Labor Only To Rope A House..

curranelectric

Had a Home Owner that is building a custom home that is 2 story 3300 sq/ft ask if I would be interested in wiring his house and he will supply all materials and install all boxes in place, and extra labor. He sid he will do all the grunt work like drill studs and crawling around under home if needed. All I have to do is run wire from main to boxes, make sure all 3 and 4 ways are done, Hot Test, and tell him if there is any thing needed to code. He said his cheapest bid is $3700.00 as of now. I'm in Calif if that helps. Can anyone tell me if that sounds far?

send_it_all

Not for that big a house. Keep in mind that you will spend more time than you think waiting for him/coaching him to do the aforementioned grunt work. He sounds like one of them frugal types who is going to nickle and dime you. Why on earth would he want to skimp on the only part of the job that could kill him if it's F'd up?

Speedy Petey

Curran, this is a very typical thing to be asked. I, like most guys, tell the customer flat out NO, I do NOT work that way.
Everything you described is textbook cheapskate. If not that then misinformed bozo is a good term.
Folks think they can "install all the boxes", "do all the grunt work", "drill all the holes" and the kicker "provide all the material". Strikes 1..2..3...and..4!
I can't tell you how may times I have heard these exact statements.

You have no idea what it takes to "coach" someone totally green how to wire a whole house. You will definitely have as much time in this job as if you did the whole thing.

The fact that he is looking for the lowest bidder is even WORSE!

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joasis

You must be out of work to consider such a proposition. If that job were in Oklahoma, it would also be illegal unless you are present all the time, watching him while he pulls wire.

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thom

My take is different. If you need the work do it. Write your contract very carefully. You should be able to rope it in in 3 days, 4 tops. Clearly spell out that you are contract labor, he is the responsible party. Don't do permits for him.

A day or two before you rope, mark all the hole locations on the stud faces with a sharpie. Make sure all the boxes are installed and all the holes are drilled prior to starting. You could put a $2 per hole penalty in the contract for every marked hole not drilled. If handled correctly you should be able to get the trim work when he finds he's overwhelmed with all the other stuff he must do to finish the project. You should be able to supply labor only for the price of labor and materials.

randomkiller

I think you carazy if you do it that way for that price. Tell him your normal rate is $10k for a house that size if you turnkey the job, $15k if he really insists that he does some of the work.

Celtic

Where's the "savings" in that?

He will be "on-site" doing layout type work for .....free?


Run.....run and never look back.
The HO is trying to be frugal now.....wait until it is time to settle up and see what you get.

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fridaymean

NO WAY!!! Homeowners have no idea of the costs of a business. If you are considering this, maybe you do not either. NEVER work for someone that is flat out looking for the cheepest price. How can you tell him how much your labor will be if you do nto know if he is even going to have it "boxed" to code.

The only way to word your contract is: " X$/ hr. To be paid in full when rough is complete."

Sound like this IS one of those jobs. FLEE, RUN!

Mike Finley

Personally I don't see anything wrong with the scenario except for friday pointed out and that's doing it T&M. Doing it fixed cost would be out right silly if not just plain dumb, as stated for all the reasons everybody else aready said about the reality of what you will experience.

But, hell if he agrees to T&M, just spell it all out, spell out your mark-up for materials you end up supplying and go for it. The balls in your court, I'd even suggest writing it that you get paid at the end of each day.

mdshunk

I guarantee you that you'll have the following problems, among others:

1) Boxes in the wrong places
2) Too shallow of boxes
3) boxes at odd heights
4) Not enough boxes
5) counter receptacle boxes improperly spaced
6) Holes not drilled within the centers of the studs
7) missing bored holes
8) wire run in curly que's
9) not enough home runs
10) wrong wire gauge to certain places

I'd do one of three things, depending on how much I liked or disliked this person
1) bid it like a normal job, and totaly forget that he's doing anything. if he does some stuff, bonus for you
2) bid it like he wants, with contract language that you drop to time and material for anything he promised to do that was done wrong or not done at all
3) do it straight time and material, but maybe farm it out.

Like Speedy says, this is pretty much textbook for a cheapskate GC. This isn't the type of person you can build a business on.

joasis

Maybe my state is the only one this would be illegal in, I guess the rest of you have a little less restrictions. A HO in Oklahoma may do his own wiring, plumbing, hvac, just whatever he takes a notion to try......but, he must follow code and have his work inspected. This applies only to a HO occupying the home, so the bottom line here is a new home, under construction, is off limits by strict definition. And further, if caught pulling wire and not even making the connections, he would be cited for not being at least an apprentice working under a journeyman on site. Anyone else have similar laws?

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reveivl

Ours here in BC are similar, a HO can wire his own home. One job I am familiar with, I was doing a bunch of construction, but not wiring, of course, the electrical inspector asked the HO all kinds of questions about why he had used this box, or that marrett, or this device, or that gauge wire. All to make sure that it was, in fact, the HO doing the work and not some hack fly-by-nighting on the HO's permit.

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From where does knowledge come? If you need to know what is in a box, you could ask someone (not reliable), you could pray, (not useful), you can consult with the scripture (not helpful) or you could open the box (science)

carjam

and run fast. I just went to a job last week. 24x26 garage detached from the house. Customer wanted a sub-panel 100 amp and a recep every 3rd stud space. I gave him a price and he pooped himself. He wanted to run all the wire do all the boxing and hang all the fixtures. Wanted me to give him a price to tie down receps and terminate sub-panel feeders. I doubled my price and looked him straight in the face when I told him. He says "why 2x as much?" I told him I have to pull the permit and my insurance is on the line...who are you gonna sue when you drive that romex staple too tight? yourself?.....I'm thinking the guy who pulled the permit!! Haven't heard back yet. whew

Speedy Petey

Show of hands:
Who has heard the term "Hook-ups"?
As in "I'll do all the (easy) grunt work and I'll have an electrician do all the "hookups".
Like tying into the panel is the hard part.

Don't cha love it!

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Chris Johnson

Anybody remember Seinfeld when George lost his keys, contracted with the guys from the city to dig up the asphalt, too expensive, tried another route still too expensive, finally paid the city guys to let him do the work with their tools? What happened? Disaster!! Moral of the story (It was funny on Seinfeld) but this could be you.

The show about nothing actually taught me something

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Chris

randomkiller

Ask th HO if he would like to go to a surgeon that would just quarterize the wounds and sew him up after a do it yourself vasectomy.

Bubbles

I would charge hourly. Show up in morning and mark and instruct. Take off and go make some money somewhere else. Show up next day and see what they screwed up and instruct again. Repeat as necessary and make sure you get paid daily. Don't put your name on any permits as well.

Celtic

That would illegal here in NJ....possibly elsewhere also.

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Sparky Joe

Wouldn't it just go against the general for allowing the HO to wire his own house?

Speedy Petey

What if there is no general?

I am seeing less and less "real" general contractors lately. Either the carpenter or the H-O act as the general in most cases, but rarely an official GC.

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