Expensive quote

Discussion in 'Electricians' Talk' started by cris316, Sep 20, 2022.

  1. cris316

    cris316 New Member

    I've just got a quote for a landlord electrical safety certificate through my estate agent which has and came at £480 to change the old consumer unit to the metal one now required. This is on top of the £150 he's charged to do the check. The last 2 I've had done recently cost £350 for the certificate and the consumer unit charging. Im a spark in a factory (no 18th edition) so I know what's involved.
    The whole idea of getting an estate agent to do this for me was to take the stress away but now I'm going to be checking everything to make sure I'm not getting ripped off anyway.
    Do I just have to accept I've had my pants pulled down and go back to the original spark,or can I do something about the high quote?
     
  2. ElecCEng

    ElecCEng Screwfix Select

    Neither is a bad price actually. Bear in mind prices are increasing rapidly at the moment. Go back to your agent and ask for an explanation of the difference in price
     
  3. chesterw

    chesterw Well-Known Member

    Estate agents do pull down peoples pants, and they sell houses and manage rentals. Tell them you're going to get your own spark, on the other hand the price isn't bad and there won't be any extras because he's already checked the installation. What did the inspection report say?
     
  4. cris316

    cris316 New Member

    Just consumer unit needed replacing which I knew about anyway. He also quoted £60 for one piece of earth bonding
     
  5. The Happy Builder

    The Happy Builder Screwfix Select

    Take away the estate agents cut that takes it down to around £420 and then VAT that leaves £336 for the materials and labour.

    You try doing it for less.
     
  6. Coloumb

    Coloumb Screwfix Select

    I presume you mean changing the CU? Why does your spark say it needs changing? If you already had two changed for less why not just get the same spark to do this one?
     
    rogerk101 and BiancoTheGiraffe like this.
  7. The Happy Builder

    The Happy Builder Screwfix Select

    Realistically a BG main switch consumer unit with six RCBOs and a Surge Protection Device with a MCB plus a tails gland and sundries such as a grommet kit is at least £180 to buy, so should be charged to the customer at at least £200 without tails or other bits and pieces.

    The days of sixty quid consumer units have gone, welcome to 2022, £480 for the complete job through a letting agent is a very reasonable price.
     
  8. cris316

    cris316 New Member

    Its a plastic CU they need to be metal now. I would have used the original guy but the estate agent I signed up with had their own team, i will be using the original for any future properties.
     
  9. adgjl

    adgjl Screwfix Select

    No they don’t, unless in an escape route. There is still the option as far as I know for building a fire proof enclosure round it.
     
  10. BiancoTheGiraffe

    BiancoTheGiraffe Screwfix Select

    Not true... There is no requirement to change a perfectly good CU just because the regs have changed
     
  11. The Happy Builder

    The Happy Builder Screwfix Select

    It has not been said what is actually wrong with the old one, presumably this is a property @cris316 has just bought to let out for the first time, otherwise this work would have been done a couple of years ago, so it is just part of the cost of preparing the property to let out and should have been included in budget.
     
    cris316 likes this.
  12. Coloumb

    Coloumb Screwfix Select

    The cu can reside in the escape route but the connections within it need to be verified for soundness and re-tested every 5 years etc.
     
  13. Coloumb

    Coloumb Screwfix Select

    Get a picture of the cu up. So long as the socket ctts. are rcd'ed 90% of the time it's ok.
     
  14. The Happy Builder

    The Happy Builder Screwfix Select

    As an electrician I would ensure that the report placed the responsibility for any inaction on you as a landlord.
     
  15. Coloumb

    Coloumb Screwfix Select

    Inaction for what?
     
  16. The Happy Builder

    The Happy Builder Screwfix Select

    People tend to jump in and tell people they need an RCBO consumer unit on this forum, have a look at the latest offer from Screwfix, it is currently coming up at £189.99 on Electrifix then it needs a SPD with a 32A MCB and tails, as well as a grommet kit and possibly a tails gland kit along with other sundries.

    BRITISH GENERAL FORTRESS 12-MODULE 8-WAY POPULATED MAIN SWITCH CONSUMER UNIT (332PX)

    We don’t know what the electrician has specified for the consumer change or why the existing consumer unit is no longer acceptable, but price wise considering the work is being done through a letting agent the price is a good one, assuming that it’s not the electricians intention to fit a consumer unit with Type AC RCDs from the clearance section without a SPD.

    It is totally wrong to say this is expensive without considering what you are getting for your money, you are just coming over as a whinging landlord posting on an Electricians Discussion Forum, whilst claiming to be an electrician yourself.
     
  17. Ind spark

    Ind spark Screwfix Select

    I wouldn't want anything but an rcbo board, there's no reason to fit split load boards anymore.
     
    rogerk101 likes this.
  18. cris316

    cris316 New Member

    Behave mate I'm not whinging at all... I even liked one of your previous comments as I can see where you're coming from. I've said the last 2 cost 350 including the certificate. I'd say the difference between 630 and 350 is big enough to question.
    And I am a spark, in a factory.... mostly robots, plcs etc so no i dont claim to know everything on the subject but I certainly don't know anything......Definitely enough to know that £60 for some bonding when he's already at the job is taking the p*ss.
    My closest mates are all in some trade or other, I know there's all kinds of costs that most customers factor into a quote.
     
  19. Tony Goddard

    Tony Goddard Screwfix Select

    £60 may be reasonable or not, depending on what it entailed, if he was replacing a bonding cable 4 foot long from CU to gas pipe when already there changing the CU, then yes, thats taking the mick, if however he has to run it from the CU through a few walls to say the water main, then it could be an hours work, when you add materials, that can reasonably be £60.

    The cost of electrical materials remained pretty flat all through the pandemic period, when other building staples like plaster went silly - however now we have seen sharp increases, some manufacturers have increased by upwards of 40% to the wholesalers, and that then reflects in our prices to do the work even though the hourly rate may be much the same.

    Out of interest, why did he condemn the CU, plastic isn't a reason, on that you may have justifiable grounds to grumble.
     
  20. cris316

    cris316 New Member

    The estate agent hasn't gave me any info on why the CU failed, I'm currently trying to get that from them.
     

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