Electrical Estimate Template (Excel/Google Sheets) + Step-by-Step Pricing Guide

If you’re bidding electrical work, a clean estimate template is only half the battle. The real win is a repeatable process that helps you price labor, materials, overhead, and risk (without losing the job or losing money).

This guide includes a practical electrical estimate template for Excel/Google Sheets and a step-by-step workflow you can use on service calls, remodels, panels, lighting, and small commercial.

If you want a ready-to-use starting point, grab our free tool page here: Electrical Estimate Template.

What to include in an electrical estimate template

A good template does three things:

1. Standardizes your line items (so you don’t forget stuff)
2. Makes pricing transparent (so clients feel confident)
3. Protects your margin (so you don’t eat hidden costs)

At minimum, your template should include:

• Client & job info: name, address, phone/email, job type, start date, estimate date, quote expiration
• Scope summary: a short paragraph describing what’s included and excluded
• Itemized breakdown: labor + materials per task (or per area)
• Allowances (if needed): fixtures, devices, specialty finishes
• Permits & inspections: who pulls, who pays, what’s included
• Total + deposit/payment schedule
• Terms: change orders, warranty, access, exclusions

Recommended columns (Excel/Sheets)

If you’re building your own spreadsheet, these columns cover 90% of bids:

• Item/Task
• Location
• Quantity
• Unit (ea/ft/sf/hr)
• Labor hours (or labor units)
• Labor rate ($/hr)
• Labor cost
• Material cost
• Subtotal
• Markup (% or $)
• Line total
• Notes/assumptions

Pro tip: keep labor hours separate from labor cost. It’s the easiest way to spot when a bid “feels low” because hours got undercounted.

Excel vs. Google Sheets: which is better for estimating?

Both work. Choose based on how you operate:

• Excel is great if you keep estimating local/offline and want heavy formulas.
• Google Sheets is better for collaboration and quick edits from your phone/tablet.

Either way, build (or download) a template that’s easy to duplicate and hard to break.

Step-by-step: how to price an electrical job accurately

Step 1) Define the scope (and write down assumptions)

Most electrical estimate mistakes come from vague scope. Before you price, clarify:

• What’s being added/changed (devices, circuits, panel, lighting, EV charger, etc.)
• What’s staying (existing wiring, drywall, fixtures, trim)
• Access (attic/crawlspace, finished walls, height, working hours)
• Who supplies fixtures (client vs contractor)
• Whether the job needs patch/paint after wire pulls

Write assumptions in the estimate so you can point to them later.

Step 2) Break work into line items your crew actually performs

Avoid “Electrical work — $8,500.” Clients don’t trust it and you can’t audit it.

Instead, break the scope into installable chunks, like:

• Rough-in (new circuits, homeruns, boxes)
• Panel work (subpanel, breakers, labeling)
• Trim-out (devices, plates, lights)
• Testing/commissioning
• Permits/inspection coordination
• Cleanup and haul-away

Step 3) Estimate labor hours with a consistent method

There are two reliable ways to estimate labor:

1. Historical production: “We usually do X recessed lights/day in open framing.”
2. Unit-based estimating: assign typical hours per item (adjust for difficulty).

Example unit labor (illustrative — adjust to your market and crew):

• Add receptacle in open wall: 0.6–1.0 hr
• Add receptacle in finished wall: 1.0–1.8 hr
• Add recessed can (open framing): 0.7–1.2 hr
• Add recessed can (finished ceiling): 1.5–3.0 hr
• Install EV charger (simple run): 3–6 hr

Then add a job overhead factor for travel, setup, and “unknowns” (common ranges: 10–20% of labor).

Step 4) Price materials (and don’t forget the small stuff)

Materials are where spreadsheets fail because people forget the extras:

• Wire, conduit, connectors, staples
• Boxes, rings, mud plates
• Wire nuts, wagos, bushings
• Screws, anchors, straps
• Labeling materials

Two approaches:

• Itemized materials: best for larger jobs and client transparency
• Material allowance + notes: best for remodels where fixture selection changes

If you’re allowing fixtures, say it clearly:

“Lighting fixtures allowance: $120/fixture (client selects within allowance). Overages billed via change order.”

Step 5) Add overhead + profit (use markup correctly)

Markup and margin get confused constantly. If you want to protect your profit, make sure you’re applying the right number.

If you’re unsure, use our Contractor Markup Calculator to convert margin goals into markup and sanity-check your totals.

Typical places to apply markup:

• Labor (optional; many contractors build profit into labor rate)
• Materials (common)
• Subcontractors (coordination and warranty risk)

Also consider adding:

• Trip charges (for small service work)
• Minimum charge (so you’re not losing money on small tasks)
• Contingency (when scope is uncertain)

Step 6) Define payment terms and change order rules

Electrical work changes midstream—fixtures swap, circuits move, walls are different than expected.

Make change orders easy and professional:

• Require written approval before proceeding
• Show the delta (added labor + materials)
• Keep a paper trail

Use a simple template: Change Order Template.

If you do larger remodels, pairing a payment schedule with milestones reduces cashflow stress. (If you haven’t written one down yet, create a quick schedule that matches rough-in, trim-out, and final.)

Example: electrical estimate template layout (client-facing)

Here’s a clean structure clients understand.

Scope summary

• Install (10) recessed lights in kitchen + (2) pendant lights over island
• Add (6) countertop receptacles per code
• Add (1) dedicated 20A circuit for microwave
• Provide permit and schedule inspection
• Excludes drywall patch/paint and fixture purchase unless noted

Line items (sample)

Item	Qty	Labor (hrs)	Material	Subtotal
Recessed light rough-in + trim	10	22	$450	$—
Pendant light rough-in + install	2	6	$120	$—
Countertop receptacles (cut-in)	6	9	$180	$—
Dedicated circuit (microwave)	1	4	$95	$—
Permit + inspection coordination	1	2	$—	$—

(Your spreadsheet fills the totals based on your labor rate and markup.)

Common electrical estimating mistakes (and how to avoid them)

1) Under-scoping the “messy parts”

Finished walls, access issues, and working around other trades slow everything down. If you’re bidding remodel electrical, add time for:

• Protection and dust control
• Moving furniture/appliances (or clarify it’s owner responsibility)
• Working hours restrictions
• Multiple mobilizations

2) Forgetting permit/inspection time

Even if permit fees are pass-through, your time isn’t. Add hours for:

• Application, drawings (if required)
• Inspector coordination
• Re-inspections

3) Not clarifying fixture allowances

The cheapest fixture and the one clients choose are rarely the same. Put fixture allowances in writing.

4) Pricing with “hope” instead of a process

If your estimate is basically a gut number, you can’t improve it. Templates make your numbers auditable:

• If you lose bids, you can see where you’re high
• If you win but margins are thin, you can see where you’re low

Template tips: make your estimate easy to approve

• Put the total at the top and bottom
• Keep line items grouped by area (kitchen, bath, garage)
• Use plain language (clients don’t know every electrical term)
• Add a short “What happens next” section

Example:

1. Approve estimate + pay deposit
2. We pull permit and schedule rough-in
3. Rough-in complete → walkthrough
4. Trim-out + final inspection

When to move beyond spreadsheets

Excel/Sheets are fine until:

• You’re doing multiple estimates per week
• You’re estimating from photos and site notes
• You want faster proposals with fewer mistakes

That’s where an estimating workflow tool can help you create consistent bids without rebuilding the spreadsheet every time. If you’re weighing whether to stick with spreadsheets or move to dedicated software, the contractor estimating spreadsheet vs software guide breaks down exactly when each approach makes sense.

If you want to turn photos, notes, and job details into a clean estimate faster, Try EstimationPro free.

Quick checklist (copy/paste into your next bid)

• Scope summary written (included + excluded)
• Line items grouped by area
• Labor hours estimated per item + overhead factor
• Materials accounted for (including small parts)
• Permits/inspection time included
• Markup/margin verified (use a calculator)
• Payment terms + change order process included
• Quote expiration date included

Related estimating tools

• Electrical Estimate Template
• Contractor Markup Calculator
• Change Order Template

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For a broader look at how to estimate any construction job using the same principles, see our guide on how to estimate construction jobs. To make sure your labor rates cover your real overhead, the Labor Cost Calculator helps you calculate your fully burdened rate. And if you want the complete framework for building any cost estimate from scope to final number, our cost estimating guide covers the full process including materials, labor, overhead, and profit.

Want us to generate an estimate from your job photos and notes? Try EstimationPro free and build your next proposal in minutes.