Electrical quote template that wins the rewire

What an electrical estimate template should list

This electrical quote template splits a job the way both an inspector and a homeowner read it: materials, each new circuit, devices counted one by one, the panel work and the permit fee. Load the sample kitchen rewire in the quote maker, swap in your own rates and send a PDF, or download the same layout as a Word, Excel or PDF file.

A good electrical quote names every circuit, counts every device and shows the permit as a separate charge. The customer can then compare your number with another electrician’s line by line, and the inspector’s checklist matches what you promised. Fill in these parts on every job, from a single added outlet to a full service change.

1. Circuits by name and amperageList each new or altered circuit with its breaker size and wire gauge, for example a 50 amp range circuit on 6 AWG copper. A line reading kitchen wiring tells the customer nothing.
2. Device countOutlets, switches and GFCI devices counted as each. If the customer asks for a seventh outlet later, it becomes a priced addition instead of a dispute.
3. Panel and service workPanel replacement, added breakers, the load calculation and any service size change, such as 100 amp to 200 amp. Service changes may need the utility to disconnect and reconnect, so describe them separately.
4. Permit and inspectionsThe permit fee plus your time for rough in and final inspections. New circuits and panel changes usually need a permit from the local building department, and the customer should see that you pull it.
5. Materials by typeNM-B cable, MC or conduit with THHN, boxes, breakers and connectors, grouped as one set on small jobs and broken out on large ones. Copper moves in price, so date the quote.
6. Fixtures and who supplies themUnder cabinet LEDs, pendants and fans: say whether you supply them or the customer does, and whether your warranty covers fixtures the customer bought.
7. Drywall openingsCutting in boxes and fishing cable leaves holes. Write whether you patch, patch and paint, or leave the walls for another trade.
8. Power shutdownsWhen the power will be off and for roughly how long, which matters for home offices, freezers and medical equipment.
9. License number and valid until dateYour contractor license number where your licensing board expects it on bids, and a short validity because breaker and wire prices change.

Sample electrical quote: kitchen rewire with example prices

The sample is a kitchen rewire for a homeowner. Two materials lines cover the cable, boxes and breakers as one set plus four LED under cabinet lights. Four labor lines follow: the range circuit, six outlets priced each, the panel upgrade and the permit with inspection. There is no deposit and no optional extra, and the subtotal before tax is $4,002. All prices are examples, not a rate card.

Edit the Brightwire Electrical quote

6 lines are filled in, from cable, boxes and breakers to permit and inspection. Put in your own electrical rates, then download the PDF.

Open the electrical sample

How to price electrical work: flat rate, hourly or per device

Electricians mostly price one of three ways: a flat rate per task from a price book, time and materials at an hourly rate, or a count of devices for new work. Panel upgrades and service changes are nearly always flat priced, because the steps are known and the homeowner wants a firm figure before agreeing.

1. Flat rate price bookEach common task (add a circuit, swap a panel, hang a ceiling fan) has a set price built from average hours, materials and margin. Fast to quote and easy for a homeowner to accept, as long as you update the book when wire and breaker costs move.
2. Time and materialsHours at your rate plus parts at cost with markup. Use it for fault finding, old wiring with unknown routes, and any job where you cannot see inside the walls first. Give an hour estimate and, if you can, a not to exceed figure.
3. Per device or per openingCount every outlet, switch and light, then multiply by a rate that covers rough in and trim out. Common on new construction and remodels where the walls are open.
4. Square foot for new homesSome contractors price whole house wiring per square foot of living area, then add the service, panel and special circuits such as range, dryer and EV charger as separate lines.

Keep your markup on fixtures and wire visible to you, even if the customer sees one materials line. The materials markup guide explains common approaches, and the markup calculator converts any markup into the margin you actually keep.

Worked example: pricing a dedicated 50 amp range circuit

Here is one circuit priced from scratch, the way you might build a flat rate for your price book. Rates and material costs are examples only.

1. Measure the runThe route from the panel to the range location is 38 ft through an unfinished basement. Add 6 ft for slack at both ends, so you need 44 ft of 6/3 NM-B cable.
2. Price the materialsAt an example $4.10 per ft, 44 ft costs $180.40. Add a 50 amp double pole breaker at $28 and a range receptacle with box at $22, for $230.40 in materials.
3. Estimate the hoursDrilling joists, pulling the cable, mounting the receptacle and terminating in the panel takes about 3.5 hours for one electrician.
4. Price the laborAt an example $95 an hour, 3.5 hours is $332.50.
5. Mark up and roundA 20% markup on materials adds $46.08, so materials become $276.48. Labor of $332.50 plus $276.48 is $608.98, which you could quote as $609.

Copper cable prices follow the metal market, and a finished basement or a long attic run can double the hours, so recheck both before sending.

What this electrical quote includes and leaves out

Electrical quote mistakes that cost you money

• Pricing a panel swap without a load calculation, then learning the service itself has to go from 100 to 200 amps.
• Writing rewire kitchen without counting outlets, so the customer expects a dozen and you priced six.
• Leaving the permit off the quote and paying the fee and the inspection visits out of your margin.
• Holding a quote open for months while copper and breaker prices climb.
• Never saying who patches the drywall, which turns a finished job into an unpaid return visit.
• Assuming breakers are still made for an old panel, when some older panels have to be replaced rather than extended.