Cost of fitting new double electric socket



the boot said:
That’s where I’d start being the cheapest easiest fix. If it was a wiring fault I’d expect the rccb to trip.
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sorry mate it is the rccb thats tripping, taking out power but not lights.

my guestimate is its fecked hopefully or water getting into external lighting or doorbell occasionally maybe?
the boot said:
It’s a full time job paying the tax when you’re not computer savvy anarl.
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and collecting the tax for the taxman thru cis ffs!!
 
SPUFF said:
sorry mate it is the rccb thats tripping, taking out power but not lights.

my guestimate is its fecked hopefully or water getting into external lighting or doorbell occasionally maybe?


and collecting the tax for the taxman thru cis ffs!!
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Check your outside lights and bell, sometimes it’s a damp wall. Check your back boxes for signs of rusting, rising damp can cause this fault too.
 
FishburnMackem said:
As mentioned, it's a like for like job, pretty simple really, isolate the supply, unscrew the plate (2x screws) take a picture of where the wires go, unscrew wires from terminals, screw into new terminals, fasten plate (x2 screws). You must be daft to think that only qualified competent people should be doing things like this, you only need to be fully qualified to sign work off. I'd much rather check that someone is comfortably doing this and walk them through it than charge them £60 for 10 minutes work.
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I'd consider myself a competent DIYer and can change a light fitting or socket in 10 mins if it's a straightforward swap. But even that doesn't always go smoothly....I did one last week that was a real struggle because the wires were very short with no slack in the wall, and the new terminals were in a different configuration to the one I was removing. Getting them to terminate tightly was a real fuck on to the point that I was able to feel confident that all were solidly attached when the plate was screwed back to the wall. Light fittings on a ceiling can be similarly challenging for the amateur IMO, especially when there are various wires emerging from the ceiling in awkward positions, even if it seems initially like a simple job.
 
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Oh aye you'll always get them jobs where there isn't sufficient wire to make it easy, they're a complete nightmare tbf. I changed a bathroom light fitting in our lasses old flat, it had an extractor attached to the circuit and fuck me I had never witnessed anything like it, looked like a danger of death scenario truth be told :lol:
 
The Great Soprendo said:
I'd consider myself a competent DIYer and can change a light fitting or socket in 10 mins if it's a straightforward swap. But even that doesn't always go smoothly....I did one last week that was a real struggle because the wires were very short with no slack in the wall, and the new terminals were in a different configuration to the one I was removing. Getting them to terminate tightly was a real fuck on to the point that I was able to feel confident that all were solidly attached when the plate was screwed back to the wall. Light fittings on a ceiling can be similarly challenging for the amateur IMO, especially when there are various wires emerging from the ceiling in awkward positions, even if it seems initially like a simple job.
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I think what he’s getting at is changing a socket front is easy which he’s right, I’m probably picking fault where no fault lies. 99% of the time it goes great and you save a couple of quid. It’s a risk but not the end of the world I suppose.
 
the boot said:
I think what he’s getting at is changing a socket front is easy which he’s right, I’m probably picking fault where no fault lies. 99% of the time it goes great and you save a couple of quid. It’s a risk but not the end of the world I suppose.
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Suppose it's up to the customer if they want to take the risk of doing it but also the person advising them as if anything goes wrong then there will surely be shared blame / liability.
 
FishburnMackem said:
Suppose it's up to the customer if they want to take the risk of doing it but also the person advising them as if anything goes wrong then there will surely be shared blame / liability.
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I think that’s what I got the bee in me bonnet for the shared liability.
Il be honest the jobs I used to price were ridiculous. I’ve had a few who question me on how I’m gonna do it then do it themselves. I’ve had people chase me because the price was to high then hear that they got ripped off. I’ve had people ring me to put other people who quoted work right.
 
the boot said:
I think that’s what I got the bee in me bonnet for the shared liability.
Il be honest the jobs I used to price were ridiculous. I’ve had a few who question me on how I’m gonna do it then do it themselves. I’ve had people chase me because the price was to high then hear that they got ripped off. I’ve had people ring me to put other people who quoted work right.
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The joys of being a spark.

I fucked it off after completing my C&G 2330 level 2&3 8 years ago when I realised I'd fucked up by not getting an apprenticeship, by this point no one was willing to employ an apprentice who had the certs already. Never worked as a spark but have always done bits and jobs for family / friends.

Been thinking about retraining on the new quals and going self employed but tbh I wouldn't have a clue where to start.
 
Cheesy Feet said:
It’s got nowt to do with the customer how much your training and equipment cost..it’s about charging a fair price for the work undertook..the other week i got a ‘magnatec’ unit fitted to my boiler..the lad quoted £170..the unit cost £100..he was at my house nearly 3 hours..70 divided by 3..£23 an hour..I appreciate he’s got tax and stamp to pay..this lad is Corgi and Baxi registered..that’s reasonable..£50-£60 for 45 minutes work is taking the piss.
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Regarding overheads etc, think about the poor driving instructors who still only charge less than £30 an hour and have to drive to their clients or do they get a free car, fuel, insurance, tax, car parts etc?

I get people have trade experience but sometimes the prices quoted take the piss when you work out how much per hour they're making after costs like you've done (I'm ignoring this double socket job, prices, sparkies). I'm talking about jobs I've seen people have had done and been told what they paid or stuff I've been quoted myself over the years. Obviously some people will pay it either because their rich enough or dumb enough or just want the job doing but worst of all I hate it when I see it's older people who may not be as savvy as to what stuff costs etc and just get bamboozled. If these people didn't pay the higher prices then the trade people would either not bother quoting the job or drop their prices if they needed the money. Plus the odd job here and there tax free will help raise that hourly rate in comparison to someone in a fixed job who has deductions done automatically ;)

I'm the same kind of thinking as Chessy Feet as I like to know roughly how long a job will take so I can get an idea if they're taking the piss or not. That's not to say that they aren't some genuine trades people that are worth every penny. Sadly there's quite a few that jump on the back of this but still charge similar prices just so they can work less but still get a decent wage. You also get genuine traders who work and charge reasonable rates and my last experience of a genuine tradesman was an aerial bloke in Cleveland Road who called into a place 8 miles away to look at an aerial problem as he had a job near there. He was there 30 mins and even replaced the fitting into the TV yet wanted nowt for it! He still got a tenner given even though that had to be forced on him.

Even though he's yet to reply, this it at @harmy's house by the way that was in the news and looking at the pics it should be easy enough to tap into the mains loop :lol::lol:

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Gillythedilf said:
Ffs mate it’s really not like :lol:

And this is not unique to yourself .Sunderland in general is an awful place to price work as this and a cash is king mentality from the punters and that they are doing you a favour makes it a place I really don’t bother tendering for work .
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To be fair I think myself and @theboot had our wires crossed (no pun intended) I’m thinking he’s coming out to a job for £50-£60 per hour then that would be his rate if the job went on for say 4 hours..no one’s regular rate is that much an hour..i now realise he meant his initial call out is that which I explained to him last night..I’ll stand by what I said about hourly rates though..I’m a time served fabricator and earn £17 per hour (roughly) someone’s coming to my house and I’ve worked out they’re charging £50+ per hour..not happening like.
 
Cheesy Feet said:
To be fair I think myself and @theboot had our wires crossed (no pun intended) I’m thinking he’s coming out to a job for £50-£60 per hour then that would be his rate if the job went on for say 4 hours..no one’s regular rate is that much an hour..i now realise he meant his initial call out is that which I explained to him last night..I’ll stand by what I said about hourly rates though..I’m a time served fabricator and earn £17 per hour (roughly) someone’s coming to my house and I’ve worked out they’re charging £50+ per hour..not happening like.
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But your £17 will be£26 or so cost to employer.
They’ll then have overheads/clerical n that to pay plus profit so customer likely pays nigh on £50 for each hour you put in!
 
I don't think that's too bad to be honest. Petrol, parts, insurance etc. I pay £50 for a gas boiler service. My uncle is a qualified electrician anyway so he would do the job for me, but if I was quoted £50 I would happily pay that.
 
Saying your hourly pay Is 17 quid is a bit short sighted, does your employer charge materials plus your rate and that’s the price of the job? or does he have to take in a whole raft of other expenses he provides for too before giving his price, whether that be pension contributions for yourself, insurance, any fuel and vehicle expenses to deliver the goods/ drive to the jobs, cost of accountants to do the books / holiday pay etc etc.
The costs may be smaller for smaller companies /self employed but they are all running in the background and have to be covered by someone.
 
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Cheesy Feet said:
To be fair I think myself and @theboot had our wires crossed (no pun intended) I’m thinking he’s coming out to a job for £50-£60 per hour then that would be his rate if the job went on for say 4 hours..no one’s regular rate is that much an hour..i now realise he meant his initial call out is that which I explained to him last night..I’ll stand by what I said about hourly rates though..I’m a time served fabricator and earn £17 per hour (roughly) someone’s coming to my house and I’ve worked out they’re charging £50+ per hour..not happening like.
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Everyone knows, and it’s been scientifically proven, that sparks are the alpha trade, the elite of all workmen, and that’s why they get a higher rate than everyone else. Not even plumbers/ heating engineers are worth as much, pound for pound, as the holy sparkies
 
maygo said:
Everyone knows, and it’s been scientifically proven, that sparks are the alpha trade, the elite of all workmen, and that’s why they get a higher rate than everyone else. Not even plumbers/ heating engineers are worth as much, pound for pound, as the holy sparkies
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Not in my house they don’t.
SPUFF said:
But your £17 will be£26 or so cost to employer.
They’ll then have overheads/clerical n that to pay plus profit so customer likely pays nigh on £50 for each hour you put in!
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If you needed a job doing at your house and it was going to take two days working off £50 per hour labour for 8 hours work..you’d pay someone £800 for two days work?..no way.
 
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