Electrical quotation format (with sample)

An electrical quotation format has a header, an itemised table with one line per cable run, point or piece of switchgear, each with a unit, quantity, rate and amount, then subtotal, tax and grand total, and a block of assumptions and exclusions. Below: the format, a ten-line sample priced in PKR, and the Excel file to download.

What must an electrical quotation contain?

An electrical quotation must let the client see what is being installed, how much of it, and at what rate, and let you defend each number later. That means specific descriptions (cable size, conduit type, device rating), consistent units, a visible tax line and the exclusions written out. These are the parts, in the order they appear in the file.

• Header: business name, address, phone, tax or registration number; client and site; quote number; date; valid until; payment terms.
• Cable lines in metres, one per circuit type: 2.5 mm² for lighting, 4 mm² for sockets, 6 mm² for AC and water heater circuits. State the conduit (PVC, flexible or MS).
• Point lines in numbers: sockets, switches, light fittings, fan points, AC points, geyser points, each with its rating and finish.
• Switchgear: the distribution board as one line, with the number of ways, the main isolator rating and whether an RCCB is included.
• Earthing as its own line, never bundled into "miscellaneous".
• Testing and certification: insulation resistance, earth loop, labelling, test certificate.
• Totals: subtotal, tax at an editable percentage (17% sales tax in Pakistan, 5% VAT in the UAE), grand total.
• Assumptions, exclusions and terms.

Point: one outlet position, including the back box, the device, the connection and the cable tail from the nearest junction. Cable between points is measured and priced separately in metres.

What does a sample electrical quotation look like?

The sample below is the electrical fit-out of a small retail shop in Pakistan, ten lines, priced in PKR. The rates are illustrative; your supplier and your electricians set the real ones. Priced in AED for a Dubai shop the structure would be identical, with VAT at 5% and a DEWA inspection line added.

How do you fill in the template?

The file opens with the sample lines in place so you can see how a finished quotation reads. Overwrite them with your own job; the formulas in the Amount column and the totals block recalculate as you go. Five steps:

1. Replace the header placeholders. Your business details, the client's name and site, a new quote number, today's date and a validity date. Thirty days is normal; shorter when copper prices are moving.
2. Count the points from the drawing or the walk-through. Sockets, switches, lights, fans, AC and geyser points, room by room. Write each type as its own line in numbers.
3. Measure the cable runs. Walk the route from the distribution board to the furthest point of each circuit type and add 10 to 15 percent for drops and waste. Enter the metres per cable size.
4. Add the single lines. Distribution board with its way count and protection, earthing, any special feeds (signboard, pump, gate motor), and testing with the certificate.
5. Set the tax cell and finish the second sheet. Type 17, 5 or 0, then complete the assumptions and exclusions on the second sheet, read them as the client would, and save the file under the quote number.

Which assumptions and exclusions should an electrical quotation list?

Electrical work is where "I thought that was included" costs the most, because the chasing, the making good and the supply upgrade sit at the boundary with other trades. Name them. The checklist below covers the lines that come up on nearly every domestic and small commercial job.

• Supply: single-phase or three-phase available at the meter; capacity sufficient for the new load.
• Civil: wall chasing, conduit burying, making good and painting after installation, included or excluded.
• Access: ceiling void accessible; false ceiling opened and closed by others if not.
• Fittings: light fittings, fans, ACs and geysers supplied by the client or by you, stated per item.
• Utility: meter upgrade, new connection fees and the DISCO or DEWA inspection charge excluded unless listed.
• Old installation: removal and disposal of existing wiring, included or excluded.
• Validity, payment terms and the warranty period on workmanship.

What are the common errors in electrical quotations?

Electrical quotations fail in predictable ways, and almost all of them trace back to the description or the unit rather than the arithmetic. These are the errors that produce variation orders and unpaid testing, and each one has a one-line fix at the typing stage.

• One cable size for everything. It is either unsafe for the AC circuit or overpriced for the lighting. Price each size on its own line.
• No conduit stated. PVC, flexible and MS conduit cost very differently and look different installed.
• Earthing hidden in "misc". The client cannot see you are doing it properly, and you cannot charge for it properly.
• Testing given away. Insulation resistance and earth loop tests plus the certificate are half a day's work on a small job. Line them.
• Forgetting consumables. Clips, screws, junction boxes, cable ties, markers. The phrase "including clips and terminations" in each cable line bundles them in.
• Undercounting sockets. Modern rooms need four to six outlets each. Count from the furniture layout, not from habit.

How is an electrical quotation different from an electrical BOQ?

The table is the BOQ; the quotation is the BOQ plus the header, totals and terms that make it an offer the client can accept. On a small job you send one document and it is both. On a tender the client issues the BOQ with quantities and you fill in rates only. The worked electrical BOQ example shows a 16-line rewiring job in the same layout, and how to calculate profit margin on quotes covers setting the rates.