Estimate templates · Electrical
Electrical Estimate Template — Free & Fillable
Panel upgrades, EV chargers, rewires and lighting jobs win on clarity: the load calculation, labor by the hour, every breaker and device counted, and permit and inspection broken out. This template starts with a real service upgrade so you can see the structure, then make it yours.
Make your electrical estimate
Prefilled with a sample 100A to 200A panel upgrade — every line, the terms and the notes. Change the quantities and rates to your own, add your logo and the customer’s details, and download a clean PDF. No signup, no watermark.
What goes on a electrical estimate
Electrical estimates read best in three bands: labor (hours, with what the hours are for), material counted by the piece or the foot, and permits. Count devices — “AFCI/GFCI breakers × 6” — instead of writing “breakers as needed,” so the customer sees exactly what the code update involves.
| Line item | How it’s priced | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Service call / trip charge | Flat, includes first 15 minutes | $119 |
| Troubleshooting labor | Per hour | $145/hr |
| Install labor | Per hour | $125/hr |
| Devices | Per device, installed | GFCI $68 · AFCI breaker $145 |
| Wire and conduit | Per foot | #6 THHN in EMT $9/ft |
| Panels and service gear | Per unit | 200A panel $685 |
| Load calculation | Flat | $95 |
| Permit and inspection | Passed through | $95–$345 |
Example prices come from the Brightwire Electric demo price book (Denver, CO). Your market, crew and suppliers will differ — use them for structure, not as a rate card.
How to price a electrical job
Most electrical work mixes three pricing models: flat-rate tasks (a GFCI, a fan on an existing fan-rated box, a dimmer), per-unit counts (recessed lights, receptacles, breakers), and hourly labor for anything you fish through finished walls. Keep them on separate lines so ten recessed lights visibly cost ten times one — and so adding three more on site is a one-line change order.
Put the load calculation on service-upgrade and EV-charger estimates. It explains why a 60A charger circuit on a 100A service sometimes means a panel upgrade first, and it protects you when the customer is comparing you to a bid that skipped it.
Copper and breaker prices move faster than most materials. Keep validity to 30 days and price wire by the foot so an updated quote is a quick edit, not a rebuild.
Deposits and payment schedule
Troubleshooting is billed by the hour and invoiced on the spot. Panel upgrades and rewires typically take 25–30% on approval to file the permit and order gear, with the balance due after final inspection. Commercial tenant fit-outs are usually progress-billed: rough-in, rough inspection, trim-out, final.
- Approval30% deposit — permit filed, gear ordered
- Install dayUtility disconnect and reconnect
- Final inspection passedBalance due
Permits, the utility and your license
Almost anything beyond like-for-like device swaps needs a permit; list it with the inspection. Service upgrades also need the utility to disconnect and reconnect — say you coordinate it, and that the utility sets the date, so a slipped date isn’t your broken promise.
Put your license number on every estimate. Separate your workmanship warranty from manufacturer warranties on panels and devices, and add a discovery clause: if you open a wall and find knob-and-tube, aluminum branch circuits or damaged wiring, you stop and quote the fix.
Frequently asked questions
How do I estimate an EV charger installation?
Start with a load calculation on the existing service. Then list the circuit run (hours plus wire and conduit by the foot), the breaker, the charger if you supply it, mounting and commissioning, and the permit. If the load calc says the panel can’t carry it, quote the panel upgrade as a separate option rather than burying it.
Should electrical work be quoted hourly or flat rate?
Flat rate for defined tasks you do every week; hourly for troubleshooting and anything behind finished surfaces. Large jobs often combine both — per-device pricing for the countable work and an hourly line for the fishing and patching you can’t see in advance.
Should my license number be on an electrical estimate?
Yes. Many jurisdictions require it on bids and contracts, and it’s a trust signal either way. Put it in your business details or the notes.
What happens if I find bad wiring after the job starts?
Your estimate should already say: work stops, you document what you found, and you quote the fix as a change order before continuing. Writing that in up front turns an awkward conversation into a step the customer already agreed to.
When the job is done
An approved estimate becomes your invoice — same lines, same numbers. Grab the electrical invoice template, or open the invoice generator and bill what you quoted. Not sure which document you need? Read estimate vs. invoice.
Other estimate templates by trade
Or see all estimate templates.