Electrical Estimate Template
A free price book and estimating template for electricians, built in Google Sheets. Everything you need to build a bid is in one file: your price book, a working estimate, a customer-facing quote, a payment schedule, and a section for exclusions. Download it and have your first estimate done in under five minutes.
Google Sheets. Pay what you want, including nothing. No account required.
What does a complete electrical estimate template include?
A complete electrical estimate template includes six parts: a price book, a working estimate, a customer-facing quote, a payment schedule, an exclusions section, and an invoice. Each part has a specific job. The price book feeds the estimate. The estimate produces the quote. The quote drives the payment schedule.
| Tab | What it does | Who sees it |
|---|---|---|
| Price Book | Master list of materials and labor with unit costs and last-verified dates | You only |
| Working Estimate | Full cost breakdown with markup visible by line | You only |
| Customer Quote | Marked-up prices only, no raw cost visible | Customer |
| Payment Schedule | Milestone payments calculated from the quote total | Customer |
| Exclusions | Plain-language list of what is not in scope | Customer |
| Invoice | Same structure as the quote, different heading | Customer |
Why do electrical estimates go wrong before the job starts?
Most estimate problems come from missing information, not wrong prices. The scope is vague, the exclusions are not written down, the payment triggers are not defined, and the customer has different expectations than the contractor.
The most common missing pieces:
- No exclusions section, so the customer assumes drywall patching is included
- Payment terms say "50% down" but not what triggers the final payment
- Estimate is not itemized, so the customer disputes individual charges after the job
- Material prices are not dated, so you do not know if the number from three months ago is still current
A complete template does not fix bad pricing. It fixes the missing-information problems that turn into disputes.
What is a price book and why does every electrician need one?
A price book is a master list of every material and labor rate you use, with the unit cost and the date you last verified it. It is not a per-job document. It is a reference you build once and update as prices change.
Every estimate you build should pull from the same price book. Update a price once and it carries through to every estimate automatically. Without a price book, every bid starts from scratch and you have no record of when a price was last checked.
| Category | Example items |
|---|---|
| Wire | 14/2 Romex per ft, 12/2 Romex per ft, THHN 12 AWG per ft, THHN 10 AWG per ft |
| Conduit | 1/2″ EMT conduit per 10 ft, 3/4″ EMT per 10 ft, PVC Schedule 40 per 10 ft |
| Devices | GFCI receptacle 15A, GFCI receptacle 20A, single-pole switch 15A, dimmer switch |
| Panels | 200A main breaker panel, 100A subpanel, 20A breaker, 15A breaker |
| Fixtures | LED recessed light 6″ retrofit, LED shop light 4 ft |
| Labor | Journeyman electrician per hour, apprentice per hour |
How often to update: Any material not verified in 60 to 90 days should be checked before it goes on a bid. Copper wire and EMT conduit move most often. Breakers and devices are more stable. Build a habit of checking your top five material costs every month.
What is the difference between an estimate and a quote in electrical contracting?
An estimate is your internal working document. It shows raw material cost, labor cost, markup, and line total for each item. A quote is the customer-facing document. It shows the marked-up price only. The customer never sees your raw cost or your markup percentage.
This distinction matters for two reasons. Showing raw cost to a customer invites margin negotiation. Keeping the working estimate separate also lets you adjust markup by job type without the customer knowing your standard rate.
What exclusions should go on every electrical quote?
Exclusions list what you are not doing. Write them in plain language on every quote the customer signs. The most common disputes and callbacks in electrical contracting come from a customer who assumed something was included that was not.
Standard exclusions for most electrical jobs:
- Drywall patching and painting after wire or conduit installation
- Permit fees, unless you are pulling the permit and collecting the fee
- Utility company work, including meter installation and service entrance reconnection
- Service entrance upgrades, if not in the scope above
- Structural work including concrete cutting, core drilling, or framing
- Any work in areas not accessible at the time of the estimate
Writing "drywall patching excluded" once on the quote is cheaper than patching the wall for free or arguing about it after the job.
Write them once per job. They appear on the quote the customer signs.
What payment schedule works for electrical jobs?
Three payments is the most common structure for residential and light commercial electrical work. Deposit at signing (25 to 30%), draw when rough-in inspection passes (35 to 40%), and final payment when the job is complete and final inspection passes. Each trigger should be written on the quote.
Tying payments to inspection milestones rather than calendar dates protects you when a job runs long due to inspection delays or material availability.
| Payment | Amount | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit | 25 to 30% | Customer signs the quote |
| Progress draw | 35 to 40% | Rough-in inspection passes |
| Final | Remaining balance | Final inspection passes |
How do you use the free electrical estimate template?
Download the template from Gumroad. It opens directly in Google Sheets. Fill in your company info once in the Setup tab. Add your materials and labor rates to the Price Book. After that, every estimate you build pulls from those numbers automatically.
- Download and open The template opens in Google Sheets. No install required.
- Fill in Setup Enter your company name, license number, contact info, tax rate, and default markup. Do this once.
- Build your Price Book Add every material and labor rate you use with unit costs and today's date as the starting point.
- Start a new estimate Enter the job name, line items, quantities, and categories. The math runs automatically.
- Check the Quote tab The customer-facing document is already built from your estimate. No re-entry needed.
- Set payment milestones Enter the milestone names and percentages. Amounts calculate from the quote total.
- Write exclusions Add exclusions specific to this job. They appear on the quote the customer signs.
- Send it The approval line at the bottom is the customer's sign-off on the scope and price.
Pay what you want. No account required. Opens in your own Google account.
What is Bid Check Pro and when do you need it?
Bid Check Pro is the paid add-on that tracks price changes in your price book and shows you the dollar impact on open bids. You need it when you have multiple estimates out at once and material prices move before you close the job.
The free template shows a Last Updated date for every item. Bid Check Pro tells you what a specific price move costs you on a bid you have not yet sent, across every open estimate at once.
Most contractors with one or two open bids at a time do not need it. Contractors running three or more simultaneous bids in categories where copper or conduit prices move frequently find it pays for itself the first time it catches a stale price.
Learn about Bid Check Pro ($99/yr or $12/mo)
Frequently asked questions about electrical estimate templates
Can I use this template on a Mac?
Yes. The template is a Google Sheets file. It works in any browser on Mac, Windows, or any device with a Google account. No software installation is required.
How do I add my company logo to the quote?
The Setup tab has a logo cell. Upload your logo to Google Drive and insert it into that cell using Insert, then Image, then Image in cell. The Quote and Invoice tabs pull it automatically.
How do I price labor in the template?
Add your labor rates to the Price Book under the Labor category, with the task description and your hourly rate as the unit cost. In the Working Estimate, enter hours as the quantity. The template multiplies quantity by unit cost and applies your markup.
What if my tax rules differ from the example?
The Setup tab has a tax rate field. Enter your applicable rate there. The template applies it to the quote total. If your state exempts labor from tax, note which items are non-taxable in the Price Book notes column and calculate your taxable and non-taxable subtotals separately before entry.
Does the template work for commercial electrical jobs?
Yes. The line-item structure works for any job size. For larger commercial jobs, organize your Price Book by category and division. The Exclusions section becomes more important on commercial work where scope creep is more common.
How often should I update my electrical price book?
Any item older than 60 to 90 days should be verified before it goes on a bid. Copper wire and conduit prices move most often. Panel and device prices are more stable. Check your top five most-used material costs every month.