# price to replace a electrical outlet



## bebeard (Jul 14, 2011)

*a little help with pricing...*

hi all,

I am bidding a job, and the client has asked me to finish staining and polyurethaning some kitchen cabinets. I have never bid a job like this and was wondering if anyone could point me in some direction on how to bid it.

thanks,

brook


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

bebeard said:


> hi all,
> 
> I am bidding a job, and the client has asked me to finish staining and polyurethaning some kitchen cabinets. I have never bid a job like this and was wondering if anyone could point me in some direction on how to bid it.
> 
> ...


Time and materials.


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## bebeard (Jul 14, 2011)

I am bidding a job and they are asking me to replace all the outlets with new ones of a different colour. What should I expect to charge per outlet to replace? 

thanks, 

Brook


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## Speedy Petey (Feb 1, 2004)

Are you an electrician?
Are you qualified/licensed/insured to do electrical work?

You should _expect_ to charge what it takes to run your business and make some money. Do you know what those numbers are??? 
NO ONE can tell you what YOU should charge. NO ONE!


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## bebeard (Jul 14, 2011)

*Replace Electrical Outlets*

I'm a handyman that has ventured out on his own. I have been in construction business for about 20 yrs and have replacement many of outlets but am trying to determine how to charge / bill my client. I found a website saying I should charge in upward of $25 per outlet and that seemed excessive.

Just trying to get some help.

Thanks,

Brook


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

bebeard said:


> I'm a handyman that has ventured out on his own. I have been in construction business for about 20 yrs and have replacement many of outlets but am trying to determine how to charge / bill my client. I found a website saying I should charge in upward of $25 per outlet and that seemed excessive.
> 
> Just trying to get some help.
> 
> ...


So are you bonded & insured in your locality to perform this work.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Look up how much typical electricians charge per hour, figure how long it takes you to change an outlet, add maybe 25% more time to factor in if you hit a hard one (wire too short for example). Then do that math, and charge that.

Now that I got that answered, if you are an electrician, I'd figure you would already know this, if you just decided you want to start doing electrical for others, do realize there may be some political stuff involved here, such as they'll expect you to be licensed, insured, etc... you can't just go do that stuff. You may be good and know what you're doing and do as good of a job as an electrician, but if you don't have those papers you could find yourself in hot water.


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## bebeard (Jul 14, 2011)

*Finishing Cabinets..*

Thanks for the response... 

how would you figure the cost? I understand T&M, but would you inform the client that it was a t&m and your rate?

thanks,

brook


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## bobelectric (Mar 3, 2007)

To begin : make sure you have a grounding wire or means.Then take material cost x115%+hourly wage+overhead+profit= total job price
/# of units=$ per unit.


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## mpoulton (Jul 23, 2009)

bebeard said:


> I am bidding a job and they are asking me to replace all the outlets with new ones of a different colour. What should I expect to charge per outlet to replace?
> 
> thanks,
> 
> Brook


I'd say a few bucks each plus the cost of the receptacle. If they are very expensive receptacles in a high-end environment, you might push $10 apiece profit. Standard recepts in a middle class venue, maybe $3-5 each. It should take less than 2 minutes each once you get rolling, 5 minutes per GFCI. You might run into one or two that are "weird" for some reason and take 10-15 minutes to solve some problem, but it should be a quick job. I replaced all the receptacles in my 1900sqft house in under an hour.

Make sure you do it right. Test each one with a receptacle tester to confirm the wiring is correct (you never know what weird crap someone else did inside the walls that you can't see...) and have the owner get an electrician to fix any problems.

And don't even think about working hot. Not only is it stupid, it will slow you down and kill your profit margin. Just shut off the main and GO.

Note: Having the right tools and a good bit of experience is the key to achieving this speed. Use a light but fast drill/driver with a quick change bit holder: slotted for the plates, square drive for the terminals. A good variable trigger matters. Being able to instantly cut/strip with plain wire cutters is a useful skill too. Un-package all your new plates and recepts in advance and carry them with you in separate bags, with another bag for the old ones. At a profit of $5-10 per recept (whatever you can get away with), you should make hundreds per hour on this job.


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## 12penny (Nov 21, 2008)

Time+Material+Overhead+Profit=Cost


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

bebeard said:


> Thanks for the response...
> 
> how would you figure the cost? I understand T&M, but would you inform the client that it was a t&m and your rate?
> 
> ...


Customers don't want to hear an open ended cost scenario. So you would figure out how long the job would take you to do. How much the materials will cost. And as 12Penny said add profit and overhead. You add that all up and there's your estimate. 
That's the figure you give to the homeowner.


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## rjniles (Feb 5, 2007)

mpoulton said:


> I'd say a few bucks each plus the cost of the receptacle. If they are very expensive receptacles in a high-end environment, you might push $10 apiece profit. Standard recepts in a middle class venue, maybe $3-5 each. It should take less than 2 minutes each once you get rolling, 5 minutes per GFCI. You might run into one or two that are "weird" for some reason and take 10-15 minutes to solve some problem, but it should be a quick job. I replaced all the receptacles in my 1900sqft house in under an hour.
> 
> Make sure you do it right. Test each one with a receptacle tester to confirm the wiring is correct (you never know what weird crap someone else did inside the walls that you can't see...) and have the owner get an electrician to fix any problems.
> 
> ...


I would hire you but I don't want to work for you I think your time estimates are pie in the sky, no one could work that fast.


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## design_lover13 (Jul 15, 2011)

Try to feel out how willing they are to find someone else to do the job. Even better: try to get a quote from other local contractors by describing the job and use those numbers as a starting point.


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

How about this, be honest with the customer and tell them you have no experience with this and it would be in their best interest to find someone else that does.


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## Joe Carola (Apr 14, 2006)

bebeard said:


> Thanks for the response...
> 
> how would you figure the cost? I understand T&M, but would you inform the client that it was a t&m and your rate?
> 
> ...


How can you be in business for yourself if you don't know this and asking this on a DIY'er forum?


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## TheDoorGuy (Jun 23, 2010)

design_lover13 said:


> Even better: try to get a quote from other local contractors by describing the job and use those numbers as a starting point.


Please don't waste a professional contractor's time by getting them to go 
to the time and effort of supplying a bid to do a job that you want to do
yourself but are afraid or too lazy to do the planning and bid yourself.

That's really bad form.

RC/DG


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## DannyT (Mar 23, 2011)

have you ever done staining and polyurethane on kitchen cabinets?


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## design_lover13 (Jul 15, 2011)

TheDoorGuy said:


> Please don't waste a professional contractor's time by getting them to go
> to the time and effort of supplying a bid to do a job that you want to do
> yourself but are afraid or too lazy to do the planning and bid yourself.
> 
> ...


Sorry let me clarify, I mean to simply get a rough estimate, not actually call a contractor out to look at the job. Call up a local one and just toss out the details and ask for a rough estimate. Adjust yours based on what seems to be the going rate modified by how long it would take you, that is all.

Unless this is also considered bad form?


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

design_lover13 said:


> Sorry let me clarify, I mean to simply get a rough estimate, not actually call a contractor out to look at the job. Call up a local one and just toss out the details and ask for a rough estimate. Adjust yours based on what seems to be the going rate modified by how long it would take you, that is all.
> 
> Unless this is also considered bad form?


Let us know how that turns out.


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## Joe Carola (Apr 14, 2006)

design_lover13 said:


> Try to feel out how willing they are to find someone else to do the job. Even better: try to get a quote from other local contractors by describing the job and use those numbers as a starting point.


That is the worst thing I've ever heard in my life.


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## Joe Carola (Apr 14, 2006)

design_lover13 said:


> Sorry let me clarify, I mean to simply get a rough estimate, not actually call a contractor out to look at the job. Call up a local one and just toss out the details and ask for a rough estimate. Adjust yours based on what seems to be the going rate modified by how long it would take you, that is all.
> 
> Unless this is also considered bad form?


2nd worst thing I've ever heard of. Quit while you're not ahead. You have know idea what you are talking about.


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## 12penny (Nov 21, 2008)

bebeard...I'm afraid you'll have to do this just like everyone else. Break the job down into manageable pieces, figure how much time each piece will take to do, add it all together for total time, multiply times your hourly wage and then add overhead and profit. 

Thats the way we all do it, sometimes you win sometimes you lose. But the next time someone wants you to do this kind of work you should have it all dialed in.


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## JJ Bailer (Oct 5, 2013)

*The price you charge for electrical outlet changing*



bebeard said:


> I am bidding a job and they are asking me to replace all the outlets with new ones of a different colour. What should I expect to charge per outlet to replace?
> 
> thanks,
> 
> Brook


 I recently did a house changing every outlet, switch, dimmer, and so on. I charge $5.00 for each and every one, plus the cost of the switch. I checked my time and just going normal speed I was replacing 10 switches per hour. Do the math and that comes out to $50.00 an hour.


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## rjniles (Feb 5, 2007)

JJ Bailer said:


> I recently did a house changing every outlet, switch, dimmer, and so on. I charge $5.00 for each and every one, plus the cost of the switch. I checked my time and just going normal speed I was replacing 10 switches per hour. Do the math and that comes out to $50.00 an hour.


If you are a licensed electrician, you will not stay in business long at that rate.


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## Jim Port (Sep 21, 2007)

They also dragged up a 2 year old thread.


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## Speedy Petey (Feb 1, 2004)

JJ Bailer said:


> I recently did a house changing every outlet, switch, dimmer, and so on. I charge $5.00 for each and every one, plus the cost of the switch. I checked my time and just going normal speed I was replacing 10 switches per hour. Do the math and that comes out to $50.00 an hour.


Oooooo.....a whole $50.


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## Speedy Petey (Feb 1, 2004)

rjniles said:


> If you are a licensed electrician, you will not stay in business long at that rate.


What's the overhead of driving the wife's minivan and not having insurance? I guess $50 seems like a lot to some. :no:


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## rrolleston (Oct 17, 2011)

$25 sounds very fair to me and $50 per gfi. But if I am just showing up to install one one receptacle it would be $100 or 125 for a gfi. All receptacles have to be TR and any outside have to be TR WR. We only carry TR WR GFI's because they supply house has them for like 12 bucks each when purchased in bulk and we can use them anywhere


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## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

I personally like steak, and not hamburgs and hotdogs, so my price is going to be a bit more....besides, if you are calling me, its obvious you cannot do the job yourself, so that means my time is worth something, so I expect to be paid for my skill. 

My favorite saying i heard on a job once was, "You're not paying for the time..... you're paying for the skill!" lol...


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## dmxtothemax (Oct 26, 2010)

JJ Bailer said:


> I recently did a house changing every outlet, switch, dimmer, and so on. I charge $5.00 for each and every one, plus the cost of the switch. I checked my time and just going normal speed I was replacing 10 switches per hour. Do the math and that comes out to $50.00 an hour.


$50.00 is not much in the real world !
Not if you've got any overheads.


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## hammerlane (Oct 6, 2011)

stickboy1375 said:


> My favorite saying i heard on a job once was, "You're not paying for the time..... you're paying for the skill


Mine is:

"It's not that you paid me $100 for 1 hour of work it's that I saved you 10 hours of work."


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

Old thread revived. The pricing question was answered satisfactorily 2 years ago.

Thread closed.


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