[rpoz-29]

I want to relocate my welder, and compressor to my detached garage. I had an electrician give me a price, and I just wanted to see if it seems reasonable. The garage is about 75 feet from the house. He's going to supply all the parts, (wire, outlets, junction boxes, breakers, etc. for a 60 amp service), for around $800.00. He said that the cost of wire has sky-rocketed,(and I don't doubt it with the prices I've seen for scrap metal), but does his price seem reasonable? Thanks!

[mitchntx]

Go price 2/0 wire, knowing you'll need 3 runs.

$800 sounds cheap to me with him supplying all the parts.

[AndyB]

Go price 2/0 wire, knowing you'll need 3 runs.

$800 sounds cheap to me with him supplying all the parts.

Don't forget to pull a wire for the grounding if it's going into PVC (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)


$800 is a great price. You are saving a ton of money doing the trenching yourself, I quote $100 an hour if I have to trench. Like it's been said you might as well step it up to a 100amp service panel so you will have capacity for lights, a compressor, and other shop stuff.

That's a steal if he's running rigid underground, if he's running PVC, it's still a deal.

Mitch, he could get away with #3 for a 60A service though. The conductors max continuous load should be spec'd to <=80% of max rating. #3 is rated at 75A, so it fits the bill.

Bill, if you ever plan to upgrade the service you might want to look at having him run bigger wire, but 60A for just large tools should be plenty since it sounds like the branch circuits are on a different service. I'd move ASAP if the quote is that low because wire prices change everyday.

It will be PVC. I've never seen rigid underground in a residential setting (at least in California), always PVC as it's a lot cheaper and a lot easier to work with. Rigid is reserved for when the service entrance comes from overhead and you need the rigidity of the pipe to support the wire hang.


Right now the price of wire is dropping from the high of earlier this summer. We were paying $40 for a roll of 12/2 two years ago, this summer it was $108 for that same roll (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/nutkick.gif) , right now it's back to about $80 a roll. Still expensive but as in gas it's a commodity that is in global demand right now.

Even at $1,000 it's still a good deal, sounds like you got a bid from someone who's not going to take you for a ride.

This post has been edited by AndyB: Nov 5 2006, 11:25 PM

[nape]

It will be PVC. I've never seen rigid underground in a residential setting (at least in California), always PVC as it's a lot cheaper and a lot easier to work with. Rigid is reserved for when the service entrance comes from overhead and you need the rigidity of the pipe to support the wire hang.

Right now the price of wire is dropping from the high of earlier this summer. We were paying $40 for a roll of 12/2 two years ago, this summer it was $108 for that same roll (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/nutkick.gif) , right now it's back to about $80 a roll. Still expensive but as in gas it's a commodity that is in global demand right now.

Even at $1,000 it's still a good deal, sounds like you got a bid from someone who's not going to take you for a ride.

Yeah, I wasn't sure about what his code is like. I'm pretty sure, if it goes in the ground in the Chicago city limits it's got to be in pipe (hence rigid, EMT won't last), no plastic allowed other then special circumstances. I don't have a Chicago code book here though, just the National.

-IBEW Local 134 Electrician - Cook County, IL (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)