I live in one of the outer boroughs of NYC and am doing a gut-renovation of my co-op apartment kitchen and bathroom and may be having a dining-area fixture installed as well. It is required that electrical work be done by a licensed electrician. The contractor suggested that I should consider using someone who does work in the building regularly, as that person would know the building better than a stranger. That electrician came today and I expect his proposal on Tuesday.

Apartment has 6 fuses. Entire kitchen (except for refrigerator) is on the same line with bathroom and part of living room.

Kitchen - Electrician said that he has to upgrade (my word, not his) the fuse box to circuit-breakers and make room (my words, not his, I can't remember the words he used) in the electrical box or behind it, for more lines. (The box is located in the kitchen.) Additionally, he will be relocating two existing outlets by a foot or two, adding at least one, probably two outlets. All of these outlets are over counters. He will also be doing something behind what is now a wall oven and will be changed to a freestanding range (gas-fueled, but electric ignition and display.) He said the extent of the work behind the oven depends on what's there, but suggests replacing wiring, I guess because it is at least 22 years old, possibly a little older. (The building is actually over 40 years old, but the immediate prior owner did a gut-renovation when they moved in about 5 years before selling to me.) He mentioned something about an outlet by the sink having to be "GFI," which he described as being a sort of circuit-breaker. He will also be installing athe light fixture and possibly some undercabinet lighting. Refrigerator is already on a dedicated line. He says I need a dedicated line for the range/microwave.

Bathroom - Installation of light fixture over vanity and changing the (now illegal, as I understand it) plug in the side of the fixture to the area of the wall outlet.

Dining area - Possibly installing a light fixture.

I forgot to ask him if he must be involved in the actual installation of the appliances, or if this is something the contractor is permitted to handle.

He tells me that this work will take something like two days and that near the end of the project he will have to come back a second time. He asked me if I wanted the work to be filed, so I suspect that this is a "borderline case" of some sort. I did not commit on this. He is going to give me a flat quote for the entire job, breaking out the bathroom, dining area and under-counter cabinet light prices, as the last two are not definite.

Okay, the big questions...Anyone from the outer boroughs of NYC willing to hazard a guess on what this could cost? Or know what hourly rates would be (yes, it's going to be a flat rate, but I'm wondering...) Does the scope of what the electrician is saying is needed sound right? It does so, to me, but I am not an electrician and have no prior home renovation experience.