I just had a C80,vhf, and radar installed on my 420 and was surprised at the labor cost, which was twice what had been estimated by the authorized Raymarine dealer. The dealer has always been fine to work with and has good reputation. Before I discuss this with them, I wanted to get some idea of what others had paid for similar installations. 4kw radar on mast C80 and VHFin navpod at helm vhf antenna on stern rail wiring - C80 to seatalk terminal in engine compartment - VHF to power source at panel at engine compartment I'm just looking for ballpark figures here. Any help would be appreciated. If I'm off base with my complaint, I'd like to know before I call and complain. thanks.....
Cost to intstall plotter & radar
- Thread starter Persy
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My .02
If it was twice the estimate, I wouldn't concern myself with any one elses prices,ideas or estimates. If this guy had any knowledge of what he was doing, then his estimate should have been much closer than that, and in my opinion, if it was this much over the estimate he should have given you a call before proceeding. I understand how difficult running wiring on a modern boat can be, but so should your dealer. Call him on it. What is the purpose of an estimate if it means nothing. I have on more than one occasion given estimates that I missed the total by a bunch, the same with firm quotes. In these cases, I ate the difference and called it experience.
If it was twice the estimate, I wouldn't concern myself with any one elses prices,ideas or estimates. If this guy had any knowledge of what he was doing, then his estimate should have been much closer than that, and in my opinion, if it was this much over the estimate he should have given you a call before proceeding. I understand how difficult running wiring on a modern boat can be, but so should your dealer. Call him on it. What is the purpose of an estimate if it means nothing. I have on more than one occasion given estimates that I missed the total by a bunch, the same with firm quotes. In these cases, I ate the difference and called it experience.
Estimate or Quote?
If it was an estimate and provided before the dealer/installer saw your boat, it was just that ... an estimate. If the job was quoted as time and material and the final total was within 20-25% of the estimate they did pretty well. It would have been nice if they advised you as soon as they had a better idea of the cost, but unless it was a firm quote they probably didn't have to. On the other hand, if it was a quotation, based on looking at what your particular boat was going to need, it is a different story. It's been my experience that it is next to impossible to quote a job like that with very much precision. If I pad my estimates to include every hang-up I can think of, they are too high and I lose jobs. In many cases things are discovered halfway through a job that add 50-100% of time that it could have taken. I think you should talk to them and ask why the labour was so much more than the estimate. If they have a reasonable explanation, fine, tell them that you would have liked to know ahead of time, but you are happy that they didn't stop working, leave your new radar hanging off the mast, and the Navpod open in the rain while they got your okay to deal with the problems they encountered. On the other hand, if you get an answer like, "'cuz that's how long it took" I'd dispute the bill and not settle for less than splitting the difference between the estimate and the final bill.
If it was an estimate and provided before the dealer/installer saw your boat, it was just that ... an estimate. If the job was quoted as time and material and the final total was within 20-25% of the estimate they did pretty well. It would have been nice if they advised you as soon as they had a better idea of the cost, but unless it was a firm quote they probably didn't have to. On the other hand, if it was a quotation, based on looking at what your particular boat was going to need, it is a different story. It's been my experience that it is next to impossible to quote a job like that with very much precision. If I pad my estimates to include every hang-up I can think of, they are too high and I lose jobs. In many cases things are discovered halfway through a job that add 50-100% of time that it could have taken. I think you should talk to them and ask why the labour was so much more than the estimate. If they have a reasonable explanation, fine, tell them that you would have liked to know ahead of time, but you are happy that they didn't stop working, leave your new radar hanging off the mast, and the Navpod open in the rain while they got your okay to deal with the problems they encountered. On the other hand, if you get an answer like, "'cuz that's how long it took" I'd dispute the bill and not settle for less than splitting the difference between the estimate and the final bill.
hours
Price is all about labor and material. I installed a mast mounted radome and wired it to the helmsman seat on my Hunter 336. I did it my self and spent a total of 16 hours doing the installation. 6 hours up the mast to punch in the rivets, install the radome and drop the wiring down into the cabin (longer than I expected) . 4 hours fishing the wiring thru the boat (not fun) and about 6 hours hours installing the GPS on the back rail, the head unit with associated wiring (including power and circuit breaker). I did a professional job as many have attested and I took my time. If you figure the Admiral assisted by hoisting up a bolt or a screw driver you can double the hours on the mast which is fair. A dealer will say its a two person job. My overall time install a radar was about 20 hours. At $100.00 per hour this should cost $2000 in labor. Use your labor rate and factor in difficulty and you should come up with an pretty good figure. Also, your installer should give you these figures. After all you are paying and have a right to know.
Price is all about labor and material. I installed a mast mounted radome and wired it to the helmsman seat on my Hunter 336. I did it my self and spent a total of 16 hours doing the installation. 6 hours up the mast to punch in the rivets, install the radome and drop the wiring down into the cabin (longer than I expected) . 4 hours fishing the wiring thru the boat (not fun) and about 6 hours hours installing the GPS on the back rail, the head unit with associated wiring (including power and circuit breaker). I did a professional job as many have attested and I took my time. If you figure the Admiral assisted by hoisting up a bolt or a screw driver you can double the hours on the mast which is fair. A dealer will say its a two person job. My overall time install a radar was about 20 hours. At $100.00 per hour this should cost $2000 in labor. Use your labor rate and factor in difficulty and you should come up with an pretty good figure. Also, your installer should give you these figures. After all you are paying and have a right to know.
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