12-03-2013, 06:05 AM
i'm having an issue reconciling the cost for the installation of my solar system with the electrician that did the work. i'm curious what others think, and what i should expect.
my home is in mtn view, and contractor lives in south kona. we discussed me paying for gas for his drive over, which i was agreeable to. when i got the bill, he billed me for 3 hours of driving each day (1.5 hours each way, he was there 2 days) for a total of 6 hours of driving time. this was charged at his full rate. i offered him to stay overnight in my house so he wouldn't have to drive back and forth, which he was thankful for, but didn't take me up on due to his schedule. is drive time usually included in the billable hours?
he quoted me $75/hour to do the work. i assumed he was working solo. on his drive over the first day when i called to check in, he said 'we' were on the road, which was my first clue that someone else was going to be working with him. when he arrived at the jobsite, he brought a helper with him, and his wife. when i received the bill, he charged me $125/hour ($50/hour for the helper). note this hourly rate was applied to their drive time as well. is it unethical to quote one rate and charge another?
for the equipment, which totaled about $10,000, i offered to go buy it and pick it up myself. he said he would prefer to get it himself. i can see on the quote he provided me that 4.166% tax was applied, and on my bill from him, he is adding another 4.166% ge tax. this is a significant amount (~$500). should i pay this tax twice?
my home is in mtn view, and contractor lives in south kona. we discussed me paying for gas for his drive over, which i was agreeable to. when i got the bill, he billed me for 3 hours of driving each day (1.5 hours each way, he was there 2 days) for a total of 6 hours of driving time. this was charged at his full rate. i offered him to stay overnight in my house so he wouldn't have to drive back and forth, which he was thankful for, but didn't take me up on due to his schedule. is drive time usually included in the billable hours?
he quoted me $75/hour to do the work. i assumed he was working solo. on his drive over the first day when i called to check in, he said 'we' were on the road, which was my first clue that someone else was going to be working with him. when he arrived at the jobsite, he brought a helper with him, and his wife. when i received the bill, he charged me $125/hour ($50/hour for the helper). note this hourly rate was applied to their drive time as well. is it unethical to quote one rate and charge another?
for the equipment, which totaled about $10,000, i offered to go buy it and pick it up myself. he said he would prefer to get it himself. i can see on the quote he provided me that 4.166% tax was applied, and on my bill from him, he is adding another 4.166% ge tax. this is a significant amount (~$500). should i pay this tax twice?