[Question] Quotation problems, info needed

[Thys LOW Elektries]

A client of mine, a building contractor, wants me to do a quotation per point and per linear metre and so on. The question is it worth it? Cause how do you calculate the cost of a linear metre of wiring or piping

any advice would be welcome

Greetings

[ians]

Its actually not that difficult ... If you take the rate schedule set out by the electriclal industry you should make some good money ... in fact every quote that we do is generally a bill of quantities made up of the per point ... per metre of cable ... per DB etc.

It is not a good idea to go with a "per point" (which some contracotrs are stupid enough to include the circuit breaker ... the cable and the socket)... unless you been around the block a few times ... and understand that per point includes per light switch ... per light point (a 6 lever swtich is 6 points) ... per plug point ... per stove point ... per geyser point and no chasing just slapping twin on the wall the shortest route ... no worries about 3 circuits in the kitchen and all that crap ... its just 2 circuits per house running one point to the next using the shortest possible route ... we call these hit and run jobs ... the owner will eventually figue out he has a dud ... by that time you and the builder are already on you next project ... You dont have to worry about your company getting a bad name ... because you will just be reffered to as the builders electrician .

[ians]

This is what I was talking about in one of the other threads ... about crosing the TEE's and dotting the I's ... We even had ECA quote books to look all official ... to make sure that there wouldnt be any issues when it came to payments ... yet I still lost a lot of money.

In fact I just found a copy of

The Schedule of variation prices (recommended) - excludng vat.

Base date June-2000 (thats how long ago I was a member of the ECA ... 21 years ago ... eeeeesish)

To install a wall box
50 x 100 x 50 R15.67
100 x 100 x 50 R15.67

A2: SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF GALVANISED BOSAL CONDUIT

CONDUIT SIZE 20 MM CHASED IN BRICK R23.25 CHASED IN CONCRETE R26.83

ACTUAL LABOUR COSTS INCURRED IN EMPLOYMENT OF AN ELECRICIAN & ELECONOP 1:2000/2001

AREA A
ELECTRICIAN (R26.24 ph)
ELECONOP 1 (R9.98 ph)

Copied directly from the yellow sheets ( I know I am a horder) until recently I still had my job book from 1991 with the first customers name and every single drawing and project I have done since I started ... I can kick myslef for burning all of it ... I should have rather boxes and thrown it all into the backfill I am busy doing in my of my house.

[GCE]

A client of mine, a building contractor, wants me to do a quotation per point and per linear metre and so on. The question is it worth it? Cause how do you calculate the cost of a linear metre of wiring or piping

any advice would be welcome

Greetings

Hi

There is no one price matches all and you will need to do some calculations.
We keep a costing of all jobs so that we can refer back to as how the pricing worked out against the actual end costs and adjust on the next pricing exercise depending on how desperate we are for the work.
You have to know the point that you will be paying for the job vs break even vs making some money. Even then you have to keep an eye on the costs through out the contract to prevent the possible loss.

I have pasted the link to a previous post that had a similar discussion

https://www.theforumsa.co.za/forums/showthread.php/23086-Current-average-installation-rates