Electrician estimate for a 220 line

[Hapytruck01]

I need a line run from my upstairs bedroom where the breaker is to the new garage, which is roughly 100'. There is a spot for a breaker in my current box.He quoted me $650, it sounds kinda high to me. How much should it run?

[Todd W]

How many amp 220 line? 100' is a lot of $ in wire alone.

[mondtster]

How many amp 220 line? 100' is a lot of $ in wire alone.

x2.

We just paid $340 for 150' of 6ga 3 conductor copper UF cable this last weekend. Then you add in the other items to do the job correctly and it goes up from there. IMHO, that estimate sounds about right.

[Hapytruck01]

how Many Amp 220 Line? 100' Is A Lot Of $ In Wire Alone.

50 i think

its a lincoln power mig 180c

[78bronco460]

Pay the man before copper goes up again.

[Hapytruck01]

Pay the man before copper goes up again.

thats what I was afraid of hearing :barf:

[yozsi]

i just did a 100 foot run for my neighbor from his breaker box in the house to his garage.. we buried 4 guage aluminum to the garage for 60 amp service. he got the wire and told me it was less than half for the aluminum over copper.

[ScoutDawg]

if you use the aluminum its way cheaper to do a higher amp load.
I just did a 100 amp service wire to my garage and got the 2/2/4 aluminum wire for like $1.17 a foot and its direct bury as well. Your only issue will be running something that big in the walls as its very stiff wire as opposed to something ike a 6/2 or 6/3 copper. This is something that if you have some electrical skills and could pick someones brain a little you could do it yourself.

[bluesman2a]

I'm of the same opinion... It's a little high.

I would chack at Homless-Desperate. When I was wiring my garage, they had 125' prepackaged spools of 6Ga for about $140 (it's what I used for all EIGHT of my welder outlets in the new shop). Even if it's doubled since I bought my last one, we're still not even in the same neighborhood.

add in $20 for a two pole/50A breaker
add in $5 for a box
add in $20 for a good NEMA 6-50R plug
add in $10 for a cover plate

It's not difficult to do, you could save yourself some money if you can be trained to the level of a chiba-monkey.

[bluesman2a]

hang on a second.
I just re-read the original post.
When you say "new garage" are we talking new construction with no other electricity?

If so, a MUCH better option is to have your electrician put in a sub-panel in your shop/garage space, then you have MANY more options you can explore down the road as you start to use the space.

[mondtster]

I would chack at Homless-Desperate. When I was wiring my garage, they had 125' prepackaged spools of 6Ga for about $140 (it's what I used for all EIGHT of my welder outlets in the new shop). Even if it's doubled since I bought my last one, we're still not even in the same neighborhood.

I agree with you on the sub panel in any garage, whether new or old.

I'm assuming that the price you threw out for that 125' of 6 ga cable must have been for aluminum? That's waaaaaaay too cheap if you're looking at copper right now...

[bluesman2a]

I'm assuming that the price you threw out for that 125' of 6 ga cable must have been for aluminum? That's waaaaaaay too cheap if you're looking at copper right now...

No, that was for copper 6Ga, 2 conductor plus ground, this is indoor/romex, NOT direct burial. The last one I bought was about 2 months ago.

[Hapytruck01]

The garage has been done for a few months, It has wiring run for all the regular plugs and switches already. These wires are run up to the upstairs bedroom where the box is.

[Travis Waldher]

I would just go the sub panel route.

[nissancrawler]

I would just go the sub panel route.

Still have to have the wire.

Why pay an electrician?

[Travis Waldher]

Still have to have the wire.

Why pay an electrician?

Well yes, but he's bound to need another 220 circuit someday down the road and to avoid having an oversized breaker for the device that is being supported. It would be better to have a 60-100A sub in the garage.

Go through the pain of wiring in the walls to get to the original panel once.

Why pay an electrician? Maybe he doesn't know how and is skeered of the electrons?

[BIGSTIC]

Sounds like a pretty fair price honestly. Is the wire run outside the house? Through finished walls? Alot to consider when dealing with prices for running wire in houses. Its not just a cut and dry simple formula when you are trying to guess what was done before and figure out how to add onto an existing system. Figure if you do it your self you will be saving labor witch I would guess at around 4 hours at around $70/hr. If you think its high call other shops and see what hey charge. Try to find a one man shop cause they are usually the cheapest but make sure he has the proper credentials and isn't just some handy man. I HATE HANDY MAN ELECTRICIANS :mad3:

[nissancrawler]

I HATE HANDY MAN ELECTRICIANS :mad3:

Yes, it's much better when a master electrician and master plumber leave ungrounded gfi's and ungrounded swtiches in a bathroom, wires nutted together in the wall, no box, leaking pipes, rusted off pipes plumbers puttied to the floor, electrified gas pipes...

I know several "handy man electricians" that I would trust to work on my stuff way before some "master electricians" I know of.

Travis, I would agree on the sub, but if he's going to a main box with one slot left, I highly doubt he can get much of a subpanel, especially with only 6 gauge wire.

Even if he's not comfortable hooking up the wire, running it himself would save some $$$.

My personal belief is that a garage should have it's own independent panel. I have a 150 amp box in a 22x24 garage, and damn near all the slots are gone.

[Travis Waldher]

I know several "handy man electricians" that I would trust to work on my stuff way before some "master electricians" I know of.


It was a licensed electrician that nearly killed me. :rolleyes: After that, respect for that end of the profession went down "just a little".

[BIGSTIC]

Well you have your opinion and I have mine but as far as I am concerned in Montana a "Handyman Electrician" is breaking the law right off the bat and is no better than an Illeagal hanging sheetrock. I have yet to meet one that comes close to following code and when you have to explain to a homeowner that the "handyman" did it wrong and it will cost more $$$ to fix what they already paid for, well respect goes right out the door. Not to mention i doubt they carry any kind of insurance incase an accident does happen. But they are cheap so whatever :mad3:

Now a HOMEOWNER trying to do their own work on their own home, I will be the first one to try to help so they dont burn their house down. Its your house and its your legal right to do your own wiring and burn your house down :flipoff2:

[78bronco460]

It was a licensed electrician that nearly killed me. :rolleyes: After that, respect for that end of the profession went down "just a little".

It's an unfortunate fact that ALL professions have dangerous hacks doing bad work. Cops, mechanics, hookers, bus drivers... even electricians. There's a bad apple in every barrel. But if a dentist botches a root canal do you say screw it I'll do my own? Probably not. You still need the job done and done right.
As a member of the IBEW and a state licensed journeyman I can say I've repaired MILLIONS of dollars worth of bad work done by low bidders on jobs the customer thought would be as good quality as the higher bids. People seem to have this "cheap is good, cheaper is better, cheapest is best" mentality even though they know that it just doesn't work that way. You get what you pay for, if you're careful and do your research. Check the credentials and references for anyone you hire for anything. All electrical work done in your home or business should be permitted and inspected, whether it is a contractor or yourself doing the work.
Any contractor that says he doesn't need a permit is probably not who you want doing the work. He's willing to break the law to keep his work from being looked at by someone competent at determining that he did it correctly. Yes this will cost more. And it should. Your home and safety are worth a few or even a few hundred extra dollars.
There are areas where there is no state licensing. In this case it is even more critical to check references and credentials. The handyman electrician could be more qualified than the "Master Electrician" when the master license is actually just a local fee. And again, in these areas permits and inspections are your best protection from shoddy and unsafe work.
Sorry for the long post, but we lose work to fly-by-night hacks all the time because we won't compromise the cost of quality materials and workmanship to get a job. We get called in to straighten out the mess afterwards. That's when we hear "I should have hired you guys to start with..."

[nissancrawler]

Both the master plumber and master electrician that fucked my place up had permits. They were quite obviously in bed with the inspector, since Stevie Wonder could have seen how fucked up that shit was.

P.S. I did all my own wiring and I did it to code, which is more than I can say for the "Professionals".

I called the city and reported what had been done under the permit. They told me to fuck off and that I would have to buy another wiring and plumbing permit to fix the bullshit that was bought off on the first permit. :shaking: No thanks, I'll do it illegally. Permits have nothing to do with safety and what's right, and everything to do with revenue.

[bluesman2a]

You know I take exception to the idea that only licensed "professionals" can do this type of work effectively and safely. If you can read a fawkin' book then you too can wire a fawkin shop/welder/outlet/light. There are PLENTY of resources out there to teach folks how to do it RIGHT. I mean Jesus-H.-Christ-on-a-popsicle-stick... We've got idiots building 1-ton rigs that drive down the same roads as our kids (see paparazzi thread) and you wanna pick some nits about an electrical permit???

I mean it's just not that hard for the basics: pull the wire, make sure the wire is not damaged, staple the wire, terminate the wire appropriately on either end in a fawkin box. Put in GFI and breakers in the right places, never overload a circuit, and when calculating load for a breaker, always play to the weakest link in said ckt.

Amazingly enough I wired an entire 3 bay shop into a 400Amp service (built from scratch), it passed inspection with FLYING colors and appreciative comments from the inspector AND it has yet to burn down!!!

[78bronco460]

Both the master plumber and master electrician that fucked my place up had permits. They were quite obviously in bed with the inspector, since Stevie Wonder could have seen how fucked up that shit was.

P.S. I did all my own wiring and I did it to code, which is more than I can say for the "Professionals".

I called the city and reported what had been done under the permit. They told me to fuck off and that I would have to buy another wiring and plumbing permit to fix the bullshit that was bought off on the first permit. :shaking: No thanks, I'll do it illegally. Permits have nothing to do with safety and what's right, and everything to do with revenue.

I believe you had every right to sue the contractor and the city. I would have raised hell until it got resolved, but that's me.
Good for you taking care of it, even with what sounds like a piss poor local inspector passing it by and a piss poor permit office in your city. Shame on them.

You know I take exception to the idea that only licensed "professionals" can do this type of work effectively and safely. If you can read a fawkin' book then you too can wire a fawkin shop/welder/outlet/light. There are PLENTY of resources out there to teach folks how to do it RIGHT. I mean Jesus-H.-Christ-on-a-popsicle-stick... We've got idiots building 1-ton rigs that drive down the same roads as our kids (see paparazzi thread) and you wanna pick some nits about an electrical permit???

I mean it's just not that hard for the basics: pull the wire, make sure the wire is not damaged, staple the wire, terminate the wire appropriately on either end in a fawkin box. Put in GFI and breakers in the right places, never overload a circuit, and when calculating load for a breaker, always play to the weakest link in said ckt.

Amazingly enough I wired an entire 3 bay shop into a 400Amp service (built from scratch), it passed inspection with FLYING colors and appreciative comments from the inspector AND it has yet to burn down!!!

I think I mentioned there are states with no licensing requirement for electricians, and yet somehow all the homes have lights and aren't on fire. There are no license requirements on Federal jobs. They all get done as well. Homeowners wire their own premises and some do a fine job. You did your shop and got compliments from the inspector. Many people on this and other 4x4 sites install sub-panels and welding outlets so they can enjoy this hobby more. That's all great with me. I hope that is clear.
Here's the "nit" I was meaning to pick:
The assholes like the "Master" electrician/plumber nissancrawler dealt with who takes people's money in good faith for a professional installation, does a shit job, gets away with it because of broke-dick city permit officials, and leaves the homeowner in a mess. These people could give a shit if you die because of their neglect. That's the reason I suggest checking references and credentials, permits and inspections IF you're going to hire a contractor. That way if things go wrong you've got a solid paper trail to recover damages.

[Mean_Green]

i know mine was only 10' away, but i paid 125 for it all installed. double breaker and remember to mount the plug upside down if your welder is ;)

[PAToyota]

It was a licensed electrician that nearly killed me. :rolleyes: After that, respect for that end of the profession went down "just a little".

I wired my shop myself - 200amp service and runs for 100amp to the TIG, 50amp to the plasma, etc.

When the electrical inspector showed up, his first statement was "Wired it yourself? Just to let you know, I've already failed two professional jobs this morning."

But as he was going over things you could see his attitude change. At the end he shook my hand, told me I passed, and said he wished he could take me around to some of the asshat electricians he has to work with and have me teach them something about neatness and paying attention to the details.

I'm not saying I'm as good or better than the average electrician. But I am probably better than a number of them. All I did was take the time to make sure that I understood what I was doing and then pay attention to the details of getting everything in order.

As for the OP, one thing to consider is that you're paying electrician rates for drilling holes and pulling wire - not exactly rocket science. If you don't feel comfortable with making the connections, ask the electrician about prep work for him. Chances are that he'd rather have you drill the holes and pull the wire and he can make some quick money making the connections without all the grunt work and tell you what you need to do.

[plunkinberry]

Electric wiring is not difficult if you take the time to do the research and be careful and thorough. If you are not capable or comfortable of doing it yourself, hire someone you feel comfortable with - ask around for recommendations.

I am an insured contractor. I am capable of doing almost all electrical work - but rarely will for liability and safty purposes. On my own house, sure. If permits are required or if I'm being paid for a job - almost never. I won't generally do more than replace switches, outlets, lights, fans, etc...

Unfortunately, the bad apples usually tend to ruin the entire lot...

[Travis Waldher]

I wired my shop myself - 200amp service and runs for 100amp to the TIG, 50amp to the plasma, etc.

When the electrical inspector showed up, his first statement was "Wired it yourself? Just to let you know, I've already failed two professional jobs this morning."

But as he was going over things you could see his attitude change. At the end he shook my hand, told me I passed, and said he wished he could take me around to some of the asshat electricians he has to work with and have me teach them something about neatness and paying attention to the details.

I'm not saying I'm as good or better than the average electrician. But I am probably better than a number of them. All I did was take the time to make sure that I understood what I was doing and then pay attention to the details of getting everything in order.

As for the OP, one thing to consider is that you're paying electrician rates for drilling holes and pulling wire - not exactly rocket science. If you don't feel comfortable with making the connections, ask the electrician about prep work for him. Chances are that he'd rather have you drill the holes and pull the wire and he can make some quick money making the connections without all the grunt work and tell you what you need to do.

When you did that, did you find anything that required where holes were to be drilled in walls for cable, how often to staple, etc?

My dad's house is getting ready for a remodel. To save him a chunk of coin we might do his own electrical work including replacing his old 100A zinser panel. The only thing a little fuzzy to me is if there's requirements for cable placement and securing where can I find them?

[PAToyota]

Edge of a hole cannot be any closer than 1 1/4" from the edge of the stud - both inside and out. If it is closer, you need one of those metal plate covers. A couple places I was running heavier cable (welder, etc) and needed a bigger hole I ended up putting the plates in just to be safe.

Secure the cable within 12" of it coming out of a box or other fixture and then every 4 1/2 feet. Going through a hole in a stud is considered "securing" so you don't have to staple horizontal runs.

[nissancrawler]

When you did that, did you find anything that required where holes were to be drilled in walls for cable, how often to staple, etc?

My dad's house is getting ready for a remodel. To save him a chunk of coin we might do his own electrical work including replacing his old 100A zinser panel. The only thing a little fuzzy to me is if there's requirements for cable placement and securing where can I find them?

Your inspection office should have all that info, mine did. In addition to what you mentioned, there are min. heights for wiring, outlets, switches, etc.

I know you aren't talking garage use, but for the OP, I would consider running pvc for the wiring in the garage, especially if walls are existing.

I did mine that way and love it. It's so easy to throw another wire down the pipe and put another outlet in, etc. I don't think it's worth the work to run wires in existing walls of garages.

[u2slow]

I need a line run from my upstairs bedroom where the breaker is to the new garage, which is roughly 100'. There is a spot for a breaker in my current box.He quoted me $650, it sounds kinda high to me. How much should it run?

Sounds more than fair.

Most jobs I do that take a few hours for a new install *start* at $500. I generally don't quote customers either - shot myself in the foot too many times. :p

[Pat]

Without seeing the whole job it would be impossible for anyone to give you a accurate idea of cost for this job..$650 could be reasonable, it could be high or it could be a smoking deal depending what it would take to do the job correctly