Electrician wants to get paid before the job completion!!!

Electrician wants to get paid before the job completion!!!

Bridgeport, CT · Member since 2017 · 116 posts · 19 votes

Dear BP Members,

I am renovating my house with a completed demo, drywall on the walls and ceilings, and electrical wiring for the whole floor.  The problem is that the electrician does not want to wait until the sheet rock up 2-3 weeks later then come back to finish the wires and plugs.  He doesn't want to wait that long to get his final payment.  He said that he will put the wires and plugs in and tape it then contractor can put the sheet rock up, later contractor can just put the face plate over. My contractor said no way. It will make his job 10 times harder. He said that the correct way is to put the sheet rock up first, then electrician return to put the wires and plugs in. He said that I need to tell electrician "my contractor needs to have his rodozip in" - I am confused about the process.  What is the correct way to do this? My electrician is such a pain and he doesn't want to wait that long to get paid. Isn't that necessary if that is the right process to get job done? What should I say to the electrician?  Please advise.  Thank you!             

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Crossville, TN · Member since 2017 · 121 posts · 168 votes
9y

I don't know how it is in other parts of the country but I have never seen switches and receptacles installed before Sheetrock and I have been in hundreds of new construction houses. Tell the electrician that you will pay half upon completion of rough in and the remainder upon the completion passing inspection. Be firm.

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  • Investor · Massapequa, NY · Member since 2017 · 55 posts · 9 votes
    9y
    For an electrician to do his wiring and install the outlets before sheetrock is very common. Asking the contractor to put up the cover plates is not asking much and your contractor should not give you issues with something like that. To rotozip the outlet boxes and switch boxes is pretty standard for a sheet rocker to do to begin with.
  • Bridgeport, CT · Member since 2017 · 116 posts · 19 votes
    9y

    @Michael Farrugia thanks for your advice. But if Electrician finish his wiring and switches, tape it, the contractor won't be able to rotozip the outlet boxes. He said something that he would have to measure the dimension, cut something. It will cost him more time to do the job. There are 3 bed rooms, living room, and kitchen which have lots of wiring boxes/outlets.  

  • Investor · FL · Member since 2017 · 266 posts · 220 votes
    9y

    Why is drywall taking 2-3 weeks? Electrician needs to finish his job himself so he is accountable for any electrical issues that arise. 

  • Bridgeport, CT · Member since 2017 · 116 posts · 19 votes
    9y

    @Javier D. Sheetrock on the walls and ceiling, framing, taping, bass board, floor sanding and coating, kitchen demo and sheetrock also, and paint everything. There is 3 bedrooms, living, and kitchen.  It is complete job on the 2nd floor.  Contractor said that is the time frame to get it done right.  The problem is that Electrician doesn't want to wait till 2-3 weeks later to return finish the job. He wanted to finish by putting the wiring and switches into each blue box and tape it, and get the final payment.  Then, the remaining job is up to contractor to start the sheetrock and put the face plate on at the end. I don't know what is the right way for this process...      

  • Crossville, TN · Member since 2017 · 121 posts · 168 votes
    9y

    I don't know how it is in other parts of the country but I have never seen switches and receptacles installed before Sheetrock and I have been in hundreds of new construction houses. Tell the electrician that you will pay half upon completion of rough in and the remainder upon the completion passing inspection. Be firm.

  • Bridgeport, CT · Member since 2017 · 116 posts · 19 votes
    9y

    @Robert Hudson I paid him a bit more than 2/3 already but he pressed the general contractor and said he wanted to get paid for the final payment.  The remaining 1/3 is supposed to be paid after the job is completed and inspected.  He wanted to finish what I mentioned above so he can get paid. What is the problem of returning to finish the job after the sheetrock is completed!

  • Investor · FL · Member since 2017 · 266 posts · 220 votes
    9y

    is this the general contractor's subcontractor or yours directly?

    If the gc hired him as part of the whole contract dont even waste anymore energy thinking about it. Its his problem. If he is yours then he should wait to even put receptacles in. Trim in and punch out should be done before final payment. You need to inspect his work and make sure everything works without issue before you pay him in full.

  • Developer · Little Ferry, NJ · Member since 2016 · 426 posts · 226 votes
    9y

    @Peace Lily If you demo'd everything... then you need to rough all the electrical in... Then you get inspection for the plumbing, electric, HVAC, Framing... After that you get insulation, Inspection for that ... After that you can put the sheetrocks up.. when the house is about to be complete, the electrician comes back and installs all the high hat finishes and the finish lighting fixtures...

    The payment should go like this.. 10% after the first day of work.. 40% after rough is passed, 30% after finishes are done, 20% when I pass final inspection...

    This is how I do it in NJ, I've been working with my electrician for a couple of jobs now, so he doesn't even ask me for money because he knows that I will pay him, but putting in wiring after sheetrocks makes no sense when the walls are up already.. Unless he is trying to cover up the walls ASAP because of inspectors and nosey neighbors... those are the worst. 

    There are also a couple of things that the electrician needs to do so that way he doesn't loose his wires under the sheetrock when he does the rough... I definitely recommend taking a picture when roughin is done, so that way you know where all the cables are.

  • Investor · San Jose, CA · Member since 2015 · 76 posts · 64 votes
    9y

    The electrician is being lazy. Trimming out before Sheetrock is a bad idea. Receptacles and switches will get damaged and cutting out the boxes will be harder for the general. A lot of the time, sheetrockers will screw a piece of Sheetrock to the wall and then use a rotozip to cut around the outlet box. Many times they will miss and plunge straight into the box. If there is a receptacle there it's going to get toasted. Tell your electrician to act like a professional and do the job right. No final payment until the job is completed correctly. 

  • Rod HanksBusiness Member
    Insurance Agent · Dallas, TX · Member since 2013 · 743 posts · 462 votes
    9y

    If you pay him the final draw, you won't see him again. It is not reasonable for a contractor to expect to be paid a final draw before the work is complete. He needs to wait and don't use him next time because it sounds like he has financial problems. He agreed to the payment schedule before he started the work. 

    Rod Hanks Insurance4.9152 Reviews
  • Developer · New Orleans, LA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 898 votes
    9y

    @Peace Lily I am guessing you are not working with permits from the city.  If you were, there is no way any city would pass what your electrician is asking.  You should NOT allow your electrician to put in switches and receptacles before drywall.  Anyone stating its OK is wrong.

    Listen to your contractor and tell your electrician to wait.  Its not unreasonable.

    In addition to the switches and outlets, isnt your electrician responsible for installation of lights, fans and wiring up any electrical appliances? If you pay him now, you will never see them again.

    I would expect that your electrician is in financial trouble and may walk from the job.  While I would not pay him any more until its 100% done, I would talk to your contractor about a second electrician as a backup plan now.

  • Bridgeport, CT · Member since 2017 · 116 posts · 19 votes
    9y
    David Goossens thank you. That is exactly what this new contractor was trying to tell me which I didn't quite understand. Now it all makes sense. Thank you thank you!
  • Bridgeport, CT · Member since 2017 · 116 posts · 19 votes
    9y
    @Mateusz Prawdzik thank you! Great advice.
  • Bridgeport, CT · Member since 2017 · 116 posts · 19 votes
    9y
    @javier yes it is the GC who hired The electrican. I am about to fire this electrican. It is very draining to work with him. Thank you for your advice!
  • Contractor · Milltown, NJ · Member since 2016 · 297 posts · 213 votes
    9y
    Peace Lily Good day, I'm a licensed electrician in NJ. On the back of every permit we fill out, it clearly states not to pay your contractor until they pass final inspection. Also, things happen in construction, a wire could get damaged, a device gets damaged during Sheetrock install, etc. Therefore, putting a device in before Sheetrock is not a good idea, for the electrician, the drywall contractor, or the painter. Devices should be installed after walls are finished 100%. Best of luck.
  • Frisco, TX · Member since 2017 · 201 posts · 95 votes
    9y
    Originally posted by @Peace Lily:

    @Robert Hudson I paid him a bit more than 2/3 already but he pressed the general contractor and said he wanted to get paid for the final payment.  The remaining 1/3 is supposed to be paid after the job is completed and inspected.  He wanted to finish what I mentioned above so he can get paid. What is the problem of returning to finish the job after the sheetrock is completed!

     Wait, you have a GC and the GC hasn't told this guy to stuff it and wait for his payment? Sounds like the electrician maybe spent all the money on lottery tickets and now needs some money.

    Has the electrical inspection been completed? I would withhold at least 10% until the sheetrock is up and the plates are on and the final is signed off.

  • Bridgeport, CT · Member since 2017 · 116 posts · 19 votes
    9y
    @Debra Grumbach yes the GC is a big problem. I dealt with the GC directly so the GC is pressing me about this. Such a headache. Since the final payment is about 1/3 left. I am thinking to tell him that I will pay another 20% towards final payment but he must come back to finish his work after sheetrock is up. otherwise, he is not willing to furnish a few minor jobs which he hasn't finished in the house... maybe giving another partial payment is an incentive.
  • Bridgeport, CT · Member since 2017 · 116 posts · 19 votes
    9y
    @Rod Hanks yes I will definitely not use this GC next time. He did the work with previous seller. Since I bought this house, the heating units job were not completed. We went into escrow all that. Anyway, so I had him to stay to do all the remaining reno. Little that I know, he would create this such a big trouble. I just wanted this job to be finish. In the future, I will always hire someone with referral, or someone with high reviews from home adviser or Angielist. Lesons learned. Thank you thank you!
  • Mike CumbieBusiness Member
    REALTOR® · Brockport, NY · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    9y

    @Peace Lily,

    I would not be providing an "Incentive payment". You have a schedule and a contract and I would stick to that. As far as the GC, I would be on him to control his sub. You pay the prices for a GC so they can manage the subs. There is no reason you should have been dealing with the electrician at all. Why are you paying a GC if you are managing the subs yourself? At this point you are looking at adding 20% to your current 66% so that means you will have paid 86% for rough electrical. Do you think there is any way for 14% that you will be seeing him again for the rest?

    Just the way I see it, I wish you the best!

  • Bridgeport, CT · Member since 2017 · 116 posts · 19 votes
    9y
    @Robert Soto thx for the info. The inspector is coming today to inspect the job. Right now all the wires and blue boxes are exposed. After it gets inspected, the sheetrock can put up. If he comes back to put the wires, switches, and face plates, does it need to be inspected again?Thank you
  • Crossville, TN · Member since 2017 · 121 posts · 168 votes
    9y

    There is a final electrical inspection. All the inspector is doing now is a rough in inspection

  • Bridgeport, CT · Member since 2017 · 116 posts · 19 votes
    9y
    @Mike Wood thank you for your advice. The electrician applied for the permit. It seems that all lights and fans would have to be installed after the sheetrock is done. I will be tough on the GC today. Thank you!
  • Bridgeport, CT · Member since 2017 · 116 posts · 19 votes
    9y
    @Robert Hudson Thank you. I know what to do now. Thank you again!
  • Lender · San Antonio, TX · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y
    Originally posted by @Peace Lily:

    Electrician wants to get paid before the job completion!!!

     ...just like every other cut rate contractor. Hopefully you can find an electrician to finish the job for less than you owe this guy to finish. That is how I determine my release schedules - I always owe more than it would take someone else to finish.

  • Contractor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2015 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y
    Peace Lily I didn't read all the post but it's rough electrical, sheetrock, another set of electrical if they haven't done so, paint without plates/fixtures, then plates/fixture. Your electrician needs to do his job, or, elect to pay him his contract less the amount to hire someone to finish the job. If it's 10k job and you get some other electrician to do it for 4k, pay him the 6.
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