Hiring an electrician
We just moved into a new "old" house and have a list of about 2 dozen electrical tasks that need done around the house. I spoke with one electrical services company about doing the work, and they quoted me $135/hour for the first hour and $120/hour after that, and said they couldn't give me an estimate of materials cost until after the job is done. Have others been quoted a similar hourly rate? And is it the norm to not be given a materials estimate until after? I can see how with a long list like ours, a materials cost quote might be tricky, but even a general range would be helpful. Advice?
Feb 15, 2017
Parent Replies
That's ridiculous. Get in touch with Sid Sattler. http://www.sattlerelectric.com/contact.html He did a lot of work for me in a 1920s Berkeley bungalow, and was always up front (and reasonably accurate) with an estimate of the costs -- replacing an old fuse box with circuit breakers, bringing wiring in the basement up to code, etc.
We used Garcia and Son Electric about 1 year ago for several small jobs that took about 1 day total to do-- they came over and then sent us an a single quote for the 3-4 items that needed fixing. They are booked out 1-2 months in advance a lot, but I really appreciated their approach so that I could budget properly so I liked working with them.
Try Earle at 510-436-4787. He is an old timer who has been around for a long time and his prices are very reasonable. I have used him numerous times for various projects.
We hired Fighting Amish Electric to help upgrade our old electrical setup, and it was a great experience. They provided a very detailed estimate up front (quite different from what you're describing). I highly recommend! (Although I get the impression that they're busy, since many others have also heard that they do great work - so they might not be able to get started right away).
This doesn't sound quite right. We use Garcia and Sons. We walk them through the list of things we need done and they give us an estimate. They will talk through different options with us, giving us an idea of cost on the spot. I would call them!!