Did I get ripped off??

Squidd · May 31, 2014

Well there is doing it your self....$20, doing it right $200, having someone do it for you...$400 and having someone do it right for you...$700

Hopefully he did it right...

Rich Stidger · May 31, 2014

IMHO I think that 7 hours of labor for installing a new switch and running new 3-conductor cable is pretty high. What I don't know is how much trouble he had running the cable.

Next time get a quote before authorizing any work. Or better yet, educate yourself (if necessary) and do it yourself. (For the record, I do nearly everything myself because I can't stomach paying someone $80/hour to do anything that I can do.)

Ripped off? Well if it were me I would be extremely unhappy- both at the mechanic for spending that much time and at myself for allowing it.

Chief RA · May 31, 2014

Yeah, you got ripped off! Like Rich said: never get a job done without an estimate first.
Chief

tommays · May 31, 2014

well

It kind of depends on HOW BIG the train wreck was before he started

For example was there a PLACE for this needed switch ? or did a hole have to be cut ?

25yearslater · May 31, 2014

Not that much if you went to a defence contractor. Don't forget just because you don't know there are many people hear always willing to talk you through any problem. They are using their solutions and are proving them out everyday. That alone is cause to learn.

Stu Jackson · May 31, 2014

ChangsinLattitudes said:
There was a place for it. He just changed the actual switch, put some lew labeled positions on it and wala.

Rich explained it very well in his reply. The issue is you're new to this boat or boating. None of us were born electricians, but we may all have experienced this kind of situation in our lives, whether in boating or with our cars or our houses.

Rather than lament the fact, YOU and only YOU can make the decision as to what you want to learn, gather the right tools, and dig into it.

I remain flabbergasted by repeated posts that include "I know nothing about electricity" by skippers who are "driving" boats worth thousand and thousands of dollars, yet can't, won't, refuse to or ignore the basic stuff and make any attempt to learn, and then complain about high prices for repairs. Not saying this is you, you're new and learning.

More and more information is available on the internet for skippers who want to learn. And electrical is a SAFETY issue that requires understanding of this stuff before you even take your boat out. Most of us want to come back safely.

Maine Sail has a great series of articles on his website, I've developed our Electrical 101 topic (http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5977.0.html), and Maine Sail also has an ongoing section on this very website under Forums, Featured Contributors.

Plus, skippers will answer individual questions here. It pays to ask here first before you hire outside help, and not be hesitant to do so.

Good luck in the future.

seadaddler · May 31, 2014

Complain

I would complain and try and get it reduced or a bill breaking down
what was done and why so many hours labor.
I have heard of repair men after hearing unhappy customer
give a better price.
Or say to them hey did some one's math goof up.
Can't hurt.
Nick

SoSound · May 31, 2014

I SERIOUSLY hate wasting money. And, there is nothing that makes me more angry than having to make a repair twice. And, there is no time when I am more likely to have to repeat a repair than if I'm overly cheap the first time (lots of experience with this one, I've never learned to not be cheap).

I have no problem asking why the labor cost was so high. Many service people are more than willing to provide you with all of the details of the massive obstacles they encountered during the job.

If what he describes is accurate (tommays' wiring for example), then no rip-off. If what he describes is a common condition throughout the boat, then you have a good idea where to start with saving on future projects and repairs; by learning how to correct the condition which will cost you money (through added labor costs) on every future repair or project...

FastOlson · May 31, 2014

Hard to change history, but Stu has covered it well, going forward. His fine rational deserved re-reading.
Now that I'm older, I do sometimes pay pro's to do stuff on our boat. Having done most of what they do (albeit a lot slower, with many stops and starts, over the decades) I know better how to assess the scope of work and talk to them... and how prepare for their arrival on the job.
FWIW, you can save real labor $ by preparing the boat first. As a friend at a large yard once confided with me, "it's amazing how many people will pay his workers to move all of their personal junk out of compartments so that the actual work can be done!"
Not that that's what happened to the OP, but only to emphasize that there are several facets to this problem.
Regards,
Loren

capejt · May 31, 2014

WOW!!!

Geez!!! I did the same install myself on my H33. It took about a half hour and the cost of the switch. I would have done it for you for fifty bucks (and still felt guilty)

Stu Jackson · May 31, 2014

As a resource, I would add the West Marine Advisors, online and in their catalogs. Lots of great basic material is there, and is how many of us got started. You should also have two catalogs: one at home and one on the boat.

MrUnix · May 31, 2014

$700+ to run a wire and install a switch does sound like way too much.. I'd ask why and see if you can't shame them into giving you a better price. Does give you some incentive to learn about your boats wiring and do repairs yourself in the future though! A float switch is about as simple as it gets.. and asking questions will get you plenty of help and guidance. I know many people shoot themselves in the foot right off the bat by saying "I Don't Know How", but if you never try, you will never learn.

Cheers,
Brad

DougM · May 31, 2014

Ouch!
I understand a person's reluctance to work with electricity, but its not rocket science. You may have been able to save some money by reading the wiring diagram that is included with a float switch, then running your own wire leaving it unconnected, then having a qualified service person do the terminations. The worst part of a wiring project is running the wiring and it can take a lot of time. Also, if the service person is charging portal to portal time, that means more cost. It's ok to pay for the skilled part of the project, but not skill trade prices for the basics.

Benny17441 · May 31, 2014

Don't know the mechanic and don't know how far he had to travel to the job. A mechanic charges for his time whether he is rebuilding an engine or installing a bilge pump. They also charge for travel time to and from the job. What it is very clear is that you overpaid to have a bilge pump installed. The benefits of a bilge pump are not worth $700. The bilge pump is not a safety item. It is a small pump designed to automatically discharge outside the hull small amounts of water that collect in the bilge so you do not have to manually soak it up. It does not have the capacity to handle even a minor water intrusion. Think of it as a convenience item and that you could do the same job with a paper cup and a bucket. Let's say you have been served a very expensive lesson about the need of learning to do things for yourself. Now with the internet you have a wealth of information at your finger tips on how to do almost everything. Just get a basic set of tools and follow the instructions. Here in this forum most folks will help you diagnose your problem and provide you with varied options on how to fix it. Develop self sufficiency as when out in the water mechanics are hard to come by and get even more expensive.

seadaddler · May 31, 2014

Over Charged

I would complain and sounds like highway robed and say to them hey no idea it was going to cost that much and they should have called you to give heads up.
I think they think they got you by the balls and while they are squeezing lets
give this guy a full screwing.
I am sorry but

this is unbelievable that much for that job and they will never see any of your $$$$ again.
I do most of my own work on my sailboat just for the reason why you are very
pissed and so I buy repair books and the biggest thing I do is read all the post here even when it is not some thing I need to do on my boat but I am always
learning new things from guys on this forum showing how to do stuff and like
mainsail who just a fantastic job showing us all kinds of great work on boats.
I would hate to see what they charge for something major.
Nick

LloydB · May 31, 2014

So you asked a pro to repair an amateur installation because you couldn't see an obvious solution. You probably set some sort of condition like 'fix it right so that the boat wont sink before I get back' and maybe even a request to label the wires and leave a wiring diagram of the fix. The mechanic probably had to make sure her repair didn't compound existing problems besides making a added new parts run.(PC) $94/hr seems a bit steep to be running parts but I've been caught in that bind before myself.

rardiH36 · May 31, 2014

I am currently debating the DIY vs the "Yard" myself. And for my project, cutlass bearing replacement, I have rolled the dice towards the "Yard" solution. My boat is already out of the water for various diy projects. But since all else from the transmission coupling to the strut is still in "A1" condition, I want to replace the cutlass bearing with the propeller shaft still in. To accomplish, the four-year-on-the-shaft prop needs to be pressed off the shaft. (= special tool needed.) Then, while I could fabricate a DIY tool to press out the bearing from the strut, to do so does take a few $'s and many hours to make and the DIY success ratio from what I have read is problematical. Whereas, the yard has the generally successful dedicated tool (included in their $95/hour fee) and claims to average less than two hours for total for cutlass bearing replacement with the shaft still in place. I will first clean the shaft and pre PB Blaster everything. $95 hour x 2 (all going well) plus ~$90 for the bearing = $300. Seems like leaning towards the yard solution is a good "bet". The downside is that all doesn't always happen to plan. That is when DIY pays off. If things do go wrong, $95 hour does add up quick. But did I mention that the daily on-the-hard storage fee for my boat is $36 + another $10 day for car mileage and bridge tolls? That offsets. So if I keep futzing around with doing it myself, several days can go by quickly.

Upshot: Which way to go is a calculation of many factors. Many of which are a best guess.

CRAP SHOOT!