Overheard a homeowner say 'my nephew can do it for $50' at the supply house yesterday

I was picking up a new roll of 12/2 at the counter and this guy was complaining about a $200 quote to swap out a faulty breaker. He kept saying his nephew could do it for $50. The counter guy just nodded and handed him a box of breakers. I wanted to say something but held my tongue. Has anyone else run into this situation where a customer thinks we are overcharging, but they have no idea what goes into a simple panel job?

2 comments

2 Comments

paul_mason1212d ago

The nephew thing is pretty common. People don't realize that swapping a breaker isn't just pulling the old one out and sticking a new one in. You gotta check for damaged bus bars, make sure the wire is stripped right, and test everything after. A DIY guy might not even own a multimeter. But honestly, $200 seems steep for a simple swap unless you're driving a hour each way or pulling a permit. Depends on the area I guess. Most homeowners just see the dollar sign and think you're ripping them off because they don't understand the liability or the code stuff.

xena_fisher4911d ago

The $200 tag is rough for sure but you're paying for the peace of mind that your house isn't gonna burn down at 2 AM. A lot of folks don't realize that if you mess up a breaker swap the damage isn't always immediate. It can take months of loose connections heating up before something bad happens. Most homeowners just see a quick job and think it should be cheap but they forget we carry insurance and years of know-how. Do you think the price would feel fairer if electricians showed people the bad bus bars or corroded wires they find?