Cost to move outlet down behind washer

9 years ago

Hello, I am doing a minor laundry room remodel with relocating some awkwardly placed cabinets and also getting a cabinet that goes over top of the front loader washer and dryer that will have granite on top. It will go flush to the wall. In order to accomplish this I had to call an electrician to move the electrical outlet down below the top of the W/D. I called a local company with Mr. in the name. It was $337 to move the outlet down. Is this normal?

I had so many other things I would have liked to have done such as an outlet in the pantry that already has a light switch but I would love to have an electrical so I could put the microwave in there. I would also love to have an outlet in the master closet which also has a light switch but not outlet. Both of these were supposed to be done by our builder but he forgot,. I wanted to add an extra outlet in the laundry room but as it happens when he moved the outlet down he left the upper one live so I do have the extra one now since it wasn't removed. Here is a picture of what I am trying to achieve. My LR is almost exactly like this as far as layout goes but not as big of a window.

Traditional Laundry Room by Charleston Photographers Matthew Bolt Graphic Design

I already have black pearl granite over the sink cabinets with an undermount stainless sink. My plan is to put the black pearl granite over the new cabinets that house the W/D and on the opposite wall a small piece that is in a desk area. As you can see in the picture, there is an outlet above the washer and that is the same setup we have but with the washer plugged into the outlet it would prevent us from being able to have the granite flush to the wall. That is why I needed an outlet lower on the wall. He was able to move it down by running a second off of the first outlet. When he was running the wire he ran into a cross brace and had to knock out some drywall to thread the wire through but he did not repair the drywall he simply put a cover plate over it since it will not show being behind the washer now.

Anyway, that was TMI just to ask if that is a normal price. Just trying to plan ahead as we go along doing these improvements to the house. Part of the charge was an $89.50 service call charge/trip charge. Thanks for any help you could provide in pricing.

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Comments (4)

joefixit2
9 years ago
Pricing varies immensely by what part of the world you are in. Also, here anyway, the company with "Mr" in the name and yellow vans is a franchise. When you hire a franchise you end up feeding the franchisee as well as the franchisor.
Here in the southwest I would have probably charged a little under $200 if it could be done in about an hour, and you were not a long drive. I have a $149 minimum plus materials. Small company.
kudzu9
9 years ago
Cost will also be determined by the following:

1. Where the existing wiring is coming from that feeds the existing receptacle is a significant issue. If the supply wire is coming from above or from the sides, you need a longer wire for a lower receptacle, and that would mean splicing within the existing box (which would leave you with a cover plate in the same location), or putting in a new box at a higher level, and then running new wire down to a new, lower receptacle. (You can't splice inside a wall). If the existing receptacle gets its wire from below, you may be ok as you will have excess wire to get to the new box...unless the existing box feeds something else. In addition, wire is typically stapled to the studs inside the wall, For all these reasons, this project may mean opening up the wall a bit more than you anticipate.

2. Does the bid include repairing the sheet rock? Repainting?

Depending on these details, your bid could be too much or a bargain.

This post was edited by kudzu9 on Fri, May 9, 14 at 14:04
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2ajsmama
9 years ago
I'm confused by the details of what other outlets you want - did the bid include those or just lowering the one? Is it a 120V receptacle for the washer or is it the one for the dryer? Is it on its own circuit (should be)?

If it's 120V for washer only (so don't have to worry about it supplying another receptacle(s) and having long enough wire, staples, etc.) and it's a ground floor laundry (so wire comes up from basement) then it's very simple to lower it (straight down) yourself. If you're not comfortable with that, and you want other electrical work done, then might as well make it a single service call and do the others at the same time.

If it is for an electric dryer, then definitely call a pro. I've rewired 240V receptacles for a different plug configuration, but it's not a job for a novice.

A picture of your current layout would help. BTW, the outlet above the W/D countertop in the Houzz photo looks too low to me - sitting right on the countertop.
btharmy
9 years ago
Do not use the electrical contractor franchise with Mr. in the name. I get calls on a regular basis to "save" the home owner from wasting money on fabricated electrical repairs. Some (not all) of their technicians are crooks. The attorney general of my state has filed a class action lawsuit against them for the way they do business. It is all about "up-selling" things the customer doesn't want or need. Call your friends and family to get references. As far as the trip charge goes, I charge one to cover gas. 9 miles per gallon gets expensive when running service calls all over town. Anybody who doesn't list it on their invoice just rolls it into their quote or hourly rate.