Hiring Electricians

To say the least - hiring an electrician is a nightmare. The difference in their estimates can be $5000 - that is right. We received quotes from $5000 - $10 000 for a 16 000 square foot home. And, don't expect a fair quote. We found out, too late, that they are always about $1000 under - on purpose.

I am still trying to figure out the logic of that. And, when estimating expect to pay for their time from the moment they leave home until they arrive home at night - for the whole crew. And, that is on top of a one hour lunch.

Do you get fast work for this? Nope. In fact, they wills spend most of their time fiddling around.

Mistake #1: We did not demand a signed contract with a detailed list of what we will, and will not pay for.

Mistake #2: The electrician said that it would be cheaper to do supplies and labour - and we believed him. We will never hire another contractor without a firm quote.

Mistake #3: We left him to work alone. He did more work on the one day that Dan was home than he did in the 3 days prior. We also found that they arrive late - say 11 because they were off quoting other work - but still charge you for the whole day.

So, becareful when you hire an electrician, and expect to pay $35 - 55 an hour, plus travel, plus lunch, plus the time they are off quoting other jobs.