Cost of a sparky

[stallie]

Hi,

Just had gas ducted heating put in as well as an on demand hot water system.

Needed a sparky to put in two double outdoor plugs. power was already to the old hot water site, he just had to run the wires inside the wall to the hot water unit - about 2m away. It was a fiddly job in the cavity and a bit awkward to get access behind, but OK.

He took 2.5 hours for the job which I'm not disputing due to the above.

However the $400 bill I'm not happy with - what's a reasonable rate these days? He's local, and sent his offsider.

And couldn't come on the day we asked him too as he got too busy; he came three days later (although this wasn't a huge issue).

[bob10]

Hi,

Just had gas ducted heating put in as well as an on demand hot water system.

Needed a sparky to put in two double outdoor plugs. power was already to the old hot water site, he just had to run the wires inside the wall to the hot water unit - about 2m away. It was a fiddly job in the cavity and a bit awkward to get access behind, but OK.

He took 2.5 hours for the job which I'm not disputing due to the above.

However the $400 bill I'm not happy with - what's a reasonable rate these days? He's local, and sent his offsider.

And couldn't come on the day we asked him too as he got too busy; he came three days later (although this wasn't a huge issue).


Ripped off, Bob

[ramblingboy42]

I believe $110/hr labour is about average.

[bob10]

I believe $110/hr labour is about average.


Not so. Did you get a quote? Bob

[Blknight.aus]

I can see $400 If I squint a bit.

$100/hr
$100 call out fee
$25 consumables
+GST.


for that money tho I would have expected the tradesman, not the apprentice and it would have wanted to eb a mickey mouse job. not some daffy duck show.

[uninformed]

Most electrical tradies working for builders are charging $65-$75/hr here on the GC. That would be higher for domestic call out work.

Dont forget apart from normal running costs they have licence fees, public liability fees, private insurance fees etc.

No matter if he is paying his offsider less, it would cost him more to have him (work cover etc)

I can only dream of being able to charge as much as the $65/hr as a carpenter and I just cant see why we are conisdered the amount less we are....

[Blknight.aus]

Still stuns me that when Im trying to use an obvious money grab price (well to me) to discourage people from getting me to do a job I dont want to do that some people are still willing to pay..

$150/hr for a no insurance wheel bearing change on a cruiser and I stabbed for $100 call out fee with travel time calculated as labour hours and he was to provide all parts and consumables (which he said he had already)...

the guy was still happy to pay it........

[scarry]

Geez wish we could get $100/hr and $100 call out,even with GST.

Done that heaps of times,quote really high because you don't want the job,then they call and want it done.Sometimes i still won't do it,the 'too busy' line comes in handy.

All fun and games.

[Vern]

My bill for that would have come in at approx $300 Inc.
Labour, 2.5 x $65 = $162.50
Material and certification = $107.00
Total = $269.50
Gst = $26.95
Final total. = $296.45.

He's charging a tad much. Ask for an itemized bill. (He'll hate that):)

[stallie]

Thanks all.

I'd expected somewhere around the $300 mark tops. I'll report back what he says….

[stallie]

Just got the SMS invoice on the wife's phone.

2 wp gpo $100
1 single pole safety switch $55
3 hrs labour $210
cable fixings and silicone $35

cash total - $400…..


and he was there 2.5 hours according to the mrs.

[eckwalsh]

Just got the SMS invoice on the wife's phone.

2 wp gpo $100
1 single pole safety switch $55
3 hrs labour $210
cable fixings and silicone $35

cash total - $400…..


and he was there 2.5 hours according to the mrs.

As an electrical contractor myself the brakedown costs seem about the same as what I charge. The thing is he may have been there for 2.5 hrs but there is the travel time, picking up the gear time, doing the paperwork/invoicing time. He would have had to pay the guy from when he left the workshop not just the time he was at your place. All this at only $70 per hour. And he has sold you the gear at less than retail price. And I mean from a wholesaler and not the cheap bunnings/big W or where ever cheap crap. If it was $400 was just Labour then it would be expensive but seeing as how halve the price is materials then that is reasonable

[rovercare]

If he had to fit rcd that would add to cost, maybe 1 to convert old hws to rcd protection and one for the other circuit used? 2 rcbo would be $40 each and near the same for 2 weatherproof gpos. Does seem dear though

Local dude here used to charge $180 for a hws reconnect, 1 visit as plumber would disconnect, good price gouging

[ramblingboy42]

jeez guys.....put your hands in your pockets.

so many Australians buy stuff from overseas or beat local prices down then cry like hell because the local service provider goes out of business.

it's also one of the reasons our manufacturing is closing down everywhere.

it's not up to the government to institute rescue packages for businesses

its up to you , the consumer , to pay the necessary price for services rendered so that the provider can continue to offer the services that you are too bloody stingey to pay

[Tombie]

I'm currently not using my specific trade or training in my current role...

And I would not (by choice) work for $65.00 an hour

As Rambling boy mentioned, these guys also want a bite of the cherry, yet we continue to try to short change them.
Cost of living, business expenses, wages, overheads all add up and the owner wants the good old Aussie dream as much as the next guy...

If you got what you wanted, and the guy did a good job, and the price wasn't to bad then let it be.

Better to pay a little more and get what you want, than to pay a little less, be unhappy or have a poor quality job.

I can do a simple oil and filter change for $120.00 or $200.00
Which oil and filters would you like me to use ;)

[bob10]

I'll give you all a tip. Get to know your local tradies. Get involved with your local communities. It then becomes the old " you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours". There is always something some one can do for some one. Our local tradies are never out of work, but they don't charge like wounded bulls either. It's a win, win. Bob

[djam1]

Cost of a Sparky in the Pilbara can be up to $190 per hour
$120-$130 for a cheapie around town

[superquag]

As mentioned... we're already paying for it now, with 'cheaper' electrical hardware...that IS cheap and not so well made, materials and/or fitting together.

Simple stuff like lighting mechs... all the old Clipsal/HPM stuff in my own and In-Law's houses still work perfectly. Clean, positive and identical 'feel'. No failures. Even look so good (moulding quality) that you don't notice them.
But on our extensions, 15 years old, I've replaced two, and another one should go as well... Nearly 20%. No prizes where they're manufactured. Sure they have all the relevant A/NZ numbers, but something about the 'feel' of them makes them...noticeable.

Quite honestly, I've salvaged better (Aussie made) GPOs than the last Bunnings-brand one I bought, and which I'd not be confident about drawing max-current for any length of time.

[bob10]

Cost of a Sparky in the Pilbara can be up to $190 per hour
$120-$130 for a cheapie around town


Would that be commensurate with the local average income? Bob

[djam1]

Bob yes thats a fair comment.
I think the wheels are falling off though as things slow the cost of everything is still very high.
Just less and less people living here due to the slowdown.

[stallie]

its up to you , the consumer , to pay the necessary price for services rendered so that the provider can continue to offer the services that you are too bloody stingey to pay


Calm down - I'm not too stingy to pay the necessary price for the service. I was querying what the necessary price was.

I work for my money - I'm not going to give it away for nothing.

$400 seemed a bit high for what was done, but someone else has explained that it is actually not unreasonable. That's fine by me.

[uninformed]

The problem is not what most tradies charge, its what some under charge and what the average person thinks the price should be. (with no clue of what it costs to go to work and do the work)

[modman]

I'm 'the local sparkie'
This is a standard fill the gap job with me, booked at my chosen time
A decent electrician should have that gear in his bus
I charge $100 the first hour and $75 after that. Gst included.
I charge more for outdoor gpos ( only use clipsal)
I quote high for sdb work though( it can turn to poo once opened)
Price seems ok.
David

[Homestar]

You should take a look at specialist prices these days. Had to get someone to look at one of our machines - $138 per hour + GST from the time they leave their workshop to the time they get home. On top on that is $1.50 per KM, so the job they did - which was a 600KM round trip cost more than $3K - no parts included. He was on site for no more than an hour - did he fix it - yes. The job was worth $85K for the weekend, so a no brainer IMO.

Up until recently I kept my insurances current so I could earn a bit more on the weekends - I only do industrial control - PLC's, microprocessor controls, etc, but everyone only want to pay absolute bottom dollar. I quote a price and they say "Joe blogs does it for $30 an hour less". What the don't take into account is that "Joe Blogs" doesn't specialise in that sort of work and it takes him twice as long, and then may not get it right.

I was at an old quarry not so long ago trying to sort out some botched wiring someone had done years before that had started to become unreliable. The owner had previously told me I was too expensive but called me in as he said "no one else is available". I found the issues and rectified them in just a couple of hours. He admitted afterwards that he had had some one else there the entire day the previous Saturday - and they didn't fix it.

The moral? You get what you pay for.