ᐅ Is it feasible to carry out interior electrical installation as a DIY project?
Created on: 20 Apr 2018 21:40
H
HausbauTiNaH
HausbauTiNa20 Apr 2018 21:40Hello everyone,
We have purchased a plot of land and plan to build a single-family house with a gable roof and two dormers using a general contractor.
A brief introduction about myself:
I am an electrical engineer, trained as an electrician before my studies, and currently work as a project manager on large-scale projects for the construction of substations (including construction management).
We have received the initial offers from the general contractors and now intend the following:
Self-contracting:
Interior plastering
Tile installation
Bathroom finishing (bathtub, etc.)
Staircase
Owner’s work:
Electrical installation
Installing interior doors
We chose these trades for self-contracting because we see minimal interfaces with the trades to be performed by the general contractor. The idea is to carry out the electrical installation “at our own pace” according to our requirements and then have the interior plastering done by a specialist company under self-contracting. After that, tiles would be installed and bathrooms finished (there are family contacts in the specialist trade for this).
What do you think about this approach, and what risks do you see (apart from the issue of warranty)? Where do you foresee interface problems?
Did you also exclude the staircase in similar situations?
We have purchased a plot of land and plan to build a single-family house with a gable roof and two dormers using a general contractor.
A brief introduction about myself:
I am an electrical engineer, trained as an electrician before my studies, and currently work as a project manager on large-scale projects for the construction of substations (including construction management).
We have received the initial offers from the general contractors and now intend the following:
Self-contracting:
Interior plastering
Tile installation
Bathroom finishing (bathtub, etc.)
Staircase
Owner’s work:
Electrical installation
Installing interior doors
We chose these trades for self-contracting because we see minimal interfaces with the trades to be performed by the general contractor. The idea is to carry out the electrical installation “at our own pace” according to our requirements and then have the interior plastering done by a specialist company under self-contracting. After that, tiles would be installed and bathrooms finished (there are family contacts in the specialist trade for this).
What do you think about this approach, and what risks do you see (apart from the issue of warranty)? Where do you foresee interface problems?
Did you also exclude the staircase in similar situations?
For the electrical installation, you definitely need a certified electrician for the meter replacement application and the final inspection.
Otherwise, your plan looks fine. Possibly consider installing empty conduits under the screed if cables need to run there.
Are you planning to integrate smart home technology?
If yes, which system do you have in mind?
One more personal question:
Which company do you work for [emoji4]
Otherwise, your plan looks fine. Possibly consider installing empty conduits under the screed if cables need to run there.
Are you planning to integrate smart home technology?
If yes, which system do you have in mind?
One more personal question:
Which company do you work for [emoji4]
So taking your time with the electrical installation could get interesting, especially if conduit pipes need to go into the ceiling, whatever the case. If you can or want to put everything on the unfinished floor, that will probably work, but even then you are dependent on the screed (floor leveling) and plasterers. Interior plaster usually comes before the screed, right?
In our experience, electricians, HVAC, and plumbing are partly working at the same time, which is very practical because they can communicate and find solutions together. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do the electrical installation alone. From what I remember, some have already done this here themselves. You can definitely save a lot of money that way. Given your situation, I would really invest in a bus system, preferably KNX, since you basically only pay the difference in material costs. Oh, imagine how much money I could save… [emoji6]
In our experience, electricians, HVAC, and plumbing are partly working at the same time, which is very practical because they can communicate and find solutions together. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do the electrical installation alone. From what I remember, some have already done this here themselves. You can definitely save a lot of money that way. Given your situation, I would really invest in a bus system, preferably KNX, since you basically only pay the difference in material costs. Oh, imagine how much money I could save… [emoji6]
Good morning!
Our structural builder wanted (and got) the plumbing installed on the precast concrete slab “immediately.” He managed to get the precast slab installed twice before the weekend; the last slab, which luckily didn’t require as much work, arrived on a Tuesday afternoon, and we were ready from early afternoon onwards.
It’s already been mentioned that typically the screed comes after the plaster. But the underfloor heating must be installed after the plaster and before the screed. Also, you could easily disrupt any general contractor’s schedule if electrical installation in the finished shell and plastering keep getting pushed back.
So, I don’t see “few” interfaces with a general contractor—in fact, with the electrical installation and plastering, there are two important milestones that depend on you.
That left the following questions:
- Who is responsible for installing the other floor coverings? If it’s the general contractor (which I doubt), that would also depend on the screed.
- Which staircase do you want? The build-up heights need careful planning, and it should be clarified whether or who will provide a construction staircase.
- Is there even a general contractor who allows this much scope to be subcontracted? (We only had one discussion where windows and doors could have been included, but probably not much more.)
--> Have you considered contracting individual trades separately?
--> Possibly also with an extended shell contract (earthworks / possibly basement / shell / roof including roofing from one source).
Our structural builder wanted (and got) the plumbing installed on the precast concrete slab “immediately.” He managed to get the precast slab installed twice before the weekend; the last slab, which luckily didn’t require as much work, arrived on a Tuesday afternoon, and we were ready from early afternoon onwards.
It’s already been mentioned that typically the screed comes after the plaster. But the underfloor heating must be installed after the plaster and before the screed. Also, you could easily disrupt any general contractor’s schedule if electrical installation in the finished shell and plastering keep getting pushed back.
So, I don’t see “few” interfaces with a general contractor—in fact, with the electrical installation and plastering, there are two important milestones that depend on you.
That left the following questions:
- Who is responsible for installing the other floor coverings? If it’s the general contractor (which I doubt), that would also depend on the screed.
- Which staircase do you want? The build-up heights need careful planning, and it should be clarified whether or who will provide a construction staircase.
- Is there even a general contractor who allows this much scope to be subcontracted? (We only had one discussion where windows and doors could have been included, but probably not much more.)
--> Have you considered contracting individual trades separately?
--> Possibly also with an extended shell contract (earthworks / possibly basement / shell / roof including roofing from one source).
Electrical work is far from easy... I don’t think there’s anything easy about it.
If you need to run conduits in the ceiling, you have to pull your pipes after the formwork and before pouring the concrete, or after the prefabricated element and before pouring. But even if you install them on the floor and drill through the ceiling, everyone else is waiting on you. Thermal insulation under the screed, underfloor heating, and the screed itself cannot be installed before you’re finished, and the plasterer won’t come until the boxes are properly set.
At the very least, you need to coordinate your installation with the plumbing and ventilation—if these are present and running beneath the screed.
So, dawdling is not an option if you don’t want to delay the entire project.
If you need to run conduits in the ceiling, you have to pull your pipes after the formwork and before pouring the concrete, or after the prefabricated element and before pouring. But even if you install them on the floor and drill through the ceiling, everyone else is waiting on you. Thermal insulation under the screed, underfloor heating, and the screed itself cannot be installed before you’re finished, and the plasterer won’t come until the boxes are properly set.
At the very least, you need to coordinate your installation with the plumbing and ventilation—if these are present and running beneath the screed.
So, dawdling is not an option if you don’t want to delay the entire project.
Electrical work is often scheduled very tightly with many general contractors. This means that, more or less spontaneously, the cables need to be installed in the ceiling on that specific day, and then you have to deliver. Does your general contractor take the risk if you don’t deliver?
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