timselectric
If I can do it, you can do it.
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- Feb 5, 2022
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When that happens on day one. I have beans for dinner. And day two is disturbance free.
Electrician cost, is this normal now?
- Thread starter spiker611
- Start date
Absolutely!
Worked in IT for years. Went to a client's place, she started saying "shouldn't you do this, oh doesn't this mean that, oh it is doing this" and I just stopped and (politely) asked, "I thought you called me because you needed me to fix this?"
Not only that, but the incessant interruptions make it take longer to fix, which only then costs them more anyway as I was paid on an hourly rate. One guy talked my ear off over one thing after the next, slowing things down because he had so many (very unrelated) questions. After he got the bill and complained to my boss, my boss explained to him "well you did hold him there what I understand were a lot of questions." He didn't bother yakking so much after that
My friend has spread sheet for pricing based on location for the permitting and inspection hassles. Different cities within the same county can be radically different hassle factors. Some are red zones like Alviso Ca. which is a no bid. There’s a ton of work to do just make a bid and not always get the job.
Some jobs involve more general construction vs pulling copper and making connections.
And redoing old work can even be worse as once they touch it all has to be made correct.
12VoltInstalls
life passes by too quickly to not live in freedom
DPC
Canada, Great already
No, how much you make depends on a lot of things.
I make a modest living, but I'm always working regular.... thats good enough.
Guys that charge too much in a place where there is shortage of workers will kill the golden goose.
A point comes when you destroy demand with greed and ruin your business.
Guys will work themselves sick trying to be the biggest and the best.
Guys will turn them selves into the kind of people you dont like out of greed...
So you try to be in the middle of that not too much not too little and never look flashy.
You heard of meritocracy?
Well you want mediocrity.....
You want to be that modest guy thats on time on budget and never makes a big splash and people like that...
" You want what fixed???? Oh you should call uncle bumble fuck! Ya he's pretty good at fixing those things back in the day, and I bet he can set up that new one for you at a pretty decent price. "
Be that guy and your never going to be out of work...
Everyone today has this belief that you need to be the best or the fastest so you can become the richest and best known...
Naw you don't want that, you want to be reliable and modest, then no one ever has anything bad to say or tries to sabotage you.
If a job is so cut throat or smells funny odds are its not worth getting into no matter what kind of money you can make.
Some guys quote a job and run a crew like a slave driver and cut corners to make the maximum on it.
In the end thats bad for your business too because quality goes down..
Nice guys never finish last...
Dagoth Ur Does Solar
Solar Addict
This is the current state of all trade contractors in my area.
I'm sure a lot of these guys are hard working and busy, but FFS, I sure have had a lot of them quote me, accept a job, schedule a date, and then no show and ghost my phone calls.
If anyone even returns a call in the first place. I'd rather be ignored from the get-go, or given some date months out, than for them dodge the date they set up and ghost me...
I’m thinking more like the movie “Idiocracy.”
DPC
Canada, Great already
There are all kinds of ways to run a business.
If thats what you are talking about.
Absolutely some guys hire morons and give them the cheapest simple tasks to do.
This is a very short term solution to a manpower problem...
Better is to pay your workers well and pay them a bonus as a top up when you make money.
No top up when a job loses money...
If you train an employee and treat him well he is far more likely to stay on than if you hire a guy off the street trained.
More likely he has learned he is disposable and hes already looking for the next job after you...
It cost a lot to train thats why there is a shortage.
But they guys that trained their own people and compensate them well and treat them well have far less trouble.
Of go union and call the hall in...
Get guys as you need them, keep the ones you like most.
Union contractors tend to be cheaper on big jobs because they can bring in a crew fast thats well trained..
Avoid the CLAC contractors ( do you have Yellow unions in the USA they always cause trouble on a construction site )
12VoltInstalls
life passes by too quickly to not live in freedom
That is the beauty of capitalism.
I’ve been doing carpentry, metal work, painting, and construction trades on and off my whole life, interspersed with sales and some technology jobs. While I’ve never ‘ruined your (my) business” I’ve watched other people do so.
The beauty of capitalism is that the ‘market’ devolves to “the natural price of things” based on supply, consumer base, and - in reality this predominantly relates to- demand.
The market eventually suppresses greed as the consumer (demand) gets educated either willingly or by proxy of affordability.
I did not advocate gouging, I merely observed a fact. A fact that recently (through covid) demonstrated itself in a way observed in the numbers of foolish people that bought brand new cars at 120% to sometimes 150% of msrp. Currently the automotive market is also demonstrating ‘the market’ being educated by proxy and to a smaller degree willfulness.
That’s a fallacy. Not even an “intellectual leap;” a fallacy.
Observation of a fact is not reflective of one’s desires or character.
No infinitive is reflective of truth unless it’s true.
That is true on average but as an infinitive it is untrue. I’ve lost important-to-acquire bids due to the customer saying my price was too low, and I’ve been screwed $20k+ by a customer with four residences.
Nevertheless I understand your point.
I live in a not-economically advantaged region. I get some work just because ‘carpenters’ with poor skill and lots of new tools are $85/hr, and in circumstance two electricians estimated $3500 range to put in 5 recessed lights. I had a friend help me and we did it in one day (10-ish man hours, 7 of which was fishing wires through impossible places to a varnished wood ceiling) and $220 in materials.
It’s weird. But I don’t have a $700/month truck payment, either.
~ ~~~~ ~
Whether we like it or not if you don’t have the ability or desire to DIY we’re either gonna pay what the market is or go without.
Just as with many ‘subsidized’ situations we see these days many people are not motivated to work; stated another way that has been stated various ways since the 1930’s: hungry people are more inclined to work.
Long-standing trends of high costs (like electrician labor) rob all of us by inflating currency. It propagates in the future value of retained income benefit as being worth less.
DPC
Canada, Great already
You ever ask your doctor what his grades were?
Do you know where your plumber went high school??? what was his grade in french class????
The real estate agent that sold your house how much money does she make?
Do you ask these questions or care
I never ask these questions.
I just want reliable people that are not going to gouge you and don't show off and flash around a lot of cash.
I'm on a first name basis with most of these professional types and trades people sales people..
They don't look down their nose at me and I don't look up to them..
Now I have a theory, just something I noticed....
In Canada and most western countries there is a perception that show off guy that asks about how much money you make or brags about how rich they are...
Well thats considered rude and in bad taste vulgar.....
Like going into a restaurant and asking how big the burger is and asking for salt and pepper before you actually see the meal presented too you.
In the USA its considered a mark of success I think to show a lot of flash and talk about how much brass you have in your pockets..
I had one boss in my life that drive a Mercedes ( he brought it over from Germany it was 30 years old and just a summer car convertible, being a German he really loved his car )
The rest of the time he drove a plane Dodge pick up with his company name on it...
Do you know where your plumber went high school??? what was his grade in french class????
The real estate agent that sold your house how much money does she make?
Do you ask these questions or care
I never ask these questions.
I just want reliable people that are not going to gouge you and don't show off and flash around a lot of cash.
I'm on a first name basis with most of these professional types and trades people sales people..
They don't look down their nose at me and I don't look up to them..
Now I have a theory, just something I noticed....
In Canada and most western countries there is a perception that show off guy that asks about how much money you make or brags about how rich they are...
Well thats considered rude and in bad taste vulgar.....
Like going into a restaurant and asking how big the burger is and asking for salt and pepper before you actually see the meal presented too you.
In the USA its considered a mark of success I think to show a lot of flash and talk about how much brass you have in your pockets..
I had one boss in my life that drive a Mercedes ( he brought it over from Germany it was 30 years old and just a summer car convertible, being a German he really loved his car )
The rest of the time he drove a plane Dodge pick up with his company name on it...
DPC
Canada, Great already
Sometimes I do side work I don't charge at all for or do extra stuff I don't get paid for and might not have been in the scope of work.
These are very small things.
If I can help a guy out and it costs me nothing kind of things....
Money is great but a favour...
Man, Favours are worth more than gold sometimes.
I am more than willing to do a favour in good faith with a guy I know there will be pay back later....
That's not a subsidy that good business...
And ya if someone is hungry throw him a bone.
That guy might save your arse someday...
This is not how it appears to work in the USA.....
DPC
Canada, Great already
You got it.
Up here I get pissed off when I see people put orange building permits in their windows.
Its going to drive up the property taxes ( I already pay 4500 to the city
)We had some plumbing done. We got two quotes from local companies one advertises all over the place in researching this company and as we found true, they tried to charge us $12,000 for the job. The second company we heard about my mouth and quoted us 2500 of course the second company got the job they did they did great and we are well pleased with what they did. The other company if you were to research them are known for gouging the elderly. We also have a general contractor who we really like that once he accepts a job comes in doesn’t even hesitate it gets on it works until it’s done gets paid and goes home and he does not price gouge. These are the people that get hired over and over again.
Why? The one plumbing company is well respected and does quality work. The other is known for its $50 drain cleaning that invariably ends up with them finding thousands of dollars of other things that need fixing, as well as gouging the elderly. Prices have gone up a bit with all the new construction, but the first companies prices are reasonable for the area.
DPC
Canada, Great already
Hvac industry has a lot of shady people.
They pad up bills but thats because their industry is over regulated.
TSSA needed to do any sort of gas work.
I don't know any HVAC guys I like with the exception of a few retired guys that used to work at INCO combustion and just do little side jobs.
Over regulation can be as bad as under regulation.
They pad up bills but thats because their industry is over regulated.
TSSA needed to do any sort of gas work.
I don't know any HVAC guys I like with the exception of a few retired guys that used to work at INCO combustion and just do little side jobs.
Over regulation can be as bad as under regulation.
k490
Solar Enthusiast
Plumber wanted $1800 to change a $8 inlet gate valve for a water heater at 9pm at night co-workers house his water heater cracked. He told him forget it left the water shut off at the street. Arizona one of 14 states has no price gouging laws.
HVAC guys here are mostly dishonest they know when it's 120F you pay anything to get that AC going again.
HVAC guys here are mostly dishonest they know when it's 120F you pay anything to get that AC going again.
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We put in new HVAC system in May 2020. 10 years parts, 10 years labor with an annual service call. If they don't respond, I have an easy path to the courthouse for breach of contract. So, they do respond and perform repairs or service if needed because they signed that long contract.
Well, I like this post. Many doctors are not graded in medical school. Just being accepted to an American medical school is an arduous task of itself with very low probability rates. It's four years of the medical student being closely examined by professors and clinical staff to be weeded out. It's often pass or fail. It's pass national tests, pass direct clinical supervision. Doctors get hundreds of oral and written evaluations before they are allowed to practice and also are directly reviewed and scrutinized by their peers and the hospital administrations when they join a medical staff. They receive over 50 hours of advanced continuing medical education yearly and license renewals as well as testing. They directly interact with their peers daily who relay their opinions if things are going South. Still some are better at diagnosis and treatment than others and that's a fact. Very, very few physicians get by being substandard in their profession. However, even the worst of the doctors is supposed to be competent.
What separates a true professional from an amateur is that the professional has to do a quality job up to standards set in the community whether they feel like it or not, whether they are tired, stressed, have a headache or a sick family member. They do this day after day, regardless if they had a sleepless night or are getting divorced. If you are not getting the quality of work that is the normal for the community, then the job is not being professionally done.
People remember a few things that they always tell their friends: where they had a bad meal, how their doctor or dentist was, good or bad and which of their family members are nuts.
In the case of most tradesmen, you have time to get some quotes. In the case of a doctor, you may have time to choose, you may not have time to choose. And frankly, the only person who could tell you in advance if another physician is any good is another physician! Period.
Absent being a physician, I would always look for Board Certifications in the Specialty, a quality education from an American, Canadian or Western European medical school and then training in the USA at quality programs and lastly, someone with at least 5 years or more practicing, but younger than age 70. This tells you that the doctor has interacted with many, many people who would identify and have them retrained or removed rather than let them skate by.
The vast majority of these numbnuts pushed an experimental gene therapy drug on the Public. The competent ones that were skeptical or offered alternate solutions were threaten and sometimes lost their licenses to practice by the AMA.
12VoltInstalls
life passes by too quickly to not live in freedom
No it’s not. That’s arrogant self importance.
Of course it is not a subsidy. You are not The Government.
You are totally missing the point because
…you are prejudicial
There are plenty of good people in the US.
I’m not a licensed electrician but I get asked about doing electrical often (I can legally do single family without a license here) as well as plumbing. I give a guesstimate but often I neglect to ever bill my time (but they buy ‘parts’) because these are often desperate people who have families or older folks. Their plumbing/heating/electrician gave them a price they couldn’t afford and they didn’t take it.
And I’m for sure not the only one. Even Will P just about gives away his Solar book, and look at all the ‘privileged’ people with helicopters that aided the NC hurricane disaster.
Canadians don’t own the corner on charity.
Q-Dog
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
What medical schools have you attended?
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