For electricians
Quoting for electricians
Points, switches, fans, a switchboard, a run of cable: most electrical quotes are a count of standard items plus labour. That is exactly what a price list is for. Put the items in once with your price, count them on site, pick the quantity, send.
Quote from Harbourline Plumbing
Hot water unit replacement
| Remove old unit and dispose | $180.00 |
| 250L electric unit, supplied | $1,290.00 |
| Install, valves and compliance | $420.00 |
| Total | $1,890.00 |
Sent from the ute. Follow-up goes out Thursday if there is no answer.
What gets in the way for electricians
Counting on site, pricing at home
You walk the house counting points and downlights, then sit down at night to turn the count into a price. The count is the price if your list already has the per-item rate.
Switchboard upgrades and the unknown
You cannot see behind the board until it is off. The quote needs a fixed price for what you can see and a plain sentence about what happens if you find more. The note is where that sentence goes.
Customers who want the cheapest point
A quote that lists each point at a price looks dearer than a single number from someone else, but it is the one the customer can check against the finished job. Line items win arguments.
Certificates and compliance in the quote
Testing and the certificate of electrical safety are part of the job and part of the price. A line that says so stops the question later.
A worked example
Electrician work, with Quote Desk
A fictional one-person business, Bright Lane Electrical, keeps a price list of about fifteen items: call-out fee $110 each, labour $105 an hour, double power point $165 each, LED downlight supply and fit $95 each, ceiling fan install (customer supplies fan) $220 each, switchboard upgrade with safety switches $1,850 each, testing and certificate $90 each.
A builder forwards an email for a small extension: eight double power points, twelve downlights, two fans, and a sub-circuit. The electrician presses Quote this, picks the four list items with quantities 8, 12, 2 and 1, types a line for the sub-circuit at $480, and adds testing and certificate x1. The total adds itself. The note says the price includes GST, that the builder supplies the fans, and that the work is quoted for the rough-in stage with a second visit for fit-off. He sends it from the site. The builder accepts it on his phone that afternoon.
For a switchboard in an older house she quotes the upgrade as one line and writes in the note that any asbestos backing board found behind the existing board is a separate quote. The customer declines, saying another electrician was cheaper. That reason is on the quote's page. She reads it, decides her price was right, and moves on.
Talk of the Trade
Electricians on Talk of the Trade
Talk of the Trade ranks electricians by how many Google reviews they have. Figures as of October 2026.
See the lists on Talk of the Trade. Being listed there has nothing to do with using Quote Desk: no listing is sold and no rank changes.
Questions from electricians
Can I quote per point and per hour on the same quote?
Yes. Lines are independent. Points at a fixed price each, labour by the hour for the odd bit the points do not cover.
How do I handle a builder who wants a quote for the rough-in and the fit-off separately?
Two quotes, one for each stage, each with its own accept link. The quotes page shows both under the builder's name.
How many electricians are on Talk of the Trade?
As of October 2026 the directory has 225 ranked lists of electricians, with 2,725 businesses listed in New South Wales, 2,071 in Victoria and 1,939 in Queensland. Quote Desk does not affect any listing.
Also for
Other trades and shops
Send the next one from the ute.
Free is five quotes a month with no card. If you send more than that, Starter is $39 a month. Either way the set-up is typing in your price list.