How much does an Electrician charge?

What is a fair price for an electrician?

Electricians usually charge between R350 to R700+ per hour. Most homeowners pay a typical range between R650 and R5000+ for an electrician to visit their home and complete electrical repairs. Both hourly and project rates vary depending on the type of project, license and experience of the service provider.

Electrician Rate Table 

If you need an accurate quote, it’s always better to contact an electrician directly. However, the following guide should help you:

Average Electrician’s Rate Per HourR450
Electrician’s Price Range Per Hour R350 to R600
Simple and Quick Electrical JobR350 to R400 per hour
Complex Electrical JobR450 to R700 per hour
Very High Level Electrical JobR500 to R900+ per hour

How much should electrical work cost?

Typical call-out fee or first-hour rate of R650 to R950. To hire a master electrician for specialty work, expect to spend R950 for the first hour, with an average hourly rate of R650 to R900.

How do you estimate an electrical job?

How to Estimate Electrical Work – Basic steps to do it right

  1. Choose the Right Work to Bid.
  2. Review the Specifications.
  3. Review the Drawings.
  4. Perform a Quantity Takeoff.
  5. Request Supplier Quotes.
  6. Create your Estimate.
  7. Add Overhead and Profit.
  8. Build your Proposal.

How much should an electrician charge to install a ceiling fan?

The cost of an electrician per hour varies in different areas, but the average ceiling fan installation cost ranges from R650 to R2000. It can take one hour or upwards of two and a half hours depending on the ceiling fan, current electrical work in your home, and ceiling height.

Why is electrical work so expensive?

Besides the dangers of doing electrical work, high electrical costs come from the massive costs of insurance. … Due to the high risks involved, insurance companies come up with expensive premium plans. Thus, this forces them to charge very high per-hour labor costs.

Can I do my own electrical work at home?

You are entitled to carry out minor electrical work in your home, as long as you comply with Part P of the Building and Wiring Regulations. … If you are unsure about the electrical work you are carrying out, it’s best to check with your local building council.

How much do electricians charge to change a light switch?

Prices for replacing light switches typically range from R650 to R1000. This varies depending on the type of switch and whether any changes are made to your home’s wiring. Wiring a completely new fixture and switch could take several hours and cost R500 additional for every hour spent after the first.

How much does it cost to run electrical wire underground?

Above-ground lines cost around R200 per meter and underground lines cost in the range of R200 to R500 per meter. In highly urbanized areas, the cost of underground transmission can be 10–14 times as expensive as overhead.

What kind of work can an electrician do?

A professional electrician can help you with a wide range of electrical problems and jobs:

  • Certificates of Compliance when selling your home
  • Residential installations
  • Commercial installations
  • Electrical panel installations and upgrades
  • Pre-Paid Meters
  • Fitting New Plug Points
  • Lighting installation
  • Rewiring
  • Earth Leakage
  • DB Board tripping electricity

How much do electricians charge per point?

R350 – R700 per point.

How much would it cost to rewire a whole house?

Most homeowners pay an average of R30 00 to rewire their homes, although prices can range from R20 000 to R15 000 with labour and materials


What Affects Electrician Prices? 

The average electrician’s rate in South Africa is from R350 to R700. Once your electrician knows what the problem is, they can provide an accurate quotation. 

Fast and simple jobs will likely be in the lower price range, while more complicated tasks will be more expensive.

In the meantime, the following factors determine electrician costs

  • Type of job
  • Where you are based
  • Expertise of electrician

Type of job

Rewiring an entire home or office’s electrical cables can take a few days and is a complicated job. This will naturally be more expensive than a simple pre-paid meter installation or checking why your DB board is checking the electricity.

Sometimes, your electrician will need to use additional labour or materials and this can increase the price. 

Where you are based

For the best electrician prices, it’s better to use a local pro. Electricians won’t normally charge extra if you are within a 40km radius but you may pay more if they have to travel far to get to you. 

Expertise of electrician

If your electrician has many years of experience, they will be likely to charge more. Electricians who are members of ECASA (Electrical Contractors Association of South Africa) and have the right qualifications will charge more than ones that do not have the right necessary credentials. 


How Do I Choose the Right Electrician? 

Choosing an electrician can be tricky but if you follow these steps, you should be fine:

  • Obtain quotations from at least 3 different electricians
  • Verify the electrician’s professional qualifications
  • Ask for recommendations
  • Check online reviews

Obtain quotations from at least 3 different electricians

It is well worth getting at least 3 quotes as you never know when an electrician is running a special. When analysing the quotes, make sure that they have included the labour, call-out fee and any materials as you might have a nasty surprise later! 

Verify the electrician’s professional qualifications

Many professional electricians are members of ECASA (Electrical Contractors Association of South Africa) and this is a good way to see if they are legitimate. Otherwise, they should be willing to prove that they have the necessary electrician’s training. 

Be wary of electricians who don’t have the right credentials as they may not do the job safely.

Ask for recommendations

Ask your friends and family who live near you if they have used an electrician recently and what they thought. You can often find a great electrician through word of mouth and on the recommendations of others. 

Check online reviews

These days it’s easy to check company reviews online. In South Africa, popular places to leave reviews are on Facebook, Google and Hello Peter. A good electrician should have mostly good reviews. 

Cost of other home services

Visit Electrician Pros for the Best Electrical Services in Cape Town or COC Certificates in Cape Town

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