Small Apiary Barn Build

[CloverKnollFarms]

Kinda my first thought too. Like, a good electrician deserves to be paid well for their time. But this sounds like ~3 days of work to me. $250/hour? c'mon.

Well, I had to search the web for 6 hours to find ONE meter box that Duke Energy approves… and it’s double what it cost a couple years ago.

The electricians around here have not had luck sourcing them for a few months. It is all ridiculous.

 

[ponytug]

@CloverKnollFarms nice build!

It isn't just you and your electricians. It is a problem everywhere. We did a project recently that caused rewiring on the main panel and the addition of a second load panel. One panel ended up very big, and one pretty small, but all the breakers ended up in the small panel because that is what was available.

I think it is hard to know whether the cost of the job is appropriate or not at a distance, as the details get lost. E.g. one can wire with romex here, but some jurisdictions require conduit, etc. Our place is miles away, and our local electricians charge for travel time as it is time that they could be working.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Citydude]

Well, I had to search the web for 6 hours to find ONE meter box that Duke Energy approves… and it’s double what it cost a couple years ago.

The electricians around here have not had luck sourcing them for a few months. It is all ridiculous.

The first electrician I hired to run 250' of direct bury wire told me the cost of the wire after I asked him the cost. I did some web time and found it for 40% less including shipping.

When I told him of this discovery, he said that is what his supplier charges him. That was a lie. And that was 5 years ago. So gouging people is nothing new but these days it's the new norm it seems.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

@CloverKnollFarms nice build!

It isn't just you and your electricians. It is a problem everywhere. We did a project recently that caused rewiring on the main panel and the addition of a second load panel. One panel ended up very big, and one pretty small, but all the breakers ended up in the small panel because that is what was available.

I think it is hard to know whether the cost of the job is appropriate or not at a distance, as the details get lost. E.g. one can wire with romex here, but some jurisdictions require conduit, etc. Our place is miles away, and our local electricians charge for travel time as it is time that they could be working.

All the best,

Peter

Ours is all inside rigid conduit, not romex

 

[deezler]

Ah, that definitely adds some more time then. I went with romex in my pole barn garage, run through the trusses and then just in short sections of conduit down the walls to outlets/switches for protection.

 

[Citydude]

Now the initial cost makes more sense. Rigid Conduit is expensive and takes time to install.

 

[WM75Guy]

Ours is all inside rigid conduit, not romex

Same with ours. There were 3 electricians working for 3 days on our project, one day as late as 7 pm. Conduit, wire, High-bay LED lights, plugs, and switches are not cheap.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Same with ours. There were 3 electricians working for 3 days on our project, one day as late as 7 pm. Conduit, wire, High-bay LED lights, plugs, and switches are not cheap.

I bought (8) Hyperlite 150w high bay UFO lights. The design leaves the option to add a third row of (4) for a total of (12). Hoping 168,000 lumens is enough, but for under $400 I can add another 84,000

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Well, that was quick. 10 working days.

 

[ponytug]

Looks gorgeous!

 

[cqaigy2]

Very nice! Looks like room for a couch, refrigerator, big screen TV and possible a cooking surface.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Very nice! Looks like room for a couch, refrigerator, big screen TV and possible a cooking surface.

The TV is coming, and I have a fridge already

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

WOW! That is amazing!

 

[EddieWalker]

Extremely NICE!!!! I love you color choices, along with the porch and cupola's!!

 

[cat fever]

Excellent building/looks thanks for sharing.

 

[deezler]

whoa. Stunning. Gutters and everything, man, that place is fancy.

 

[BackRoad]

Very nice. Colors and detail are well thought out!

Curious how many guys on the crew? And did they work 10 days straight through?

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Very nice. Colors and detail are well thought out!

Curious how many guys on the crew? And did they work 10 days straight through?

7 guys on the crew. It was (2) work weeks… so a total of 14 days

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I’m hoping this is bird ****… but… using my wife’s DSLR camera, it looks a lot like damage to one of the cupolas. Now, this crew pulled down and replaced a 16’ sheet of metal for one small scratch. So I find it difficult to believe that they would knowingly put up a damaged cupola. But… it looks suspicious.

These things are not cheap. So, I’ll ask it be rectified.

 

[EddieWalker]

Sure looks like somebody tried rubbing it out and failed. I'm guessing it's a massive scratch that will start to rust once it gets some rain.