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Plain answer

How do I give a budget price on incomplete electrical drawings?

Price what's drawn, carry allowances for what isn't, and put every assumption in writing. Give a range rather than a single number, name the drawing set and date you priced, and say plainly that it's a budget, not a bid. A budget number tends to become the number the GC remembers, so make sure it travels with its assumptions.

Common electrical bid exclusionsSee a sample report

How to build it

  1. 1

    Name what you priced

    List the drawing set, its revision and date, and the spec sections, if any. Everything not on that list is outside the budget.

  2. 2

    Price what's drawn

    Count and price what the drawings show. Where a system is only described, price it from your own similar jobs.

  3. 3

    Carry allowances for what isn't designed

    Name each one: fixtures, gear, fire alarm, low voltage, site lighting. An allowance with a clear description is easier to adjust later than a hidden contingency.

  4. 4

    Write down the assumptions

    The service size, the utility arrangement, the wiring methods, the building type and whether it's occupied. Each one moves the price.

  5. 5

    Give a range and say it isn't a bid

    A range tells the GC how much is still open. State that the number is a budget for planning only, and that you'll price the bid on complete documents.

Questions estimators ask

Should I use cost per square foot?
Only as a check against your own past jobs of the same type. As the main method, it hides the systems that drive the price, like the service, the gear and the fixture package.
Am I bound by a budget price?
Usually not, if you've clearly said it's a budget for planning. But a GC may carry it in their own budget, so keep the assumptions with the number and update it when the design changes.
Can Bidprobe help with incomplete drawings?
It can read what's there. The review lists missing documents, gaps and the questions worth asking, each tied to its sheet or spec section, which is a useful list of assumptions for a budget. The budget number is still yours.

See what the drawings leave open.

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