Electrical estimate template and how to bid electrical jobs
A residential electrical estimate should list the scope by room or circuit, materials, labor, permit and inspection fees, any utility coordination, exclusions, allowances, how long the price is valid and the payment schedule. To bid the job, do a material takeoff, apply labor units to get hours, add overhead, then add your margin. Alvin builds the estimate document from your template and price sheet, and the electrician sets the scope and the numbers.
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The electrical estimate template
These are the sections of a residential estimate. Copy them into your estimating software or proposal document.
| Section | What to write |
|---|---|
| Header | Business name, contact details, license number where required, estimate number, date, estimator |
| Customer and job address | Who is buying and where the work is, with phone and email |
| Scope by room or circuit | One line per item: "Kitchen: two 20A countertop circuits, 6 receptacles, GFCI protected". Location, quantity, device type |
| Materials | Either included in each scope line or listed by group: wire, boxes and devices, breakers, fixtures, panel or gear |
| Labor | Hours and rate if you show them, or included in line prices for a fixed bid |
| Permit and inspection fees | Which permit, the fee, and who schedules the inspection |
| Utility coordination | Disconnect and reconnect, meter work, any utility fees, and who pays them |
| Allowances | A dollar amount for items the customer has not picked yet, such as fixtures, and how overages are billed |
| Exclusions | What the price does not cover: drywall repair and paint, trenching, fixing existing code violations found during work, customer-supplied fixtures |
| Assumptions | What the price depends on: attic and crawl access, panel capacity, working hours, existing wiring in usable condition |
| Price and tax | Subtotal, tax where it applies, total |
| Validity period | "Price valid for 30 days" (example). Copper and gear prices move |
| Payment schedule | Deposit, progress payment, balance due on final inspection or completion |
| Change orders | A line saying added or changed work is priced and signed before it is done |
| Warranty and acceptance | Your workmanship warranty, then signature and date lines |
License display, deposit limits, contract wording and sales tax rules vary by state. Check your state licensing board and revenue department, or ask your attorney or accountant. This article is general information, not legal or tax advice.
How to bid electrical jobs
- Walk the job. Check the panel, available capacity, the routes for new runs, attic and crawl access, wall and ceiling finishes. Take photos of everything you will price.
- Do the takeoff. Count every device, box, fixture and breaker, and measure every run. Add a waste factor to wire and conduit.
- Price the materials at current supplier cost. Check wire and gear the week you bid.
- Apply labor units. A labor unit is the hours to install one item under normal conditions. Multiply by the count, then adjust for the job: finished walls, tight attics, occupied homes.
- Cost the labor at your loaded rate: wage plus payroll taxes, workers' comp and benefits.
- Add direct job costs: permit, equipment rental, any subcontractors.
- Add overhead. Trucks, insurance, office, software and your own pay, spread across jobs as a percentage or per labor hour.
- Add profit margin and check the total against similar jobs you have finished.
Labor units come from published estimating manuals or, better, from your own job history. Track actual hours against estimated hours on every job and your units improve each month.
A worked example with numbers
The Garcia job, a fictional example: install a 240V circuit for a Level 2 EV charger in an attached garage, a 45 foot run in conduit from the main panel, customer-supplied charger. The electrician has confirmed the panel has capacity. Every number below is an example.
Scroll sideways to see every column.
| Line (example) | How it is figured | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | Wire, conduit and fittings, breaker, disconnect, hardware at supplier cost | $410.00 |
| Labor | 6.5 hours at $52 loaded cost | $338.00 |
| Direct cost | Materials plus labor | $748.00 |
| Overhead | 30% of direct cost | $224.40 |
| Cost with overhead | $972.40 | |
| Price at 15% margin | $972.40 divided by 0.85 | $1,144.00 |
| Electrical permit | Passed through at cost | $95.00 |
| Estimate total | $1,239.00 |
The customer does not see that table. On the estimate it reads: "Install dedicated 240V circuit for customer-supplied EV charger, garage north wall, surface conduit from main panel, mount and connect charger: $1,144. City electrical permit and inspection: $95. Total: $1,239. Excludes charger, drywall repair, panel or service upgrade. Valid 30 days. Due on completion."
Margin, markup and overhead
Margin and markup are easy to mix up, and the mistake always costs you. To earn a 15% margin you divide cost by 0.85. Multiplying cost by 1.15 gives a 13% margin. On the example above that difference is about $26, and it repeats on every job.
Overhead needs a real number too. Add up a year of overhead and divide by a year of direct job costs, or by the labor hours you expect to bill. If the result is 30%, use 30%. A shop that borrows a percentage from a forum post is pricing with another company's rent and insurance.
Exclusions, allowances and the validity period
Most disputes on electrical jobs come from what the estimate left unsaid.
- Drywall and paint. Say whether you patch, rough patch or leave openings for others.
- Existing conditions. State that hidden problems (damaged wiring, overloaded circuits, old violations) are priced separately when found.
- Fixtures. Use an allowance: "Fixture allowance $600 (example). Selections over the allowance are billed at the difference."
- Utility and permit fees. Say whether they are included, estimated or billed at cost.
- Validity. Put a date on the price so a customer who calls back in four months gets a fresh number.
When the scope changes after signing, write it up before the work is done. The process is in change orders for electrical contractors.
Sending the estimate and following up
Send the estimate within a day of the walk-through, while the customer still remembers the conversation. Attach the photos you took and put the acceptance step in the message: sign here, deposit here.
Then follow up on a schedule. Larger jobs such as panel upgrades and remodel wiring rarely close on the first message. The timing and wording are in estimate follow-up for electricians.
What Alvin handles and what stays with you
| Alvin does | You do |
|---|---|
| Builds the estimate document from your template, your price sheet and the walk-through notes and photos | Set the scope, the labor hours and the price. Load calculations and code decisions belong to the licensed electrician |
| Looks up current material cost in your supply-house portal for the takeoff list | Decide overhead, margin and what to exclude |
| Checks the draft for missing sections: exclusions, validity date, payment schedule, permit line | Review and approve before it is sent |
| Sends the approved estimate from your own email, and enters it in your CRM or field service app | Answer the customer's technical questions |
| Flags estimates that have gone quiet and drafts the follow-up, held for approval, with a receipt of each step | Approve the follow-up and make the calls. Alvin has no phone line |
To turn a target margin into the markup you estimate with, use the free markup vs margin calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What should an electrical estimate include?
A scope of work by room or circuit, materials, labor, permit and inspection fees, any utility coordination, allowances, exclusions, the total, how long the price is valid, the payment schedule and a signature line. Include your license number where your state requires it.
How do you bid an electrical job?
Walk the job, count and measure everything in a takeoff, price the materials at current cost, and multiply each item by a labor unit to get hours. Cost the hours at your loaded labor rate, add permit and other direct costs, add overhead, then add your profit margin.
What is a labor unit in electrical estimating?
A labor unit is the time it takes to install one item, such as a receptacle or 100 feet of cable, under normal conditions. Estimators multiply labor units by quantities to get total hours, then adjust for job conditions such as finished walls or difficult access.
What is the difference between markup and margin on an electrical bid?
Markup is profit as a percentage of cost. Margin is profit as a percentage of the selling price. A 15% markup on a $1,000 cost gives a $1,150 price and a 13% margin. To get a true 15% margin, divide the cost by 0.85, which gives about $1,176.
How long should an electrical estimate be valid?
Many contractors use 30 days, and shorter when wire or gear prices are moving quickly. State the date on the estimate. If the customer comes back after it expires, reprice the materials before you honor the old number.
Estimates out the day of the walk-through.
Give Alvin your notes and photos. Alvin drafts the estimate from your template and prices, and you approve it. See what Alvin does for electrical contractors.