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It’s been a while since I’ve posted here, so sorry if many don’t recognize me.
We are slowly working our way through “upgrading” our house, & we’ve gotten to the point where some big mechanicals are next. By that, I mean furnace, A/C & electrical upgrade. Last January, we did a full remodel of our downstairs, converting some ’60’s era renovations into new bedrooms for the boys. There was some new wiring involved, & we had 3 companies in to bid. Local building economy was booming! Selected one, & had them in & out w/in a week. Excellent work, & reasonable price. Since then, the remodelling & new construction market has stalled, & shows evidence of slipping. Now we’re ready for the electrical upgrade (100A to 200A, & replace old ’50’s era fuse box w/ breakers (AFCI)). Problem is, I can’t get an electrician to even show up for the next 3 weeks, & everyone has a 2 month backlog. How is this possible? Just a local thing, or are others seeing the same? And if anyone knows a decent Sparky in Westchester NY, let me know.
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I trust you've already called the electrician who was "in & out w/in a week" with "Excellent work, & reasonable price"
Rich Beckman
*Yup....too busy to return a phone call, so he must be good right ;)
*i should've been an electrician. Good luck.jim
*I didn't realize that building had stalled; latest figures (that I remember), were that new housing starts were on the increase. And I'd bet, with low interest rates, people who had put off remodeling/building might be jumping on the bandwagon pretty soon. Anyone else see things going down the tubes lately?
*I don't think the economy had "stalled" at all. We just went from a phenomenally good economy to a pretty good economy. Unemployment is still really low, and everyone still seems to be having trouble getting help. I think the media is just trying to make things look much worse than they really are just to boost their ratings.
*Ron I agree with you on that. Everyone I know is busy right now. i think new housing starts have slowed but here in Orange County Cal , I think thats because of the lack of available land to develope. they tore down a industrial build the old Hughes Fullerton 212 acres and are putting up 1450 single family residents w/ some industrial there. So here land is at a premium. remodels well my neighbor is spending 12K on new windows right now and man you should see the rig these guys got. A beutiful trailer about 20-30 ft long self contained shop really so there not hurting either.
*Interesting observation; most of the other guys I know are looking at capital improvements to their businesses that they wouldn't have thought of even two-three years ago. Heck, we're even starting to look at cranes/boom trucks now. We just simply have to have one in order to get moving with a small labor force.
*Perhaps I should elaborate. We live about an hour from Manhattan. A year ago, you couldn't drive a single street in town without seeing a huge new house or addition being added. Yet I could get 3 electrician to show up & give a quote on our electrical job. Our town & the surrounding area are heavily tied to the financial job market in Manhattan. Over the past year, there has been a huge contraction in that sector, in terms of reduced compensation & cut jobs. It has accelerated since 9/11. The building boom in our area has dramatically slowed, as previous starts are completed, and backlogs have been worked through. Yet I cannot get an electrician to come give me a quote, never mind actually start the job in less than 2 months. Maybe everyone made so much money over the past few years that they all moved to the Carribean!
*Deer hunting season....All the subs I have used take off a few weeks in the Fall.near the stream,aj
*Maybe there getting some the good fall fishing.
*The problem maybe that: A. Were Electricians NOT SPARKYS Or B. Were Tired of working For ASS HOLES...
*WOW- I use electric subs all the time. What area are you in, because I wish I could get one in just 2 months. You have all the luck.
*where have all the sparkies gonelong time passingwhere have all the sparkies gonelong time agowhere have all the sparkies gonegone to plumbers, everyonewhen will they ever learn?when will they evvvvver learn
*Ben, I don't know you from Adam, and I wonder if you know the guy you just called an AH? I remember him from a year ago & he seemed like a nice enough guy. You on the other hand, come across as someone who after I read you post a couple more times, can't spell. I guess you meant "we are" instead of "were"....at first I though you were implying all the electricians had retired, but I think actually you are saying that you are an electrician and you object to being referred to as "Sparky"?If I were to follow your method of instant character assesment using one post for reference, I would have to say that of the two of you, it isn't Perswede I'd call an AH. Joe H
*Work has slowed up in our part of Ohio as well. Most of our guys travelling are back East in NY, NJ, and Boston. In this month's "Builder", the NAHB chief economist said that of the builders surveyed 34 per cent reported sales declines of more than 10 per cent. I agree that a previous flame was uncalled for. Until you know my name "Sparky" will do. But you never know what someone will take offense to. Last year I approached a carpenter foreman I hadn't met yet with " Hey,Bud, can you...." and he informed me that in West Virginia a bud is the head of a donkey's penis and I'd better not call him that again.
*I've never run across an electrician who objected to the term "sparky" before, so if someone was offended, my appolagies. Other than that, I won't dignify Ben's comment with a response. I think AJ's hunting theory might actually be the closest to the truth, though.
*Don't take this wrong... maybe they've all drifted to a nearby community where the pay is better..or the projects bigger..or the homes newer...It's like any other part of the labor market...when demand is high, people take the jobs with the most perksMaybe you'll have better luck if you include a six-pack (or two...or three...) in the deal.
*Don't take this wrong either, but there aren't really any communities around here where the pay is better, or the projects bigger, or the homes newer...it's a pricey area of the country, but the whole area has slowed down. I guess the point of my thread has been obscured a bit. When the times were good, we could get quotes & jobs done by the electricians ("sparkies"). Now that it has slowed down, we can't get either.And for the record, anyone doing work at my house is told that anything in the downstairs fridge is fair game (but no sudz until all the powertools are put away!), except for my personal stash.
*You let people raid the icebox?! I guess so, I used to work for someone who would go into the customers kitchen and make coffee.
*I guess if you called me "Sparky" without knowing me I would ignore you and find someone better to talk to. If after getting to know me you called me that, let's say in a conversation. I would throw my Kleins at you and say. SPARK THIS M F'R! It's a derogitory name and I don't call you names like dumbass in pleasent conversations, so don't call me names.
*Call me anything you want, just don't call me late for dinner. Especially tomorrow!
*If you read one of my previous posts, I thought I made it clear that it was never intended as an insult, and if anyone took it that way, I appologized. I used the term because my uncle-in-law (if that's the correct way to say it) used to be one, & he refers to himself & others in his trade that way. It was used as a colloquialism, not an insult, on a public message board looking for some insight into what seems to be a local or regional issue. In the 4+ years I've been reading & occassionally posting on this board, it has never struck me as a place where you had to clear every innocuous phrase or post with the "thought police". In order to soothe your sensibilities, however, I will request that the sysop change the title of the discussion to "Where have all the "Electiricians" gone?". Perhaps then you could spare the rants, & someone could provide a more meaningful answer to a well-intentioned question.
*Gunner Sparky! Ben Sparky! Lighten up! Get it? Lighten up? Ha Ha. Sparking for 27 years.
*Or away from the table.
*Hey Gunner,Why is sparky an insult ?
*Ok Lets All Shake Hands And Make Up Like The True Tradesmen That We Are, With All The problems in The World And With The Problems We Each Must Endure in Our Own Lives We Should All Be Civil To Each Other in These Awfull Times.. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE.....
*Luka It's a derogitory term. It's like calling someone flash. I take it as an insult.
*Ben: Get a clue.
*Here's where the electrician have gone....they all got electricuted from other trades people turning breakers on in the middle of a job.
*Gunner,Any chance you could explain the origin of Sparky as a derogatory term? What is being intimatated when it is used?Rich Beckman
*I am a sparky....No biggy at all...Pal...now thats a term that can get my goat....Now I use it...Hey pal....near the stream fetchin...aj
*This is what I meant to ask. I am curious as all get out, how the term came to be derogatory. And exactly why is it derogatory now ?
*It implies as an Electrician that you don't know what you are doing. As if to say that every time you work on something there is going to be sparks.
*What's wrong with sparky, doesn't sound as bad as "shit runner" (plumber)Hey SHIT RUNNER , when am I gonna have aqua to clean out my paint brushes?
*Gunner..Mellow out sparky :)
*Dont mind being called Sparky atall. As in everything isnt it...how it is said?
*What about nicknames for the other trades?The A/C guys are "Tin Knockers."Are plumbers "drips" or "Leaky"?Is there something we can call the installers of gypsum board, drywall and sheetrock?How about ceiling grid installers? They leave the sharp, stiff ends of their grid wires sticking out in all directions. I call the "eye pokers" but that just refers to the wires themselves.And if you call a painter "Drips"; how do you distinguish him from a plumber? -Peter
heh heh
r said ####.
be oh ####
Get a Peach full,easy feelin'.
Now we know how to get past the censor -
time travel.
Got a building problem?Go to Heck with it!
Well, actually there are more than one way to skin a cat.
Quality minded ontractors have always been known to be creative... 100489.6.
Get a Peach full,easy feelin'.
"Quality minded ontractors"
ONtractors?
Aww, geez...what's Bosshog gonna say about that?
"He said "Buck up baby, it's okay. The sunlight on the floor will always fall." ~ Sarah Harmer
Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least six (6) feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.
Get a Peach full,easy feelin'.
No problem with the 6 ft rule. Our master bath is huge, way bigger than what we need, but just renting here, so no choice.
I keep my toothbrush in my drawer, btw.
"He said "Buck up baby, it's okay. The sunlight on the floor will always fall." ~ Sarah Harmer
teehee.
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I'm not that crafty, time travel seems easier.
Got a building problem?Go to Heck with it!
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It's been a while since I've posted here, so sorry if many don't recognize me.
We are slowly working our way through "upgrading" our house, & we've gotten to the point where some big mechanicals are next. By that, I mean furnace, A/C & electrical upgrade. Last January, we did a full remodel of our downstairs, converting some '60's era renovations into new bedrooms for the boys. There was some new wiring involved, & we had 3 companies in to bid. Local building economy was booming! Selected one, & had them in & out w/in a week. Excellent work, & reasonable price. Since then, the remodelling & new construction market has stalled, & shows evidence of slipping. Now we're ready for the electrical upgrade (100A to 200A, & replace old '50's era fuse box w/ breakers (AFCI)). Problem is, I can't get an electrician to even show up for the next 3 weeks, & everyone has a 2 month backlog. How is this possible? Just a local thing, or are others seeing the same? And if anyone knows a decent Sparky in Westchester NY, let me know.
First of all, electricians as a group HATE old houses. There are several reasons for this.
The first is that folks never appreciate the amount of effort necessary to do even the simplest things, and are hesitant to spend the money. Not having direct experience, the homeowner has trouble understanding how installing a new $1 receptacle will cost them $200.
The second is that, even with a new home, the electrician has no idea what strange things he will encounter, and have to fix, along the way. Give a home several decades, a few remodels, a couple flips, some DIY 'improvements'... and it's quite a nightmare.
Finally, after the job is complete ... he'll never see you again. Since any business is built on repeat customers, this fact alone puts you at the back of the line.
reno , I don't think., er, .. well
I don't think the dude is around anymore ! but you make a good point :).
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That was a very good post. One line, "the homeowner has trouble understanding how installing a new $1 receptacle will cost them $200", made me think of an experience I had.
Customer called me to install a doggie door. They wanted it in the wall, not the door. Stucco wall. When I opened it up, there was a romex running right through the path. Called my elec., and he came out and added an outlet on either side, and routed a new wire around the opening. He charged me $100 for him and his helper. I had better than a half day lost on the project, so I charged $200 for my time. Total cost $300 to install doggie door. Customer was pissed, paid it but never called me back for the rest of the work she had said she wanted done.View Image “Good work costs much more than poor imitation or factory product†– Charles GreeneCaliforniaRemodelingContractor.com