Panel cost

[celtic]

What is the cheapest (dollar wise) panel and CB on the market today in the 60 - 100A range, single-phase, MLO.
I know prices may fluctuate around the country and that will be taken into consideration.

 

[coppertreeelectric]

Re: Panel cost

I belive Siemens is the cheapest panel and T&B is the cheapest breaker. I may be wrong but that's who we use on low-ball jobs.

 

[celtic]

Re: Panel cost

Originally posted by coppertreeelectric:
... use on low-ball jobs.

You got a crystal ball over there? LOL...

Yup, low ball, cheap fix and flip job. Not exactly what I do - but you gotta pay the bills.

 

[coppertreeelectric]

Re: Panel cost

Yup, low ball, cheap fix and flip job. Not exactly what I do - but you gotta pay the bills.

Not exactly what I practice either. I would prefer to use all QO panels on all of my jobs but some customers don?t want to pay the higher price on material. Siemens and T&B are perfectly good panels but again they are cheep.

I do work for one builder who wants the cheapest material I can find. I don?t like doing it this way but again it pays the bills and it is mostly flip jobs.

 

[celtic]

Re: Panel cost

When I called my local SH, they told me the cheapest thing they carry is Homeline...it then dawned on me I always use QO panels (99% of the time), but I'll get breakers for whatever I'm up against - which they do carry all brands of.

 

[infinity]

Re: Panel cost

I'd say the GE Contractor Kit Panelboards from the Big Orange are very cheap. They come with everything, cover, main, assorted CB's. A 200 amp, 30/40 space, with a main and about 12 CB's is $128.00. And the back box is all galvanized steel which makes for a much better grounding connection when doing service upgrades in places that have old BX.

 

[celtic]

Re: Panel cost

Originally posted by infinity:
[QB] A 200 amp, 30/40 space, with a main and about 12 CB's is $128.00. /QB]

That's too many amps and too much money...I need 1 - 100A MLO, and 2 - 60A MLO. 12 ckts is more than enough for them.
This is a low priced fix and flip job..for me to make money, everything is bare minimum.
3 Units: 1 @ 800 sq. ft, the other 2 combined @ 800 sq. ft (think a duplex, but one has 2 units). Total of about 1600 sq. ft.

 

[mdshunk]

Re: Panel cost

Sounds like a DIY question.

Anyhow, what you want to look for is any of the zillions of panels that take the old Westinghouse style 1" breakers. They are the low end, and most manufacturers make such panels as part of their line. T&B, Seimens, Murray, Sq D Homeline, CutlerHammer BR (among others)are all this general style , and they are all within a few bucks of each other.

 

[celtic]

Re: Panel cost

Originally posted by mdshunk:
Sounds like a DIY question.

...guess again zippy. 230 posts and this is a DIY question?
I think I would have been run out of here by now if I was a DIYer.

Originally posted by mdshunk:

Anyhow, what you want to look for is any of the zillions of panels that take the old Westinghouse style 1" breakers. They are the low end, and most manufacturers make such panels as part of their line. T&B, Seimens, Murray, Sq D Homeline, CutlerHammer BR (among others)are all this general style , and they are all within a few bucks of each other.

Wouldn't that be a violation: listed and labeled?

 

[mdshunk]

Re: Panel cost

Originally posted by celtic:

Originally posted by mdshunk:

Anyhow, what you want to look for is any of the zillions of panels that take the old Westinghouse style 1" breakers. They are the low end, and most manufacturers make such panels as part of their line. T&B, Seimens, Murray, Sq D Homeline, CutlerHammer BR (among others)are all this general style , and they are all within a few bucks of each other.

Wouldn't that be a violation: listed and labeled?

Sure would be if you were mixing and matching the breakers among all of these brands. I was just referring to the general style of the panel and didn't indicate to mix and match breakers. I must admit that I'm a little puzzled why you'd post here for a cheap panel recoomendation. Why wouldn't you just pick up the phone and call your jobber for the cheapest panel?

 

[celtic]

Re: Panel cost

That's the beauty of this forum...I can post a question, go take care of a more pressing matter, then come back and see the answer.

...incidentially, I did call my supplier (When I called my local SH, ~ blah blah blah, Square D only), and by 5PM (when I posted) the other SH was closed.

 

[mtn_elec]

Re: Panel cost

Just relax my friend, at least I have something you wuold like to here. GE panel surface cover $22 100A or 125A (dont remenber exactly) and flush cover 19.99 breaker around $3.50 and you could use up to 16 spaces. Is that good enough?

 

[jimwalker]

Re: Panel cost

Homeline is not only cheap but never had a problem out of them.Big orange should have some low priced ones.Cutler hammer is not bad either.Often big orange is cheap on the things people notice like wire,breakers,panels,plastic box's.Then after they got your trust they slam you on the other stuff.

 

[mtn_elec]

Re: Panel cost

Oh I forgot you could get at home depot. I think they are open until 9 p.m.Well depends on your nearest home depot.

 

[jimwalker]

Re: Panel cost

I must admit that GE probably is the cheapest.Just have a bad taste in my mouth for them.Too many buss bar failures for me.But they should still last several years and you did want cheap.Caution on using them half space breakers.You can easily get trapped without enough spaces like for afci or gfci or 2 pole 50

 

[celtic]

Re: Panel cost

Originally posted by mtn_elec:
GE panel surface cover $22 100A or 125A (dont remenber exactly) and flush cover 19.99 breaker around $3.50 and you could use up to 16 spaces. Is that good enough?

Cooper quoted me $35 for a HO flush panel w/CBs at $3 per.
I only need 3 and Sq.D is not that flexible on price...my contact said we could work on the wire prices

Originally posted by mtn_elec:
Oh I forgot you could get at home depot. I think they are open until 9 p.m.Well depends on your nearest home depot.

Originally posted by jimwalker:
Often big orange is cheap on the things people notice like wire,breakers,panels,plastic box's.Then after they got your trust they slam you on the other stuff.

I have no love for orange...blues attitude and appearance is better (for now ~ they just opened a store not too far away)...but I would rather build a repoire with a regular SH.

Originally posted by jimwalker:
I must admit that GE probably is the cheapest.

I have to call the SH, that was closed today at 5, tom'row and see who they carry.

At the numbers I quoted for this job ~ cheap is definatly in!

Originally posted by jimwalker:
You can easily get trapped without enough spaces like for afci or gfci or 2 pole 50

Very TRUE....as "luck" would have, no ckts over 20A(all single pole), NJ has yet to accept AFCIs, and the GFI's will be local.

Thanks guys.