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	Subject - Electricians Are Expensive! Scott Vickrey I thought I would ask the question we all have and see what your thoughts were on this subject. I know you all have heard this "I can't afford an electrician!" Where did we pick up this stigma? When I used to charge less per hour than what people paid once a week to have someone mow their yards, people would still complain about the bill. Even though I didn't charge what I should have. since starting this site I have seen DIYers try every trick to avoid calling an electrician always claiming the above. Why do people think this of us? Don't they know we have a dangerous job don't they consider that an electrician is in busines just like the lawn boy or the cable company? My own cousin complained when I worked for her. I didn't even break even on her job. I was very forgiving when filling out her bill for 4 hours at $20/hr (friends and family rate) and materials. I was involved for more than 6 hours not to mention my helper. She even went as far as to bring it up last thanksgiving at the dinner table. She was not the only one most people made mention in some way or another. What are your thoughts? JimmyDee Go to a new car dealer. The charge out rate is $60-$80 per hour. Jim JimmyDee I had a similar situation back in the 70s. We had the mother of all ice storms and after 3 weeks of working in the cold and rainy weather putting services back on houses, I got the mother of all flu. I went home an hour and 1/2 early on a Thursday because I was sick. On Saturday I was sleeping in recouping from getting sick and a call from a friend (?) came in. Power company cut their service because of a hot neutral. To make a long story short I went into the shop and got the materials, and by noon they were up and running. Even made the reconnect so they would have service. To save them money I charged them the 1 1/2 hours I lost on Thursday. No 4 hours at double time for my friend. Their bill was $66. Not too bad for a new service and a charge out rate of $21 an hour. When she got the bill, she called me and said, "What is this $21 an hour. It sure is no wonder why you have the house you have (built it myself) and we have the house we have. Needless to say I said to her if she needed help with the bill I would help her out but in the future, please don't call me again. After that, no help for anyone but my Mother and kids. It isn't appreciated anyway. Jim cs409 i have been bit by the same family bug........ did a re-wire for 4000 bucks,,,,lowest bid was 8500 and that didnt include running new to the detached garage!! out of this 4000 bid, the family member was to be my helper(good worker, learned fast) and i would supply 500 of the supplies! so bottom line i got 3500bucks! ok, job didnt pan out as scheduled...made 32 trips to their home instead of 6 or 7 trips needed at 75 miles round trip! bottom line, they still owe me 1000 bucks,,,,,money for job was coming from their insurance.... and guess who the villian in this story is! ME oh, reason for the sch messing up,,,go to job, no bath room walled up,,,had to play mr. carpenter....no wash room walled up, had to play mr. carpenter and soooooooooooooooo on....bottom line, i have no one to blame but ME. lctrc789 We all have probably been in this situation. Family friends etc. I have done work for both, and always hear about the cost LOL. My wife ran 3 Hair Salons and they have Maintenance men who do a lot of work for them, well you know the story. About 12 years ago they had a bad main panel, 3 phase 200 amp, I told them a few months earlier it was bad. I told them I would cut them deal and change it for 700.00 dollars all new breakers and proper grounds, as well as install the breakers that were used so much at the top of the panel and it would help dissapate heat. Well to hear them talk OMG that,s so much money,Time went on and the bus bar finally got to hot to work and sparking and arcing etc. Well they had a maintenance man change this panel (LOL) he did well except he used same old breakers that were burn,t, didn't even install the ground to the steel back to the building etc. As time went on they had breakers burn,t the new panel now discolored and the bus burn,t again. They ask could I do something, I said sure call The company I work for they can give you estimate and come install new panel for you, there comment was well can't you install a new one I said sure but the price will be 1100.00 dollars. Well they flipped and told my wife I was a crook and so on. They of course called 4 companies for estimates all over 1325.00 dollars, They did call me and I did install new panel new breakers and re install the ground and of course I did feel bad and did the job for 825.oo dollars. They paid this maintenance man 7 hours of overtime and the new panel and so forth it still cost them about 650.00 dollars the first time and they had to have it re done. LOL Now my company does all their electrical maintenance in now 7 stores. Moral of this story is this you get what you pay for, call a pro who knows what he/she is doing and get it done right the first time. Cheaper is not always better LOL journeyman491us ...This is a very good question that should be expanded upon in the future. First off: Does anybody disagree that working for family and friends is a losing battle?? "I can't afford an electrician??" sad statement. Unfortunately we electricians have a bad PR image problem that needs to be seriously addressed. The general public has always held a notion that electricians are "thiefs", "tyrants", "over-priced"....and on and on and on. People think our proffesion is easy and great. "...Come on you guys just ride around all day changing light bulbs!!" We have heard it all before. When you feel guilty about the bill...look back at all you have been put through over the years, crawling around in attics on a hot July day, crawl spaces most animals wouldn't venture into, the "skunned knuckles", the banged foreheads, etc. The basic fundamental problem is that most people take electricity for granted...so why shouldn't those of us that keep the juice on be taken for granted too??? ...I used to feel guilty, bad etc...Until one day an "old-timer" told me about a service call he had and the customer complained "but it only took you two seconds!" We get paid for our training, what we know and how we apply it. When I first started in business I would try to explain over the phone how to reset a circuit breaker (say because of a hair dryer overloaded a circuit). Some people couldn't understand, so I would drive over reset the breaker and charge $38.50 to cover the overhead. Some complained, some didn't, and some hired me for up-grades. ...Don't be afraid to charge accordingly for your services...stand your ground. If you are giving your services away you are only selling yourself short. ...."Good work isn't cheap...and cheap work isn't good!" stedder That's ok now it's the plumbers that are getting the crook rap, although, no matter what it seems like there's always hard feelings when you work for friends (except if they're in the trades, that helps alot) and you can give a professional discount. But journyman491 is right "dont sell yourself short" if you are pricing competitivly then there should be no problem. rabbitgun I remember my first complete house wire job which I did as a side job. It was for an acquaintance. I still remember after 28 years or so that this guy's wife made the comment in front of me. - "We would have been able to put up nicer curtains if we had not been charged so much for the electrical." HA! At that time I think I may have made $8.00 an hour. I do not charge family for labor and I have been known to send guy's out on free service calls to friends of family. It's probably guy's like me that make it tough for others no matter what you charge.