Electrical Work Costs??

[Helidan]

Recently had some very minor electrical work carried out, wasn't particularly happy with the invoice.

I had a new start battery, new service battery (both Numax), about 6ft of 50mm heavy cable, half a dozen heavy crimp terminals, battery terminals and a £30 VSR. All extremely easy to install with excellent access in the engine room, was told a couple of hours work at most in the beginning. Invoice was over £1k!! Does this seem right? They booked 12 hours labour for this job. If it helps, this was an electrical business in Pembrokeshire.

 

[Boathook]

Did they have to travel to site? You say 'they' so it was 2 of them at 6 hours each. How much was the parts ?

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

Recently had some very minor electrical work carried out, wasn't particularly happy with the invoice.

I had a new start battery, new service battery (both Numax), about 6ft of 50mm heavy cable, half a dozen heavy crimp terminals, battery terminals and a £30 VSR. All extremely easy to install with excellent access in the engine room, was told a couple of hours work at most in the beginning. Invoice was over £1k!! Does this seem right? They booked 12 hours labour for this job. If it helps, this was an electrical business in Pembrokeshire.

Impossible to say. You don't give the size or cost of the batteries, cost of cable or terminals. 1K for twelve Hrs = approx. £83/Hr.(Probably includes travelling time) Deduct the cost of materials and you may not be far off

 

[Fr J Hackett]

£200 to £250 for the batteries, £50 to £100 for the bits and pieces at least 6 man hours at a nominal £60 / hour = £700 plus profit and overheads at 30% ( combined) and it's about right. It's why unless you don't know how to do simple jobs or simply don't want to you have to expect significant bills for relatively simple work.

 

[Andrew_Trayfoot]

2 batteries say £250 total
Cable £50
VSR £30
Crimps £20

So £350 parts

so £650 labour.
Seems about right

 

[footsoldier]

All extremely easy to install with excellent access in the engine room,

Says it all.

 

[Clancy Moped]

Recently had some very minor electrical work carried out, wasn't particularly happy with the invoice.

I had a new start battery, new service battery (both Numax), about 6ft of 50mm heavy cable, half a dozen heavy crimp terminals, battery terminals and a £30 VSR. All extremely easy to install with excellent access in the engine room, was told a couple of hours work at most in the beginning. Invoice was over £1k!! Does this seem right? They booked 12 hours labour for this job. If it helps, this was an electrical business in Pembrokeshire.

How much was the quote?

 

[Helidan]

Labour rate was £48/hr and 2 hours maximum originally quoted. Batteries £105/ea. I'm not really questioning the material cost but the labour was not as expected. One engineer travelled to the job - 2 mile round trip.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Labour rate was £48/hr and 2 hours maximum originally quoted. Batteries £105/ea. I'm not really questioning the material cost but the labour was not as expected. One engineer travelled to the job - 2 mile round trip.

I expect they took longer than 2 ( 4 hours for the two of them) and also I didn't add VAT to my estimation. It's easy to see more than 2 hours for the job and just because there are two of them doesn't mean they do it in half the time.

 

[Helidan]

I expect they took longer than 2 ( 4 hours for the two of them) and also I didn't add VAT to my estimation. It's easy to see more than 2 hours for the job and just because there are two of them doesn't mean they do it in half the time.

It was one engineer, what I object to is an original quote of 2 hours max and then being billed for 12!! If there were complications they should have consulted me - it's what I do with my marine customers.

 

[fredrussell]

I’m surprised that everyone so far thinks the cost is not extortionate. A grand for two batteries and the gubbins to fit them? My mate’s a decent marine electrician (decent in both senses of the word) and I’ll ask him what he would charge for such a job, but I’d be very surprised if it was more that £500 all in.
A grand for two batteries fitted FFS !!

 

[dancrane]

I wonder why everybody was so quick, trying to justify these costs?

Every time I open these pages I find something that makes me glad I haven't got a boat now.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

It was one engineer, what I object to is an original quote of 2 hours max and then being billed for 12!! If there were complications they should have consulted me - it's what I do with my marine customers.

Sorry I had picked up from other posts that there were two and I think that two hours for one man is short but 12 hours is taking the piss as that is more than a days work. I would indeed be challenging the 12 hours. Also a quotation and an estimate are different animals if they actually quoted for the work then I would argue that it was a fixed price.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I wonder why everybody was so quick, trying to justify these costs?

Every time I open these pages I find something that makes me glad I haven't got a boat now.

It isn't a matter of justifying them it's what is the reality and economics of a business in what is a captive market place.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I’m surprised that everyone so far thinks the cost is not extortionate. A grand for two batteries and the gubbins to fit them? My mate’s a decent marine electrician (decent in both senses of the word) and I’ll ask him what he would charge for such a job, but I’d be very surprised if it was more that £500 all in.
A grand for two batteries fitted FFS !!

The actual hardware is £300 or thereabouts so it's £700 pounds for labour at a quoted £48 /hour and then the VAT The OP says good access to the engine room but then there is the question of running the cables and also disposing of the old batteries and modifying wiring to accommodate the VSR. which could quite easily result in 4 to 6 hours for one man, lets assume a worst case of 6 that gives £288 so rounding things up let's call it £600 plus VAT which comes to £750. Which is what I would expect ( and the reason why I would do the job myself)

 

[Helidan]

The actual hardware is £300 or thereabouts so it's £700 pounds for labour at a quoted £48 /hour and then the VAT The OP says good access to the engine room but then there is the question of running the cables and also disposing of the old batteries and modifying wiring to accommodate the VSR. which could quite easily result in 4 to 6 hours for one man, lets assume a worst case of 6 that gives £288 so rounding things up let's call it £600 plus VAT which comes to £750. Which is what I would expect ( and the reason why I would do the job myself)

I had ballpark £550-600 in my head. The VSR was child's play to install - mounted to a bulkhead and 2 short lengths of 6mm crimped and connected up the battery changeover switch and an earth connected to the nearest battery.

 

[PaulRainbow]

£200 to £250 for the batteries, £50 to £100 for the bits and pieces at least 6 man hours at a nominal £60 / hour = £700 plus profit and overheads at 30% ( combined) and it's about right. It's why unless you don't know how to do simple jobs or simply don't want to you have to expect significant bills for relatively simple work.

That makes no sense at all. You don't add the cost of parts together, then the labour and then add 30% for profit and overheads, if you do, let me know when you need some work doing. Profits and overheads are part of the margin in parts and the hourly rate.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

That makes no sense at all. You don't add the cost of parts together, then the labour and then add 30% for profit and overheads, if you do, let me know when you need some work doing. Profits and overheads are part of the margin in parts and the hourly rate.

Yes I agree Paul I was getting carried away but the item that was missing and I later brought into the calculation was VAT.

You wouldn't have had the chance to quote for any such work regardless of that I have no reservation that you would have done an excellent job because I would have done it myself

It would be interest to know what you would expect to quote albeit you don't have sight of the boat and what might be involved, perhaps you could give a range with some caveats.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I had ballpark £550-600 in my head. The VSR was child's play to install - mounted to a bulkhead and 2 short lengths of 6mm crimped and connected up the battery changeover switch and an earth connected to the nearest battery.

So we are close at £600 did the quote and your estimation include VAT?

 

[PaulRainbow]

The actual hardware is £300 or thereabouts so it's £700 pounds for labour at a quoted £48 /hour and then the VAT The OP says good access to the engine room but then there is the question of running the cables and also disposing of the old batteries and modifying wiring to accommodate the VSR. which could quite easily result in 4 to 6 hours for one man, lets assume a worst case of 6 that gives £288 so rounding things up let's call it £600 plus VAT which comes to £750. Which is what I would expect ( and the reason why I would do the job myself)

How much work to run 6ft of battery cable ?

Modifying wiring to accommodate the VSR ? No modifications needed, two short 6mm cable and a negative, all new, no alterations needed.

Disposing of batteries ? Drop off ant the scrap yard, who pay you 50p per kilo for them.

Easily results in 4-6 hours ? Sounds like 4 hours max to me, assuming the OP is correct about access. 12 hours sounds very excessive.