What do you guys typically charge for home runs:

1. RG6 from source to each room

2. CAT5 + speaker level from source thru keypad location to overhead speakers

Wondering what the range is out there.

It is very broad in my market alone.

RG-6 ($16-$65) a run, average about $35-$40
Cat5e ph ($17-$65) a run, average about $35-$40
Cat5e Net ($40-$45)
16/4 with Cat5e and two speakers $105.00

rg-6quad - terminated with wall plate - decora ganged with hi volt - $65

CAT5e ethernet jack terminated with decora wall plate ganged with hi volt and terminated in network box - $80

CAT5e phone terminated with decora wall plate - $60

CAT5e 16/4 w/ 2 speakers - 65 strand $165

NOTE - this is prewire only for speakes and V/C. Doesn't including trimming of network panel

eric,

these are WITHOUT termination of any sort, right?

otherwise, these prices are absurd!

in ANY market...those are unbelieveably low!

avdude

I'm not an installer. I am a business consultant who bills for my time and expenses.

Many years ago, when I made my living as a bicylce mechanic, a customer came to me with a very warped wheel and wanted it trued. I spun it, turned several spokes a few times and said, "Ten dollars."

They responded, "Ten dollars, that's three hundred dolllars per hour... for labor!"

I said, "The labor is only ten cents (about three dollars an hour, the minimum wage at the time), it's nine-ninety for the knowledge of knowing which spokes to turn how much.

The customer paid the ten and was back for many other repairs. Keep in mind, you are selling knowledge more than just labor and materials. If you are not, get out of the business.

yeah, we get paid for what we know.
It's up to us to know what is on the "cutting edge" so we know what kinds of wire to run and where.

I think this, along with programming a remote correctly is sort of a "synthesis" for what there IS know about current consumer electronics.

I won't ever give more than a basic price range without visiting the site. A run can be 10 feet or 100 feet, and require no drilling or 50 holes. I might charge $20 for one run and $150 for another. I'd never lock in a price sight-unseen.

Larry
www.fineelectricco.com

I never have a problem working time and materials on a prewire. There are too many variables to make a database entry on a "per what's being run" basis. I've not had any trouble with clients agreeing to this arrangement. $75.00 per man hour. Maybe I'm just not the gambler I think I am...


Right on the money!

Most clients, when making the decision to hire a contractor, are first concerned with ability, and price runs second. If they feel like you know your business, and they are comfortable communicating with you, unless your price is in the clouds, you will likely win the bid.

If you run across the guy that truely thinks price is everything, then there is other wisdom that applies: Half the battle in business is knowing which jobs to walk away from.

As a future customer (I know I keep saying that, but it WILL happen someday) I'm glad someone does time & materials.

If the prices listed are accurate for my area, I'm going to have to save a lot more before contacting anyone. ;)

Or maybe I need to think about changing careers. Anyone need some help? lol

Wow! How do you go about ganging these with high voltage? I know of two ways -- space the low voltage a bit away from the high voltage, and use a three gang plate with a blank in the center, or CHANGE OUT the electrical box for a wider one with a metal insert that makes legal the high and low being in the same box. How the heck do you do either or both of these at that kind of price? Especially if, as avdude points out, it seems that these prices look like finished, which requires at least two trips, time unpaid in between, cover plates....

Some chain of ice cream stores here in Southern California used to have a sign on the wall that said something like this, and I put one phrase in capitals because its meaning and what it does to the phrase is at the same time so accurate and so vicious:

There are those who believe that price is the only concern when buying a product or a service. There are others who are willing to supply such at very low prices, and these people are their LAWFUL PREY.

avdude, yeah the lowest cost is running townhome series homes up to attic with blank on wall and only if security and audio is done in house.

the $35-$40 range is what we charge, or I should say get, for RG-6 or Cat5e runs terminated. Now the modules are extra but the plating isn't. We pay prewire and trim techs per peice so our cost of labor is minimal..
It still sucks but we profit on the total job so not making a killing on the ph, TV and data drops is not necessary. If you look at percentage of mark-up on each run then percentage wise we actually make a killing.. I can break down more numbers for you if you want to take it to IP's secured section...

later

I hate to point out the obvious, and as much as I think forums are more of a misinformational waste of time, I find I need to point out one obvious observation.
No one asked what would be used. What kind of gear, would lighting control be involved, volume controls, keypads, Crestron, etc. Who cares what "it" costs. Part of paying a "custom" installer is the installer's talent and skill set being used, if not challanged. And what KIND of wire- there's bulk poo that "works" like a cheap import car, and there's silver and high quality shielded fancy stuff. Is the prewire being done in condo, or multi level apt? Because of earthquake building codes, prewires can be really time consuming because of the lumber used to actually build the structure. This would be different from a single story ranch house residence.
The point being, unless you do this day in and day out, don't assume you know what your doing, nor what to ask for, nor what "to have a bid" on. Most consumers don't know how to setup an HD cable box, as well as most cable installers. So don't get carried away by "what does it cost to have a prewire done" unless you know what is really involved.

2 ways - First leviton makes metal rings that nails over a 1 or 2 gang box. you can take a single hi volt and make it a 2 or 3 gang leaving plenty of low voltage openings (comport)

Second way is carlon makes a box that is designed as a single gang hi volt with a single gang low volt. they work like a charm

finished product looks like a million bucks

Gee, since you think that, I am sorry for you that you finally got sucked into POSTING ONE TIME. I guess since you have had nothing to offer in the past, you joining might have been a misinformational waste of time for us.

But then you feel you have to point out something obvious? I agree, it is obvious! That is why, in my opinion, the original post asked for a RANGE. Wouldn't you think a range might cover VARIATIONS such as the ones you mention?

Gee, now I feel bad for us, too, that you finally contributed.


I asked about how one makes combo high voltage and low voltage boxes:


This sounds like something you do after the electrician is finished, right? Indeed a great idea.


There would be quite a hassle on most of the projects where I could apply this because I am not also the electrician, and the electrician has quoted a price, supplied product, and wants to just plain do it. How do you go about changing the electrician's prices and procedures so these boxes are used, but the homeowner does not pay twice and you don't have to change what the electrician has put in?

This message was edited by Ernie Bornn-Gilman on 07/29/04 09:36.