We need more electricians as well. Got a quote to add a car charger last week and it was a hilarious four figure sum, with a month and a half lead time.
You could always do it yourself if you feel it's overpriced.
It's no different than software engineers charging $300/hour consulting fees. Sure, they're just typing on a keyboard (or running some wires in this case), but you're paying for more than just the marginal cost of that particular job. You're paying for the investment that the specialist had to make to gain the experience required to be able to do the job.
Installing an EV charger (which are supposed to be installed in every new house built in California) versus consulting fees for an enterprise software build out are not apples and oranges, it's apples and horses.
6-10 hours?! One is basically adding a 220V outlet, and usually in a place that's very close to the box full of circuit breakers (the garage). In our case, the charger is about three feet from the breaker box. I would have done it myself if it wasn't installed for free (because $REASONS). As it was, took the pro about 30 minutes.
Now, that's not to say there aren't more difficult installations. But I imagine in a lot of cases in the U. S., where a lot of breaker boxes live in the garage, it shouldn't be anywhere near a four figure installation sum. My guess is a lot of contractors of any kind can pretty much name their price right now. Or they do I used to do when I didn't want anymore consulting work: jack up the quoted price enough that I would drop other clients to do the job at that rate should the potential client be desperate enough to pay it.
what did you think it's supposed to cost? i can't imagine it would cost less than $1000, even just running conduit inside the walls, instead of doing drywall.
Unklejoe|4 years ago
It's no different than software engineers charging $300/hour consulting fees. Sure, they're just typing on a keyboard (or running some wires in this case), but you're paying for more than just the marginal cost of that particular job. You're paying for the investment that the specialist had to make to gain the experience required to be able to do the job.
0xebc|4 years ago
cudgy|4 years ago
mikestew|4 years ago
Now, that's not to say there aren't more difficult installations. But I imagine in a lot of cases in the U. S., where a lot of breaker boxes live in the garage, it shouldn't be anywhere near a four figure installation sum. My guess is a lot of contractors of any kind can pretty much name their price right now. Or they do I used to do when I didn't want anymore consulting work: jack up the quoted price enough that I would drop other clients to do the job at that rate should the potential client be desperate enough to pay it.
0xebc|4 years ago
I did not say low. It was a middling number which is madness.
>seems about right for a 6-10 hour job plus transportation costs and a helper.
6-10 hours to install a dryer circuit, with a helper? The job was going to take two hours max, with wire, box, outlet only costing about $75.
jchanimal|4 years ago
jackcosgrove|4 years ago
sigstoat|4 years ago
0xebc|4 years ago
Not $3600.
>i can't imagine it would cost less than $1000, even just running conduit inside the walls, instead of doing drywall.
No conduit required, no drywall required.