[Question] Consumables

[Master Electrician]

I have a question about consumables on invoices.
As I understand it, nuts and bolts, drills, cutting discs, rags, handcleaner, PPE, insulation tape, Q20, connectors, and MIMS, are all supposed to be included in the quote.
What is the generally accepted practice regarding billing the client for these? Does anyone have any guidelines on this?
Should I, as the client, foot the bill for the sub-contractor's new drilling machine?
I think not. What say you?

[Dave A]

We tack on a figure for consumables with each quote, but ordinarily it wouldn't involve something like a drilling machine which falls more in the category of tools.

[AndyD]

It's actually a bit of a tricky question.

Tools are usually included in the labour figure. You would be paying so much per hour for the workman, in his bakkie with his tools.
Drill bits, hand cleaner and grinding disks etc would be classed as consumables, they're use as a result of the job but arent an integreal part of it. I'm not sure if it's normal to bill these separately.
Insulation tape and connectors are materials, they're actually an integral part of the work and would usually appear on the invoice.
With large installations of over R500000.00 I've added added misc extra materials on the bill for amounts of R10000.00 and not gone into detail about listing them. If I was billing a job of a few hundred Rands then if the misc materials were over ten or twenty bucks I would probably list them individually. It's all relative.

The reason I don't always go down to component level is if your using something like numbering collets for panel wiring there could be a thousand items which only cost a couple of cents each. To list them individually would incur higher admin costs in the billing process which the customer would ultimately pay for.

Legally I'm not sure what the position is but nobodies ever complianed......yet.

[Sparks]

How absurd. Is that sub-contractor going to bill the next guy for a 4X4 vehicle to get to site on his farm? Why is he billing you anyway? Being the sub-contractor he is contracted to your contractor.

[bergie]

if he bills you for a drilling machine ,then you are entitled to keep it once the job is finished.sounds like a chancer.

[Master Electrician]

Thanks, guys. These so-and-so's also tacked the refundable deposit for their office container onto the bill. I am so p***ed off at their greed. I found out I was even billed for their coffee mugs.
Thanks bergie and Sparks. I'll keep their drilling machine and they can walk to the next job, because they will not work for me again, that's for sure.

[Sparks]

Call me next time I can do with a 4x4