Discrepancy in Electrician Bill

I own a construction company. Go back and read the quote he gave you. Did it say, "Time and materials, not to exceed..." or did it say, "Quoted price"? If it was a time and materials quote with a not-to-exceed amount, then yes, the actual time on site should be reflected in the bill. If it was a quoted job, and you agreed to the quote, then the bill stands regardless of how long it took him to complete the job.

Think about it this way. What if he had run into significant problems on the job, and it took a lot longer than he had originally quoted for, you certainly wouldn't be willing to pay extra over his quoted amount, would you? So why are you wanting money back because the job ran smoothly and he was able to finish quickly? He is not an electrician on a volunteer basis. Respect the fact that he did the work on time and on budget, and be happy with that.

So you asked for a quote, and read the quoted amount, agreed to it, and the electrician did the work? And now you don't want to pay it? I'm not really understanding this. Or, is the quoted amount there, plus $300 extra? I would pay the quoted amount, and then when he calls and complains to you about it, then maybe he will be open to discussing the times that are in question. Hope I answered correctly. Good luck.

Just a fyi for everyone: Electricians put holes in walls because there's no other way to get to existing wiring once drywall is up. They are electricians not construction workers and they don't patch after they are done. Their skill set is that of an electrician not a dry wall installer/taper.

Send him a check for the amount minus the $300 discrepancy along with a letter telling him just what you told us. Tell him that you were in the house the entire time his crew was on site. Give him the actual time (from 10am to 12 noon) his lead electrician and apprentice were actually at your house. Let him know that they both took several breaks to smoke and which one was gone for a hour for lunch. Spell it all out in writing, make a copy for yourself and put the ball back in his court.

For full disclosure, my husband is a contractor and my son in law is an electrician. I know how the business works and can tell you that the business owner is going on what his workers told him. It's obvious that his guys aren't being truthful about the amount of time they put in on the job. He's already paid them for their wages and thinks they are correct. Your concerns on the phone weren't really addressed so in writing should make it easier for him to follow.

My husband is an electrician. He would never do this. A quote should be in writing. You need to call his company and say I have had a long standing business with your company and this is the first time we have had this problem. And then say the problem. Do not talk to the electrician himself ask for the service manager. You may not get anywhere but it may get you a break on the bill.

I'm adding something into my answer. My husband says if the bid was given and it covered time and material then your charge should have been the $1000 and while a previous poster said they make holes they make holes to put boxes , outlets, ceiling fixtures etc in. they do not make big holes and leave them open they should be covered by whatever device / appliance they are installing. and you should for sure get a written quote which you have to agree to before having the work done.

also my husbands company charges $125 an hour for service work. they sometimes give big bids because whatever is being asked to do is a pain in the butt and they are only going to do it if they make x amount of money.

Read the contract you received VERY carefully. Read the fine print. Does it state that the labor MIGHT be higher or cannot exceed a set limit?

How itemized was the contract/quote? Did it state the amount they were to charge? If so - I would pay what the quote/contract was.

I would also post on Angie's List about their questionable billing tactics and lack of professionalism by calling you Sweetie.

Put everything in writing. Detail WHY you are paying the difference and include a COPY of the quote. Detail the hours spent and smoke breaks as well as one hour lunch to complete job.

If you go to small claims quote - you have to pay for that and really make sure you have a case before you go. So is $300 worth that hassle? I would pay the contract/quote and go from there.

Good luck!

Fighting it means civil court ... are you willing to go there?

I would contact BBB for additional advice.

I personally would pay the initial quote amount and blast them on the internet with negativity and make sure to hit up Yelp, Angie's List and BBB.

I would send a check for the actual time they were there along with a cover letter stating that you consider the bill paid in full.

I would pay them for the actual time they spent at your house. Did they do good work? If you are a member of Angie's List, you can write a review of their company. They sound pretty unscrupulous.

I recently had an electician who billed for more time than he spent at my house. He also included a really long trip to Home Depot and time he spent making non-business related phone calls in his car. When I questioned his bill, he told me I could deduct an hour off his bill "if I wanted to." I did. Normally, I don't question these things, but I didn't think he did a very good job with the work that he performed, and he seemed to move exceedingly slow.

I later had another electrician who did great work and billed at a flat rate for the job, not hourly. He confirmed my suspicions that the first electrician didn't know what he was doing.

Are they listed in Better Business Bureau? How about Angie's List? I'd give them a bad review on both if they are.

I think you probably should pay the bill because they can put a lien on your house if you don't pay. But, I'd make sure you also "pay them back" with a bad review.

They gave you a quote. They did the work. They never said how long it would take. I ould just pay it. If it was higher and you were questioning the hours, that would be different, but they are billing you for the quoted amount. Pay up.

I would write a letter, documenting the time they were at you house and send a check in the amount you owe. (You can figure it out because the bill is itemized correct. Therefore, pay for the hours and parts. See what their response is. I also think I would remind them you have been a good customer for 10+ years.). Depending on their response, I may or may not use them again.

Just pay it. You agreed to the quote up front. He may just be recording it like that for bookkeeping purposes. Independent tradespeople have a lot more costs besides their hourly labor. There's insurance, advertising, training, equipment, gas, taxes...it goes on and on. Be fair. I just saw the part about how they didn't do a good job or finish...that changes things. Yes I would call and make them come clean up and patch the walls, etc...that's not cool.

You stated that you were there the entire time...welllll....if they knew you were there the entire time, how can they argue? You can tell them that you're disputing the charges b/c you were there the entire time & you kept track on what the workers were doing...write it down & show the person in charge...IMO they can't dispute that you were there so how can they dispute that they're over charging. You may have to press it further to small claims court. If it were me, I'd pay what was quoted & what you actually think was correct. People like this will purposely overcharge to get money. While my husband would never overcharge, he did, however, deal w/this all the time w/his former employer as they do similar work as in your case and do tend to overcharge unnecessarily. Hope this helps, good luck.

he quoted you "about 1,000" to me that says could be a little more or less...are you satified with the work? if so get over it and pay. dont go an smear this mans company because you dont want to pay...

Maybe it is like auto repair. They charge by the "average anticipated amount of hours" for the designated job. If the tech gets it done faster, he still did the same work and gets the same pay. It is incentive for the employee to be efficient and get more work (i.e., more money).

If the bill is for MORE than the quote, then I would question it, since they itemized and misrepresented the hours. But if it was for the same amount originally quoted, let it go and just pay it. Although, you might consider a note about the mess and quality of work being sub par from what you have experienced with them in the past.

Yes, pay the quoted amount you agreed to pay.

:)

Pay what you think if fair then when he takes you to court you will have a chance to plead your case.

Send this letter to the Better Business Bureau, or at least a similar copy.

I would call one more time, explain the discrepancy between the time the workers were in your home vs what was billed. Tell the business that if the bill is not reduced to what the workers were actually present for, you will be filing a complaint with the BBB and state attorney general regarding fraud. Then follow thru....

It sounds like he gave you a verbal quote for a lump sum job...that is what is fair to pay in my opinion. If he got the job done quicker than he anticipated, then good for him...he still did the lump sum job that he quoted. If he is now upping his price, then you need to have a discussion as to why...you agreed to $1,000...no more. If he found during the job that there was something unexpected, then he should have stopped and discussed it with you before billing you extra.

If you are really not happy with the way he conducted himself, then do not hire him again.

I guess it depends on if they actually charge per hour or for the job. If it's per hour I wouldn't let it go.

You need to pay it, and if you don't like them or their work, don't hire them anymore. They can put liens on your house for non-payment. Plus, you have to understand the time they take to pick up the material and drive time is also included for the job. Also, they get paid for lunch. My employer pays me for a lunch break too. It's called a salary position.

it's a pity they never sent you a written quote, but with guys i'd worked with before, i wouldn't have asked either.
that's a significant chunk of change. for $60 i'd let it go, but i think i'd at least challenge them on this.
to whom did you speak? the guy who did the work, the superintendent, the business owner? if there's a ladder to go up, try that first.
i think it would also be worthwhile to send in your corrected amount, with a letter explaining why (and pointing out your standing as a repeat client).
if they push it, you'll probably have to pay. no point in getting a lien over it. but boy oh boy, would they pay for it in yelp and angie's list reviews.
khairete
S.