What goes in an electrical estimate
A customer can't see inside the walls, so an electrical estimate has to show what you're installing and why. A good electrical estimate spells out:
- Devices and fixtures by count: outlets, switches, GFCIs, light fixtures, fans and recessed lights.
- New circuits, with the breaker size, what each one feeds, and the length of long runs.
- Panel and service work: panel size, the meter base and service cable if they change, grounding and bonding.
- Troubleshooting time, as hours at your rate plus the trip charge, when you don't know the fix yet.
- Who supplies what, if the customer is buying the fixtures or the EV charger.
- Permit, inspection and utility coordination.
- What's not included, usually drywall patching and paint.
Typli drafts all of this from the notes you'd jot down on the walkthrough. You check the prices, change anything you like, and send it.
Pricing by the device and the circuit
Most electricians flat-price installs per device or per circuit and charge by the hour only for troubleshooting. Count every outlet, switch, fixture and dimmer on the walkthrough.
Old work costs more than new work: in finished walls you're fishing cable, cutting in old-work boxes and working around insulation and fire blocking. Price old work higher per device, and add for plaster, finished basements, and attics or crawl spaces.
For a new dedicated circuit, the price depends on the breaker and wire size and the distance from the panel. Measure the route the cable will take, not the straight line. A 20-amp circuit 15 feet from the panel and a 50-amp range circuit across the house are very different jobs, so price long runs per foot.
Panel upgrades and service changes
A service upgrade is usually one price, but break it into lines so the customer sees what's in it: the meter base, mast and service entrance cable if they change, the panel, new breakers for the existing circuits, ground rods and bonding, a surge protector where your local code calls for one, and the permit.
Inspectors differ on which AFCI and GFCI breakers they want on existing circuits after a panel change. List them as an allowance per breaker, billed only where required.
Before quoting an upgrade for a new load like an EV charger or heat pump, do a load calculation. Sometimes the existing service can carry it and the customer needs a circuit, not a new panel. If it can't, the calculation backs up the bigger number.
The utility handles the disconnect and reconnect, and anything on their side of the meter is up to them. Say so on the estimate, along with how long the power will be off.
Tips for estimates that win the job
- List devices and circuits by room. "Kitchen: 4 GFCI outlets, 6 recessed lights on a dimmer" is easier to approve than one lump sum.
- Put the breaker size on new circuits, so the customer can compare bids like for like.
- Price what you might find. Aluminum branch wiring, ungrounded outlets or a scorched connection: give a per-item price for what you can't see yet.
- Say what's not included, like drywall patching and painting.
- Set a valid-until date. Wire and equipment prices move, and an old estimate shouldn't bind you.
Frequently asked questions
Is the electrical estimate generator free?
Yes. Drafting is free, with no account needed. To download the PDF or send a link, create a free account; free accounts can save 3 documents a month. Paid plans save unlimited documents, add your logo and remove the Typli footer.
Can I use my own prices?
Yes. Save your hourly rate and price list in your details and every estimate uses them exactly. You can also put prices in your notes ("recessed lights $185 each, new 20-amp circuit $350, $110 an hour") and the draft uses them. Every line and price can be edited before you send it.
Can I send it to the customer?
Yes. Download a PDF to email or print, or send a link the customer can open on their phone.
Does it work for EV chargers and new circuits?
Yes. Note the charger, the circuit size and the distance from the panel ("customer's 48-amp charger, 60-amp circuit, about 25 feet from the panel") and the estimate lists the circuit, materials, permit and installation.