Warrior's shop build....wiring and building my shop thread

WARRIORWELDING

WARRIORWELDING

Owner opperator Of WarriorWelding LLC.
Joined
Jan 6, 2008
Location
Chillin, Hwy 64 Mocksville NC
Got a quote for:
4 high bay leds wired installed. 20 ft. Instal height.
2 panels installed 200 amp
1 400 amp meter base
1 light switch circuit.....is enough to pass inspection

Dude is liscenced and good. Will be 1 hr one way for him.

Big question........cost 5,000.00???

Not used to paying for wiring but this seems steep?

What say y'all??????????

Initially this was my budget to be fully lit, receptacles and up running.
 
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Fixtures are your giant unknown there.
I mean "high bay led" could be anywhere from a little over $100 to $500+ each.
Other unknowns: is he pulling a permit? Local permit cost? Renting a lift to hang the lights?


That's probably a good street price. Not a buddy price. But not a rip off either.

The other side is receptacles are cheap. If you planned $5k for the whole thing you likely have 95% of your material cost calculated here. Not knowing how many extra lights you plan on adding.
 
We use a lot of Dialight LED fixtures at work. Granted it's an industrial application, but the high bays are $725 each.
 
The high bays are in the 300 dollar range. Lights are 80 CRI and 5000k color....best I understand. The lumens I can't recall. He assures me four is plenty.
He is going to pull permit or I will doesn't matter to me.
He will provide what ever he wants to reach the over head.
He plans on running shielded wire instead of conduit.
Like I stated earlier I have no clue what wiring labor runs.
I can wire simple single phase and have done a good bit of that and 12volt type stuff in fire trucks. Wasn't uncommon to do a whole genset, sub panel in both 220 and 110 breakers, supply, and receptacles. I did all the phase converter stuff in my old shop.

My worry is insurance , permit ECT. Never built a house or shop.
 
Loganwayne said:
Why not find someone more local to you? 1hr each way is a decent haul and he's got money in their for travel


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I don't know anybody......got any suggestions???
This fella I know. But no special bond or friendship, just a dude who is known for good work.
 
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Personal preference, but I would not allow MC Cable for anything exposed or any feeders.

1. I think it looks like shit.
2. Most people don't dress the ends properly which increases your chances of a short in the future.
3. I always hated working with it.
4. If/when it shorts out you're puling a whole new cable instead of pulling a new wire in a conduit.

Electrically speaking, there's nothing at all wrong with it. If it were my shop, I wouldn't use it. If I were increasing profits, I would.
 
13bullets said:
Personal preference, but I would not allow MC Cable for anything exposed or any feeders.

1. I think it looks like shit.
2. Most people don't dress the ends properly which increases your chances of a short in the future.
3. I always hated working with it.
4. If/when it shorts out you're puling a whole new cable instead of pulling a new wire in a conduit.

Electrically speaking, there's nothing at all wrong with it. If it were my shop, I wouldn't use it. If I were increasing profits, I would.
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Good to hear I assumed I was getting conduit until I asked.
On another note.......do I have to use a liscenced electrician???
I mean can I do it as long as it is up to code?
I just don't want to be denied power.
 
Also I am going to panel the lower portion with tin. We already hashed out and argued about the panel mounting. He was thinking surface, cheap, quick on a plywood base.

I want flushed up hidden wire just like a interior finish. Either he wasn't understanding or I wasn't communicating cause this took like an hour and three phone calls to get straight.
 
My upcoming shop build, I plan to do the lower 8' of the wall in plywood or osb, metal up above. All electric is going to be in EMT conduit. Looks so much nicer, and easy to add/reconfigure a circuit later. I'm going to do the conduit, pull the THNN, then have an electrician buddy (licensed) come in and do the panel hookup and check everything over.
 
I'm probably not the best person to answer whether you need a licensed electrician or not. I was an electrician for 17 years before I entered the electrical planning field, but the vast majority of my work experience has been industrial or heavy commercial and I have very limited experience with inspectors.

I am not licensed but would pull my own permit and wire my own shop. If I were hiring someone else, they would pull all permits and be licensed.

As far as your panel mounting is concerned surface mount is obviously easier to get back in to when adding circuits later, but with just tin paneling to remove that may not be an issue, and flush mount is a cleaner look.
 
Indeed most folks don't have a MC cutting tool to properly fit the casing into a bushing... but if said electrician does, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it and it can make for a job well done.

I would say that most folks also don't take the time to make MC look good, but it can be an attractive install - done properly. I would not be concerned about this, or consider it a deal breaker, if done correctly.

I do electrical work mostly in high-security areas and see plenty of well done MC (and have installed a lot of well done MC). Working on lighting panels that have like 40 single-pole lighting circuits in them, all going different places, why not use it...

Just my .02. There's a lot of houses wired with Romex that looks like a pure hell bird nest, but also a lot of houses with Romex that look respectable.




13bullets said:
Personal preference, but I would not allow MC Cable for anything exposed or any feeders.

1. I think it looks like shit.
2. Most people don't dress the ends properly which increases your chances of a short in the future.
3. I always hated working with it.
4. If/when it shorts out you're puling a whole new cable instead of pulling a new wire in a conduit.

Electrically speaking, there's nothing at all wrong with it. If it were my shop, I wouldn't use it. If I were increasing profits, I would.
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336wheeler said:
Indeed most folks don't have a MC cutting tool to properly fit the casing into a bushing... but if said electrician does, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it and it can make for a job well done.

I would say that most folks also don't take the time to make MC look good, but it can be an attractive install - done properly. I would not be concerned about this, or consider it a deal breaker, if done correctly.

I do electrical work mostly in high-security areas and see plenty of well done MC (and have installed a lot of well done MC). Working on lighting panels that have like 40 single-pole lighting circuits in them, all going different places, why not use it...

Just my .02. There's a lot of houses wired with Romex that looks like a pure hell bird nest, but also a lot of houses with Romex that look respectable.
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I've got to agree with Chris here, no way I would pay someone good money to wire my shop with bx/mc. I guess being that he's only installing lights it's not as big of a deal but still, might as well just string Romex in the ceiling...

This is a good question for @UNBREAKABLE, unless he's the dude
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
Also I am going to panel the lower portion with tin. We already hashed out and argued about the panel mounting. He was thinking surface, cheap, quick on a plywood base.

I want flushed up hidden wire just like a interior finish. Either he wasn't understanding or I wasn't communicating cause this took like an hour and three phone calls to get straight.
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Based on this and your other posts, it sounds to me like you should be considering another dude, it seems inevitable if you continue down the road w/ this guy you're going to be unhappy b/c he isn't in tune w/ your wants.

I agree w/ others, MC looks like crap and offers you nothing for later.
 
Maybe he's talked about it elsewhere and I haven't seen it.

But, is this a red iron exposed truss ceiling? Home shop or commercial business?

For a commercial shop your panel drop is most likely going to have to be in conduit or tubing at a minimum.

Receps along a wall run need to be in conduit or tubing as well.

And building class could determine whether tubing or conduit is require.
 
There are some code nuances that can separate EMT/IMC from MC real quick... if the MC is less than 1/2" dia and is ran anywhere that would be a means of access/egress, it would need a kick board installed down the length of it. 1/2" or greater EMT/IMC would not require this. More food for thought.
 
Ron said:
Maybe he's talked about it elsewhere and I haven't seen it.

But, is this a red iron exposed truss ceiling? Home shop or commercial business?

For a commercial shop your panel drop is most likely going to have to be in conduit or tubing at a minimum.

Receps along a wall run need to be in conduit or tubing as well.

And building class could determine whether tubing or conduit is require.
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The building is red iron. I do want it done to commercial spec. It is a home shop that I want to rezone later. Has to do with the land ownership quirks. But that might not ever happen. I just want to be ready.

It's all red iron. It's all insulated.

Can the main lower wiring not be his behind the lower interior panels?

I like conduit just don't care to see it all over my walls. I doubt it would be hard to run it along the track the building naturally creates along the walls.
 
I texted ya several local numbers. All guys I know and have worked around for years and years.

And remember..I know local folks in every construction trade you could need, so don't hesitate to call.
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
The building is red iron. I do want it done to commercial spec. It is a home shop that I want to rezone later. Has to do with the land ownership quirks. But that might not ever happen. I just want to be ready.

It's all red iron. It's all insulated.

Can the main lower wiring not be his behind the lower interior panels?

I like conduit just don't care to see it all over my walls. I doubt it would be hard to run it along the track the building naturally creates along the walls.
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So did I catch correctly you want to have tin lower panels? And you want to run the electrical behind those (inside conduit or similar) so the fixture boxes are flush mount to the walls?
I like this idea, would look nice, I assume the tin is b/c of your metalwork and fire issues (boy, won't it be loud?), but it seems like it could create some interesting issues w/ the fixture boxes and grounding (e.g. would probably have to be careful not to accidentally get the wall panels tied to mains ground).
I'm no electrician, just a guy who plays w/ circuits professionally.

Curious how you'd hang the wall panels so you could later add circuits behind them? Easily removable?
 
0525171504b.jpg This is now going to be my shop build thread...without trying to link previous forum questions and thought this will get it all current and to speed....
Top photo. Breaking ground. White Grading out of Mocksville. Highly recommend Jamie, very good at what he does.
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Many loads later a pad. Built and compacted. 25 feet wider than the building and 30 feet longer. Side witdth extra for shed roof extension, and over all longer for future expansion.
 
Our crazy rain goofed my schedule this spring and summer all up. Next the concrete men and before all this my building hit the ground....my building people where a bit lax on communication for most of the process...
Tried to get me to unload on a small price point credit...no dice. You where hired. Do your part.
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I played along and was a ground man for the unloading. This allowed me to make sure it was cribbed and high and dry. Out in the weather and delays really worried me.
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Then the best full crew to date got to work.
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Cannot brag enough about my concrete so far. The crew did all the forms, rebar, pour and seal. Simply professional, accurate, and the straightest saw joints if ever seen.
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Several of these showed up.
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6 inch monolith pour with rebar and fibermesh.
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One last plug for this crew. They will be back as soon as more pennies come available. I need some front entry pads.
 
So by now summer is full on. I asked to work a night only gig to get as much done as possible. I was quoted 4 to 6 weeks turn key after grading. Weather slowed grading. Weather messed some with concrete. But those fellas were on point. By this time it's early July and another lack of clear info trickles in from the building people.......we gotta crew and they are coming tomorrow ready or not. Now this may not be huge but the previous week they didn't even have it on radar. Turns out a small crew wants some July 4 week pay........insert cancel my wife's favorite holiday.
But as things always come to me in floods another one hits. I get hired by a very gracious man to do heavy building erection while these guys show up and put mine up. Go figure. I hire out a building and get hired to do one....
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I didn't do it all but really nailed down the last big chunks. This man lost almost everything he owned in a tornado. This shell he started years ago was all that was left. So a huge push was made for a dry building. For over a month he lived on a generator, well water and no windows or doors in his house. The county condemned it. I think they have later forced him out.
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TWO DAYS IN. HOLY CRAP THESE DUDES THROW IRON.
 
So sticking around helped me keep track and make some much needed cash flow. I get a call some clips weren't done right....they hire some other folks to come in and weld. Wait what? Don't do that again I want to fix it! Didn't much care for that or coming home to a repair on the new structure....
Then it happens again...building crew didn't do an anchor point correctly.
I check the drawing. Sure enough not right. Erector wants permission to move on and let the sheeting vary the load. It might handle it but I payed for an engineered building and a proper instal.
5 am I pull out my unit and put in the proper cable connection.
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I finish up, the crew shows up. They put the hammer down as I head off to my big Erector set..They had it easy.prepunched new metal vs. me building with recycled steel from old demo jobs. Yep that really big structure is all 100 percent recycled welded everything construction.
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One of the sketchier things done. Look close....the chain is the fail safe. Turns out the lull was a bit short. This guy was over 18 inches tall. Buttwelded squared and centered down the ridge. Two man deal....one guy was pulling levers. Scary, challenging, exhausting job over the July heat.
 
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