Pricing
What moves the price of a farm job
We don't quote farm work over the phone. These are the six things that decide the number, and the estimate lists each one.
- 01
The run
How far the building is from the service pole or meter. A short run is a day's work, a long one is a trench.
- 02
Overhead or underground
Buried wire costs more to install and less to maintain, and it stays clear of tractors and mowers.
- 03
Motors and phase
Motor size and single-phase or three-phase power set the feeder, the starters and the breakers.
- 04
Wet, dusty rooms
Barns, milk houses and bins need wire, boxes and fittings made for them, which cost more than house materials.
- 05
Permits and inspections
Where required, they are applied for and passed through to you.
- 06
Utility work
Some jobs need the electric utility to disconnect or move equipment. Its charges are its own.
The estimate
What a written estimate looks like
One page for each building, in plain words.
Each page lists the circuits, the materials, the outage window and the price for that building. A last page lists what the estimate leaves out, such as the utility's charges and repairs to concrete or walls.
On every estimate
Each building and circuit named
The outage window written down
What is left out, stated
Changes agreed in writing before the work
Payment
How and when you pay
The terms are on the estimate, and farm timing is part of them.
Deposit and balance
The estimate says what is due before work starts and what is due when it is finished.
Payment methods
Check, card or bank transfer, as the estimate lists.
Harvest and milk-check timing
If your income comes after harvest or a milk check, tell us. We write the payment dates to fit, in the estimate, before work starts.
Questions about pricing
Is the visit free?
There is a visit fee for the first walk-through. It is credited to the work if you book it, and we tell you the amount when you call.
Do you price by the hour?
Most jobs are one price for the written scope. Small repairs may be billed by time and materials, and we say so on the estimate.
What if you find something inside a wall?
We stop, show you, and write it up as a change. Nothing is added to the price without your yes in writing.
Do you charge more after hours?
A call outside the hours on this site is billed at an after-hours rate, and we tell you the rate before we drive out.
Get a written estimate
Start with a walk-through.