Wiring Cost for a New Home-Just the Cost of Materials to Wire

6 years ago

We are in the process of building a new home. My spouse has a electrician friend that said he can do all the wiring for us.
Just for the cost of the materials, what would an average cost be (lights/switches/receptacles)?

We are having a 1900 sq foot house with 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bath, 2 car garage and basement. We would have 1 light in the kitchen with 5 can lights, and 1 light in the living room with 4 can lights. Every other room would have around ceiling lights 1-3 lights (include ceiling fans in most rooms).

Any idea of the cost just for equipment (not for the electrician friend).
The builder said we would get a $6,000 savings if we have our friend do it--but I need some ideas of cost/etc. Since we would have to provide all the materials--trying to figure out if it's a good idea or not. Thanks!

Featured Answer

freeoscar

6 years ago

Yes, that's fairly typical of your builder. Line item for that is probably double that, I'm guessing. Much better idea to just stick with the builder's electrician. Plus if things go wrong you can blame him rather than risk scuffing up a good friendship.

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Comments (11)

kudzu9
6 years ago
Impossible to estimate from your description, but materials are typically a very small part of an electrical project. It's not a large house and you're talking about wire, receptacles, can lights, some fans, and a breaker box, mainly. You can easily research the costs at the Home Depot web site. The bulk of the expenses for a complete home wiring is labor for the electrician. I don't know where you live, but what surprises me is that the contractor is saying you would save only $6000. Where I live -- a major metro area -- it would cost probably $2500 just for a breaker box installation, with the box and breakers being maybe 10% of that. Does your contractor actually have a line item for the electrical in your contract, or is that a number he is making up?
chanabana1 thanked kudzu9
greg_2015
6 years ago
Is your electrician friend doing it all for free? Generous friend.

He'd probably have a good idea what the material would cost since presumably he's looked at the job. Why not ask him?
chanabana1 thanked greg_2015
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chanabana1
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
We live in a small town in central PA. About 1 hour away from Harrisburg...so it's not a major metro area. Thanks for the comments so far. Appreciate it greatly! I will see if they can give us a line item--we don't have a line item, so he might just be making up the info:( -- for the electrical and see what research I can do on Home Depot--thanks for the insight!

We don't think our friend is doing the electrical for free (although he did jokingly say that)...we know it's around $70-100 per hour for an electrician...if not more. Just wondered what our cost for materials would be...it sounds like it probably won't even be worth having our friend do it, since the contractor only will be giving us a 6k discount to hire our own electrician.
greg_2015
6 years ago
The 6k discount is most likely not the whole electrical bill. He may have removed the electrical stuff but then added a big "PITA tax" for having to deal with a sub that isn't really his sub and any potential problems that could cause for his timeline. Basically he isn't saying you can't do it, but he's really discouraging it.
chanabana1 thanked greg_2015
chanabana1
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Good to know! Thank you so much for the insight. I was thinking it would be closer to a 10k savings from our home builder, but I have a limited understanding on expenses of electrical work. Haha PITA tax!

Our electrical friend lives 2hrs away so we are thinking it might be wisest, due to our low 6k discount and our friend's distance, to just go with our home builder on the electrical?

Wish they would have given us a full refund on the electrical :(
User
6 years ago
This is my attempt, based on your list. About $5k builders grade.

10 rooms, boxes receptacles switches, $100 room: $1,000

10 can lights, $1,000

4-5 fans, $500

2-3 lights, $500

internet/co ax, $500

wire, $1,000
chanabana1 thanked User
chanabana1
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you all so much for your insight! We greatly appreciate it. Guess we will go with the builder's electrican and forget about the 6k credit...since it won't be worth it.

Thanks again for all the help! You guys are the best!!:)
PRO
D B Electric
6 years ago
The breakdown cost is usually the total opening amounts for (lights switching, lighting fixtures, outlets and appliance loads) plus the cost of the utility metering and service panel or panels Materials & Labor.

Who ever does do the wiring harness installation and top out make sure that they do not back stab the wiring into the devices (outlets & switches) it is a weak link connection and can cause many problems like loss of power to downstream devices with usage and age. Mixing lighting and outlets on the same circurit breakers is not a good idea either even though it is code legal if the outlet power is lost also the lighting is lost. It is better to have dedicated circurit breakers for lighting and it also makes a faster connection to Green energy for lighting.

Circuit breakers are designed to create heat during their course of operation the more wattage that is being consumed the hotter that it gets until it reaches its trip point or a dead short to ground. Placement of these circuit breakers inside the electrical panel is done with Step Down method taking the highest voltage and amperage downward from the main breaker.

New construction and open walls is a clean slate to start with and is the time to consider what you need for todays needs and future wiring needs for electrical, security, internet, cable & satellite, Green energy solar & wind and any other wiring needs.

www.dbelectric.us
chanabana1 thanked D B Electric
dan1888
6 years ago
I did all the electrical for my new build including the plan. You can save a bundle. I did not do the main drop. Not only did I save a bundle, I added circuits, used all 12g wire and put in taller commercial recessed cans. And more. Everything was a better grade of materials. That was my motivation. And yes it required a big commitment in learning before doing. Zero problems or regrets. You live with your choices. You can live better for less if you choose to.
chanabana1 thanked dan1888
geoffrey_b
6 years ago
Don't do business with a friend. Unless it's something small.

The GC will guarantee his work. It would be messy if your friend needed to be called back.

Wiring Cost for a New Home-Just the Cost of Materials to Wire

freeoscar

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