Electrical Estimating Software for Electrical Contractors

Why electrical jobs are hard to price

• Devices drive the job. Every outlet, switch, fixture and circuit adds wire, boxes and labor.
• Rough-in and trim are separate trips. Billing needs to follow the phases.
• Wire runs are easy to underestimate. Distance to the panel and routing change the wire you need.
• Permits and inspections. They add time, trips and fees.

How Trades HQ helps electrical contractors

• Ready-made electrical template. Start from a rough-in and devices template with wire, boxes, devices, breakers and labor lines.
• Quick Measure for electrical. Enter your device counts, and it totals the devices and estimates labor hours.
• Measure from blueprints. Count devices and measure runs right off a blueprint PDF.
• Labor-rate guidance by state. See typical electrician wages in your state, then set your own rate.
• Deposits and progress billing. Bill a deposit, then bill rough-in and trim as each is done.
• Change orders when the customer adds circuits or fixtures.

An electrical estimate, step by step

1. Count every device on the plans: outlets, switches, fixtures and dedicated circuits.
2. Estimate wire for each run, plus boxes, breakers and connectors.
3. Price rough-in and trim as separate phases.
4. Estimate your labor hours per phase.
5. Add permits and inspections.
6. Apply your overhead and profit.

Example device count for one bedroom (illustrative):

Electrical work needs a license in many states and localities. See our Licensing Guide for where to check.

Pricing tip: Give rough-in and trim their own lines so you can bill each phase as it's done. And remember that markup and margin aren't the same number: a 20% margin needs a 25% markup. The Estimating Basics guide walks through the math, and the free markup and margin calculator does it for you.