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Electrical estimate template for service calls, panels and rewiring

One page that says what you found, what you'll do and what it takes. Copy it, fill in your details once, and send it the same day you walk the job.

2 min read

The short answer

A good electrical estimate template names what you found, then lists labor, each material by name and size, the permit, the utility and the inspection, and any patching, each on its own line. It says what isn't included, what happens if you open a wall and find old wiring, and how long the price holds. One to copy is below.

On this page
  1. An electrical estimate template you can copy
  2. How to write an electrical estimate the customer says yes to
  3. Panel upgrade and EV charger estimates
  4. Flat rate or time and materials?
  5. Sending it the same day you walk the job

An electrical estimate template you can copy

Start with what the customer asked for, then what you found. A homeowner who called about a breaker that keeps tripping wants to see that you heard them before they read the lines.

Electrical estimate

From
[Your business name], [phone], [license number]
For
[Customer name], [job address]
Estimate number
[E-118]
Date
[Today]. This price holds for [30 days].
What you called about
[Breaker keeps tripping, adding an EV charger, lights flicker]
What we found
[Overloaded kitchen circuit, 100 amp panel at capacity, loose neutral]
WorkQtyAmount
[Labor: what we'll install or repair, in plain words][hours][amount]
[Materials by name and size: 20 amp GFCI outlets, 12/2 wire][count][amount]
[Panel or equipment: make, size]1[amount]
[Permit, utility disconnect and inspection]1[amount]
[Patch the holes we cut, if you do that]1[amount]
Total[total]

Not included: [painting, drywall finishing, or anything else you're leaving out].

If we open a wall and find old or unsafe wiring, we stop, show you photos and price it before we go on.

Warranty: [labor warranty]. Materials and equipment: per the manufacturer.

To go ahead: sign below or reply yes, and we'll set a day. [Deposit terms]

How to write an electrical estimate the customer says yes to

Most homeowners can't tell a breaker from a bus bar. The estimate is how they understand the job, so make it easy to follow.

  • Say what you found first. A loose neutral or a panel that's full. Attach the photos.
  • Name the materials. The size and type, not just "devices". It answers the call asking what they're paying for.
  • Put the permit on its own line. Customers don't expect it unless they see it.
  • Say what happens behind the wall. Old wiring is the biggest surprise on an electrical job.
  • Give it an end date. A price that holds for 30 days gets a decision sooner.

Panel upgrade and EV charger estimates

Bigger jobs need a few more lines. On a panel upgrade, list the new panel and main breaker, the breakers you're moving, grounding and bonding, and the permit, utility disconnect and inspection on their own lines. On an EV charger, say where it goes, how long the run is, whether the panel has room, and whether a panel upgrade is part of it or a separate choice.

Panel estimate by text

Hi [name], it's [your name] from [shop]. Your panel is full, so the new charger needs a bigger one. We'd swap to a [size] amp panel, move your circuits over and handle the permit and the utility. [Amount], about [days] days, power off for part of one. The full estimate is attached. Want us on [day]?

Flat rate or time and materials?

Both work, as long as the customer can tell which one they're getting. A flat price suits jobs you've done a hundred times, like adding an outlet or swapping a fixture. Time and materials suits troubleshooting, where you can't see the problem yet. If you use it, give a range of hours and say you'll call before you go past it.

Sending it the same day you walk the job

The electrician who sends the estimate that afternoon usually gets the job. The hard part is typing it up between calls from a voice note and a few photos of the panel. Get your notes into one place on site, or have them turned into a draft estimate that's waiting for your prices when you get back in the truck.

By hand5 steps
  1. Find the notes from the walk-through
  2. Scroll the camera roll for the panel photos
  3. Type every line into the estimate
  4. Save it as a PDF
  5. Email or text it to the customer

For every walk-through, usually after the last job of the day.

Set up onceWaiting on you

Your notes from 9 Linden Ave are in. Here's the estimate, with your prices left blank.

Electrical estimate for the Brooks home, 9 Linden Ave: upgrade the 100 amp panel to 200 amp, move existing circuits, add a 50 amp circuit for the EV charger in the garage, permit and utility disconnect. Four photos attached. Your price on each line.

Notes from the walk-through turned into a draft estimate the same day. You price it and send it.

See the estimates job →
NextEstimates drafted from your site notesSee how the estimates job turns notes and photos into a draft you price.

Questions about electrical estimates

Something else on your mind? Ask us on the fit call. No pitch, and we'll say if it isn't a fit.

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Write down what the customer asked for and what you found, then list labor, each material by name and size, the permit and inspection, and any patching, each on its own line. Add what's not included, what happens if you find old wiring, and how long the price holds.

Yes, on its own line. Customers rarely expect a permit, so seeing it up front saves a surprise on the invoice. Check what your town requires for the job.

Thirty days is common. Wire and equipment prices move, and a clear end date helps the customer decide. Write the date on the estimate, not just the number of days.

Keep your notes and photos in one place on site, so the estimate is mostly filled in before you leave. In a Commonhouse setup, AI drafts the estimate from your site notes and a person on your team adds the prices, checks it and sends it.

Send it before the next call.

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