Electrical Quote Template

Download the Electrical Quote Template

Fill the electrical quote in above, then export it in whichever format the customer asked for. Nothing is uploaded and there is no account to create.

• Word (.docx)
• PDF
• Google Docs
• Excel (.xlsx)

What to Include in an Electrical Quote

Quote number, date and expiry date (required)

A quote is a price you are committing to, so it needs an end date. Copper, load centers and specialty breakers all move, and lead times stretch. Two to four weeks is a normal window. Without an expiry you are holding today's price for a customer who calls back in March with your quote in hand.

Fixed scope, written as deliverables (required)

On a quote, the scope is the boundary of your obligation, so write countable outcomes: supply and install eleven circuits, thirty-one devices, twelve recessed fixtures, one 200A panel. Verbs like "upgrade," "finish" and "handle" cost money on a fixed price because the customer's definition expands and yours cannot.

What the price includes (required)

Spell out the things a customer assumes and a competitor may have left out: devices and plates, breakers, circuit testing, a typed panel directory, permit and final inspection, debris haul-away, and cleanup. On a fixed-price comparison, the quote that lists inclusions wins against the cheaper one that lists nothing.

Exclusions, as a numbered list (required)

Drywall cutting and patching, paint, trenching and concrete, fire alarm and low-voltage, temporary power, generator interlocks, and abatement of asbestos, lead or knob-and-tube. On a fixed price the exclusion list is the only thing standing between you and doing another trade's work for free.

Assumptions the price depends on (required)

Write them as conditions: the existing service has capacity for the added load, there is no aluminum branch wiring, walls are open at rough-in, attic and crawlspace are accessible and clear, and the work happens in one mobilization. If an assumption turns out false, that is what converts the situation into a change order instead of an argument.

Allowances for owner-selected items

When the customer has not picked fixtures yet, carry a stated allowance rather than guessing. Say plainly that the allowance is reconciled against actual receipts, with the difference billed or credited, and that installation labor assumes standard mounting. A chandelier at four times the allowance is a labor change as well as a material one.

Fixed price total, optionally split by phase (required)

Lead with one committed number. Splitting it by phase — service, rough-in, trim — lets a customer drop a section cleanly, which is useful. Do not show hourly rates and material costs on a quote the way you would on an estimate; on a price you have already committed to, a cost breakdown only invites line-by-line negotiation.

Change order procedure and rates (required)

This clause is what makes a fixed price survivable. State that additional work is authorized in writing before it starts, and publish the rate it will be priced at now — hourly labor plus materials at cost plus a stated markup. Agreeing the rate before anyone needs it removes the pressure from the conversation on site.

Deposit and payment schedule (required)

Tie payments to verifiable events, not calendar dates: deposit on acceptance, progress payment at rough-in inspection pass, balance at final inspection. Several states limit deposits on residential contracts and regulate progress payment terms, so check your state's home improvement rules before you standardize a percentage.

Permits, inspections and utility coordination (required)

Name who applies, who pays, and how many inspections are covered. If the utility has to disconnect and reconnect, say that their scheduling drives the date and give the expected outage window. On a fixed price a re-inspection caused by another trade should be an extra, and this is the field where you say so.

Schedule, lead times and required access (required)

State the start window, the working days needed, and any gear lead time you are waiting on. Add that the price assumes continuous access — a fixed price built on one mobilization stops being valid when the general contractor sends you home twice and you drive back three times.

License number, insurance and workmanship warranty (required)

Your license and insurance make the quote credible against a lower unlicensed number, and the warranty period tells the customer what they are buying beyond the install. Distinguish your workmanship warranty from the manufacturer's warranty on fixtures and gear — especially anything the owner supplied.

Acceptance signature and date (required)

The signature line is what turns the quote into the agreed scope and price, and it is the page you return to when someone remembers the job differently. What makes a signed quote enforceable, and what disclosures residential work requires, varies by state, so have local counsel review the block once.

Electrical Quote Example

Fixed price: $6,785.00. Quote #EQ-2431, valid 30 days from the date above. Price assumes the existing 200A service has capacity for the added load (verified at walkthrough), no aluminum branch wiring, walls open and accessible at rough-in, and one mobilization for rough and one for trim. Excludes drywall cutting and patching, paint, cabinet modifications, appliance connection beyond the receptacle, gas work, and any low-voltage or data. Additional work approved in writing before it begins, billed at $115/hr journeyman plus materials at cost plus 15%. Payment: 25% on acceptance, 40% on passed rough inspection, balance on final inspection. One-year workmanship warranty; owner-supplied fixtures carry only the manufacturer's warranty.

How to Write an Electrical Quote

1. Only quote what you can actually see

   Fixed prices belong on defined work: a panel change on an accessible wall, a new circuit run through open framing, a fixture package on a plan set. If the job depends on what is behind finished plaster, write an estimate with a variance instead, or quote the investigation separately and quote the work after.

2. Write the scope as a count, not as a verb

   Turn the walkthrough into numbers: circuits, devices, fixtures, home runs, panels, and the length of each run. Everything you commit to should be countable on site by someone else. That count is what a change order gets measured against later.

3. Build your price, then hide the build

   Do the full labor-hour and material takeoff privately, add your contingency for a fixed price, and present the committed number. Keep the takeoff in your file. It is what you will use to price a change order and to check the job afterward, but it does not belong on the customer's page.

4. List exclusions and assumptions in plain language

   Two short numbered lists. Exclusions are work you are not doing; assumptions are the conditions your price depends on. Between them they cover almost every way a fixed-price electrical job goes sideways — patching, aluminum wiring, blocked walls, second mobilizations, owner-supplied fixtures that do not fit.

5. Set allowances for anything not yet chosen

   If the customer has not selected fixtures, carry an allowance with a stated dollar figure and say it is reconciled against receipts. This keeps the quote firm on the work you control while leaving the part you do not control clearly variable.

6. Publish the change order rate before you need it

   Write the hourly rate and material markup that any extra work will be billed at, and state that extras require written approval before they start. Negotiating a rate mid-job, with the wall open and the customer waiting, never goes in your favor.

7. Date it, expire it, and send it in the right format

   Put the quote number, the date and the expiry on the page. Send a PDF for signature, and provide the electrical quote template in Word when a general contractor needs the scope pasted into a subcontract, or in Excel when they are leveling several bids on one sheet.

Blank Printable Version

Need something to fill in by hand on site? Leave the fields empty and export — you get a blank printable electrical quote form on US Letter with the line-item grid, totals box and signature line already ruled off.

Print a blank electrical quote form

Turn This Quote Into an Invoice

Once the job is approved, the quote should become an invoice without you retyping a single line. That is the next thing we are building. Leave your email and we will tell you when it works.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an electrical estimate and an electrical quote?

An estimate is your best price given what you can see, with a stated variance, and it can move when conditions behind the wall turn out differently. A quote is a firm price for a fixed scope — you carry the risk of your own takeoff being wrong. That is why quotes need tighter scope, an exclusion list, written assumptions and a change order clause, and why they usually carry more contingency than the same job estimated.

Can I change the price after the customer accepts a quote?

Only for work outside the quoted scope, and only through the change order procedure you put on the page — written approval before the work starts, priced at the rate you published. You cannot re-price the quoted scope because your takeoff was short. Whether a signed quote binds you, and what residential disclosures apply, depends on your state, so get local advice on your standard terms.

How long should an electrical quote stay valid?

Two to four weeks for most residential work. Shorten it when you are holding a price on gear with volatile pricing or long lead times, and note that the material portion may need to be re-confirmed if the customer accepts after the expiry. Always print the expiry date on the quote rather than relying on the issue date.

Should I show a price breakdown on a quote?

Show phases if it helps the customer make a decision — service, rough-in, trim — so they can drop a phase cleanly. Do not show your hourly rate and material costs. On an estimate a breakdown builds trust; on a committed fixed price it turns into a line-by-line negotiation about your margin rather than about the work.

What if the customer wants to supply their own fixtures?

Quote the labor to install them, exclude the fixtures themselves, and write that you warrant the installation but not the equipment. Add a condition that fixtures must be on site and complete before the trim date, since a missing mounting bracket on a fixed-price job is your return trip. If nothing has been selected yet, use an allowance instead.

Do I need a signed quote before I pull the permit?

Get the signature and the deposit first as a matter of practice — the permit ties your license to the job and often has a fee you will not get back. Requirements for who may apply and what has to be in place before an application are set locally, so check with the authority having jurisdiction in the city where the work is.