Why every electrical job is priced individually after a free survey, and why fixed list-prices from national chains often end up costing more.
NAPIT
CHAS
City & Guilds
TrustMark
Part P
BS 7671Only the DS Electrical column carries prices, real “from” entry points taken straight from our service pages, with the final figure quoted to spec after a walk-round. We don’t invent competitor prices, so the other two columns describe how national chains and unaccredited operators price, and what gets cut, because that’s where the real difference is.
| Job | DS Electrical (from) | National chains | Cowboy ops, be wary |
|---|---|---|---|
| EICR, 1-bed flat~6 circuits, single-phase | from £180+ VAT @ 20% · per-circuit pricing | Flat banded ratepriced “up to X circuits”, not per circuit | No certificatecash job, not NAPIT registered |
| EICR, 3-bed semi~10 circuits, single-phase | from £300+ VAT @ 20% · per-circuit pricing | Flat banded ratebanded, not per-circuit | Often unsignedcash, report may be unsigned |
| EICR, 5-bed period propertyheritage, multiple boards | Quoted after walk-round+ VAT @ 20% | Often declinedrarely take on heritage jobs | Rushed or refusedheritage work cut short |
| EV charger fit7.4kW, dedicated 32A circuit | from £850+ VAT @ 20% · Type A RCBO, OZEV-approved | Bundled upsellcharger + install packaged together | Not DNO-notifiedoften Type AC, no notification |
| Full house rewire3-bed semi, including consumer unit | from £4,500+ VAT @ 20% · full EIC certificate | Terms varycan exclude making good | Not notifiedpartial work, no Part P |
| Fuse board change3-bed house, 18th Edition CU | from £750+ VAT @ 20% · bonding + RCBOs | Survey charged extranot always included | No bonding upgradeunsigned, bonding skipped |
| Emergency calloutin-hours, first hour included | from £120+ VAT @ 20% · director on the phone | Call-centre bookingno direct line to the electrician | No make-safe certcash, no certificate |
| Kitchen electricssockets, hob & oven, lighting | from £140+ VAT @ 20% · whole kitchen install from £750 | Quoted per itemeach point priced separately | Not Part P notifiedno certificate |
Only the DS Electrical column shows prices, our genuine “from” figures, with the final cost quoted to spec after a walk-round. We don’t list competitor prices because we won’t put numbers in your head that we can’t stand behind; the other columns describe how others price and what they leave out. The apparent saving from an uncertified job usually disappears once the work has to be redone, certified or repaired. Always check NAPIT and TrustMark registration before booking.
Big national chains love a printed price list because it makes the upsell easier. Here’s why those headline figures rarely match the final invoice.
A 1930s detached with a Wylex board, a 2018 new-build with metal-clad CU, and a Grade II listed cottage on lath-and-plaster all look like “a house” on a price list, but the labour, parts and certification scope are nothing alike.
Rubber-insulated cabling, missing earths, undersized tails, no main bonding, all of these get found mid-job. A flat list-price assumes none of it exists; a per-job quote prices it in upfront after a survey.
An EICR on a 6-circuit flat is not the same job as an EICR on an 18-circuit period house with three sub-boards. Certifying every circuit properly takes time, per-circuit pricing reflects the actual work, flat-rate pricing rounds up the cheap jobs and rushes the expensive ones.
UK housing stock built since 2008 ranges from new-build estates to converted barns, with wildly different specs for solar, EV, heat pumps and battery storage. A list-price designed for “a typical install” rarely matches what’s actually on site.
Every DS Electrical quote includes the work that legally must happen on a domestic electrical job, not as an upsell line, just as standard.
Free survey, fixed written quote, NAPIT 66245 certified. One of the two directors answers the phone, you talk to a qualified electrician, not a call centre.
Dan Stevens 07889 334849 Free survey · written quote · NAPIT 66245 certified