How to Quote an Electrical Job: A Step-by-Step Guide for Electricians

Quoting an electrical job means pricing up the full scope of work — materials, labour (first fix and second fix), testing, certification, and compliance — into a clear, itemised estimate the client can accept. Getting it right protects your margin and builds trust.

Electricians who struggle to make decent margins usually have the same problem: they underquote. Not because they lack skill, but because they estimate from memory instead of methodically costing each element of the job. Electrical work has more hidden costs than most trades — compliance, certification, testing — and missing even one line item can wipe out your profit. This guide breaks down a five-step system for quoting electrical work accurately, so you price every job with confidence.

Whether you are quoting a consumer unit upgrade, a full rewire, or a new-build first fix, the process is the same: survey thoroughly, cost every material, price your labour realistically, account for compliance and contingency, and present the quote professionally. Let's walk through each step.

1 Conduct a Thorough Site Survey

A proper site survey is the foundation of an accurate electrical quote. Turning up, glancing at the consumer unit, and scribbling a number on the back of a receipt is how you end up working for free. The survey should be systematic, covering every room and every circuit.

• Check the existing installation. What is the current state of the wiring? Is it modern twin-and-earth or older rubber- or lead-sheathed cable that needs stripping out? What condition is the earthing and bonding in? Is the consumer unit a modern dual RCD split-load board or an old rewireable fuse box?
• Count every point. Walk through each room and count sockets, switches, light fittings, spurs, and any specialist circuits — cooker, shower, immersion heater, electric vehicle charger, outdoor lighting. The point count is the backbone of your materials and labour estimate.
• Assess the cable routes. Will you be running cable through accessible voids, or chasing into solid brick walls? Surface-mounted trunking in a garage is a completely different job to concealed wiring in a lath-and-plaster Victorian terrace. Note floor construction (suspended timber vs solid concrete) as this heavily affects first-fix time.
• Identify complicating factors. Asbestos in artex ceilings or behind fuse boards, lack of loft access, properties with three or more storeys requiring scaffolding access, or the need for temporary supplies during the work.

Tip: Walk through the property with your phone and record a voice note describing every room — what's there now, what the customer wants, and any complications you spot. Tools like VoxTrade let you turn that voice walkthrough directly into an itemised quote, so you capture everything while it's fresh.

2 Break Down Every Material Cost

Electrical materials are relatively cheap per item, but they add up fast across a whole house. The key is to list everything, not just the big-ticket items. A full rewire on a three-bedroom house can easily run to 500+ individual items when you include every connector, clip, and grommet.

• Cable. Price by the metre for each type you'll need: 1.0mm twin-and-earth for lighting, 2.5mm for ring mains, 6mm for showers and cookers, 10mm for high-powered showers or EV chargers, plus SWA if you are running outdoor circuits. A typical three-bed rewire uses 400-600 metres of cable in total.
• Consumer unit. A quality 18-way RCBO board from a reputable manufacturer costs between £180 and £350 at trade price. Don't skimp here — it is the heart of the installation and the component the testing inspector will scrutinise most closely.
• Sockets, switches, and plates. Standard white moulded accessories are a few pounds each. If the customer wants brushed chrome, antique brass, or a smart-home compatible range, the cost per point can jump from £3 to £15-30. Confirm the finish before you quote.
• Light fittings and LED downlights. Clarify whether you are supplying fittings or the customer is. If you are supplying, get exact specifications. Fire-rated LED downlights for bathrooms and kitchens cost more than basic GU10 holders.
• Back boxes, fixings, and sundries. Metal back boxes, grommets, cable clips, connector blocks, earth sleeving, red-stripe sleeving for switch lines, fire-rated pattresses, and DIN rail components. Budget a realistic sundries allowance — £80 to £150 for a full rewire is typical.

Add a 10-15% markup on materials to cover breakages, price increases between quoting and purchasing, and the time you spend sourcing and collecting them. If the customer is providing their own accessories, state this clearly in the quote to avoid confusion.

3 Price Your Labour: First Fix vs Second Fix

Electrical work splits naturally into two phases, and it helps to price them separately. This gives the customer transparency and protects you if there is a gap between phases — common on renovation projects where plastering happens between first and second fix.

• First fix covers running cables, fitting back boxes, installing the consumer unit, and getting everything ready for the plasterer. This is the labour-intensive phase. On a full rewire of a three-bed house, expect 3-5 days of first-fix work depending on the cable routes and property construction. At a day rate of £250-£350, that is £750-£1,750 for first fix alone.
• Second fix covers fitting faceplates, connecting accessories, hanging light fittings, final connections at the consumer unit, and making everything live. Second fix is typically 1-2 days on the same three-bed house, so £250-£700.
• Don't forget testing time. A full EICR on a rewired property takes 2-4 hours depending on the number of circuits. This is skilled work that must be done properly, so price it as a separate labour line rather than absorbing it into the second-fix day.
• Include travel, parking, and setup. If the job is 40 minutes away, that is over an hour of unpaid driving each day. Over a week-long rewire, that is five-plus hours of travel. Either build this into your day rate or add it as a separate line item.

Tip: Keep a record of how long different job types actually take you — not how long you think they should take. After five or ten rewires, you will have accurate benchmarks that make future quoting much faster. A full rewire on a standard three-bed semi typically runs £3,500-£5,500 all-in, depending on specification and location.

4 Factor in Compliance and Certification Costs

Electrical work carries regulatory requirements that other trades do not. Missing these from your quote is a common and costly mistake. The customer rarely understands these costs upfront, so spelling them out in the quote actually builds trust — it shows you are doing the job properly.

• Part P Building Regulations. Most domestic electrical work that involves new circuits, consumer unit changes, or work in kitchens and bathrooms is notifiable under Part P. If you are registered with a competent person scheme (NAPIT, NICEIC, ELECSA, etc.), your annual registration fee covers the notification. If not, the customer must apply for building control approval, which costs £200-£400 and adds delays. Factor your scheme membership cost into your overheads.
• Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC). Required for all new installations and rewires. The time to complete the certificate and associated schedules of test results is real work — typically 1-2 hours of desk time on top of the physical testing. Don't give this away for free.
• EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report). If the customer needs a condition report on the existing installation as part of the scope, quote it separately. A domestic EICR typically takes 2-4 hours and is priced at £150-£300 depending on the size of the property and the number of circuits.
• Minor Works Certificates. For smaller notifiable jobs — adding a spur, fitting a new cooker circuit — you still need to produce a Minor Works Certificate. Allow time for this in every quote, even small ones.
• Consumer unit replacement costs. A straightforward like-for-like consumer unit upgrade in a property with existing twin-and-earth wiring and adequate earthing typically costs £800-£1,200 including the board, labour, testing, and certification. If the earthing or bonding needs upgrading, add £100-£200.

Also consider contingency. Older properties, especially pre-1970s builds, frequently reveal wiring issues that were not visible during the survey — aluminium wiring, missing earth conductors, circuits wired in ways that do not meet current regulations. Add 10-15% contingency for older properties. For newer properties with known wiring, 5% is usually sufficient. State in the quote that additional work discovered during the installation will be priced as a variation with the customer's agreement before proceeding.

5 Present the Quote Professionally

A well-presented quote does more than communicate a price. It demonstrates competence and builds confidence. Customers choosing between two electricians at similar prices will almost always pick the one whose quote looked more professional and more detailed.

• Itemise everything. Break the quote into clear sections — first fix labour, second fix labour, testing and certification, materials (grouped by category), and any provisional sums or contingency. The customer should be able to see exactly what they are getting for their money.
• Describe the scope of work. A short paragraph at the top of the quote describing what the job involves — "Full rewire of three-bedroom semi-detached house including 12 double sockets, 8 lighting points, cooker circuit, shower circuit, and new 18-way RCBO consumer unit" — eliminates ambiguity and protects both parties.
• State inclusions and exclusions. Will you be making good plasterwork after chasing? Are you chasing channels or leaving that to a builder? Are you supplying light fittings or is the customer? Is the quote subject to the condition of existing wiring once first fix begins? Being explicit prevents disputes.
• Include payment terms and validity. "30% deposit on acceptance, 40% on completion of first fix, balance on completion and certification. Quote valid for 28 days." Clear terms set professional expectations and protect you against material price rises.
• List your credentials. Include your competent person scheme registration number, public liability insurance, and any specialist qualifications (EV charger installation, solar PV, commercial work). These details reassure customers and differentiate you from unregistered competitors.

Speed matters too. Using VoxTrade, you can walk through the property, describe the job out loud, and generate a fully itemised, branded PDF quote before you leave the site. No more spending evenings typing up quotes from scribbled notes — the customer gets a professional document while the conversation is still fresh.

Tip: Follow up within 48 hours if you haven't heard back. A quick message — "Just checking you received the quote, happy to go through any of the line items if you have questions" — keeps you front of mind and shows you are organised and interested in the work.

Wrapping Up

Quoting electrical work accurately is the single biggest lever you have for protecting your margins. The electricians who consistently make good money are not necessarily the fastest on the tools — they are the ones who survey properly, cost every cable and connector, price their labour honestly, include compliance costs, and present quotes that win trust.

The system is repeatable: thorough site survey, detailed material breakdown, realistic labour split across first and second fix, full compliance and contingency costs, and a professional quote delivered fast. Apply it consistently and you will underprice fewer jobs, waste less time on unprofitable work, and build a reputation as a professional who gets the details right.

If you are an electrician looking for a faster way to turn site visits into accurate quotes, VoxTrade was built for exactly this. Speak your way through the job, and the app handles the rest — materials, labour, certification line items, and a professional PDF your customer can approve on the spot. Check out the blog for more trade-specific quoting guides.