I had a quote for $250 per outlet. I decided to do myself. Yes, your mom got screwed. Sorry, this happens often with older folks and disinformated people.
this post was submitted on 29 Nov 2023
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Av lead tech here and yeah that price is absurd. 250$ job max
Its a max $5 job...
That's extreme but, so is a thousand
It's a bummer, but... it's one time sunk cost... and now she's got that ethernet!
I hate running cable but I would have done it for a third of that. Yeah, that is expensive but like I said, I don't like to do it.
How fast is that network? Isn't 5e a bit outdated these days? I'm not an expert, so I am asking cautiously.
Cat 5e can handle 1GE at 100m and 10GE up to 45m according to spec. Even 2.5G for a PC is pretty uncommon currently outside of enthusiast hardware, and most consumers don't have 1GE WAN connections, so I think Mom is going to be just fine.
i live in HCOL PNW, this seems normal to me
Your mom has a nice rack.
Nice 😏
What does it matter? There is an absolutely zero point wasting time with this. Your adult mother was presented an offer which she accepted and created a contract to do work. The work was done and I assume she paid them. Stay out of your mom’s finances unless she asks for your help.
I charge people my $1,000 / hr. consulting fee when I REALLY don't want to do what they're asking me to do. If they don't pick up on my facetiousness, or are gullible, then I'm making $1,000 an hour that day.
Get 3 bids. Choose the bid you like.
Only time there’s a problem is if the price you are told is a bait and switch tactic and the price they at the end have you pay is vastly different than the beginning.
If your mom was told the job was a million dollars and she agreed to it. That’s on her.
Wait until municipalities start requiring pulling permits for “low voltage”
She obviously was since it was $1000/hr.
What country are you in cause brother you should really look into migration cause at 23 that’s not skilled!! That’s laborer
I don’t know no plumber making $29/ hour my friend, don’t know where you are but skilled involves more than picking up stuff
First red flag is Ethernet drop installed by a electrician.
This is a total rip off. Sorry. There's nothing that can justify this amount for a 45 min job.
You are a bad son for not just doing it for your mom before she had to call someone in.
Damn! I did almost 48 drops in my house and all sorts of custom work for wall mounted tv installations and other low voltage stuff....I can't even imagine how much I saved by doing it myself!
That price sounds like the "didn't want to do it" price.
If there’s really no obstructions or obstacles with a drop ceiling then we’d probably charge something like $500. If it’s a normal house where we’re cutting up walls, etc it’s $1,000 per run minimum - and we don’t patch or paint.
PS - electricians are known for using the absolute shittiest Ethernet line. I swear wherever they get their 5e from could be mistaken for telephone line. I’d make sure he used good cabling for that pricing and followed punch down standards.
Was the rack already setup and populated?
Yes.
LOL over paid by a ton. I'd do that work for a pizza easy.
On the high end of fair for a licensed electrician. Picked the wrong trade to do this. You didn't get scammed. Don't beat yourself up over this op.
I run drops on the side.
$125 per drop with open access $200 per drop through closed walls and ceilings - repairs to drywall not included $250+ per drop for anything in attics or roof lines.
Your mom got ripped off hard.
He took one look at the the server rack and figured his level of pricing.
OMG! I do same work and would of charged based on how far the run is to the switch but if there are no obstacles you run into, ie plumbing or homes electrical power lines in the way then it a low voltage cert tech would charge around 300.00 no more She hired a licensed electrician though & they do charge considerably more but over 900 does sound like a thief.
1k isnt bad in NYC Ill pay that for a 1 proper run
Sounds pretty pricey, but it's hard to say without being there.
As an installer, I quote a $90 visit fee + $90/HR + materials. I never give a fixed quote unless it is very straightforward with good access. In some cases when I really don't want the job due to being busy, poor access or just a really shitty job I will double or triple the quote & hope the customer does not go ahead.
Damn, ATT chargers $150 to install an Ethernet anywhere in the house
How far did the tech drive to get there? 30 minutes? 90 minutes? Double that for round trip.
Also, depending on the state, up to 10% of that could be sales tax.
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only ~900?
Not bad.
Typically see quotes in the 4-figure ranges.
You have to remember if you aren't DIY you've gotta pay for their labor, knowledge, and overhead.
You suck as a son.
I wired all my house with almost no help.
YouTube tutorials on how to terminate cat 6 cables were what saved my day.