Just got a quote from electrician - sounds high?

andrewket said:

I just received a quote from an electrician with two options. My service comes in the basement, and the cable run distance is about 100 ft. It will require some fishing through a wall and routing across my attic.

For a 14-50 circuit directly to my main panel he quoted $1500. To install a sub-panel in the garage and run a 14-50 to it he quoted $2500.

Is this a fair price? It sounds high to me.

Thanks,
A

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That does sound high. But you're in NOVA where everything is high (Thankfully O'Malley can't stretch across the border).

I would find a friend who builds new home construction and ask who he would trust running 50amp lines. He will (most likely) give you a friend who he subs out. I would guess with 100ft and time, labor (especially routing across the attic (which is not finished) I would think you could come in around $500, and no more than $750. Again, I do not know your market, so I may be off. But for $2500, one may pay a significant portion of a monthly mortgage (if not, all).

My guy (sorry, in DFW area) did mine for about $380, but he was here doing a job in my master bathroom and I just asked him to run this "big ole line" and he did.

Good luck.
WJ

It feels a bit high, but you don't know until you see all the details. If you're going to fish #6 NM-B cable through walls, it's not the easiest in the world.

Parts-wise, it's about $350 or so. Add a reasonable mark-up and rest is labor. I'd suggest average cost for a 100' 14-50 run should be about $800 or so, not $1500.

I just did the same length run this weekend across a drop ceiling basement and fished up through a wall (DIY). 125ft of 6-3 at Lowes was $236, 14-50 outlet was $9, 50A breaker was $8. Total cost including a few tools, 1" auger bit, old work box, staples, etc. was right at $300. The job only took 2 hours.

Keep in mind that labor quickly adds up - when I had mine stuff done (new breaker box, etc), the parts were only about 1/3 the cost - if they have to fish wires through studs, etc, it all adds up per hour, and quickly.

Check Angie's List for good electricians in your area.

The parts needed for 100ft run should be between $200-$400. Even if at the high range of that, he is still price gouging you. Either the job was just too small for him or he doesn't want to do it unless it makes his wallet really fat.

even a quick search at home depot shows the parts are pretty cheap paying retail off the shelf (non-contractors) prices:

$242 - 125 ft. 6-3 Romex
$10 - 50amp breaker
$28 - outlet box
$10 - NEMA 14/50 receptacle.

that's pretty much all the parts that's required besides any outdoor conduit if necessary or staples. I'm not an electrician (though I am an engineer), so I don't recommend anyone doing it themselves unless you know exactly what you are doing. I wouldn't personally pay a dime over $600, but then again I'm just going to do it myself anyway as I have very little faith in most contractors that I've dealt with.

yobigd20 said:

I'm not an electrician (though I am an engineer), so I don't recommend anyone doing it themselves unless you know exactly what you are doing. .

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+1 yobigd20

110 - you will live
208/220/240 - you may die.

End of discussion.

sublimaze1 said:

+1 yobigd20

110 - you will live
208/220/240 - you may die.

End of discussion.

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yea, well one time I was lazy and I didn't feel like walking downstairs to turn off the breaker for the socket I was changing (110). After the 3rd time I shocked myself (first two were just one hand, third one went across the chest), then I actually bothered myself to go shut the breaker off. haha. lesson learned, last time I tried that.

one electrician showed me 'his trick' for being lazy. After pulling the wires out of the outlet (110), he simply crosses the wires intentionally .. a few quick zaps and the breaker trips, lol. that'll save one trip at least. I hear that's actually kinda common even though they are not really supposed to do that. I never did that myself though because I was never really sure how safe that actually was (what if the breaker itself was faulty?).

I've swapped a few 220/240's in before (even ran entirely new circuits), but I'm not stupid enough to do any work with those with the breakers on. If I zap myself with a 110 then I'm just dumb; if I zap myself with a 220/240, I'm dead. Nope, not taking that chance. Actually I'm so overcautious with those I'll not only shut the breaker for that circuit off (obviously), but I'll even shut the main breaker off too. A double-guarantee I wont zap myself. (plus I'll still test with a meter).

andrewket said:

I assume your estimate of $350 on parts was the first option (single circuit fed directly from the main panel.) I think there is a good chance that within a few years we'll have two EVs, so I'm thinking about a 125A circuit to a sub panel so that I can run two 50A's. Of course the cable is going to cost more as a result. I'm going to keep shopping around, I think. There is a business opportunity here for a marketing-clued electrician.

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Correct. If you want the 125A panel, qty 3 #2 + 1 #6 wire is roughly double - $5/ft, plus you'll need 1 1/4" conduit plus panel. Since you're only installing 2 50A circuits, I'd just put a 100A in your main panel ($50 vs. $175 for the 2125) I'd peg the cost at $750ish without working a full BOM.

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yobigd20 said:

one electrician showed me 'his trick' for being lazy. After pulling the wires out of the outlet (110), he simply crosses the wires intentionally .. a few quick zaps and the breaker trips, lol. that'll save one trip at least. I hear that's actually kinda common even though they are not really supposed to do that. I never did that myself though because I was never really sure how safe that actually was (what if the breaker itself was faulty?).

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This man was a licensed electrician? Dear God... Breakers have a limited number of cycles, arc flashes can permanently damage eyesight, and that doesn't include the items you talked about.

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sublimaze1 said:

110 - you will live
208/220/240 - you may die.

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For what it's worth, 120V can kill you too. Two local teenagers here created a path to ground from a 120V leg on service wires using galvanized culverts and it killed one of them.

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yobigd20 said:

Either the job was just too small for him or he doesn't want to do it unless it makes his wallet really fat.

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It depends. If you have to fish NM-B 6/3, it's not easy. I'd say it was gouging, but I'd expect average of $800 as I mentioned including labor, for a professional and licensed electrician.

that's pretty much all the parts that's required besides any outdoor conduit if necessary or staples.

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NM-B cable (Romex) cannot be run in conduit outdoors, it's only rated for dry locations. Also you have to use clamps, not staples, with 6/3 NM-B.

andrewket said:

I just received a quote from an electrician with two options. My service comes in the basement, and the cable run distance is about 100 ft. It will require some fishing through a wall and routing across my attic.

For a 14-50 circuit directly to my main panel he quoted $1500. To install a sub-panel in the garage and run a 14-50 to it he quoted $2500.

Is this a fair price? It sounds high to me.

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Unless there's something particularly nasty about the process of fishing the wires through your walls and attic, I would say it sounds overpriced.

I paid ~$1600 to install not only an outdoor 14-50, but also a 14-30 for a dryer and 8 additional garage outlets, admittedly across a shorter distance; there were two full days of labor due to a lot of trouble fishing the wires down the walls (including accidentally cutting the unmarked gas line, though the electricians paid for that!)


But I know some people who have a house where your quote would be cheap; it's practically built like a bunker, foot-thick masonry covered with steel mesh, and the labor costs for fishing any wire through anywhere are astronomical, since it has to be done with a masonry drill. Really, it's all about the labor.

110v can kill you too. If you are smart you always turn off the main breaker in the service entrance (panel). Then 220 is safe too if you work safely - rubber shoes or mat to stand on, if on concrete. Keep tools, wires, fingers etc. out of the panel or in contact with bare wires. Even electricians can sustain injury if they get careless for a second and take a shortcut.

wabbit said:

110v can kill you too. If you are smart you always turn off the main breaker in the service entrance (panel). Then 220 is safe too if you work safely - rubber shoes or mat to stand on, if on concrete. Keep tools, wires, fingers etc. out of the panel or in contact with bare wires. Even electricians can sustain injury if they get careless for a second and take a shortcut.

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This is a two year old thread. Pretty sure if someone was gonna get hurt by it they'd be dead long ago.

Yes, lower voltages can kill you. In cases of lower voltage, death risk has less to do with the actual energy transmitted, and ALL to do with the path and phase of your cardiac cycle when the electrical injury occurred (i.e. you just got lucky if you were shocked by home outlet and didn't have a ventricular fib cardiac arrest)