Purpose-built for US electrical contractors. Accurately cost wire, conduit, panels, and multi-trade labor — with automatic overhead and margin protection built in from the start.
Electrical contracting has more moving cost variables than almost any other trade. Material prices shift weekly. Labor rates vary by license level. Permits differ county to county. Most contractors are absorbing these gaps — silently, job by job.
Copper prices move constantly. An estimate built on last month's wire pricing can be $800–$2,000 off on a panel job before you've driven to the site.
Journeyman, master, and apprentice rates are different. Estimating one blended rate — or guessing — creates systematic underbilling on every multi-trade job.
Electrical permit fees vary by municipality and job scope. When they're not in the estimate, you pay them out of margin — every single time.
Your truck, insurance, license fees, and office costs don't disappear between jobs. But if they're not in every estimate, you're funding them from profit you never had.
QuickEstimate gives electrical contractors a structured, enforced estimating process — so nothing is missed, overhead is always included, and every proposal protects your margin.
Build complete, line-item material lists — wire by footage, conduit by length, panels, breakers, fixtures, and hardware — with automatic subtotaling.
Set separate hourly rates for master electricians, journeymen, and apprentices. Apply the right rate to each phase — automatically, without manual calculation.
Set your real overhead percentage once. QuickEstimate applies it to every estimate automatically — and shows you live whether you're hitting your minimum margin.
Generic estimating tools give you a blank spreadsheet. QuickEstimate gives you a structured material costing engine that captures every electrical component, quantity, and unit cost — automatically subtotaling as you go.
| Item / Description | Unit | Qty | Unit $ | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/2 NM-B Wire (Romex) | 500ft roll | 3 | $82 | $246 |
| 200A Main Panel (Siemens) | Unit | 1 | $485 | $485 |
| 20A Circuit Breakers | Each | 12 | $13 | $156 |
| ½" PVC Conduit | 100ft | 2 | $44 | $88 |
| GFCI Outlets (20A) | Each | 8 | $18 | $144 |
| Wire Nuts + Connectors | Box | 4 | $12 | $48 |
| Materials Subtotal | $1,167 | |||
The biggest hidden profit leak for electrical contractors is blending labor rates. When a journeyman and an apprentice are billed at the same rate, you're either overcharging clients or absorbing the difference yourself.
Electrical contractors run trucks, carry specialty insurance, hold licenses, and pay continuing education fees. None of those costs disappear between jobs. QuickEstimate captures all of it — automatically — on every estimate you send.
A structured, repeatable workflow that protects your margin at every step — from first line item to signed proposal.
Name the job, add client details, site location, and job type (panel upgrade, rough-in, service call, remodel). Under 60 seconds.
Enter every component — wire by footage, panels, breakers, fixtures — with quantities and unit pricing. Templates speed this up for repeat job types.
Add master, journeyman, and apprentice hours with the correct burden rate for each. Labor cost calculates automatically.
Include permit fees, inspection charges, equipment rental, or any job-specific cost as a line item. Nothing gets absorbed silently.
Your pre-set overhead % and margin floor apply automatically. Check the live margin indicator — if it's green, you're profitable. If not, adjust before sending.
One click generates a polished, branded PDF proposal. Send it directly from QuickEstimate and track the moment your client opens, approves, or requests changes.
As a solo electrician, your time is everything. QuickEstimate handles all the math — overhead, labor rates, margin — so you can send a professional estimate while your competitor is still building a spreadsheet.
Electrical contractors juggling multiple crews, subcontractors, and open proposals need structure. QuickEstimate keeps every bid organized, every margin visible, and every client's approval status clear — in one place.
When multiple people are estimating, consistency is the difference between profitable growth and chaos. QuickEstimate ensures every estimator in your firm uses the same overhead rate, the same margin standards, and the same workflow — every time.
See exactly why purpose-built electrical estimating software outperforms spreadsheets for every contractor who is serious about margin.
| Feature | Excel / Manual | Recommended QuickEstimate |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical material line-item costing | Manual entry, formula errors common | ✓ Structured, auto-subtotaling |
| Separate labor rates by trade level | ✕ | ✓ Master / Journeyman / Apprentice |
| Automatic overhead application | ✕ Manually added (often forgotten) | ✓ Set once, applies to all estimates |
| Minimum margin enforcement | ✕ | ✓ Hard floor with live indicator |
| Permit and inspection fee tracking | Ad-hoc, often missed | ✓ Dedicated line-item section |
| Branded PDF proposal generation | ✕ | ✓ One-click, logo + branding |
| Client approval tracking | ✕ | ✓ Real-time view + approve tracking |
| Formula error risk | High — unprotected cells | ✓ Zero — no manual formulas |
| Revision tracking and history | ✕ | ✓ Full revision history per estimate |
| Multi-user team access | Shared files, version conflicts | ✓ Up to 5 seats (Premium) |
| Time to complete estimate | 30–90+ minutes | ✓ Under 3 minutes average |
No hidden fees. No surprise charges. 14-day free trial on every plan.
Switch to annual billing and get 2.4 months free every year.
Perfect for solo contractors starting with accurate estimating.
Billed $243.60/yr · Save $104.40/yr
Complete solution for contractors who want profit protection on every job.
Billed $663.60/yr · Save $283.20/yr
For established firms running multiple estimating teams and projects.
All plans include a 14-day free trial. No credit card required. Cancel anytime.
Everything you need to know before switching your estimating process to QuickEstimate.
Yes. You build a full material list with line-item quantities, units, and pricing for every electrical component — NM-B wire by the foot, conduit by length, panels, breakers, fixtures, outlets, and more. Every item subtotals automatically with zero manual formulas.
Yes. QuickEstimate supports multiple labor rate tiers. Set the hourly burden rate for each trade classification — master electrician, journeyman, and apprentice — and apply the correct rate to each job phase. Labor cost calculates automatically based on hours × rate.
This is QuickEstimate's core feature. Enter your real overhead percentage once — based on your actual vehicle, insurance, license, and office running costs — and it applies automatically to every estimate. Set a minimum margin floor and see live whether you're hitting it as you build each bid.
Yes. QuickEstimate includes an additional costs section where you can add permit fees, inspection charges, and county-specific fees as named line items. These are included in the total investment shown to the client — nothing gets absorbed silently into your margin.
The average estimate takes under 3 minutes once your material library and labor rates are set up. For new job types, the first estimate takes longer — but you can save it as a template so repeat job types (panel upgrades, rough-ins, service calls) go even faster.
Every plan includes a full 14-day free trial with complete feature access. No credit card required to start. Create real estimates, set your overhead and margin, and send branded proposals during the trial period. If you don't win more profitable jobs in 14 days, simply cancel — no charge.
Yes. Every plan includes branded PDF proposal export with your logo and colors. Gold and Premium plans also include client e-approval tracking — you'll see exactly when a client opens your proposal, if they've requested changes, or when they've approved and you can move to invoicing.
Yes — QuickEstimate works for any type of electrical project: residential panel upgrades, commercial rough-in, service calls, remodels, new construction, low-voltage (data/AV/alarm), and EV charging installation. The flexible cost structure fits any job scope and complexity.
Join 12,000+ US contractors generating accurate, overhead-protected estimates and winning more profitable electrical work.