Looking for opinions on an electrician's bill (R2422)

Hi MyGaming

I wanted to get some opinions on what you guys think about the charge that I received from an Electrician. Here's the story:

After Eskom's load-shedding (last month, I think). My earth-leakage switch gave out and needed to be replaced. I phoned an Electrician first thing the following morning and he promptly came out to my house. The call-out fee was R800 which includes the first hour of labour. He had a look at what the problem was and had to go out and buy an earth-leakage switch. He came back about an hour and half later with the switch and replaced it. He also said that there were some new regulations about lights bypassing the earth-leakage switch and corrected my DB board to comply.

All in all, the total time that he spent working was less than an hour. And the earth-leakage switch costs around R600 if I remember correctly. I have received a bill for R2422, which I think is really excessive. Is it possiblethat the extra work of getting the DB board in line with regulations could cost R1000? Am I being ripped off? Note, I was never quoted for anything beyond the initial call-out.

What do you guys think?

I honestly don't know. It sounds crazy expensive for the short time that the electrician was there.

Well the thing is, with trade like this time is money. Did he give you a detailed breakdown of expenses like travel time and travel km's?

In IT the costs for call outs can become expensive very quickly when time is taken into account.

R800 - Call out
R5/km - 50+- kms? = R250
Spares = R600
1 1/2 hr Travel time = R650 + R325 = R975

Total: R2625

Thats just a thumb suck dude, but it is viable hey.

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Originally Posted by Roomys

Well the thing is, with trade like this time is money. Did he give you a detailed breakdown of expenses like travel time and travel km's?

In IT the costs for call outs can become expensive very quickly when time is taken into account.

R800 - Call out
R5/km - 50+- kms? = R250
Spares = R600
1 1/2 hr Travel time = R650 + R325 = R975

Total: R2625

Thats just a thumb suck dude, but it is viable hey.

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I suppose it's possible, but they are based in the same town as me. Travel distance really shouldn't be an issue. I don't have the details with me. I'l check the breakdown later and report back.

The labour and the travel couldn't have cost that much, so I would suggest you try find out how much that switch cost that he put in.

Do any of these switches look familiar?

http://icmsa.co.za/pricelist.pdf

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Originally Posted by to0kenZA

The labour and the travel couldn't have cost that much, so I would suggest you try find out how much that switch cost that he put in.

Do any of these switches look familiar?

http://icmsa.co.za/pricelist.pdf

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Not really, but it was similar to the one on the top of the list. R600 seems a little steep for something that is listed as R185 :P

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Originally Posted by StaggerLee

Not really, but it was similar to the one on the top of the list. R600 seems a little steep for something that is listed as R185 :P

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Yeah dude, I would maybe ask them for a detailed breakdown of the invoice hey.

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Originally Posted by to0kenZA

Yeah dude, I would maybe ask them for a detailed breakdown of the invoice hey.

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Yeah, I think that's going to be best. Thanks for the help and suggestions guys.

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Originally Posted by StaggerLee

Yeah, I think that's going to be best. Thanks for the help and suggestions guys.

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No problem and good luck!

Did he reissue a compliance certificate? Sounds a bit excessive otherwise.

Wow R800 for call out and 1 hour that is extreme here its more in the line of R150-300 for the call out.

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Originally Posted by reactor_sa

Did he reissue a compliance certificate? Sounds a bit excessive otherwise.

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Nope he did not.

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Originally Posted by Crzwaco

Wow R800 for call out and 1 hour that is extreme here its more in the line of R150-300 for the call out.

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The plumber here charges R650 for a call out.

Afaik new building regulations apply to buildings / modifications after the date of announcement. Old houses are required to comply with the regulations in force at the time of the construction.

The above is based on my limited knowledge of these matters though so it might be entirely wrong.

Personally I'd find a reputable source on the above and then have a heart to heart talk with the electrician about the total on the bill given the above and the methods employed in arriving at said total.

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Originally Posted by Crzwaco

Wow R800 for call out and 1 hour that is extreme here its more in the line of R150-300 for the call out.

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That seems wildly low for a call out. I know a relative's elec co would not be able to work based on that. Sure they roll with unusually hardcore gear & people but still...petrol & vehicle maintenance is expensive for everyone.

I worked in the trade before and people are ripoff artists in most trades. A lot of them will take you for a ride.

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Originally Posted by czc

The plumber here charges R650 for a call out.

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Originally Posted by HavocXphere

Afaik new building regulations apply to buildings / modifications after the date of announcement. Old houses are required to comply with the regulations in force at the time of the construction.

The above is based on my limited knowledge of these matters though so it might be entirely wrong.

Personally I'd find a reputable source on the above and then have a heart to heart talk with the electrician about the total on the bill given the above and the methods employed in arriving at said total.


That seems wildly low for a call out. I know a relative's elec co would not be able to work based on that. Sure they roll with unusually hardcore gear & people but still...petrol & vehicle maintenance is expensive for everyone.

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Well at least something is better here in Kimberley :D But then again its just a callout nothing else.

Yeah pluming is a whole diffrent thing normally about R450-800

The fact that the guy did work without telling you, in advance, what it will cost you is against CPA. What he's doing is ripping you off and now you're sitting with bill-shock because he didn't explain it to you properly. CPA buddy - the law is on your side, you don't have to pay this until it's cleared up.

I had the EXACT same work done, and by bill was R1000. The switches do go for around R600, but then my electrician had one on him(they should kind of have spares :) ). He cannot charge you for going out to buy one, and then for a second call out...

I would burn him at the stake!

Thanks for all the extra info guys. I have had a look at the itemization now:

Call out: R577.50
Traveling: R240.00
Material: R921.37
Labour: R385.00
VAT: 297.34

Total: R2421.21

So the total cost of the first hours' labour with the call-out is not what they said it would cost. And they did charge me for traveling as well, over and above the call-out. I don't think it's fair. I'm going to double-check the cost of a new earth-leakage switch at home and compare it with the one that he gave me, but so far, from the price-list, it looks like I have been heavily over-charged for that part. I'll let you all know what happens tomorrow.

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Originally Posted by StaggerLee

Thanks for all the extra info guys. I have had a look at the itemization now:

Call out: R577.50
Traveling: R240.00
Material: R921.37
Labour: R385.00
VAT: 297.34

Total: R2421.21

So the total cost of the first hours' labour with the call-out is not what they said it would cost. And they did charge me for traveling as well, over and above the call-out. I don't think it's fair. I'm going to double-check the cost of a new earth-leakage switch at home and compare it with the one that he gave me, but so far, from the price-list, it looks like I have been heavily over-charged for that part. I'll let you all know what happens tomorrow.

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I think i still stand by what i posted earlier in this thread. The oke spent his time to go and get the part you needed. The consumables he used amount to a certain cost. Whether or not it reflects the costs he put on paper might make a difference. I again state that most of the your nearly R3k bill will come from his expertise / time.

These oakes generally charge for every possible item, the maximum possible charge. Daylight robbery, but what you going to do, right?

a while back our whole circuit board had to be replaced due power surges and bad wiring that was done when our unit was built. happened smack bang in the middle of winter and had to be fixed. we called one of those adds that you see in the paper for an emergency electrician as this happened on a sunday over a long weekend.

cant remember what the the call out fee was but our total bill for having all the switches replaced cost R5291.88 of this entire bill R795 was labour and R649.88 was VAT. the electrician also didnt have any spares with him to fix our problem and had to go out to buy these. but that being said he did not want to go out and buy the spares without a R2000 deposit. we basically had to go and draw the cash and gave it to him and then once our power was restored we could transfer the balance. the whole fixing of circuit board didnt even take the guy and his appy more than an hour.

all in all electricians are expensive and they know you cant really argue about what they have done cause what do we really know about electrics etc...

So, this guys charged you R950+ for an earth leakage switch, EXCLUDING Vat? Did he quote you on this beforehand?