Calculators
Electrical Bid Estimator
Build an electrical bid from device counts, labour hours per item, material costs, labour rate and overhead and profit.
- Runs in your browser
- Nothing uploaded
The tool
Enter your numbers below. Results update as you type, and nothing leaves your browser.
Everything you enter stays on your own machine. Nothing is sent to us or to anyone else, which you can confirm in your browser network tab.
What people use it for
- Bidding residential and light commercial work
- Checking estimates before sending
- Training estimators
- Comparing subcontractor bids
About this tool
What the Electrical Bid Estimator does
Electrical contractors estimate jobs by counting devices and runs from the drawings and applying labour units (hours per item) and material costs. Multiplying hours by the labour rate and adding materials, then overhead and profit, produces the bid. Your own historical labour units are the most accurate.
Formula
- Labour hours = Σ quantity × hours per item
- Cost = hours × labour rate + materials + permit
- Bid = cost × (1 + overhead and profit)
Worked example
Using the starting values in the calculator above:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Take-off | 5 entries |
| Labour rate | $95.00 |
| Overhead and profit | 25% |
| Permit | $250 |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Bid price | $8,825 |
| Labour hours | 48.8 |
| Labour cost | $4,636 |
| Materials | $2,174 |
| Electrician days (8 h) | 6.1 |
How to read the result
Adjust labour units for access: old buildings, high ceilings and occupied homes are slower than new construction.
Compare each finished job’s actual hours with the estimate and update your labour units.
For planning only. Electrical, gas and refrigerant work must follow current codes and be carried out or checked by a licensed professional.
Related calculators
- HVAC Load Calculator: Estimate the cooling or heating load in BTU per hour and air conditioner tonnage from area, climate, insulation and occupancy.
- HVAC Replacement Cost Estimator: Estimate the cost of replacing a heating and cooling system from equipment, labour, ductwork, permits, extras and rebates.
- Refrigerant Line Set Charge Calculator: Calculate the additional refrigerant needed for a line set longer than the factory charge allows.
- Boiler Sizing Calculator: Estimate boiler output needed for space heating from heat loss, and for instant hot water from flow and temperature rise.
Browse every calculator in Electrical, HVAC and Plumbing Calculators, or talk to us about websites and booking systems for trade businesses.
More tools and services
- 1031 Exchange Calculator
- 401(k) Contribution Optimizer
- 529 College Savings Calculator
- A/B Test Significance Calculator
- Accessible Ramp Calculator
- Accounts Payable Aging Calculator
If you would rather someone did this properly for you, we offer Web Design Services and Website Development, SEO Services: Search Engine Optimization, AI Automation Agency.
Questions
Questions about this tool
The things clients actually want to know — costs, timelines, ownership and what happens after launch.
By counting devices and runs, applying labour hours per item and adding materials, overhead and profit.
Standard hours allowed to install each item, adjusted for job conditions.
Often 20% to 40% for overhead and profit, depending on the business.
Free strategy session
Let’s build something worth finding.
Tell us where you want the business to be in twelve months. We will come back with a costed plan, a realistic timeline, and the numbers we expect to move — no obligation, no jargon.
- 30-minute call, no pitch deck
- Fixed-price proposal in 48 hours
- You own everything we build
Talk to a developer
Not a sales team
- Response time
- Within 1 business hour
- Where we work
- UK, USA & the Gulf
- Contracts
- No lock-in, monthly rolling
- Working since
- 2023