Dear Forum,
We are currently building a house through a construction company. The building specifications state there will be 4 sockets per room. Since this is not sufficient for us, we have chosen to add extra sockets in some places. Price according to the electrician: 90€ for a single socket, 120€ for a double socket.
I would like to explain our issue using the following example:
For one room, we selected
- 1x single socket
- 3x double sockets
According to our understanding, we should pay the extra cost compared to the building specification as follows:
3x surcharge from single to double socket = 3x(120€ - 90€) = 90€.
However, the electrician calculates the cost as follows:
- 2x double sockets cover the 4 sockets per room specified in the building description
- in addition, extra costs apply for 1x double socket + 1x single socket = 120€ + 90€ = 210€.
=> The electrician is charging more than twice what we expected—solely due to a different calculation method.
My question to the forum is:
Is the electrician using a common calculation method, or is this a case of overcharging?
We are currently building a house through a construction company. The building specifications state there will be 4 sockets per room. Since this is not sufficient for us, we have chosen to add extra sockets in some places. Price according to the electrician: 90€ for a single socket, 120€ for a double socket.
I would like to explain our issue using the following example:
For one room, we selected
- 1x single socket
- 3x double sockets
According to our understanding, we should pay the extra cost compared to the building specification as follows:
3x surcharge from single to double socket = 3x(120€ - 90€) = 90€.
However, the electrician calculates the cost as follows:
- 2x double sockets cover the 4 sockets per room specified in the building description
- in addition, extra costs apply for 1x double socket + 1x single socket = 120€ + 90€ = 210€.
=> The electrician is charging more than twice what we expected—solely due to a different calculation method.
My question to the forum is:
Is the electrician using a common calculation method, or is this a case of overcharging?
H
HilfeHilfe18 Sep 2019 12:08Andre77 schrieb:
Since this topic is coming up for me as well, it seems there are different approaches.
If the general contractor’s electrician quotes prices that are way too high, it makes sense to have the sockets included in the package installed optimally, so that later your own electrician can multiply the sockets. From what I understand here and based on my research, multiplying sockets is rather straightforward? Additional holes are drilled next to the original socket for the plastic inserts, and they are connected by a bridge from the first socket?
How does that work with circuit protection? The first electrician will surely only set the protection for their original work, right? Or does it not really matter how you expand the sockets individually, since the protection is already designed to prevent any issues and is sufficient?
If sockets are needed beyond those included in the general contractor package and placed where none of the package sockets are used, it probably makes sense to have the general contractor’s electrician handle this, including pulling cables, chasing (cutting channels), and everything that comes with it, to save your own electrician from likely more complicated work?
Any other thoughts on this?
What is a reasonable price to expand one socket from the package to, say, a double or triple socket? Is this kind of “expansion billing” unusual or normal? How have others handled this here?
Thanks!negotiating enough sockets is important. In the end, it always gets more expensive. But that applies to every trade.
If you already know that an interior glass door will be installed somewhere, position the sockets accordingly and ask for the price now.
Once the contract is signed, additional costs can be shocking (but don’t have to be).
There is also room for negotiation.
B
boxandroof18 Sep 2019 12:08Andre77 schrieb:
Any other thoughts on this?Plan early and include as much as possible in the contract with the general contractor (GC). You can negotiate before signing; afterward, you have to stick to the agreements—or save money through self-performance if you find it reasonable at that point.The GC sets the prices, or you negotiate them; there’s no standard "normal" price per outlet. I would try to have it included as a package in the overall house price beforehand, without questioning the prices of individual outlets. We paid 30 for a single and 50 net for a double outlet when contracting individually without a GC.
Thank you for the feedback. There is not much room left for negotiation. Everything is finalized. The general contractor’s electrician sent me a preliminary list (before his work starts, just to get an idea), for example, a flush-mounted box costs him just under €34.5 net. I thought that adding an extra socket outlet would cost around €20 net or so more per additional point. I asked about this but have not received any response so far.
B
boxandroof18 Sep 2019 12:37That already makes it impossible for the general contractor’s electrician to charge prices that are beyond "beyond reasonable limits."
danixf schrieb:
That's correct. When it comes to electrical outlets, their exact position in the room is actually not that important if you have underfloor heating in the screed. You can simply run the new cable along the edge between the screed and the wall. Finished plastering the wall and then laying a cable along the edge of the screed? That element is called an edge joint and it is not meant for sweeping screed dust into it or acting as a cable duct. Its function is to serve as an expansion joint!
The edge strip is intentionally installed for a good reason—and its purpose is not to avoid damaging the wall plaster but to ensure the expansion joint works properly.
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