When to pull the plug on an electrician?

[Zachary Hoyt]

I'm hoping for some advice from wiser people as I somewhat at a loss what to think, and therefore what to do. I've done our work here for the most part for the last 20 years, and have never had to hire a real electrician before. I don't know if I've been a sucker for the last four months, or if I'm being precipitate now (or maybe both).

The back story:
I bought a house last fall in a tax auction that has been abandoned and had the meter pulled in 2015. I gutted the house, including removing all the old wiring. Some of it was old cloth covered and getting pretty crisp, and there were some anomalies including a buried junction which was not even in a box, between a newer wire and an old wire. The house had 100 amp service and a relatively new panel, but I wanted to put in 200 amp service so I can not have to put in any propane appliances. I am planning to do the wiring myself from the panel onward.

I found an electrician who lives in the town and called him last November. He came out the same day and looked at the job, which I thought was pretty impressive. He said he would put together a quote, but it took a few weeks and some hassling from me to get a quote of $3400 to install a Square D QO 200 amp panel inside, a cut off panel outside, and to get a new line run from the pole to the house (maybe 30 feet or so) and to get the power company to hook it up and turn the power on. He said it would work well because he had a house to wire in another town in December, but he could do mine in the meantime. I didn't hear any more from him. Early in January I called and he said he would get started on it very soon. Then a few days later he emailed and said he was in COVID isolation for a while. I waited about a month and wrote again and he said he would do it soon. 10 days ago I called to see if anything was happening and he said he had a question about the riser that the local electrical inspector had not been able to answer, and that he needed to talk to the utility about it, but that he was in Mexico on vacation and wouldn't be back for a week.

All along I have told him that I was happy to have it done any time, but I really would need it in the spring when I get back to work on the house so I can run power tools without the generator. I emailed him Wednesday and said that I needed to know from him when he thought he could actually get it done, and that at some point I would have to try to find someone else who could do the job if he can't. I have not heard back and have been ignored when I have tried to call several times today. I am feeling frustrated, but I know that this is a tough time to find people to do any kind of work and I don't know if my expectations are unreasonable. I can't tell if he's actually done anything at the house, it doesn't look like it. I don't have a contract or any paperwork about any of this, it was an oral agreeement. I just would like the job to get done soon, ideally by early April, whether by him or someone else. If anyone has any advice on what I should do next I would appreciate it.

[Ron Citerone]

Try to find another electrician that can do it. You don't even have a contract and I think he already pulled the plug on you.

[mike stenson]

Try to find another electrician that can do it. You don't even have a contract and I think he already pulled the plug on you.

Yea, he's already quit this job. It's clear he's not interested.

[Malcolm McLeod]

... a quote of $3400 ...

I see no mention of you having given him any payment. If correct, move on. If you've paid anything, ask for a refund less his time and delivered materials.

If it were me, I'd hold back 10-20% of any agreed total to a contractor pending job completion, or perhaps as you describe in this case, passing the electrical rough inspection. It's on him to do a good and timely job.

...too harsh, you say??
It's on me to pay them. I have driven to a job site late on a Friday to hand a personal check to a plumber that allowed him to make payroll, but his 'profit' was held pending inspection. He was very appreciative, did great work, we had a excellent working relationship, and I trust we'd both be glad to repeat.

[Zachary Hoyt]

Thank you all for the advice. I haven't paid anything, though I offered to last time I talked to him, thinking maybe that would help. I just tried calling the 4 other electricians in the area and got their answering machines, but I'll keep after it till I find someone.

[dennis thompson]

My suggestion would be to move on. I'd also suggest you get two new quotes.

[Ronald Blue]

Definitely keep looking. I suppose it differs where one resides but here the utility ran the power into the meter base. I had to have the meter base installed and it was what they specified that was required. Ask the utility company if they have any recommendations on electricians they work with regularly. The utility here wasn't concerned what I did on my side of the meter base. I did have to have the ground rod installed as well.

[Kev Williams]

If this 'electrician' (<term used loosely, lol) is as adept at running and properly connecting up a house full of electric wiring, junctions, outlets and switches as he is at communicating, negotiating, planning and commencing with the job--

[Steve Jenkins]

If you can rewire the house you could set the panel, meter base and mast if that is allowed in your area. I did that here and the power company ran from the pole to the mast head. I got all the info I needed from the power company.

[Ron Selzer]

time to move on

[Zachary Hoyt]

Thank you all for your help. It's an interesting idea to do it myself, and I will have to look into whether that is possible and how much I'd need to learn to do the work. I've done a fair amount of installing breakers and wiring, but everything from the panel to the pole would be new territory for me.

[Malcolm McLeod]

Thank you all for your help. It's an interesting idea to do it myself, and I will have to look into whether that is possible and how much I'd need to learn to do the work. I've done a fair amount of installing breakers and wiring, but everything from the panel to the pole would be new territory for me.

As Mr. Jenkins alluded to, you set the meter base & the mast/weatherhead, wire from the bottom of the base to the panel, then from the CBs out to your various loads. In every location I am familiar with, the power utility provider or their contractor will wire from the pole* to the top of the meter base, and then install the meter. The utility should specify these outside components, heights, and clearances.

Disallowed is pole climbing for you!

[John C Cox]

Be careful knowing the rules in YOUR state. Doing interior electrical work is one thing - nobody watching you do it... Outside, yeah. They will be watching. Better have all your ducks in a row including pulling all permits. Some places require hiring a Union electrician. Know your local laws. Know your local inspectors and permit offices.

Remember that between the booming economy after 10-years of recession and then Covid on top of it, many skilled tradesmen are swamped past their ears with so much business that they don't know which way is up. Be prepared for long waits and escalating material prices. My guess is that the wire prices have over tripled since his quote.

I personally would get in touch with several electricians and have them walk/bid it.... If you can. You may have to up the ante and talk to a larger residential electrical company... They have the advantage of not being a one man shop.

[Zachary Hoyt]

Thank you all for the continuing input. This is giving me lots to think about. I've done some reading now on the mast and panel installation, and so far it seems manageable. I looked up whether I am allowed to work on it, and it seems that I am in most smaller towns in NY, though some of the cities have more requirements about who can do the work. I'll have to confirm that with the building inspector on Monday. It looks like I may want to move the meter around the corner of the house as it's currently about a foot from the door, and it seems like 3 feet is what it's supposed to be. I'll have to call the National Grid office on Monday too and see if they can tell me if what I think I'm reading is correct about what I can do. I've never worked with wire heavier than 8 or 10 gauge, but I imagine I can learn about that too. Maybe the disappearance of the electrician will turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

[Thomas McCurnin]

An oral contract isn't worth the paper its written on.

Move on. A new service panel is a bit fussy, with potentially braiding the wires along the bus bars and wiring arc faults if that is code for your city. The city will connect the three wires to your box and the main shut off. The box has to be double grounded in our city (two copper rods pounded in the earth). Me? I'm a bit of an electrician, and would not do a panel change myself.

Oh, and I modified my post to add this: The City will tell you where your meter has to be and how tall the mast must be. There may be a couple options, but I'd be surprised if there was more than one location which would be approved by the city. The mast has to be clamped down to the home in two places using these long U-Channel clamps called struts. The City will likely also be nice enough to tell you what gauge wire you will use from the main meter to the service panel. By the way they obviously make separate meters and service panels and also make nice combination units with a smaller footprint. The combination units are really handy and because you are only attaching one box and mast not a box, meter and mast with connecting conduit and wire. I think you can add the combination box and mast yourself, but I would hesitate connecting a mess of romex into the box myself. If I did choose to DIY, I would put a large wide box in below the service panel, called a gutter, and run all the conduit there, then make short 2 foot connections from the gutter. Make sure you use wire markers and don't split neutrals, as the box has a left side and a right side, even and odd, so odd circuits go on the left and even circuits go on the right. Don't make the mistake of running an even neutral to the other side (odd) of the box. Wire markers are your friend.