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1st and 2nd Fix Estimate


LA3222

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280m2 build. Standard stuff, ASHP, UVC, Solar MVHR etc.

 

Quote came today £13500 and estimate at 20 days total with two blokes on the job. Includes materials and hager sockets etc but the white plastic cheap ones.

 

40man days for 1st and 2nd fix - really?

 

I'm new to this gig so it may be a pukka gen price but my gut feeling is someone is trying to have my trousers down?

 

Whats the general consensus?

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Our house is 289m2 and I seem to recall we had a quote of over £14k for pretty much the same supply and fit as you've been quoted (even including ASHP, solar etc). This was at the end of 2014 in the southeast.

 

In the end, we went with a local guy on a day rate. No idea how many days we ended up with him onsite, although he was quite slow (very methodical) plus we had home automation stuff that took extra time. 

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3 minutes ago, ProDave said:

It has never taken me anything like 40 days to wire a new build.  Is there something complicated about it?

 

Time for another quote.

This made me chuckle. Nothing complicated, pozi joists so easy to thread through etc. I think he is having my eyes out and assuming I'll just blindly say ok.

 

Finger in the air, how long would you roughly say to wire a new build of this size Dave?

 

My gut says half what the sparky quoted for?

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1 minute ago, jack said:

Our house is 289m2 and I seem to recall we had a quote of over £14k for pretty much the same supply and fit as you've been quoted (even including ASHP, solar etc). This was at the end of 2014 in the southeast.

 

In the end, we went with a local guy on a day rate. No idea how many days we ended up with him onsite, although he was quite slow (very methodical) plus we had home automation stuff that took extra time. 

I've got no automation going on and I've already said I will do all the audio visual side myself so all sparky is doing is standard electrical work?‍♂️

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34 minutes ago, LA3222 said:

I've got no automation going on and I've already said I will do all the audio visual side myself so all sparky is doing is standard electrical work?‍♂️

 

The £14k quote was before I'd decided to include home automation, and didn't include any AV other than antenna/satellite cabling. It sounds like there's very little difference in terms of what's being quoted for.

 

I'm not saying it isn't a rip-off quote, just that it's not that dissimilar to one we had for a very similar job over 5 years ago. That said, we're in the southeast, where I'd expect trades to be more expensive than where you're building.

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2 hours ago, LA3222 said:

This made me chuckle. Nothing complicated, pozi joists so easy to thread through etc. I think he is having my eyes out and assuming I'll just blindly say ok.

 

Finger in the air, how long would you roughly say to wire a new build of this size Dave?

 

My gut says half what the sparky quoted for?


How many sockets per room..?? Spots or down lights or pendants..? Walls in block so chasing to do ..?? Solar PV wiring ..? 
 

Lots of variables and not sure where you are in the UK...? 


 

 

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A method I use for estimating is to count all the "points"  with a "point" being a switch, socket, light, or any other accessory, and 1 hour per point usually covers first and second fix in a timber frame new build. 

 

Is your electrician VAT registered?  If not, then you should buy the materials and re claim the VAT later.  If he is VAT registered it should all be zero rated.

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I haven't yet @Alexphd1, it is the labour element which has me scratching my head at the minute - essentially 320hrs. That seems way OTT, I can get a lot done working by myself on the build for that amount of time, will 1st & 2nd fix actually take that long for a 280m2 new build? He has quoted for basic fittings at the minute so labour must make up the bulk of this quote. I will use @ProDaves method of 1hr per unit to come up with an estimate for the work duration and see how it compares.

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I do quite a lot of estimating (albeit completely different industry) but @ProDaves approach is how I'd look at it. Work out the number of points and break the hours out from there to what seems reasonable. You will have an efficiency factor and need to allow for them to have some contingency if they are doing it on a fixed price. 

 

I have agreed with my Spark that I'll pull all the cables in our build (subject to him agreeing routes) then he will inspect prior to to closing it up after first fix. Then he will come back when needed and do second fix and test.  I'm just going to get an account with CEF or similar and we can call off materials or he can get extra stuff if required.  He'll just pop by when I need him to do temporary supplies or fit it in to suit both our schedules.. 

 

Hes local and a mate from school which helps as I trust him. 

Edited by SuperJohnG
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Well I've totted up a rough estimate of 'points' ala @ProDave recommendation to get a ballpark estimate and have come up with 212 points. Any switch, spot, socket etc was classed as a point.

 

Allowing a 20% contingency gives me approx 250hrs or 32 days. Below the 40 days quoted.

 

At £35/hr I'd be looking at £8750 for labour. I cant see that quoting for standard white hager sockets etc is going to add £4750 to the costs?

 

I'm going to get a couple of other quotes to compare but how does this look to you Dave?

Edited by LA3222
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Cheers for the feedback @ProDave and @Buzz. I was just mooching through my QS spreadsheet which is an amended version of what Estimators Online did for me. I never made much in the way of changes to the electrical tab as there is a lot going on in it but a quick tot of the hours comes up with 276, so the 250 i mentioned can't be too far out.

 

Hopefully get some better pricing elsewhere!

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 04/01/2021 at 20:42, ProDave said:

That would be just under £6000 labour at my way up north rates, and 212 points is almost certainly less than £3000 of parts

Nice estimate, had two quotes come in now and first was £5400 the other £5200 both labour only.

 

Figured its easier to compare if keep it to labour only.

 

So with that in mind, how has the first dude come up with £13500 labour plus materials (basic sockets etc).

 

I cant see how materials would be around £8k if only basic sockets etc quoted for. I asked for a breakdown, said something about a lot of wiring needed due to size and rcbos being £40 a pop for a 3ph board?‍♂️ I really need to go through the electrics tab of my QS sheet to bring it up to date so I can see whats going on with materials side of life.

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If you are doing that you should specify the materials to the contractors so you know you are comparing the same products.

 

i.e.   tell them that the consumer unit is to be Hager, metal clad, 20 ways, each circuit to be protected by RCBO, SPD fitted at incomer etc. Supply part numbers.

 

sockets- MK Logic 2 Gang complete with appropriate back box and noggin/dwang to suit, so when they fit a 25mm box and it doesn’t fit cause the MK spec says minimum box depth 35mm they aren’t hitting you with extras/day works/variations.

 

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