Free electrical estimate template

A fill-in estimate for residential electrical service calls and small jobs: outlets, switches, light fixtures and ceiling fans, GFCI and AFCI devices, panel work, new circuits, and EV charger circuits, with your pricing basis written on it. Type it in on this page, then print it or save it as a PDF to send. The gray hints in each line are only suggestions and don't print.

Nothing leaves your device. Everything you type into the estimate stays in this browser tab. It isn't uploaded, saved, or sent anywhere, so refreshing or closing the page clears it. Save as PDF before you close it.

Electrical work is often restricted to licensed electricians. In many places, much of it needs a license, a permit, or both. This page is about writing the estimate. It doesn't give instructions for doing any electrical work.

What an electrical estimate should spell out

"Add a couple of outlets" can turn into a new circuit, a full panel, or old wiring nobody expected. Writing down how you price, what each line covers, and what happens when you find more keeps the job and the bill from turning into an argument. A few habits help:

• State your pricing basis. Say on the estimate whether the job is flat rate (a set price per task), time and materials (your hourly rate plus materials), or a mix. If you charge a service call or trip fee, put it on its own line and say what it covers (for example the trip and the diagnosis) and whether it's credited toward the job if the customer goes ahead.
• One line per item or task. Outlets or receptacles, switches or dimmers, light fixtures, ceiling fans, GFCI or AFCI devices: give each kind its own line with a count, so the customer can see what each costs and drop one without a re-quote. Say whether each is a replacement in an existing box or a new location.
• Panel work and new circuits on their own lines. Describe panel work plainly (for example a panel replacement, or adding breakers) and give each new circuit its own line that says what it feeds, such as a kitchen appliance or a garage.
• EV charger circuit as its own line. Price the circuit for an EV charger separately from everything else, and say whether the charger itself is included or supplied by the customer. If the panel doesn't have room for the circuit, that's a separate line too, not a surprise on the day.
• Check local code and your license rules. Code requirements and what your license lets you do vary by state and city. Check your local code, your license rules, and the manufacturer's instructions before you quote, and put anything the job needs on its own line instead of finding it on the day.
• Materials, and who supplies them. Put materials (wire, boxes, devices, breakers) on their own line, or say they're included in each flat price. Say whether you supply fixtures, fans, and devices or the customer does. If the customer supplies a fixture, say what you cover: for example, your installation, but not the fixture itself, missing or wrong parts, or an extra trip if it doesn't fit or won't mount.
• Old wiring and undersized panels: stop and price. If you open a box and find old wiring (for example knob-and-tube or aluminum branch wiring), or the panel is too small for what the customer wants added, say you'll stop, show the customer, and price that work as a change before going on.
• Wall and ceiling access: stop and price, and say who patches. If running wire means opening a wall or ceiling, or working in an attic or crawlspace, say you'll stop and price it first. Say plainly whether drywall patching afterward is included or not included.
• Permits and inspection. Say who pulls the permit, if one is needed, and who schedules the inspection. Put the permit and inspection fee on its own line.
• Emergency and after-hours rate. If you charge a different rate for nights, weekends, holidays, or emergency calls, write that rate on its own line so it isn't a surprise on the invoice.
• Warranty: parts vs. workmanship. Fixtures, devices, and other parts carry the manufacturer's warranty, on their terms. Your workmanship terms cover your installation. Keep them separate on the estimate, and write your own workmanship terms (what's covered, for how long, and what isn't). Don't promise coverage you don't control.
• Valid-until date, deposit, and payment terms. How long the price holds (material prices can change), any deposit to schedule or to order a panel or fixture, when the balance is due, and how you take payment, including your own payment link if you use one. See how to ask for a deposit for wording.

For the longer walk-through (scope wording, exclusions, change orders, sign-off), see how to write a contractor estimate.

This is a general template, not legal or safety advice. Many places require a licensed electrician, and a permit, for electrical work. Licensing and permit rules vary by state and city, so check yours before you quote. For workplace electrical safety, see OSHA's electrical safety page.

Your estimate

Job done? Use the free printable invoice template to bill for it. Need a plain version without electrical hints? Use the general estimate template. Fixing other things on the same visit? Use the handyman estimate template. Patching a wall or ceiling you opened to run wire? Use the drywall estimate template. Quoting a furnace, AC, or heat pump job? Use the HVAC estimate template.

Doing this from your phone

Pencilslip is in development: it will build electrical estimates like this from your phone, with job photos and your own payment links. Want to hear when it's ready?

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Want to try it now? The early app preview already works in your phone's browser: estimates, invoices, job photos, your own payment link, and a PDF you can send. No account needed. It saves only on this device, so download a backup from Settings now and then.