Electrical Estimating Software That Protects Every Job's Margin
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.
Why Electrical Estimates Constantly Come Up Short
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 hundreds of dollars 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.
Built for the Real Cost Structure of Electrical Work
QuickEstimate gives electrical contractors a structured, enforced estimating process — so nothing is missed, overhead is always included, and every proposal protects your margin.
Electrical Material Costing
Build complete, line-item material lists — wire by footage, conduit by length, panels, breakers, fixtures, and hardware — with automatic subtotaling.
- Line-item quantities and unit pricing
- Material subtotal calculated instantly
- Reusable Group Materials bundles
- Saved material price lists
Trade-Level Labor Rates
Set separate hourly rates for master electricians, journeymen, and apprentices. Apply the right rate to each labor line — hours × rate is calculated for you.
- Separate labor roles, each with its own rate
- Hours × rate = cost, calculated automatically
- Labor broken out line by line
- Labor cost subtotaled automatically
Overhead + Margin Protection
Set your real overhead percentage once. QuickEstimate applies it to every estimate automatically — and shows your margin and profit live as you build.
- Overhead % set once, applied to all bids
- Target margin applied automatically
- Live margin and profit as you build
- Full cost summary before every send
Every Wire, Panel, and Fitting — Line by Line
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.
- Wire by footage — NM-B, THHN, armored cable, service entrance wire
- Conduit, fittings, junction boxes, and enclosures
- Panels, sub-panels, breakers, disconnects, and meters
- Fixtures, outlets, switches, GFCI, AFCI, and dimmers
- Low-voltage: data, AV, alarm, and EV charging equipment
- Save Group Materials bundles for common jobs — panel upgrades, rough-ins, service calls
| 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 | |||
Set Separate Rates for Every Trade Level
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.
Overhead Applied Automatically. Margin Checked on Every Bid.
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.
- Set your real overhead % from your actual business books — once
- Applied automatically to every estimate from that point forward
- Set your target margin once — it's applied to every estimate
- Live margin and profit display as you build each estimate
- Use our free overhead calculator to total vehicle, insurance, license, tools and office costs
- Adjust per-project if a specific job has different risk or scope
From Electrical Job to Profitable Proposal in 6 Steps
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).
Enter every component — wire by footage, panels, breakers, fixtures — with quantities and unit pricing.
Add master, journeyman, and apprentice hours with the correct burden rate for each.
Include permit fees, inspection charges, and equipment rental as a line item. Nothing gets absorbed silently.
Your pre-set overhead % and target margin apply automatically. Check the live profit figure and adjust before sending.
One click generates a polished, branded PDF proposal. Track the moment your client opens or approves it.
Built for Every Type of Electrical Business
Estimate Faster. Win More. Keep Your Profit.
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.
- Create a complete electrical estimate in under 5 minutes
- Overhead applied to every bid automatically — never forgotten
- Send branded PDF proposals that win client trust instantly
- Know your exact margin before the proposal leaves your inbox
- No account manager, no team, no complexity — built for one
Bid More Projects. Track Every Dollar Across Every Job.
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.
- Manage subcontractor quotes within each estimate
- See which proposals were revised and re-sent
- Generate winning proposals that convert premium clients
- Know the approval status of every open bid at a glance
- Consistent overhead and margin applied across all estimators
Scale Profitably Across Every Crew and Estimator.
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.
- Multi-user access — up to 5 team member seats (Premium)
- Shared overhead rate enforced firm-wide
- Reports across your estimates and invoices
- Priority support for your team
- Online payment collection through Stripe
QuickEstimate vs Excel & Manual Methods
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 |
| Target margin applied automatically | Applied to every estimate, shown live | |
| 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 | Revised-and-sent status 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 |
Simple, Transparent Pricing
No hidden fees. No surprise charges. 14-day free trial on every plan.
Switch to annual billing and get 3.6 months free every year.
Perfect for solo contractors starting with accurate estimating.
Billed $243.60/yr · Save $104.40/yr
- Unlimited sent proposals
- Materials, labor & equipment
- Overhead % calculator
- Profit margin setting
- PDF export (branded)
- 1 team seat
Complete solution for contractors who want profit protection on every job.
Billed $663.60/yr · Save $284.40/yr
- Unlimited sent proposals
- All Basic features
- Subcontractor costing
- Client approval tracking
- Revision management
- 3 team seats
- Priority support
For established firms running multiple estimating teams and projects.
- Everything in Gold
- 5 team member seats
- Team collaboration tools
- Custom proposal branding
- Reports on estimates and invoices
- Online payment collection
- Multi-package proposals
All plans include a 14-day free trial. No credit card required. Cancel anytime. After the trial you can stay on the free plan.
Questions from Electrical Contractors
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. Add each labor role — master electrician, journeyman, and apprentice — as its own labor item with its own hourly burden rate, then use the right one on each line. 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 your target margin once and see your profit live 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 duplicate it 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 PDF proposals with online client approval — you'll see when a client opens your proposal, requests changes, or approves it, and you can move straight to invoicing. Paid plans add your own logo and colors; the Free plan shows a small QuickEstimate badge.
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.
Also estimating other trades? See our HVAC estimating software or plumbing estimating software, or try our free employee cost calculator to find your true labor rate — all part of QuickEstimate's complete contractor estimating software. Pricing the job? Check your numbers with our free markup calculator, or start from our Free Estimate Template.
Stop Leaving Money on the Table — Every Electrical Job Deserves a Protected Margin
Generate accurate, overhead-protected estimates and win more profitable electrical work. Start free, no credit card required.