Ken Fenner
Active member
Let me wrap a quick story of the past week or so with my mother-in-law. Her daughter Colleen owns a house paid for and maintained by the M-I-L.
One day her microwave shorts out. Out comes a master electrician. He reports that there needs to be some major rewiring. How major? Well he talks my M-I-L into purchasing a new water heater, washer, dryer and new microwave. He replaces the panel downstairs and runs a new line to the subpanel behind the microwave. $16,000. Three days work.
Colleen decides she wants new ceiling fans. New lines have to be run from that sub panel. $2000. Says he will only be there a couple of hours.
When he and his helper get there they find some faulty wiring (extension cord wire in the ceiling). The house is old. I get involved when he says he now needs an additional $3200 to run a few more lines and circuits or he has to walk away from the job. My M.I.L hung up on him but the walls are already open and wires are hanging.
I go talk to this guy and his partner. He tells me they have been in business 22 years (which they have been). Clean bill of health with the BBB.. legitimate accreditation, member of all electrician associations, thousands of customers and references, 7 trucks in the field etc etc. So he finishes the job. I inspect. Top notch work of course but the bottom line is..
This guy and his partner billed $21,200 for 35 hours on the jobsite. materials on the high end could not have been more than $2000 including appliances, panel, 12/3, etc.
The funniest part was that he was ADAMANT that we got a great deal. We worry about selling $1,200 deckjobs? Will the Fireman can't sleep at night charging more than $250 for a house wash? Like I mentioned, we are in the worng business. No, actually the funniest part of the story is that this guy says the entire house needs to be rewired and that he would do it for a good customer discount of another $15,000!
One day her microwave shorts out. Out comes a master electrician. He reports that there needs to be some major rewiring. How major? Well he talks my M-I-L into purchasing a new water heater, washer, dryer and new microwave. He replaces the panel downstairs and runs a new line to the subpanel behind the microwave. $16,000. Three days work.
Colleen decides she wants new ceiling fans. New lines have to be run from that sub panel. $2000. Says he will only be there a couple of hours.
When he and his helper get there they find some faulty wiring (extension cord wire in the ceiling). The house is old. I get involved when he says he now needs an additional $3200 to run a few more lines and circuits or he has to walk away from the job. My M.I.L hung up on him but the walls are already open and wires are hanging.
I go talk to this guy and his partner. He tells me they have been in business 22 years (which they have been). Clean bill of health with the BBB.. legitimate accreditation, member of all electrician associations, thousands of customers and references, 7 trucks in the field etc etc. So he finishes the job. I inspect. Top notch work of course but the bottom line is..
This guy and his partner billed $21,200 for 35 hours on the jobsite. materials on the high end could not have been more than $2000 including appliances, panel, 12/3, etc.
The funniest part was that he was ADAMANT that we got a great deal. We worry about selling $1,200 deckjobs? Will the Fireman can't sleep at night charging more than $250 for a house wash? Like I mentioned, we are in the worng business. No, actually the funniest part of the story is that this guy says the entire house needs to be rewired and that he would do it for a good customer discount of another $15,000!