Discussions

Looking for an electrician to do a small job out of the city  
Find many small town have an electrician but the prices are unreasonable

If you’ve found many that are similar in price then maybe they are charging fair rates.

204-573-5517. Kevin. Very good and I think reasonable

It’s a bit presumptuous to accuse any business of having ‘unreasonable’ pricing. The cost of living has increased exponentially, and this means parts etc. have also increased in cost, along with gas etc. Most trades have very similar pricing, and business’s need to make a living. Parts, vehicle costs, insurance, taxes, etc are all substantial costs. You’re also paying for someone’s knowledge when you hire a professional. Electricians/plumbers/carpenters etc all have years of education and apprenticeships, and you are also paying for their knowledge and expertise. I often see people looking for individuals to do ‘work on the side’ or people who advertise that they do electrical work or plumbing work because they have ‘knowledge’, and they are not qualified. You very much get what you pay for. Electricians and other trades often have to go in and fix botched jobs performed by people who claim to know what they are doing, but they don’t because they have not been trained. It can also be quite dangerous to hire people who are ‘cheap’, because they are often not insured, and if an issue occurs the cost will land on the homeowner as the person doing the work is not covered by insurance. Inexperienced people can also make mistakes that can be dangerous to the homeowner. Qualified trades are obligated to get permits, city inspections etc and this can help ensure quality control and is also an additional cost. Running a small business is very expensive, and all trades will be charging accordingly.

I am willing to pick up a smaller job, my rates are very reasonable, and with a high quality of work

Those companies have a lot of overhead making sure they are doing things properly (insurance, permits, training, tools, etc.) That is their main source of income for their family as well - not just a side gig.  
 
And companies that are not just one person but have employees as well - raising their rates means they can pay their employees a living wage.  
 
If all places are charging "too much" then you're just being cheap. They're trained, educated professionals.

I was always told you can only have two of three things. Fast, good and cheap. If you want Fast and Good it won’t be Cheap. Fast and Cheap it won’t be good. Good and Cheap it won’t be Fast. But in any case licensed red seal electricians are worth their weight in gold. Be willing to pay for good service.

It's also fairly presumptuous to tell someone else their idea of unreasonable is presumptuous. I just finished a whole home reno, and hired all licensed contractors to do the work. I can attest first hand that not all licensed trades do quality work. Also, nickel and diming folks for every little cost your business has isn't good business. Some things are actually just the cost of doing business. Materials, time and labour are reasonable. Everything else is and shouldn't be the client's problem. You've also left out the "small town factor" which fits Brandon even though it isn't a small town. What that means is, unlike big cities where there's lots of trades to choose from and therefore more competitive rates, there's only so many trades here, and as a result, they charge wholly unreasonable prices, alot of the time for sub par work. it's one of the worst things about dealing with a lot of trades here. Not all, mind you, there is still a few that actually operate with integrity, but for the most part, folks should really be careful about who they hire, even if they aren't "cheap".  
 
As to your query, Anchor Electric is good, and reasonable.

 
 
Edited by Jubey, 2024-06-07 19:41:09

Actually, every company receives numerous calls in which customers tell them a basic rate is an unreasonable rate, so it’s far from presumptuous. The hourly rate for contractors is fairly similar across the board: quotes for larger jobs will obviously vary, but you can’t exactly speak to the quality of people with higher quotes whom you did not hire. I never stated that paying more money equated to a higher quality of work, there are many companies who charge lower pricing and they are actually the ones providing the best work because they are typically newer companies who are eager to make a name for themselves. I did however, state that many many people actually hire completely unqualified individuals to do work because they are cheap. There are many people who advertise that they will do electrical or plumbing or carpentry work and they are not even tradespeople, or they are not fully qualified and therefore not insured. In the search for a cheaper rate, people often end up hiring these uneducated people. I think everyone should be educated in the importance of hiring licensed and insured tradespeople, because a lot of people simply do not know the risks associated with hiring uneducated people. Trades are not a hobby to be performed by enthusiasts on the side. A lot of tradespeople and companies are also frequently disrespected by clients telling them that their pricing is too expensive: you’re paying for an educated individual and suggesting that their work isn’t worth the price is rather rude. Oh, and you forgot to i:nclude mileage in the list of appropriate things to charge for: if a client lives a substantial distance from the company they hire, then they cannot expect them to drive there for free.  
 
I do, however, second your recommendation for Anchor Electric.

Living outside town limits you can't be too picky especially if it is for a small job. Contractors of any type are so busy on their large projects where they make more money that they don't want to come outside town limits. Can't blame them.  
 
We had appointments with 3 electricians to come check a light in our house and not 1 showed up. When we finally got someone the fluorescent light fixture was so black underneath we were lucky it had not caught fire. Had 4 different people come and measure a window that needed a glass to be replaced and not 1 returned to fix window.