Finishing Basement...possible oops with contractor.

[mitchelt]

Let me say that the contractor we are using is very nice and highly recommended, I've seen his work and all is good.

OK..the problem: found out today from the electrician that the electrical inspector may require a larger electrical panel...100A is not big enough and he is thinking 150A.

I did a little googling and it may be an additional $1500-$2000.

Have not heard back from the contractor yet, but should it have been his responsibility to catch that during the quoting phase?

 

[NutBucket]

Who did the plans?

 

[mitchelt]

Who did the plans?

The contractor did EVERYTHING.

He gave us a detailed list of costs and even budgets for flooring and sconces.

 

[herrjimbo]

could be the electrician is trying to get you to upgrade so he can get more money. call the electrical inspector and ask him if 150 amp service is required.

 

[vi edit]

If you are already getting a labor quote to add an expansion panel then going from 100 to 150 amp is very little in actual material costs. Certainly not thousands more. A majority of the cost is going to be the installation and electrical work, of which would have to be done regardless of it being 100 vs 150 amp. Talk to the GC and ask them to bump it up to 150 per inspector req's.

 

[mitchelt]

could be the electrician is trying to get you to upgrade so he can get more money. call the electrical inspector and ask him if 150 amp service is required.

I never thought of that possibility, the only thing is that the basement contractor has been using the same guys for years because he trusts them...but you never know.

Good suggestion!

 

[dud]

Sorry OP, but it is hard to read the minds of the inspectors. I suspect that (depending upon your negotiating skills) you will have to eat the cost.

 

[mitchelt]

If you are already getting a labor quote to add an expansion panel then going from 100 to 150 amp is very little in actual material costs. Certainly not thousands more. A majority of the cost is going to be the installation and electrical work, of which would have to be done regardless of it being 100 vs 150 amp. Talk to the GC and ask them to bump it up to 150 per inspector req's.

According to the original proposal we did not need a bigger electrical panel or an expansion panel, the 100A one we already have should have been ok.

 

[mitchelt]

Sorry OP, but it is hard to read the minds of the inspectors. I suspect that (depending upon your negotiating skills) you will have to eat the cost.

That would totally suck, hope it doesn't come down to that.

 

[SparkyJJO]

You're looking at a few hundred bucks for a panel + breakers. Thing is, don't forget that your entrance from the pole to the house, the weatherhead down to the meter, and possibly even the meter itself (if it is an old one) and its box may need replaced and upgraded also. That's where the large chunk of cash comes into play.

 

[NutBucket]

I would talk to the inspector first.

 

[Mixolydian]

Should'a hired me.

 

[DrPizza]

If the only difference is a 150A box instead of a 100A box, I don't see how it would increase the price by more than about $25. All of the labor is the same; the only difference is the price of the box. And, those boxes aren't really that expensive. $1500 difference? That's utterly ridiculous. I also cannot fathom how a 100A panel isn't sufficient for a refinished basement. Hell, there are still a lot of older houses that have 100A service - for the entire house.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...eyword=150+amp+electrical+panel&storeId=10051
$129 for the panel.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Pizza, I was thinking he meant main panel, not a sub panel. Yeesh, I cannot see how you'd need more than 100A for a basement!

 

[heymrdj]

If the only difference is a 150A box instead of a 100A box, I don't see how it would increase the price by more than about $25. All of the labor is the same; the only difference is the price of the box. And, those boxes aren't really that expensive. $1500 difference? That's utterly ridiculous. I also cannot fathom how a 100A panel isn't sufficient for a refinished basement. Hell, there are still a lot of older houses that have 100A service - for the entire house.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...eyword=150+amp+electrical+panel&storeId=10051
$129 for the panel.

"Factory installed equipment ground bar is factory installed"

 

[mitchelt]

I have a 100A Outside Panel for the Whole House. They installed a small panel in the basement for all of the new lights and plugs, this small panel is wired to the Outside 100A Panel.

The electrician said the electrical inspector thinks we may need to replace the Outside 100A Panel with a 150A panel.

I have not spoken to the inspector, the main contractor handles that stuff. I will just be rather upset if I have to fork out a bunch of money, I would have saved up for a few more months and did the basement then.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

The difference between installing a 100A service and 150A panel is NOT $1500 to $2000 unless you are unlucky enough to live in Boston or San Francisco.

 

[TheSiege]

Installing a new service and or upgrading an existing service is very labor intensive. Not to mention you need the utility to come out kill power because the meter itself will need to be upgraded also. Adding a sub panel is easy and cheap relatively speaking. If he needs a new service or an upgraded service then 1500 - 2000 is reasonable. A sub panel should cost you about a 5th of that including labor.

<----Electrcian

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Installing a new service and or upgrading an existing service is very labor intensive. Not to mention you need the utility to come out kill power because the meter itself will need to be upgraded also. Adding a sub panel is easy and cheap relatively speaking. If he needs a new service or an upgraded service then 1500 - 2000 is reasonable. A sub panel should cost you about a 5th of that including labor.

<----Electrcian

Meh, running some 10 gauge wire and installing a new panel hardly seems worth that much but, whatever the traffic will bear.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Meh, running some 10 gauge wire and installing a new panel hardly seems worth that much but, whatever the traffic will bear.

lol

 

[Humpy]

These types of questions are easy to answer by reading the contract, hopefully before it is signed.

 

[arkcom]

I'll soon need to do something similar. I'm thinking about getting a 200 amp meter and running it to 2 separate 100 amp panels (existing and new). Hoping this is allowable since the existing box is in the middle of the house with no way of running bigger wire to it.

 

[mitchelt]

The difference between installing a 100A service and 150A panel is NOT $1500 to $2000 unless you are unlucky enough to live in Boston or San Francisco.

I don't think you read my post correctly.

We HAVE a 100A Panel, they are talking about replacing it with a 150A Panel.

 

[mitchelt]

I wonder if they can just add a sub-panel outside like someone mentioned?

 

[olds]

Let me say that the contractor we are using is very nice and highly recommended, I've seen his work and all is good.

OK..the problem: found out today from the electrician that the electrical inspector may require a larger electrical panel...100A is not big enough and he is thinking 150A.

I did a little googling and it may be an additional $1500-$2000.

Have not heard back from the contractor yet, but should it have been his responsibility to catch that during the quoting phase?

Find out.
If he does, it may be on the contractor. Depending on what you signed.