What To Charge?

[Thourgood]

Not sure if this is allowed on this forum, sorry if it isn't but here it goes.

Basically got a job at an allotment wiring up a little on site office and a shop.

List of things I'm installing:

3 double sockets

5 fluorescent fittings

Consumer unit fed from outdoor meter cupboard

Due to the awkwardness and location of the sockets etc i can see it taking me about 8-12 hours total.

Baring in mind I'm in the north and it's for a family friend what would you charge?

He already has all the materials. Will also be tested and certified by nic registered electrician.

 

[Apache]

*gulp*

So many issues, so many ways to reply.

Firstly what is your level of qualification/experience? Do you have test equipment?

Is this going to be open to the public? Are the insurers happy you doing the work if it is tested afterwards? Does this involve a planning application so could you tag it on to the existing building regs? (assuming commercial so no part P?)

Are you in business or doing this as a favour? What you charge will differ due to overheads and running costs and to a degree what the market will stand. Only you know what you are worth and need to earn.

 

[Thourgood]

I'm a qualified electrician, my friend who has his own nic registered company is happy to test and sign it all off for me under his company name. Basically I'm just doing the install and charging for my labour alone.

 

[Steve3948]

He should not be signing off others people's work.

 

[NozSpark]

I'm a qualified electrician, my friend who has his own nic registered company is happy to test and sign it all off for me under his company name. Basically I'm just doing the install and charging for my labour alone.

Yeeee haaaaa (your mate)

He should not be signing off others people's work.

IIRC a NICEIC company can sign off another NICEIC companies work if you are subcontracting the work to them

 

[Steve3948]

Noz, yes I agree, also I have two regular sub-contractors who work for me, however it's my design, they install and I test and certify. I take full responsibility for the installations and its my name on JCC contracts etc.

 

[Thourgood]

Can we just ignore everything I said in the first post and just answer how much would be a reasonable charge for 8-12 hours labour.

 

[Apache]

What do you think - £35/hour?

That's ~£350ish

 

[Thourgood]

If that's an acceptable amount to charge why am I still working a salary and not going self employed yet haha.

Ill probably drop that due to it being a family friend but thanks for the advice guys.

 

[Doc Hudson]

Can we just ignore everything I said in the first post and just answer how much would be a reasonable charge for 8-12 hours labour.

Everyone is allowed to ask any question. but to be quite honest any person who is unable to calculate their own business costs really should not yet be doing any chargeable work. Why don't you just ask you NICEIC friend to do the work though his company and learn from him what a typical labour charge is. Your are either going to do this as a proper declared job where moneys earned go against your taxable income, or you are doing as a cash in hand pocket money job for a friend. Either way, only you know your overheads. How much will it cost travel to the job? 8-12 hours, could be two days visits, outdoors held up by the weather could be more! Anywhere between £100 to £800 could cover some of the options.

Doc H.

 

[Doc Hudson]

If that's an acceptable amount to charge why am I still working a salary and not going self employed yet haha.

Ill probably drop that due to it being a family friend but thanks for the advice guys.

The average self employed person needs to earn at least double what a salaried person earns in order to cover overheads and times when work is quiet.

Doc H.

 

[Thourgood]

The average self employed person needs to earn at least double what a salaried person earns in order to cover overheads and times when work is quiet.

Doc H.

Aye I understand that.

I know what I value my time at but was just seeking a 2nd opinion.

 

[ProDave]

The average self employed person needs to earn at least double what a salaried person earns in order to cover overheads and times when work is quiet.

Doc H.

Very true.

When I was last sallaried, almost 10 years ago now, I worked out my hourly rate was just a shade over £13 per hour. and that was considered a well paid job (in the South), enough to push me into the 40% tax bracket.

So you have to work out what YOU need to earn per hour and charge that much. Of course it's never as simple as choosing what you want to earn, it has to be comparable with what others in your area charge.

you could be cheeky and phone a local sparky, say you have a few hours work needed and ask him what his hourly rate is.

 

[binky]

question is what do you want from it? If its a favour £100 cash, upto £200 on invoice, as no doubt your mate wants something for his trouble

 

[Revved Up Sparky]

It's got to be worth at least £250 IMHO even for someone you know.

(mind you the last time I did a job at an allotment I ended up completely losing the plot....)

 

[Evans Electric]

If you're a wage earner why not charge whatever your hourly rate is ? Or as you reckon its a days work whatever you earn per day .

Lets face it , the only reason electricians are not recomended to certify other's work is to encourage the installer to join a scheme. Yet theres no problem with your NICEIC mate turning up after a week and doing an EICR .

If you follow the rules and ask LBC to pass it off , they will send an NICEIC registered contractor anyway .

Am I correct in saying that Gas Sure guys can pass off other's work ? Not sure about that .

 

[philbas]

A few observations.

1)

Basically got a job at an allotment wiring up a little on site office and a shop.

I don't see how this can be classed as domestic, so no need for part P.2) If part P is not needed for the job why can you not test and issue certs yourself, unless you have no test equipment. ?

3) If you have no test equipment why are you doing the job?

 

[Manator]

I think other regulations besides BS7671 will be in effect here

 

[Thourgood]

I have test equipment. It's just a request from the customer that they want NICEIC test certification.

 

[ProDave]

I have test equipment. It's just a request from the customer that they want NICEIC test certification.

That's an urban myth. There is no such thing as an "NICIEC" certificate.

There is of course an EIC as defined in BS7671, and of course you can (if you have signed up to them) use one that happens to have the NICEIC logo on it. But it contains exactly the same information as any other EIC with or without a scheme providers logo on it.