How much does an electrical estimate cost in Ontario?
Short answer
An outsourced electrical estimate in Ontario is usually priced per project, not per square foot or as a percentage of the bid. The fee depends on the size of the drawing set, the systems in scope, the specification, the level of detail and the deadline. At Admiral Electrical you get a fixed price within one working hour of sending the drawings.
What sets the price of an electrical estimate
Estimating time is spent reading documents and counting. Anything that adds reading or counting adds cost; the dollar value of the project does not.
| Factor | Lowers the price | Raises the price |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing set | A few electrical sheets, one building | Many sheets, several buildings or phases |
| Systems in scope | Power and lighting only | Fire alarm, data, security, controls, heat tracing |
| Specification | Short, standard Division 26 | Long specifications with owner standards |
| Addenda | None or few | Many addenda that change the drawings |
| Level of detail | Quantity takeoff only | Full estimate with material and labour |
| Deadline | Several days before closing | Next morning |
| Document quality | Complete circuiting and schedules | Missing schedules, conflicts, unclear existing work |
Fixed price, hourly or per sheet?
Estimating services in Ontario charge in one of three ways:
- Fixed price per project. You know the cost before work starts. This is how we price most jobs.
- Hourly. Useful for open-ended work, such as reviewing someone else's estimate or pricing a long series of addenda. We offer it when it suits the client.
- Per sheet or per square foot. Simple to quote, but it ignores what drives the work: a lighting plan full of fixture types takes longer than a sheet of details.
Avoid any service that charges a percentage of your bid. It rewards a higher number, not a correct one.
How to compare quotes from estimating services
Two quotes are only comparable if they buy the same thing. Before choosing on price, ask:
- Is it a priced estimate with labour, or only a quantity takeoff?
- Are counts shown on marked-up drawings you can check?
- Is every system in the documents included, or only power and lighting?
- Are RFIs and exclusions part of the delivery?
- Who does the work, and how many years have they estimated Ontario projects?
- Is the delivery time guaranteed before your closing?
- Will they defend the estimate if the general contractor questions it? Few do; we do.
The real cost of a cheap estimate
The fee for an estimate is small next to the job it prices. A takeoff that misses one floor of branch wiring in a six-storey building leaves roughly a sixth of that system's cost out of your bid. You either win the job at a loss or spend your own estimator's evening recounting it, which is what you paid to avoid.
That is why we are not the cheapest service: every estimate is prepared by a senior estimator and checked by the owner before it leaves the office.
How to get an exact price
Send a link to the tender documents and your bid closing through the quote request form or to [email protected]. During office hours you get a fixed price and delivery time within one working hour. See how it works and how pricing is set.