Can anybody advise me on how much an average electrician charges per hour in Fairfax County? Or - say - for a job like hanging a light fixture in a room that requires "running wire?" I have a quote of over $300 and I'm wondering if I'm getting ripped off.

why not just install the thing yourself? seriously, home improvement projects arent that hard. if you can afford to be lazy, fine. just pay them or do it yourself.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

Id say thats a rip off.
Why is "running wire" in quotation?


Ceiling fixtures are extremely easy to put in.

Why not save some energy and put in a ceiling fan?

$300 for 5 mins of work...
keep in mind electricians only do electrical work..
youll need to hire a carpenter to replace the drywall...

donkey Wrote:
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> $300 for 5 mins of work...
> keep in mind electricians only do electrical
> work..
> youll need to hire a carpenter to replace the
> drywall...


Good electricians don't fuck up the drywall...but they do take longer than 5 minutes.

OP, need more details. Is the ceiling in question below an attic or another floor? Does a line need to be run down to a switch? $300 could be a bargain...or it could be a rip-off.

If its something simple, a handyman can do the job. They charge lots of money
too, but much cheaper than a licensed electrician. If you dont know anything
about electrical work (like me), then dont try it yourself. Also, if an electrician
does work in your home and something catches on fire, your insurance company
WILL NOT PAY OFF unless they were licensed and bonded! Be careful my friend,
electricity is not something for amateurs. Sorry to say, they gotcha by the
gonads.

The light is below an attic, and the line does need to be run down to a switch. He said he can do it without needing to repair drywall. He is a licensed electrician. He estimates it will take about two hours.

Thanks for the warnings.

$300 for a two hour light install that requires running cable sounds like a decent price to me. You are paying a pro to do what he does. You should not expect it to be rock bottom in price.

Hey, the guy's gotta make a living. Maybe you can ask him for references.

To not fuck up the drywall will make it take longer. But drywall is easy to fix (anyone can do it) and id pay cheaper for someone who will F it up and then you can fix it. Since it is below an attic, you can do it easily if you get a fish tape, just run the wire thru the attic then take the cover off your light switch box and fish the wire down. If you turn the power off at the circuit breaker box first its not at all dangerous.

Geek Wrote:
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> $300 for a two hour light install that requires
> running cable sounds like a decent price to me.
> You are paying a pro to do what he does. You
> should not expect it to be rock bottom in price.


agreed. I work in the construction field and electricians are one of the most skilled type laborers. Many of them have been fried before on live wires too. You have to remember how dangerous and skilled there type of work is.

ps: always ask for it in writing. It's beneficial for both of you.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/2008 04:57PM by The Economist.