Schedule of Rates Pricing for BTR Electrical Work: How SOR Saves Time and Money
Every Build to Rent operator knows the pain of remedial work pricing. An EICR test identifies a fault. The electrician writes up a report. The management company requests a quote. The quote takes three to five days. The quote goes to the client for approval. Approval takes another two to five days. The remedial work is finally scheduled. The apartment remains non-compliant throughout.
For a single apartment, this process is merely slow. For a 200-apartment development where 30 per cent of units need some form of remedial work, it is a logistical nightmare that can delay full compliance by months.
Schedule of Rates (SOR) pricing eliminates this entire cycle. Here is how it works, why it matters for BTR compliance, and how Manchester Compliance uses it to keep your programme on track.
What is Schedule of Rates Pricing?
A Schedule of Rates is a pre-agreed price list for defined work items. Every potential remedial task is listed with a fixed cost before any testing begins. When an EICR identifies a fault, the cost of fixing it is already known and already approved.
In a BTR electrical compliance context, the SOR typically covers items like:
- Replace defective socket outlet — fixed price per unit
- Install RCD protection to circuit — fixed price per circuit
- Replace consumer unit — fixed price per apartment type
- Earth bonding to pipework — fixed price per bond
- Replace damaged cable section — fixed price per metre
- Install missing circuit protection — fixed price per device
- Replace defective light switch — fixed price per unit
- Upgrade main earthing conductor — fixed price per installation
How SOR Pricing Differs from Traditional Quoting
Traditional Quoting Process
1. EICR test completed — faults identified 2. Report sent to management company 3. Management company requests quote from remedial contractor 4. Remedial contractor visits site to assess (second access visit) 5. Quote prepared and submitted (3-5 working days) 6. Quote sent to client/operator for approval (2-5 working days) 7. Approval received, work scheduled 8. Remedial work completed (third access visit) 9. Re-test booked and completed (fourth access visit)
Total elapsed time: 2-4 weeks per apartment with remedial needs. Total access visits: Up to 4 per apartment. Total administrative steps: 9+
SOR Process
1. EICR test completed — faults identified, SOR codes recorded 2. Building manager sees SOR codes and pre-agreed costs 3. Building manager approves remedial work instantly (or it is pre-authorised below a threshold) 4. Remedial team completes work the same day 5. Re-test completed immediately after remedial work
Total elapsed time: Same day. Total access visits: 1 (the original EICR visit). Total administrative steps: 2-3.
The difference is not marginal. It is the difference between a compliance programme that takes 5 weeks and one that takes 5 months.
Why SOR Matters Specifically for BTR
Build to Rent developments have characteristics that make SOR pricing particularly valuable.
Volume Creates Predictability
In a 200-apartment development, the electrical installations are largely identical. The apartments were built at the same time, by the same developer, with the same specification. This means the range of potential faults and remedial items is predictable and finite.
An SOR can be constructed with high confidence because the work items repeat across apartments. A consumer unit replacement in apartment 14 costs the same as in apartment 187 — the specification, the location within the apartment and the access are identical.
Management Approval Thresholds
Most BTR management companies operate with delegated authority thresholds. A building manager might be authorised to approve expenditure up to 500 pounds without client sign-off. Above that, they need approval from the operator or asset manager.
SOR pricing makes these thresholds workable. The building manager can see immediately whether a remedial item falls within their authority. A 250 pound socket outlet replacement can be approved on the spot. A 2,500 pound consumer unit upgrade needs escalating. There is no ambiguity.
Without SOR, the building manager cannot approve anything because they do not know the cost. Every item, no matter how small, enters the quoting cycle.
Budget Forecasting
At the start of a compliance programme, the SOR schedule allows the operator to model costs based on expected fault rates. If historical data shows that 25 per cent of apartments typically need some form of remedial work, and the average remedial cost per apartment is 400 pounds, the operator can budget accordingly:
200 apartments x 25% failure rate x 400 pounds average = 20,000 pounds remedial budget.
This is an estimate, but it is an informed estimate based on defined prices. Without SOR, the operator cannot budget at all until every quote is received.
Audit Trail
SOR pricing creates a clean audit trail. Every remedial item is recorded against a defined code with a defined price. The operator can review expenditure by SOR code to identify patterns — for example, if consumer unit replacements account for 60 per cent of remedial spend, that informs future capital planning.
The audit trail also satisfies managing agent and investor reporting requirements. When an institutional investor asks how much was spent on compliance remedials, the answer is specific, documented and verifiable.
How Manchester Compliance Implements SOR
Before any testing begins, we agree a Schedule of Rates with the building management company and operator. The SOR is tailored to the development — we review the building specification, common installation types and any known issues to ensure the schedule covers everything likely to be encountered.
Pre-Programme Agreement
We provide the SOR schedule as part of our programme proposal. The operator reviews it, negotiates if needed, and signs off. From that point, all remedial pricing is fixed for the duration of the programme.
On-Site Application
Our testing engineers carry the SOR schedule digitally. When a fault is identified during an EICR, the engineer records the relevant SOR code and cost on the report. If the building manager has pre-authorised works below a certain threshold (which most do), the remedial team begins work immediately.
For items above the threshold, the building manager receives a notification through Eworks with the SOR code, description and cost. Approval is typically given within minutes by email or phone — there is no need for a separate site visit or formal quotation.
Same-Day Completion
Because pricing is pre-agreed, there is no quoting delay. Our remedial team — working alongside the testing team in the building — can begin work as soon as approval is received. In most cases, remedial work is completed the same day the fault is identified.
This means an apartment that fails its EICR at 09:00 can have the fault repaired and a satisfactory re-test completed by 15:00. The certificate is uploaded to Eworks the same day.
Monthly Reconciliation
At the end of each month, we provide a reconciliation report showing all SOR items completed, quantities and costs. This gives the operator a clear, auditable record of all remedial expenditure across the programme.
What SOR Pricing Typically Looks Like
While specific rates are agreed per development, here is an indicative range for common BTR remedial items in Greater Manchester:
- Socket outlet replacement: 45-80 pounds per unit
- Light switch replacement: 35-60 pounds per unit
- RCD installation (per circuit): 120-200 pounds
- Consumer unit replacement (apartment): 800-1,200 pounds
- Earth bonding (per bond): 60-120 pounds
- Cable replacement (per metre): 15-30 pounds
- Smoke detector replacement: 40-80 pounds per unit
- Circuit testing and certification (additional): 60-100 pounds per circuit
Getting Started With SOR for Your Development
If you manage a Build to Rent development in Greater Manchester and want to move from reactive, per-quote electrical compliance to a structured SOR programme, the process is simple.
We start with a site meeting to understand your development — the number of apartments, the building specification, any known electrical issues and your compliance timeline. From that, we produce a tailored SOR schedule and a programme proposal covering the entire development.
The SOR schedule is yours to review, compare and challenge. Once agreed, it governs all pricing for the programme. No surprises, no hidden costs, no quoting delays.
Discuss SOR pricing for your BTR development. Call 0161 706 1360 or email Info@manchestercompliance.co.uk.
View our Build to Rent services | Unit-by-unit vs whole-building testing costs | How to plan a full-building compliance programme