Home Owners - What would you do? ( Wiring House/Garage)

Right now I have fuses and want a breaker box installed. Should I be hiring a professional or a friend that’s an electrician.

Will the professional have warranties on the installation, wires, up to code, etc… along with the big bill? Or should i get my buddy over here and help him do it, throw him a couple bucks, feed him and be done.

Here’s what i need done:

  • fuse box switched with breaker box ( more than just plug and play, there are a lot of loose wires, the previous owner started it but didn’t finish it)
  • check all outlets and fix if need be
  • run 100 amp out to garage
  • wire in my generator ( so i can back feed my house )
  • would like a 220 in garage

basically i want the job done once and right. I have a couple friends that i would trust to wire everything and i know they wouldn’t rig anything but looking at it from a bigger view of re-sale, can i write off a re-wire job in 2009, warranty…

also if you recommend anyone, please let me know

Thanks guys

…check out my Wanted thread if you are selling anything a 1st home owner would use.

I need the same thing done. My basement power is completely out due to old wiring. I would definitely hire a professional. If you plan on selling the house at any point in time the house must be up to code. I’d rather spend the money and have it done right

I have a couple friends that i would trust to wire everything and i know they wouldn’t rig anything

the friends i would hire would do it up to code and the right way

Well if you are comfortable enough having them do it then go for it I guess. Having friends/family do major work on your house can lead to problems. You might be able to call some Pros up and just have them estimate it all.

If you’re really 100% confident that your friend will do it right then I’d just do that. I don’t know of any tax benefits to wiring upgrades and I can’t think of any reason to pay a professional for the sake of paying a professional other than tax purposes.

LOL ask him what the ampacity of solid 12 gauge copper wire is and if he doesn’t know off the top of his head don’t let him do it. Ask him what circuit breakers do and if he doesn’t say protect the wires then don’t let him do it. Ask him if he likes long walks on the beach and

Anyways.

JT- I have a guy who did my house @2 yrs ago. Did it right and fast, plus the cost was fairly low. It had to be done to code and it also had to be inspected since I live in the city. If you want his number, call me.

private guy or company?

I had to do the same thing with my house, had to change from fuses to breakers and move the box due to the original location being out of code, had to upgrade my entrance cable and meter channel and re do my entire underground service due to multiple faults, but instead of direct buried i put it in conduit right to the pole. At the same time i did an automatic transfer switch with 7kw natural gas generator… It was some bucks but im sure it added to the value of the house. I did some of the work myself but hired warning electric to handle some of the wiring, meter channel and entrance cable etc. I did the conduit and associated trenching as well as some of the new panel wiring

right, do i need to pay the electric company to run the main line down the side of my house into the basement where the box is?

that needs replacement too

Eek. Might be worth it to at least get some price quotes. I can’t imagine it’s legal to climb a utility pole, much less run a main line without a license.

no, the line from the pole is good , i just dont know if it is 220.

the line running down the side of the house.

they are two different lines

YES, i looked into this already for myself. I have an old box-screw in glass fuses, im slowly adding new up to code fuse panels. I contacted a elecrition, his cost would have been $800 to get a modern box and all up to code. My house was built in 61 and has all old wiring and shit. I had my garage rewired a cpl years ago too, had an electrician friend do it as a side job, cost me like $150. Hes in Lancaster and does side work, if yer in that area still shoot me a PM and i can have him get ahold of you. -The original JT!

Shit I will be needing some hookups in the near future.

If your service is aerial, the wire that goes from the pole to the house is the electric companys, but the wire from the side of the house down into and including the meter channel, as well as the wire that goes from the meter channel into the house to a breaker panel is all yours, so you would have to pay an electrician to fix/upgrade that stuff. Is the garage attached to the house? 100 amp service to the garage is gonna be some change

JT, if whoever you have lined up doesn’t work out, give me a call. A friend of mine does electrical side work, I am pretty sure he is licensed too. If you need a hand with anything at your house I wouldn’t mind helping you out at all I have more carpentry tools than car tools ha.

this cost me $150.

pm, tpgsr. he will help u out.

thanks guys!

my garage is not attached it is about 40 feet from my house. it already has electric ran to it.

joe - i will be giving you a call, not till summer, im done working in the cold and snow. at least in the summer i wont feel bad telling the women to piss outside when im re-doing the bathroom.

Sounds good… When you get a chance pm me your number… My sim card burned out and I lost everything.

I would just spend the money to have t done, although I didnt, I had my friend help me run a 6 panel box up to my attic for all my electric. He knows what he is doing and scared the shit out of me when the main power into the box in the basement came loose and he was trying to get it back in with a stick. I thought I was gonna have to hide his body in my yard or something.