I don’t like to do work for relatives but, my brother-in-law has a electrical problem at his house and figuring an electrical contractor would charge him an arm and a leg, my friend and I decided to look at the job and give him a price.
Real quick what the job is going to consist of.
separate a circuit that has 10 recept and 6 lights that spans 3 bedrooms and a bathroom. Put each bedroom & bath on it’s own circuit
add another circuit (20 amp) for the kitchen micro-wave
replace the service wire from the meter to the service panel (insulation is off on one part)
add a recept in the ceiling of his garage for his door opener.
All this for $1600 and that includes materials
Now I figure I’m giving him a deal, but when I gave him the price it was like “$1600 dollars, damn”. I told him that was way fair considering what an EC would charge. I also said “you didn’t expect me to do it for free did you”
Well, he kind of calmed down and told me he would get back to me.
For one, I don’t owe him anything. I see him once in a great while. He’s not a bad guy, but I’m not real close with him (he’s my wife’s brother) and I thought I was giving him a real good deal. He’s got me thinking I’m ripping him off with that price.
What do you guys think?
That’s one reason why I hate doing things for relatives, they expect me to do it for free.
Thanks in advance for any opinions
Replies
For what it's worth, where relatives and friends are involved, I either work for free, or I don't do the job at all. Money has a way of muddying these waters where friends are concerned. It seems most folks who ask for a "favor" don't really have an idea of what it should cost, so any price seems high. The sticky part comes when they come back to you after getting a price on the open market. At that point everyone's feelings are already bruised.
Well, I think he has to realize that I can't do it for free. Plus I have a guy that's helping me, and he can't expect him to do it for free either. I am going to be re-doing a bathroom for my niece for free. Her husband just died and had the bathroom torn apart. Under those circumstances I wouldn't ask for money.
I know what your saying about he doesn't know what costs are suppose to be, but I told him and you would think he would take my word for it that it would cost him twice as much from a regular EC. I just don't understand sometimes. Here I think I'm helping him out and now I feel like a villian. Well we'll see what comes of it.
Well lets see you can get recp's at the borg, 10 or $3.39 often on sale for 2.90. And switches are about the same and what is a little wire.
Yes, it sounds like you are charging a lot <G>.
"$1600 dollars, damn"
Of course I was not their and don't know either you are him, but to me it sounds like someone that just did not have any idea of the cost and was surprised that it was that much.
with me, it's either free or they pay the going rate, will they perform their occupation for you for free.. or for a reduced rate ?...
will they ask you for a gift of $______(fill in the blank ) to help support their family ?
that is what you are doing if you give them a reduced rate.. taking money from your family and giving it to them....so.... either free (let them buy the materials and help you with the labor)... or regular rate... what's teh benefit to them ?... they get someone they can trust ?....
be prepared though, because you will hear that so & so would have done the job for "x" ..
u no .. no good deed goes unpunishedMike Smith
Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Hi Guy
you shot yourself in the foot , by thinking "some contractor is going to charge him an
arm and a leg" says who?? tell him to shop you last . "some conractor" is just going to try an earn a living
No, none of us were there and we didn't look at the job....
and I'm with the guy who said that a contractor is trying to
make a living. $1600 doesn't sound like alot to me at all, but I live in Seattle.
At this point in time, and this point in my life, my MOTHER is the only person I work for for free. I figure she has paid me a thousand fold already by rasing me, and always being there when I needed her. Now, I will be there for her. She will never pay me a dime for anything I do, expensive or not. My wife agrees with this situation, and that helps a lot.
Everybody else, including brother, sister, in laws, cousins, etc... pay. Brother and sister pay a Senior Discount rate, but they pay. Everyone else pays full price. Ain't been a problem yet, and God willing, won't be a problem in the future.
Of course, each and every one of them have hired other contractors before, and know their prices and quality. When they hire me, it is because they prefer me over the rest. When they hire someone else, it is because they prefered someone else for that job. And life goes on...James DuHamel
James,
Can't say enough about that spousal support. So important in all business matters or life can be miserable. I am blessed with a supportive wife too. DanT
I'd never bring it up again, never, never. Working for relatives is a bad idea, unless you are doing it to help them out for free. Don't do it if you don't like working for free. Not worth the trouble. What if you set a low price and then they still don't pay? What you gonna do? Lots of problems can come from a deal where you know you aren't going to make any money anyway.
Send him out to the open market for a price; that will solve the problem one way or the other.