Quote to add an outside electrical outlet

The builder who built my house seems to have found it preferable to add more 15-amp circuits rather than fewer 20-amp circuits. Less of the outlets go dead if a breaker trips, and 14AWG wire is much, much easier to work with than 12AWG wire. Part of this includes not putting lighting and receptacles in the same room on the same breaker, so that if something plugged into a receptacle trips the breaker, the whole room isn't plunged into darkness.

As far as working with 12AWG, I wanted to strangle the electrician who thought it was a swell idea to join 4 12AWG romex cables in a kitchen outlet box where a GFCI was installed. That's just STUPID design right there. I could've done it better using LESS cable because the non-GFCI outlet (but fed from a GFCI) in the chain is right above the load center.
There definitely is logic in that. I doubt most folks with relatively modern electric systems ever trip a breaker on overload, unless there are a lot of hair dryers or space heaters operating.

More circuits is prudent since when one goes there’s more opportunity for others to be operating and providing light.

The only time I’ve ever tripped a breaker is when fluorescent lights are plugged into GFCI/AFCI/combination breakers.
 
That's not typical.
It is typical and not something unique to a single electrician around here. Outlets are ran on 12-gauge wire (on 20A breakers) with 15A outlets. Lighting circuits are 14-gauge wire (on 15A breakers).
 
It is typical and not something unique to a single electrician around here. Outlets are ran on 12-gauge wire (on 20A breakers) with 15A outlets. Lighting circuits are 14-gauge wire (on 15A breakers).

In the vast majority of houses in the USA, the only 20-amp circuits with 12-gauge wire are the ones required by code (bathroom, dining/kitchen, laundry). All other outlet and lighting circuits are 15 amp circuits.
 
I’ve never paid anyone to add a circuit or outlet
Residential work is pretty easy. The only reason to hire someone is so it will all be done after you get home from a long day at work. My wife almost called another company once to hang some new lights because I kept putting it off. We had 25 journeyman electricians plus apprentices working for us at the time but they were out making money. I wasnt going to pay one of them to go to my house. 😁 I eventually got it done.
 
I'm so tired of the attitude of local contractors. So many of them want nothing to do with "little jobs" but people still need little jobs done. Better yet, little jobs lead to bigger jobs and we are about to start planning a remodel.
I have a stucco job declined because the General Contractor couldn't get a stucco guy to work for him. I have to end up finding my own guy and watch them like a hawk, and they still screw up and have to come back again and again to fix things.
 
I had a local electrician come out to give me quote to add an electrical outlet to the outside back of the garage. To give some context, the garage is unfinished and there is an existing outlet inside the garage right next we where we want the outlet on the outside of the garage. I figured make a hole, wire on the new outlet with the existing wires and done - maybe a couple hundred bucks? We have vinyl siding and it seems pretty straight forward.

The quote was $1906.00 to add a 20-amp outlet.

Does that seem crazy?
Yes and no. I just had a quote for $983.00 to run a line to my shed from a 30 amp existing RV plug about 3 feet away. It included a 4 watt LED, (next to nothing) overhead light, a couple of outlets, and a switch.

I was thinking around $400.00 tops. Needless to say, I did it myself. And I have 2, 4 foot, 4 tube 10,000 lumen lights, and 2, 4 foot long, multiple outlet power strips. Everything cost me around $175.00. And I ended up with far more capability than what he was going to provide.

Mine isn't exactly code. But it's weatherproof, good and safe. And I didn't have to do any digging. Plus, I still retained the 30 amp RV plug and switch, that I can tap into to run my welder. He was going to remove it and install a 20 amp breaker at the main. Which would have made it code, but nixxed any chance of me using my welder out there.

So I got everything I wanted, and nothing I didn't. All for around $580.00 less. And I did it in an afternoon. I don't begrudge these pros from making a living. But my economy comes first. If he put in everything I did, it would have ended up as much or more than your estimate, I'm sure.
 
I'm not a contractor but I work for electrical contractors. IBEW union member, I work on commercial,industrial and institutional facilities.
A high estimate is a method of screening out low interest jobs.
However, we all need to realize that there is a lot more expense behind the scenes to mobilize a service guy to make an installation.
Hourly labor rates can easily be $100/hr +, more for a service call. (Not the electrician's wage but it includes benefits and overhead operating expenses and profit).
The electrician may have to go to a supply house to get needed materials---customer pays for this time also.
Material costs have risen significantly since The 'Rona--- Copper especially.
There are a lot of variables specific to the installation involved that are difficult to capture in a small descriptive post of the job.
 
Back
Top