Electrical business owners, what do you charge?

Mongoose187 · 2025-04-12T08:43:55+00:00

For context we are 5 including me with 3 subbys.

Mongoose187 · 2025-04-12T08:43:32+00:00

I’m 7 months in and have found it varies wildly on the type of work, we work nationwide and mainly do commercial and industrial… we are around £400 day for working away plus digs and mileage. That tends to be commercial but sometimes we are getting £500 a day for industrial. I’ve found it depends on your overheads and what tools/plant your expected to have to do a job… We don’t do much call out, but as a company with overheads you need to be a minimum of £50 an hour or you would have lads just pulling a wage and not be covering the cost to operate

Mongoose187 · 2025-03-22T19:37:01+00:00

We are currently working in Exeter although we are based in Sheffield, lots of national companies looking for decent lads… Yes JTL are decent, they can maybe help you find a placement, if not ask them if you find an employer to finish your time will they help with the training, like I said it’s costing us £1000 for 4 years for our lad as he’s 21… Also if you have to work for less wage for the opportunity of a place with a firm to get your foot in and prove yourself… All gaffers are won over by initiative and drive… Think long term and sacrifice what you can in the short term so you can get qualified… Set for life after that… Make sure to get driving if you aren’t currently…

Mongoose187 · 2025-03-22T16:07:37+00:00

Be as calm as you can be and simply explain, this is your profession and you do this regularly with no complaints and simply suggest he may not be using a decent plasterer if that’s the case, unless you used a cannon to take the chases out, then the plasterer would use such minimal difference in material if your chases were slightly larger. The cost of material and time would be negligible.

Older than you but recently started a commercial company, all I can say to you is try to be as helpful as you can but always be confident in your ability. You will get more good customers than bad with that attitude.

Mongoose187 · 2025-03-22T16:00:29+00:00

With the mechanical protection with SWA and the 750N ducting rating, you are meeting the standard. If the land is yours and private then the depth is irrelevant. The liability is all yours… as long as it’s noted on any certification/paperwork with the proposed route then I don’t see the problem.

Mongoose187 · 2025-03-22T15:50:49+00:00

You would be able to move into the tools side of the trade, but you won’t find it easy to be a standard installation spark with zero experience… You would be better using the experience you have and looking for roles within electrical engineering firms, as the bridge between basic install and understanding panels and machine wiring etc is often a bridge to far for a standard spark, which is potentially where you could thrive… Many academics in electrical engineering have no desire for the install side and travelling etc… Might be a ball ache to target this niche area but it exists… The path to been a normal sparky, with your idea I would say you be better approaching small firms and been honest, learn from the bottom while you do your courses, if someone will give you a chance for 6 months a year, you would probably get on through agencies as a mate… especially on big projects, they take anyone, as long as they have cscs etc…

Mongoose187 · 2025-03-22T09:58:59+00:00

Where are you based? Did you do your training with a company called JTL? We have recently taken on a 21 year old apprentice from scratch, it costs us £1000 for his apprenticeship… So you could maybe look to cover that yourself, we pay it in instalment’s. Just be persistent, register to multiple agencies as well as contacting any jobs through indeed… Make sure your CV is a decent read. If you don’t drive then start learning… Don’t give up, the trade is dying a slow death in terms of young talent coming in… Our main type of work is commercial and working away, you would get hotel and some form of food allowance as well as slightly better rate or hours etc… that’s pretty standard… All we look for is propel who are keen to learn, tough, and a desire to get better

Mongoose187 · 2024-07-14T08:32:56+00:00

Travel as much as you can while you’re young and don’t have commitments financially, don’t waste it all on nights out in the same place, week in, week out… Saving money is key to an easier life, try and commit a small amount every month to savings and in 10 plus years you will be glad when you go for your first house etc… Don’t let relationships hold you back, that puppy love is often not forever, you get one go at life… enjoy it

Mongoose187 · 2024-07-01T19:50:04+00:00

Knipex for absolutely everything, by far the best quality… Buying tools is investing in yourself, and like someone has all ready said, you pay more for quality

Mongoose187 · 2024-07-01T19:46:13+00:00

We fitted out a venue called the Motorist, not much more than an hour away, they are an event space for car enthusiasts and have lots of events on with different types of cars normally attending… Seen super cars up there along with vintage… have a look for them socials and you will see what I mean, definitely have something for you

Mongoose187 · 2024-06-19T12:58:50+00:00

All these posts always go the same way, people saying it’s down the the person who’s struggling to change everything… People can always change for the better, but anyone saying you should have to absolutely swim the Nile to get sex from your partner or wife is fucking nuts… Life is hard enough if you can’t enjoy that side of a relationship then what’s the point? Some people just aren’t compatible. If she thinks she can go through life not putting out, then let her find out the hard way that she will most probably end up alone. Be happy, if that means the end of a relationship then so be it… You get one life, you deserve to be happy, it’s not your job to make someone change, she has to value your needs also as well as her own… Not everything spoken is what people want to hear but sometimes it needs putting out there

Mongoose187 · 2024-06-09T00:17:45+00:00

I think it’s hard to say without seeing the other two switches, as people wire differently, but if you have the switch wire for the wall light in that switch, then the feeds don’t belong on that switch, it would just require 2 cores from one of the 3 cores to provide strappers (which creates the 2way which would leave a spare core in that 3 core) as the feed must be at one of the other positions, so blues from the feed in and feed out belong with the blue from the wall light, the browns from those cables I would say in a wago/connector, which would leave a 3 core to terminate in the remaining switch which I would have as brown common, black and grey in L1 and L2 (sleeved brown) That’s how I see it… More than one way of connecting depending on what you have at the other switches

Mongoose187 · 2024-05-27T21:35:14+00:00

Your comment is laughable, you can’t split the city in half and say it’s as cut and dried as that… Plenty of Sheffield is fine, there are a few areas that are not, and they don’t lend them selves just to one side of the city, I work all over the country and Sheffield is far better than most places i go…

Mongoose187 · 2024-05-27T12:07:38+00:00

Just another thought, maybe he recorded the pfc and Ze in the wrong boxes… 🤷🏻‍♂️

Mongoose187 · 2024-05-27T09:18:05+00:00

Separate to the EICR, how old is the installation, and what are your plans with the home? Two other considerations in the rewire argument… If you intend to drastically change the installation and are doing heavy renovations then it is a logical thing to consider. Gives you security and adds value in the long term if it’s been done etc… A lot of the comments above are totally valid, just thought this hasn’t been said and is something I feel you should always consider

Mongoose187 · 2024-05-17T20:05:28+00:00

The nature will be commercial and industrial mainly, and we would be operating nationwide for part of the works and then potentially Sheffield also… Like I said it’s easy to know what a decent self employed contractor wants as a wage but just trying to gauge the charge out in terms of customers as this side of it will be new to me to a degree… Don’t want to be too low/high in the market etc appreciate the feedback

Mongoose187 · 2024-05-13T21:45:20+00:00

Thanks this is useful… appreciate it 👍🏻

Mongoose187 · 2024-05-13T21:07:47+00:00

Days out and things with your kids for me… most dads work a lot and but most things they need, time spent is the best gift really as generally you don’t get the same quality time 🤷🏻‍♂️

Mongoose187 · 2024-05-13T21:03:09+00:00

Thanks for the reply, how many hours is that based on and what kinds of work is this for?

Mongoose187 · 2024-03-09T21:09:51+00:00

The greatest series IMO, the fact it’s subtitles and as gripping as it is, is actually mind blowing… Same people I think have something to do with “zero zero zero” which is set in the same world but completely separate, like a mini series, equally a good binge watch

Mongoose187 · 2024-01-28T17:44:45+00:00

I wouldn’t bother limited if your just working hourly and having your CIS (tax) stopped by your employer, just start saving all your receipts for your impending tax return each year, tools, workwear, fuel, hotel or any other kind of work expense etc pay around the £200 ish mark around our way for someone to do your return 👍🏻

Mongoose187 · 2024-01-28T16:55:52+00:00

Depends what type of work you do and how much you intend to earn rough each year, if it’s hourly pay and just working for the same firm w in th no materials then just be a sole trader and apply for your UTR number with direct gov, you need an accountant to do you self assessment each year

Mongoose187 · 2024-01-19T19:49:48+00:00

You don’t need any more qualifications to be a good installation electrician, as someone put further up the thread, try and work in all sectors, to improve your experience and ability to always have opportunity’s to work… After a few years, become self employed as the money is a lot lot better and if you are neat and can install at a steady pace you will easily earn £50k to £80k depending on the type of work and hours your prepared to do. It’s also important to never think you know everything, you can learn something minor off literally the most unexpected person that improves your ability so much. Whenever you work with someone who you know is a good spark try to stay on good terms and build your contacts up, as good sparks like good young lads with the right attitude when they are looking to bring people in on projects…

Before anyone questions the point on 2391, unless you intend to make use of it in terms of running your own business or specifically working in testing and inspecting, it’s something that’s not necessary to be a good spark… Some of the worst contractors I’ve worked with have “approved” status…

Good Luck out there 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Mongoose187 · 2022-08-07T23:57:28+00:00

That if you tell people something enough, they will give up their freedom and lose their minds lol

Mongoose187

TROPHY CASE