Water installation quote. Seems excessive.

[flanagaj]

9 hours ago, Conor said:

We (the entire utilities industry) don't install meter boxes in driveways as they get f*cked up from traffic. That main is too close to the road to avoid closing it. You might get away with it, and probably could, but as a contractor I'd be playing it safe. 

 

A 15mm meter is standard for all residential connections. 25mm MDPE is as well for most scenarios.

But where does the 2.5k on traffic management go.  It's a no through lane, so traffic lights are of no use.  They can maybe close the road.

Does it cost 2.5k to request a road closure from Highways? 

[Conor]

 

But where does the 2.5k on traffic management go.  It's a no through lane, so traffic lights are of no use.  They can maybe close the road.

Does it cost 2.5k to request a road closure from Highways? 

It'll be off a schedule of rates for the type of works, road, duration etc. they are making assumptions and taking all the risk. 3month notice will be a road closure. It's a fairly straightforward job and will be done before you know it.

[flanagaj]

I couldn't swallow the 2.5k Traffic Management, so I have declined the quote and submitted a new one.  This time I will meet the surveyor on site to discuss digging the trench in the driveway of out property so as to try and find a way to avoid the traffic management charge.  I still cannot fathom how traffic management on a no through country lane can be 2.5k.   A breakdown of the 2.5k would be good, but I am obviously not going to get one from Southern Water.

Tempted to dig the ***** hole myself, and say "there you go, you can put the connection on now"

[ProDave]

55 minutes ago, flanagaj said:

Tempted to dig the ***** hole myself, and say "there you go, you can put the connection on now"

That is more or less what I did with my electricity connection.

[saveasteading]

5 hours ago, flanagaj said:

I still cannot fathom how traffic management on a no through country lane can be 2.5k. 

When they do it, have a tot up of machine's, plant and labour and have a stab at the cost.

then probably double it for management and risks.

[flanagaj]

They really do take the ****** ****!

So I paid another £90 and submitted a revised application for our water connection, as I was hoping that having the connection in the driveway would negate the need for traffic management, but instead, they have now added on a £1000 for a nesting bird survey.

It makes my blood boil.  Is there an ombudsman, as I feel like these companies are just ripping the consumer off?

[saveasteading]

1 hour ago, flanagaj said:

these companies are just ripping the consumer off?

I think we know they are.

It's not as if you can get someone else to do it.

 

You're doing the best thing in getting options from them,  then choosing the best for you.

Is there any justification for the nesting birds survey? If the works are between now and April? Prove it by quoting the nesting season from  the Ladybird book of birds.

 

 

And I apologise ashamedly for a grocer's apostrophe in my previous message. A serious error.

[Roger440]

Seems like a bargin to me. I got a quote for £17.5K + vat for an electrical connection thats 50 feet away on my own land with me doing all the work.

 

But as Conor suggested, they just look up a table. Theres no common sense or reasoning applied.

 

Just before i moved a new build in the next village needed a water connection. Much like this one. Mains in the verge. Almost identical in fact.

 

Traffic boys turned up, set up their traffic lights for one way working and retired to their van for the rest of the day..

 

Except it was a single track road. So the passing traffic was three feet from the guy doing the work, just as it would have been without the traffic lights. Except it was now chaos because, having seen a green light you entered the section only to be greeted by another car waiting at the red light with nowhere to go. Its not a busy road, but still chaos nonetheless.

 

A classic example of the utter stupidity of the people in these organisations.

 

This excercise gave the chaps doing the work no additional protection at all, cost the homeowner an extra bunch of cash, inconvinienced everone using the road, and lined the pockets of the traffic management firm.

 

[flanagaj]

37 minutes ago, Roger440 said:

Seems like a bargin to me. I got a quote for £17.5K + vat for an electrical connection thats 50 feet away on my own land with me doing all the work.

 

But as Conor suggested, they just look up a table. Theres no common sense or reasoning applied.

 

Just before i moved a new build in the next village needed a water connection. Much like this one. Mains in the verge. Almost identical in fact.

 

Traffic boys turned up, set up their traffic lights for one way working and retired to their van for the rest of the day..

 

Except it was a single track road. So the passing traffic was three feet from the guy doing the work, just as it would have been without the traffic lights. Except it was now chaos because, having seen a green light you entered the section only to be greeted by another car waiting at the red light with nowhere to go. Its not a busy road, but still chaos nonetheless.

 

A classic example of the utter stupidity of the people in these organisations.

 

This excercise gave the chaps doing the work no additional protection at all, cost the homeowner an extra bunch of cash, inconvinienced everone using the road, and lined the pockets of the traffic management firm.

 

Best not get me started on the electrical connection.  I've been told by the surveyor that to move the pole 1.5m back to our boundary is going to be in the region of 15k.  They say they need to isolate the HV which is one LV pole away, in case the cable 'pings'.  7k charge just to isolate that.  I'm just going to serve notice on SSEN regarding said pole.  

[Russell griffiths]

TBH you’re breaking this down and analysing it because you have seen the quote. 
if they just told you it’s £4500 to connect your water you probably wouldn’t question it. 

Edited Monday at 19:16 by Russell griffiths

[ProDave]

Surely if you stipulate the install should be done outside bird nesting season they can't charge that bird nesting survey?

[Russell griffiths]

Are you thinking they are doing the whole install. 
as Dave said forget the bird nesting that is not needed it’s out of season, but also they won’t be working anywhere that needs it. 
are you not the one cutting the gap in the hedge and doing the trench up to the new house. 

[flanagaj]

5 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

Are you thinking they are doing the whole install. 
as Dave said forget the bird nesting that is not needed it’s out of season, but also they won’t be working anywhere that needs it. 
are you not the one cutting the gap in the hedge and doing the trench up to the new house. 

Yes.  I am laying the pipe inside our boundary.

I have just discovered that it is the council that is robbing me re Traffic Management.  They charge £2100 + vat for a road closure.

[Buzz]

3 hours ago, flanagaj said:

Yes.  I am laying the pipe inside our boundary.

I have just discovered that it is the council that is robbing me re Traffic Management.  They charge £2100 + vat for a road closure.

Welcome to the insane world of utility connections, you may end up paying over 6k in road closure fees for water , electric and sewers .