Electrician prices for new build

[recom273]

We have nearly finished our blockwork on the house, in Khon Kaen and are looking around for an electrician.

 

We require "labour only" which is not a problem there are plenty of electricians around, we parted company with our main contractor and find it better to select individual trades to do specific jobs.

 

The price seems to vary slightly - just wondering about other peoples experiences.

 

The price seems to be based upon a "joot" - that's like a plug point, or a switch / bulb.

 

Yesterday, we met with two guys.

 

Sparks #1 - Charges 500B per "joot" - this seems higher than the norm, however, for lighting he charges per switch - So, we have 6 downlighters in our TV area, controlled by a switch at both entry points - so 500B x 2= 1000B for the 6x LED downlighters. I asked about power to my TV cupboard, maybe 8x plugs under the TV, 2x behind the TV and a spur for the sub bass - that's just one "joot" + a few baht for the spur. I didn't like the guy at first, but he warmed on me during the meet. 

 

Sparks #2 - Charges 350B per "joot" - I liked this guy and his wife, we explained that we will deviate from the plan as they were just drawn by the tessaban architect, we explained about the 6 downlighters x 2 switches (as an initial example) - His pricing was 350B for each of the switches+ 1 bulb then 350B for each subsequent bulb - I explained that there were 18 LED downlight in the open plan living area, and that I wouldn't be paying 6K for installation, more than double the price of #1. He couldn't see the bigger picture, I guess a lot of his local trade just require a combination plug / light and run a chain of extension leads from one plug. We apologized and let him go, no sense in wasting his / my time although the missus was "all Thai" and said we would call, I stopped all this and explained that he wasn't offering a competitive pricing model.

 

He said that not all electricians price the same - and that's fair enough, however, I dont think he offered anything different from the first guy.

 

Both asked for a very reasonable and similar price to run cable from the electric pole on the road and to set up the consumer unit. 

 

I was kind of looking for someone with a bit of enthusiasm, with regard to data / cctv maybe with a bit of creative lighting knowledge picked up along the way - just as I was when this was my job - but I guess that's asking too much, lol, but no problem.

 

Then a Thai friend tells me #3 that the price per "joot" is set by the tessaban, that's 150B per point .. I know there's a cats chance in hell to get that price and I believe you get what you pay for .. I imagine the rental houses I live in were done by the 150B spark, which is why my TV turns off when anyone turns on a light in the house.

 

Can anyone share their experience?

 

 

 

 

Edited May 7, 2023 by recom273

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, recom273 said:

I was kind of looking for someone with a bit of enthusiasm, with regard to data / cctv maybe with a bit of creative lighting knowledge picked up along the way - just as I was when this was my job - but I guess that's asking too much, lol, but no problem.

You have found the usual Thai electrical installers.
What you want is an actual electrician, they are as rare as hens teeth and virtually none of them work full time in the domestic sector. We actually know one who does work in northern Issan who is a PEA employee training for EGAT. He does work for foreign clients, actually knows what he is doing and has a selection of tools and equipment that makes me envious. He is not at all cheap but his work is value for money. So if you have the money for a quality install you are welcome to contact. His price as far as I remember is about 200 per point + materials 

[Mickeymaus]

Whatever you do. Check afterwards if the live wires and the neutral wires are connected correctly. Especially at things with a switch. And also check the aircon compressors. One of mine was a death trap. Good that I checked it before touching it.

[Kwasaki]

500 per hour.

[recom273]

46 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

You have found the usual Thai electrical installers.
What you want is an actual electrician, they are as rare as hens teeth and virtually none of them work full time in the domestic sector. We actually know one who does work in northern Issan who is a PEA employee training for EGAT. He does work for foreign clients, actually knows what he is doing and has a selection of tools and equipment that makes me envious. He is not at all cheap but his work is value for money. So if you have the money for a quality install you are welcome to contact. His price as far as I remember is about 200 per point + materials 

Yes, this is very true, I used to teach at a tech college and I can assess these installers very well by comparing them to my students - like the aircon course were nice guys, hardly ever turned up to class, thick as two planks - but their course gave them the ability to say they could instal electrics - they can hammer a few clips and string a cable between an existing point and that's about it.

 

The guys that study electrical, there were two types, the guys that went on to work in an industrial setting and those who didnt. 

 

I think 200 is reasonable, could you DM me his details? Its one thing I dont want to scrimp on as I have a bit of an interest in it, not that im a sparks - we found a guy yesterday who claimed to be an electrical engineer, after university - but he refused to travel out of the city, he wanted petrol money to come 25 mins down the road to talk to us and then declined, he said he had enough work around Buang Nong Korn, the big lake with all the hi-so houses and moo bans in Khon Kaen.

[OneMoreFarang]

Maybe you did this already. Make sure you specify the wire size (i.e. 2.5 sqmm), if they use earthing everywhere, etc. Will the cables be in ducts in the wall? Or ducts on top of the walls?

 

4 hours ago, recom273 said:

I explained that there were 18 LED downlight in the open plan living area, and that I wouldn't be paying 6K for installation

That's 333 B for the installation of each downlight. What do they have to do? Put holes in the ceiling, put cables in the ceiling, connect all the cables, etc.? Do you really think 333 B is too much?

 

Especially with electric I wouldn't look for cheap. Cheap = dangerous.

[proton]

Make sure they know what grounding means, mrs told the 'electrician' to ground our shower, he did not know what it meant!

[recom273]

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Maybe you did this already. Make sure you specify the wire size (i.e. 2.5 sqmm), if they use earthing everywhere, etc. Will the cables be in ducts in the wall? Or ducts on top of the walls?

 

That's 333 B for the installation of each downlight. What do they have to do? Put holes in the ceiling, put cables in the ceiling, connect all the cables, etc.? Do you really think 333 B is too much?

 

Especially with electric I wouldn't look for cheap. Cheap = dangerous.

That's a lot of money - Like I said, my first example is the TV area, which incorporates 6x LED downlight in a circuit, is controlled by two switches that control one dimmer module in the wiring closet #1 charges 500B per switch, I consider this to be a fair price - He installs the conduit, he runs the cable to a central position and then each of the lights are included in the price, he thinks its nothing to drill a hole in the ceiling, pull the cable, make off and put the light in the hole - 1000B in total. #2 charges 350B per bulb .. that's the same work as #1 but he charges 6x 350B=2100B. Neither are electricians, they are installers.

 

I have learned through this building process that just because people say they can do something and may charge accordingly, it doesnt mean that the work will be done to any quality. I think you are confused, this isnt an exercise in being cheap, its about getting the correct qualified service, which is one of the reasons we broke off from our main contractor who was just throwing random sub-contractors at the job, which is often the case in Thailand.

 

We aren't talking 300B a point, we are talking about the whole job for the property, I would like it to come in under 50K labour, the second guy would be charging 100K for the same service. Would you just pay that blindly?

 

Interesting, I just spoke to the qualified electrician mentioned by @sometimewoodworker who charges less than 500B but thinks the same, per switch, he doesnt charge per bulb.

Edited May 7, 2023 by recom273

[OneMoreFarang]

34 minutes ago, recom273 said:

We aren't talking 300B a point, we are talking about the whole job for the property, I would like it to come in under 50K labour, the second guy would be charging 100K for the same service. Would you just pay that blindly?

No, I wouldn't pay anything blindly.

I am used to the fact that qualified technicians cost money and are difficult to find.

 

It's obviously difficult to find someone who knows what he is doing, is reliable, etc. I think it's necessary to spend the time to find the right person. Because any unprofessional electrical installation is a fire and health risk - it can be deadly. IMHO it costs whatever it cost.

 

Personally, I do my own electrical installation after I saw the "quality" of electricians who pretend they know what they are doing and who are expensive.

[Metapod]

can i get the contact details of the electrician that you end up going with? i have some electrical work i need to do

[Kwasaki]

9 minutes ago, Metapod said:

can i get the contact details of the electrician that you end up going with? i have some electrical work i need to do

Just ask people locally where you live.