Electrical estimating isn’t conduit counting
The slow, mediocre way to estimate electrical scope is to count devices and conduit runs, multiply by a unit price, and call it a bid. That approach gives you a number, but it doesn’t tell you whether you can actually build the job at that number. Modern electrical estimating ties labor hours to physical productivity by phase, by location, by working condition.
A Vortex electrical estimate uses the NECA Manual of Labor Units as the baseline productivity reference, applies project-specific modifiers (new construction vs renovation, ground-floor vs above 60’, existing-building rough-in conditions), and produces labor hours that you can defend in a bid review or arbitrate in a change-order dispute.
What we count
Conductors and conduit
Every conductor and conduit run on the drawings, segregated by:
- Conductor size — #14 AWG through 750 kcmil
- Conductor type — THHN/THWN, XHHW, MC cable, MV cable, instrumentation cable
- Conduit material — EMT, IMC, RMC, PVC Schedule 40/80, flex, liquid-tight flex
- Conduit size — 1/2” through 6”
- Service — feeder, branch circuit, control, signal, life-safety
Conductor lengths are computed from conduit takeoff with full fill calculation; we don’t approximate conductor by “conduit length × number of wires.”
Devices, fixtures, gear
- Switches (single-pole, three-way, four-way, dimmer, occupancy sensor) by type
- Receptacles (general-use, GFCI, isolated ground, USB, special-purpose) by type
- Junction boxes, pull boxes, conduit bodies
- Lighting fixtures by type and lamp source (LED, fluorescent, HID)
- Lighting controls (dimmers, occupancy sensors, daylight controls, BACnet/DALI nodes)
- Panelboards (480/277V, 208/120V, 240V), with breaker schedule
- Transformers (dry-type, K-rated)
- Switchgear and switchboards with breaker schedule
- Motor control centers, VFDs, soft starters
- Generators, ATS, paralleling gear
- Service entrance equipment and grounding
Branch circuits and feeders
Every branch circuit is laid out from the panel schedule — wire size, conduit size, length from panel to first device, plus distribution to each device on the circuit. Feeders are calculated separately by ampacity and run length.
Fire alarm
Where specified as part of electrical scope:
- FACP (control panel), NACs, AHU shut-down relays
- Smoke detectors, heat detectors, duct detectors
- Pull stations, horn/strobes, speakers (voice evac)
- Conduit, conductor (FPLR/FPLP), and devices
- Programming and commissioning hours
NECA labor units — how we use them
The NECA Manual of Labor Units publishes hours per unit for every common electrical task — installing 1/2” EMT in concealed wall (0.045 hr/LF), terminating #12 THHN (0.035 hr/conductor), mounting a duplex receptacle in a metal box (0.30 hr/device), etc.
These are baseline values for normal working conditions. We then apply NECA condition modifiers:
| Condition | Modifier |
|---|---|
| Exposed installation (ceiling, wall) | 1.0× |
| Concealed installation in framed wall | 1.0× |
| Concealed in concrete (footing, slab) | 1.25× |
| Above 15’ floor-to-deck | 1.10× per 15’ increment |
| Hospital / institutional clean conditions | 1.10× |
| Renovation with occupied building | 1.25-1.50× |
| Outdoor / temporary weather conditions | 1.10-1.20× |
| Hazardous (Class I Division 1) | 1.50× |
Final labor hours from the takeoff get multiplied by the local journeyman + apprentice mix labor rate (open shop, IBEW, or other union, depending on the project) to yield direct labor cost.
Software we estimate in
For electrical work specifically, we work in:
- Trimble Accubid Pro — full-feature electrical estimating with built-in NECA labor and assembly library. Deliverable: .qj bid file.
- ConEst IntelliBid — alternative electrical estimating platform popular with mid-size electrical contractors.
- McCormick — for shops on the McCormick suite.
- PlanSwift + Excel — for one-off estimates where the contractor doesn’t use a dedicated platform.
For BIM-coordinated electrical work, we extract quantities from Revit MEP models using Autodesk Quantification or model-mapping rules in Accubid.
Project types we estimate
- Commercial buildings (office, retail, mixed-use)
- Healthcare (hospital, ambulatory, behavioral health) including OSHPD/HCAi electrical
- Industrial (manufacturing, processing, automotive, semiconductor)
- Data centers and telecommunications central offices
- Educational facilities (K-12, higher ed, labs)
- Multi-family residential
- Public works (Davis-Bacon and state prevailing-wage)
- Solar PV (utility-scale, commercial rooftop, residential)
- EV charging infrastructure
- Tenant improvements