoting 150 items per day.
So they had the job.
They passed items without fuses, items that were known to be faulty, and items which should have failed a basic visual test.
Ignore "national companies". They`re not your competition. Joe Bloggs, the self-employed sparx down the road is the one you`ve got to watch. You`re either better than him, or cheaper. Depends on the customer base you want......
KME
4 electrical items per hotel room (200 rooms ish). All the computer, kitchen, maintenance equipment etc. They`re pricing was per day - 1 man doing 600-800 items per day!!!!
I was quoting 150 items per day.
So they had the job.
They passed items without fuses, items that were known to be faulty, and items which should have failed a basic visual test.
Ignore "national companies". They`re not your competition. Joe Bloggs, the self-employed sparx down the road is the one you`ve got to watch. You`re either better than him, or cheaper. Depends on the customer base you want......
KME
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2009
- Messages
- 14,837
- Reaction score
- 1,013
PIR's can be a can of worm.
Like others, I know the hourly rate I want to charge, so estimate how long the job will take and quote that as an estimate. If it's hard to judge, I just tell them my hourly rate and tell them a best guess of the time but make it clear it will be charged on actual time spent.
And with a PIR you don't always want the remedials. I had a call this week from someone I could barely understand on the phone. It turns out it's a Chinese restaurant that has just had a PIR done. They sent me a copy asking for a quote for the remedials. The place is a complete and utter mess, 14 code 1's 12 code 2's and numerous 3's and 4's. It sounds to me like the place needs a complete rewire and a job like that would be too much grief trying to sort out such a shoddy installation, so one I won't be quoting for.
Like others, I know the hourly rate I want to charge, so estimate how long the job will take and quote that as an estimate. If it's hard to judge, I just tell them my hourly rate and tell them a best guess of the time but make it clear it will be charged on actual time spent.
And with a PIR you don't always want the remedials. I had a call this week from someone I could barely understand on the phone. It turns out it's a Chinese restaurant that has just had a PIR done. They sent me a copy asking for a quote for the remedials. The place is a complete and utter mess, 14 code 1's 12 code 2's and numerous 3's and 4's. It sounds to me like the place needs a complete rewire and a job like that would be too much grief trying to sort out such a shoddy installation, so one I won't be quoting for.
