Quote for Electrician referred by Interior Designer - is the price inflated?!

[JustAChick]

I had a local interior designer out to get some advice on a few things and she had an electrician to come out and quote on the following:

2 new Hunter Pacific (?) remote-controlled fans with lights and dimmers
3 new run-of-the-mill fan + light (no remote) for the bedrooms
Trapeze lighting with 400va transformer, 8 heads with 50w lamps and cable
Microswitch in pantry

$3900 including products

This also included removing the 2 fans that are being replaced by the Hunter Pacific ones, and moving the cabling up higher on the cathedral ceiling. Also removing 3 lots of spotlights where the trapeze will go and lights in bedrooms that fan/light will replace.

This seems an incredibly expensive quote to me but perhaps I am out of touch. I was expecting $2000-$3000 (at the highest).

The invoice has been retyped by the designer and is not cost itemised so I don't know what the labour time or charge per hour is, nor do I know cost of items. Is it reasonable to ask for an itemised quote?

Thanks (:
P.S. I am in SE Melbourne

[bugsy]

I had a local interior designer out to get some advice on a few things and she had an electrician to come out and quote on the following:

2 new Hunter Pacific (?) remote-controlled fans with lights and dimmers
3 new run-of-the-mill fan + light (no remote) for the bedrooms
Trapeze lighting with 400va transformer, 8 heads with 50w lamps and cable
Microswitch in pantry

$3900 including products

This also included removing the 2 fans that are being replaced by the Hunter Pacific ones, and moving the cabling up higher on the cathedral ceiling. Also removing 3 lots of spotlights where the trapeze will go and lights in bedrooms that fan/light will replace.

This seems an incredibly expensive quote to me but perhaps I am out of touch. I was expecting $2000-$3000 (at the highest).

The invoice has been retyped by the designer and is not cost itemised so I don't know what the labour time or charge per hour is, nor do I know cost of items. Is it reasonable to ask for an itemised quote?

Thanks (:
P.S. I am in SE Melbourne

i would ring the sparky and say you lost the original quote, and can they send you another?

[DJ’s Timber]

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask for an itemised quote, you're the one who is going to fork out the dollars and I would like to know what my dollars are going to pay for.

If she doesn't want to give you an itemised quote, I would be having second thoughts about using her.

[JustAChick]

Good idea, bugsy, but I don't have the Electrician's business name - he came out but I was only introducd to him by first name.

djstimber - I think you're right I just wanted to see if I was being a bit pushy. $4000 is a lot of money to fork out when you don't even know what the guy charges per hour or how many hours the job is going to take!

[DJ’s Timber]

Thinking on it, I reckon it sounds a bit high, 3 run of the mill fans with lights are only about are only about 100 bucks or so each, can't imagine the others being more then $250 ea, have know idea on the light.

Might pay for you to ring a couple of suppliers and get some prices on the fans and lights to give you some idea of pricing.

Rather then getting the interior designer to quote, get you own sparky in to quote the job, you can bet she has added on her own commission to the price

[bugsy]

Good idea, bugsy, but I don't have the Electrician's business name - he came out but I was only introducd to him by first name.

djstimber - I think you're right I just wanted to see if I was being a bit pushy. $4000 is a lot of money to fork out when you don't even know what the guy charges per hour or how many hours the job is going to take!

surely you can ask your designer of a list of businesses they will be using?
just dont let on that you are checking the quoted price.

Then ring the sparky and ask for the quote

[woodcutta]

Justachick

It should be an itemised quote - Ask for it.


The cynical part of me thinks if you were only introduced to him by first name maybe his name was Mr Interior-Designer.


woodcutta

[JustAChick]

He was wearing overalls so he didn't look too interior-designish! Waiting to hear back from the designer about an itemised quote and if she isn't co-operative I'll go somewhere else. Thanks guys.

[MrFixIt]

Hi

Definitely seems excessive to me.

I had a local interior designer out to get some advice on a few things and she had an electrician to come out and quote on the following:

I think THIS was your mistake.

Generally speaking, if you ask the electrician (if you were able to contact him), his price should either remain the same OR he would refer you to the ID. The reason being that *IF* he undercuts the price and effectively cuts out the ID, then the ID will NEVER use him OR refer work to him again.

If I were you I would get AT LEAST THREE quotes from the local sparky's. Tell them that you are getting other quotes.

If you think that being a female (going by your user name) will affect the quote, tell the sparky's that you will be referring the quotes to ...insert your preferred male figure here eg father, brother etc, or even this forum

[JustAChick]

Thanks Peter. That's good advice!

Here I was thinking an Interior Designer just came out and gave me "ideas" about what to do with each room and all of a sudden I'm in a pickle with inflated quotes and worrying about whose toes I'm stepping on!

Will call some others and get an idea of price.

Thanks,
JustAChick

[bugsy]

worrying about whose toes I'm stepping on!


Thanks,
JustAChick

embrace and enjoy stepping on toes.
Its all part of the fun.

[nev25]

Good idea, bugsy, but I don't have the Electrician's business name - he came out but I was only introducd to him by first name.

You must be issued with a certificate of electrical safety
His name and number is on that

If you didn't get one contact the Interior Designer and ask for his number and ask for one
and then query the invoice

[elkangorito]

You must be issued with a certificate of electrical safety
His name and number is on that

If you didn't get one contact the Interior Designer and ask for his number and ask for one
and then query the invoice

Does that apply for quotations as well as actual work done?

[JustAChick]

Thanks nev25 but this is just at quote stage - the quote did show that the price included the electrical certificate. I don't think they are dodgy electricians, I am just suspicious that the Interior Designer has added her own little commission to the price which is not on.

In my mind, the quote should have come directly to me, not via her. If she refers work to him then I can see she should get a cut of whatever it is but I don't think she should then add on a little earner for me to pay. If he hadn't got the referral in the first place, he wouldn't have the work so the two of them should sort out a deal, not inflate the price for me to pay.

I have spoken to her and she is going to get me an itemised quote. That's at least a start and I'll be able to see if their hourly rate is reasonable and if they were in fact able to get all the products cheaper than I could buy retail.

So, what is the going hourly rate for a good electrician in Vic?

Thanks for still replying to this thread! Your answers have been very helpful.

[nev25]

Thanks nev25 but this is just at quote stage -

Sorry I thought you had already had the job done

So, what is the going hourly rate for a good electrician in Vic?

Well neca (National Electrical and Communications Authority) Suggest Electricians should be charging a minimum of $80 plus GST an hour
I'm about 2 hrs east of Melbourne and around here the going rate is $60/h Plus GST.
(we are a bit slow in the country)

I have read on here that some Electricians in Melb are charging between $100 to $150/h which I find hard to believe.

Bear in mind that when we quote we always add extra for the what ifs
In some cases I give a ball park figue not a quote

I think a lot of your costs are in the fact you have a Cathedral ceiling which I assume has exposed beams and extra care would have to be taken to make sure cabling was not an Eyesore.