The difference between a winning electrical bid and a losing one is rarely the price. It is almost always the process: a missed fixture schedule, a spec that changes the wiring method, a labor rate that does not match your market. That is why professional estimators run a checklist on every bid — and why we are publishing ours.
Below is the 20-step checklist Apex Electric Estimating Inc runs before any estimate ships. It works the same on a $65 single-trade takeoff and a $10,000 general contractor package.
Phase 1: Scope & Documents (Steps 1-5)
1. Confirm you have the complete drawing set. Architectural, structural, electrical, and any MEP sheets — plus specs. A missing sheet is the number one source of surprise scope later.
2. Check the drawing issue date and revision log. Bids priced against outdated plans are won and lost before you start. Note every revision and verify you are quoting the correct issue.
3. Read the specifications before the takeoff, not after. Division 26 (electrical) is mandatory reading, but so are Division 27 (communications) and Division 28 (electronic safety and security) if they are in your scope — plus any division with equipment you have to connect.
4. Flag ambiguities and open questions. Anything unclear — a fixture schedule that contradicts the floor plan, an unlabeled riser — becomes a priced assumption or a clarification to the GC. Never guess silently.
5. Confirm the scope boundary. What is included and, just as important, what is excluded: feeders to switchgear? Fire alarm? Temporary power? Write the exclusions into your bid.
Phase 2: Takeoff & Quantities (Steps 6-10)
6. Perform the takeoff sheet by sheet, system by system. Power, lighting, fire alarm, low-voltage — keep them separate. Mixed takeoffs produce mixed-quality bids.
7. Use assemblies, not single-line counts. Counting a fixture should automatically pull in boxes, straps, connectors, and branch wire. Assembly-based estimating (Accubid, IntelliBid, PlanSwift assemblies) is how estimators catch the “small stuff” that adds up to real money.
8. Measure conduits and cable runs, don’t estimate them. Linear footage must be measured from the plans — and include vertical risers, which are the items most often forgotten.
9. Reconcile the takeoff against the panel schedules and one-lines. If the drawings show 40 panels but your takeoff priced 38, find the missing two before you bid.
10. Color-code your marked-up plans. A colored takeoff is a verifiable takeoff. If your estimator cannot show you exactly what was measured and where, the quantity review is guesswork.
Phase 3: Pricing & Labor (Steps 11-15)
11. Price materials to the project’s zip code, not national averages. Supplier pricing varies by market. Use location-adjusted cost data (RSMeans with location factors, or regional distributor quotes) so your number reflects your market.
12. Build labor hours from productivity data, not memory. Hours per man-day for conduit, wiring, and device installation varies by project type and region. Calibrate to the project, then validate the total hours against the crew size and schedule.
13. Include the costs everyone forgets. Equipment connections, temporary power, coordination with other trades, dumpsters and material handling on large jobs, final testing and commissioning, and permit fees where they are in scope.
14. Apply the right wage rates. If the job is prevailing wage, public work, or union jurisdiction, use the correct rates. A low labor number will win the bid and lose the project.
15. Price alternates and options separately. Owner alternates belong in the bid as line items, not buried in the base number. Your number should be comparable bid to bid.
Phase 4: Review & Submission (Steps 16-20)
16. Run a second-review pass on the takeoff. A fresh set of eyes walks the colored plans against the drawing set. This catches the fixture you skipped on page 12 and the feeder implied by the panel schedule on page 30.
17. Verify the math. Extended costs, markup, and rounding errors are embarrassing and expensive. Recalculate or let the estimating software do it.
18. Check exclusions and clarifications are written down. “Bid does not include underground site utilities per addendum 2” — written in the bid, not assumed.
19. Confirm your delivery date against the bid deadline. If your estimator cannot hit the date, say so early. A late bid is a dead bid, and rush estimating exists for exactly this reason — leave time for it.
20. Review the final number as a GC would. Would you award this bid to yourself? If the number is not defensible line by line, it is not ready.
How Apex Puts This Checklist to Work
Every estimate Apex Electric Estimating Inc delivers runs through this process, with two extras: a senior review on every estimate before it ships, and free revisions when the scope changes after delivery.
| Scope | Price | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Single-trade scope (one system or division) | From $65 | 24-48 hours |
| Residential / light commercial | $400 - $1,000 | 24-48 hours |
| Full GC packages | $1,000 - $10,000 | 3-5 business days |
| Rush delivery for bid deadlines | Quote on request | 24 hours or faster |
If you have a bid deadline coming up and no estimator on the bench, email your plans to [email protected]. You will get a firm flat-fee quote within 15-30 minutes — and the full checklist above running on your drawings.