Shop improvements - wiring, plumbing, remodeling, material handling, storage, etc... Many of these costs people do not consider when starting a shop or a business, nor do you realize how deep your are into it until you go back and start crunching numbers.

What have you done lately? What did it cost you? Did you feel you got a good deal? What was the result? Maybe we can build a small database of average costs involved in doing X.

My latest (and most aggravating): 480V, 400A 3PH service install. Bid @ 8k hardware for the building (new switch gear, transformers, panel, breakers, install), $8k at the pole (new transformers, new pole, wire). 3 months later, I'm now knocking at $24k for this job and it's not completed yet. The building side hardware ended up costing $16k installed and electrical company just raised my cost of transformers another $1400 because of the increased load over what they had rated them at. So basically I'm getting bent over for $25.6k for a job that was quoted @ 16k and I'm kinda pissed.

 

Yikes!!!! Sorry to hear this has turned into a nightmare!!
Just got a bunch of electrical done in the spring...
4 separate circuits, 20 amp,etc. Another 240V plug. Paid for all materials, trading labour for work on his lotus kit car. Can't beat avoiding the tax man...

 

spent 3k about 2 months ago for AC for the shop, got a 3 ton unit for my 1250 sq ft shop, wish i would have gone with a 4 or 5 ton.

 

Not sure in your area but around here by law they cant exceed a quote by more then 10%.

My biggest gripe about cost and increases is insurance premiums.

 

That is crazy!!! Really ensures an accurate quote, or I guess, a high one!!

 

Average cost per machine electrical drop (conduit, wire, breaker, 100a @ machine disconnect) ~30-50 amp sized load with permits is about $400-$600 per machine for us. Has to be contracted through an industrial/commercial electrician for our insurance.

2 Ton Bridge Crane install 50x30- $200 in epoxy, $100 in hardware. $20 in concrete supplies & wood for forms. Paid two contractors $600 each to put it in, ended up using an additional 2 of my guys to get it in. ~$1500 to 1700 to install basically.

1/2 Ton Jib Crane install- Cost to install $220 we provided the labor. $110.00 in epoxy. $60 in 1" hardware. $20 in concrete supplies & wood for base form. 2 hrs labor. $30 Genie lift to Crane into place (too tall to use a forklift).

I'll probably think of more later.

 

In all reality though it prevents people from getting screwed. If the contractor low ***** their quote thats their mistake and in my opinion not the customers problem. Quotes are there for a reason and if you budget for that amount most cant just pull $$ out of thin air. If it were in a bidding situation and there were no laws in place all these contractors would just low ball their bids and then overbill the customer once the jobs complete and there would be defaults and lawsuits flying left and right.

 

being a contractor in florida (worst place to contract) this is tru most companies low ball the price to beat out other companies in the hopes that they can sweat talk the price back up by adding things they know you need but never actually bidded you for because its how the scammers say in this field job security lmao it sucks

i ussually loose out on alot of jobs because they say im to high and they have a guy that can do it for half or lil more than half (me knowing thats bs cause price for material is cost period) and your qoute has to be higher than the material if you plan on a profit after the job is done. electrical is one of the most underated fields in the construction industry because everyone believes they can do it which also has most of the scammers in it as well

 

are all your machinery 480 volts or a mixture of 480v,208v,120v,

just to let you know different voltage's have different grade equipment 480v 3ph equipment is expensive

 

I built a new shop two year ago.
went from 28x40 with 10' high wall to 30x50 with 12' wall and cathedral ceiling with heated concrete slab.

I added a lot of tool to it wich are not added to this price.

total of cost 57K $
all done by myself labor, so it's kinda half the price of what it would be if you contract the same plan.

breakdown.
Structure : 25K $
slab: 5K$
Electric: ( 200A 120V/240Vac ) 6K$
Insulation : 8K$
Finition: 9K$
3K of **** and giggle to have it completed...

I'm in Canada, don't forget, price are not the same as US.

I can say I really enjoy this new shop, it is comfortable and it make those '' long garage night '' feel more enjoyable.

 

Most of our machines are 240/480 if they are 25 hp or less. All of our big machines are 50 to 100hp machines and are 480v only.