Electrical Bid Estimator & Material Takeoff
Job Items
15%
10%
$
$
Total Bid Price$3,447.45
Material Cost$460.00
Labor Hours22.0
Labor Cost$1,870.00
Overhead$349.50
Profit$267.95
Permit$500.00
Material Takeoff
| Item | Qty | Material | Labor Hrs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duplex Receptacle | 20 | $60.00 | 10.0 | $910.00 |
| Light Switch | 10 | $40.00 | 4.0 | $380.00 |
| Light Fixture | 8 | $360.00 | 8.0 | $1,040.00 |
Winning electrical work means pricing labor and material accurately before the job starts. This estimator builds a material takeoff from common rough-in items (receptacles, switches, panels, fixtures, wire runs, and conduit), applies NECA-style labor unit hours and a labor rate, then layers overhead, profit, and permit costs to produce a defensible total bid price.
Formula
Bid = (M + L) × (1 + OH) × (1 + Profit) + Permit
- M
- Total material cost summed across all takeoff items
- L
- Total labor cost (labor hours × labor rate)
- OH
- Overhead rate applied to the direct cost (M + L), as a decimal
- Profit
- Profit margin applied after overhead, as a decimal
- Permit
- Flat permit cost added at the end
How it works
- Add line items by type and quantity. Each item carries a stored unit material cost and a labor unit in hours (for example a duplex receptacle is $3 and 0.5 hr, a 200 A panel is $350 and 8 hr).
- For every item the tool computes material cost (quantity × unit cost) and labor cost (quantity × unit hours × your labor rate), then sums them into material and labor subtotals.
- It adds overhead as a percentage of direct cost, adds profit as a percentage of the overhead-loaded subtotal, and finally adds the flat permit cost to give the total bid price.
Worked example
40 receptacles, 12 switches, one 200 A panel, and 8 fixtures, at an $85/hr labor rate, 15% overhead, 10% profit, and a $500 permit.
- Material: 40×$3 + 12×$4 + 1×$350 + 8×$45 = $120 + $48 + $350 + $360 = $878.
- Labor hours: 40×0.5 + 12×0.4 + 1×8 + 8×1.0 = 20 + 4.8 + 8 + 8 = 40.8 hr.
- Labor cost: 40.8 × $85 = $3,468. Direct cost = $878 + $3,468 = $4,346.
- Overhead: $4,346 × 0.15 = $651.90 → subtotal $4,997.90. Profit: $4,997.90 × 0.10 = $499.79.
- Total: $4,997.90 + $499.79 + $500 = $5,997.69.
Total bid price ≈ $5,997.69 ($878 material, 40.8 labor hours, $3,468 labor, $651.90 overhead, $499.79 profit, $500 permit).
Frequently asked questions
- What is a labor unit and why use one?
- A labor unit is the estimated number of installer-hours to furnish and install one item under normal conditions, the same concept as the NECA Manual of Labor Units. Multiplying labor units by quantity gives a consistent, repeatable labor estimate instead of guessing the whole job at once.
- How are overhead and profit different in this calculation?
- Overhead is applied first as a percentage of direct cost to recover business expenses like vehicles, insurance, and office costs. Profit is then applied on top of the overhead-loaded subtotal, so the two markups compound rather than simply add together.
- Should I adjust the labor rate for my market?
- Yes. The labor rate is the fully burdened cost per installer-hour, including wages, payroll taxes, and benefits, and it varies widely by region and trade agreement. Entering your actual burdened rate is the single biggest driver of estimate accuracy.
- Does the estimate include sales tax or sub-contractor markup?
- No. The total covers material, labor, overhead, profit, and a flat permit cost only. Add applicable sales tax, bonding, sub-contractor quotes, or contingency separately before submitting a final proposal.