Much Needed Electrician Advice!

[SnapsProvolone]

buy the cable and fittings yourself so you don't get ripped off

Keep those receipts.

One might buy the wrong materials or find the savings are actually a loss.

Your sparky can get materials from the supply house cheaper than you can retail. Not pissing them off by tight assing them could result in a better overall deal

Just saying...

 

[mainliner]

I've already had the electrician out here, and I should get a quote tomorrow--my primary reason for seeking advice was just so I wouldn't get ripped of on cost of the wire, conduit, receptacle costs, and amp costs to house breaker...

I will do the trench work myself, and my boy will help his electrician buddy when he does the work. Hopefully, it won't cost more than 1,200.00 to do.

Keep those receipts.

One might buy the wrong materials or find the savings are actually a loss.

Your sparky can get materials from the supply house cheaper than you can retail. Not pissing them off by tight assing them could result in a better overall deal

Just saying...

good sound advice, would you like a coffee??

 

[chuck estevez]

Keep those receipts.

One might buy the wrong materials or find the savings are actually a loss.

Your sparky can get materials from the supply house cheaper than you can retail. Not pissing them off by tight assing them could result in a better overall deal

Just saying...

not only that, But a good sparky doesn't do jobs where people buy their own materials, it's like bringing a steak to black angus and asking them to cook it for you.

 

[SeedHo]

is there a reason your going to pipe it. the conduit isn`t a have to case. you can use direct burial cable and its cheaper, all you have to do is just drop it in a ditch no pipe. they don`t like to sell it as less than a roll. if you go with a big supply house they can find you a drop piece in one of their stores, you may have to pay shipping but even with that its about half the cost of copper and the conduit it requires. heres an example to wiring a barn on my place the estimate on just for the copper wire was $1500. i got the supply house to track me down some direct burial aluminum and with the shipping it cost $400, the only draw back is that you have to upsize it. so make sure that the cable will handle the amp load for the distance your going. this was 4 years ago and the cost has gone up on both i`m sure. i did all the labor, i rented a ride on trencher and hired an electrician to do the termination, i did the change over on the existing fuse box to the new breaker box, but i let someone who had a bit more experience than myself handle all the hot wires(the electrician) the whole job cost me about $800 parts and labor. sure beat the hell out of just what the copper was going to cost.

 

[Flagg420]

^^ I like this guy.

That how my mind was working too, Run the wire, set the shit up, leave all the covers open, and then call the electrician simply as an inspector. Let HIM connect the new system to the house feed, and test out the different circuits to confirm everything is safe and within code. Can run and connect all the wire you want on a disconnected system

I'd prolly still rock the copper n conduit line, this is something your trying to save money doing, not something youre trying to do 'cheap' Tho seed brings a good point, what kind of distance is this power traveling from house to shed?

Confirm for sure what IS the amp rating on the house line, and what have you decided to put in the shed?

 

[heelzballer]

^^ I like this guy.

That how my mind was working too, Run the wire, set the shit up, leave all the covers open, and then call the electrician simply as an inspector. Let HIM connect the new system to the house feed, and test out the different circuits to confirm everything is safe and within code. Can run and connect all the wire you want on a disconnected system

I'd prolly still rock the copper n conduit line, this is something your trying to save money doing, not something youre trying to do 'cheap' Tho seed brings a good point, what kind of distance is this power traveling from house to shed?

Confirm for sure what IS the amp rating on the house line, and what have you decided to put in the shed?

Shed is about a 100 feet or so from house, my buddy has conduit he's willing to donate, but won't skimp on copper even if it costs more...With conduit how deep should trench be?? I would like him to put in 13 receptacles and 3 220 receptacles for shed...

He's giving me a price estimate tomorrow, and I'll share here to make sure prices are on point..Really appreciative of you guys helping me out..

 

[SeedHo]

why do yall think the copper is better? its not!

 

[Bomixius]

I would say go buy it all yourself, run it all yourself. Then have him hook it up. It will be cheaper and you'll have a sense of accomplishment.

 

[smoke the tires]

can you explain why the copper isn't better

 

[sctracker22]

My bid with no real information here, for the service upgrade, 100 amp subpanel ran out to the shed, 13 120v plugs, and 3 240v plugs is $12,143.91. Granted after seeing the job it could come out a little higher or lower. An electrician isn't ripping you off when he charges what he charges. I spent years and years learning how to do my trade and it costs me $100,000 in materials, tools, insurances and other costs just to send one employee out to give a quote.

 

[Flagg420]

What I'm reading ..... says 6" of cover on a metal conduit burial... but thats at a glance, and may not include the higher amperage you are pulling, either way, I'd have it a good 12" or so /shrug

 

[SeedHo]

can you explain why the copper isn't better

copper has less resistance to electricity so the wire can be a smaller size vs aluminum. copper was cheaper at one time, now copper prices have got so high to a point where aluminum is becoming the go to wire when larger sizes are needed. the wires that brings the electricity to your home is aluminum, all the wire you see running along the roadsides is all aluminum.
the advantage of running copper is about to come to an end if the tread of its cost keeps going up. in electronics copper has more of a value because of its resistance properties.

 

[heelzballer]

My bid with no real information here, for the service upgrade, 100 amp subpanel ran out to the shed, 13 120v plugs, and 3 240v plugs is $12,143.91. Granted after seeing the job it could come out a little higher or lower. An electrician isn't ripping you off when he charges what he charges. I spent years and years learning how to do my trade and it costs me $100,000 in materials, tools, insurances and other costs just to send one employee out to give a quote.

 

[heelzballer]

12,000.00!! Hell at that point I 'd get freakin' solar installed and say the hell with most of it lol...The damn shed only cost 6,000.00...Fingers crossed it doesn't go that high, or I will do it myself (1.21 jiggawatts)

 

[smoke the tires]

were you smoking crack when you wrote this?

 

[heelzballer]

So, I finally got the prelim estimate for electrical work for shed...He said the 60 amp breaker installed on house box would be substantially cheaper than the next step up to the 100 amp breaker...I told him I would rather have 100 amp installed to future-proof myself in case of upgrades down the road, and he gave me a quote of between 2500-3000 bucks total...That includes materials and labor...What do you guys think? Thanks

 

[sctracker22]

So, I finally got the prelim estimate for electrical work for shed...He said the 60 amp breaker installed on house box would be substantially cheaper than the next step up to the 100 amp breaker...I told him I would rather have 100 amp installed to future-proof myself in case of upgrades down the road, and he gave me a quote of between 2500-3000 bucks total...That includes materials and labor...What do you guys think? Thanks

Does that include upgrading the service at the house? I think your better off running slightly oversized pipe out to the shed and pulling the 100 amp service. Its worth the investment so when you decide to add one more light or whatever it might be you dont have to do it all over again.

 

[heelzballer]

So finally some good news! Just when I thought I would have to blow the budget on elec alone---I was gonna go cheaper and do 60amp, he called my buddy and told him he found some equipment cheaper online, and now the total for all work and equipment to run a 100amp off house will be 1,500.00 only!

 

[chillychill]

Up here (New England) a 200 amp service is between 2800 and 3400...because of all the new code requirements.