Pricing up for a new CU

[Megaohm7]

A neighbour from down the road asked me to give him a quote on a new CU. I went along and had a look checked the bonding and gave him a price subject to satifactory testing etc etc. He was thinking about it and said ' well I can pick up a fuse board in B&Q's for around

 

[Smilers]

How much did you quote ?

 

[Megaohm7]

How much did you quote ?

 

[batty]

Well you could always get them to supply materials and up your fitting costs that way you don't loose out and they are happy because they think they are getting a good deal. Personally I don't enjoy doing CU changes because I always seem to get the duff ones to do which can be stressful.

 

[Theorysparky]

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

We start at

 

[Theorysparky]

with your location im not suprised !!!!!!

 

[batty]

I wouldn't even think of doing one for

 

[alpha spark]

I'd say

 

[Megaohm7]

I wouldn't even think of doing one for

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

I wouldn't even think of doing one for

 

[Megaohm7]

I'd say

 

[Theorysparky]

How old is the house ??

on your walk round was there signs of diy electrics ???

bonding in place

os lights ???

shed/garage

 

[lineman]

Quoted

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

When i bought a house a while back the vendor kept telling me it had been completely rewired. I kept telling him it had not & this escalated into me telling him he had been ripped off then & was stupid to have paid the person,i showed him my card and said i was deducting

 

[betty swollocks]

I'm charging 350-380 for cu changes

Although I charged 280 yesterday simply because I quoted usual price on the phone after being told he had switched power off because it was 'sizzling and felt hot to touch'

Got there and it was wylex 4way with one way blanked off in a garage 5' off floor bonding done easy access

Happy days!

Neutral was loose melted switch as normal

Customer was over the moon and thanked me for my honesty by erm saying thank you lol

 

[Smilers]

[No message]

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

The diy stores are not helping matters here by selling CU's to anyone. It makes a mockery of part p and for those of us that are scam members.

That has got to be one of the daftest statements ever.....

The biggest problem with this trade is tradesmen who have difficulty understanding fundamental concepts of business...

Marketing, advertising, promoting & selling your product and the everyday efficient management and running their business on a cost effective way.

When any person establishes a business they should take account of the existing supply and demand of the goods or services they are thinking of offering from competitors businesses.

Then build their own business plan costing structure etc.. to allow them to work within that enviroment.....

So some of the fundamental ground rules of Electrical work are:-

We have a free market in this country.

DIY electrical work is NOT illegal.

Part P building regs does allow DIY notifiable electrical work.

Other business in similar or related services are permitted to compete for your work.

Thousands of other businesses (large & small) DO manage to work successfully within this environment.

The common business models use in other sectors of the retail market also apply within the electrical world..

Golden Rule.... DIFFERENT BUSINESS MODELS ATTRACT DIFFERENT TYPES OF CUSTOMER!

So the Stack em high - Sell em cheap brigade (self service pound land / Home Bargain outlets etc..) are aiming for a different customer to some of the better Quality service outlets.

Some customers use both, others would not be seen dead in the other place....

Now.. Waitrose or Sainsburys etc.. could probably not match the price of washing liquid in poundland..

cuz their overheads are higher...

But Mr posh supermarket manager can't go moaning..

its not fair that people can buy washing up liquid from pound land or in bulk of the internet it makes it hard for me to sell my washing up liquid!!!

Electrical work is not much different... there are customers and tradesmen in the Stack-em-high sell em cheap box...

Others provide a better quality service....

Customers after a pound land bargain will probably not purchase from a better quality supplier.

Customers after cheap electrical work will be looking for a stack-em-high sell em cheap electrician...

But a quality electrician would most probably NOT be aiming for that type of customer anyway!!!

The big DIY stores have been around for years now....

They have NO obligation to help anyone other than their shareholders!!!

We as small traders either work around the systems that are there..

or pack up your tool box and go and be a gardener.. or decorator.. etc..

Any newly qualified sparks coming out of college also needs to do some business management training if they are wanting to work for themselves!

Personally I am not interested in the customers after a Stack-em high bargain...

a CU change for myself would have to be a starting price of

 

[wooly]

I changed a CU this week that the customer supplied. It was a "protek" and it was horrible. Hardly any space, a third smaller than the normal Wylex I fit and it just felt cheap and horrible. In the future if they want to supply a board I'll tell them to get a decent one.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

I changed a CU this week that the customer supplied. It was a "protek" and it was horrible. Hardly any space, a third smaller than the normal Wylex I fit and it just felt cheap and horrible. In the future if they want to supply a board I'll tell them to get a decent one.

The other problem with cheapo customer supplied kit, is if something breaks off while you are installing it..

you can end up with a blame game problem of ..

Is it poor manufacturing thus warranty replacement..

Or you been heavy handed.. so you need to pay for replacement?

Sometimes it can be more hassle than its works fitting customer supplied kit if its really naff stuff!

If customer gets kit you have recommended then its a bit better chance of running smoothly!

Guinness