How to price electrical work as a UK sole trader

To price electrical work properly, you need to calculate your hourly or day rate, add the exact cost of materials plus a markup, and factor in your overheads, testing time, and certificate fees. Guessing a price on the van or copying a local rival is the fastest way to lose money on a rewire, consumer unit swap, or extension. This guide walks you through a repeatable method to price electrical jobs fairly and profitably.

Calculating your true day rate and minimum call out fee

Your day rate is not just what you want to take home in your pocket each week. It has to cover your van lease, insurance, calibration equipment, waste disposal, van parking, accountancy fees, and the days you spend quoting instead of earning. If you only calculate what you need to live on, you will struggle when your meter needs recalibrating or your van fails its MOT.

Work out how many billable days you actually work in a year after taking off bank holidays, annual leave, and an allowance for sick days. Divide your total annual running costs plus your desired take home pay by that number of billable days. That gives you your baseline day rate.

For smaller jobs, a minimum call out fee is essential to cover your travel time and the first hour on site. Say a customer wants a single socket replaced across town. If you do not charge a clear call out fee, your fuel and time will wipe out any profit before you even pick up your screwdrivers.

• List all annual business overheads including insurance and trade body membership
• Subtract non-working days like holidays and training from your yearly total
• Set a clear minimum call out fee that covers your travel and first hour

Pricing materials and adding a sensible markup

Never charge for materials at the exact trade counter price without adding a markup. You are the one driving to the wholesaler, carrying the stock, taking responsibility for faulty gear, and handling any returns or warranty claims if a component fails six months down the line.

A standard trade markup on materials usually sits between ten and twenty percent, though specialized parts or items that take significant time to source might justify a higher figure. Say you pick up a consumer unit, RCBOs, and sundries for a board change costing £150 trade price. Adding a markup covers your time and fuel for the supply run.

Always itemize your materials clearly on your paperwork so the customer sees the breakdown of what they are paying for. Clear communication prevents arguments about costs and shows transparency in your business dealings, making it easier when you use tools like quoting to send professional estimates.

• Add a consistent percentage markup on all wholesale materials
• Include time and fuel spent sourcing specialist components
• Itemize parts clearly on your quotes so customers understand the value

Accounting for testing, certification and notification time

An electrical job is never finished just because the last faceplate is screwed back onto the wall. You still have to carry out dead and live tests, record your results, fill out an Electrical Installation Certificate or Minor Works Certificate, and submit building control notifications where required.

Many electricians make the mistake of pricing only for the physical installation work and forgetting that certification can take an hour or two of paperwork. If you are doing a full rewiring project, factor in a dedicated half day just for board termination, comprehensive testing, and certificate generation.

Build this administrative time directly into your pricing structure so you are never working for free at the kitchen table after dark. Professional presentation matters just as much as tidy wiring, which is why keeping your paperwork in order with invoicing helps your business run smoothly.

• Include time for dead and live testing in every job estimate
• Factor in the cost and time of submitting building control notifications
• Never give away your certification time for free

Creating a clear pricing structure for different job types

Different types of electrical work require different pricing approaches. For a straightforward consumer unit upgrade, a fixed price works best because you know the scope and materials involved. For fault finding or diagnostic work, always price on an hourly rate because you cannot predict what you will find behind the walls.

For larger projects like a kitchen extension or a full house rewire, break the price down into clear stages such as first fix, second fix, and testing. This protects your cash flow and allows you to take staged payments as the work progresses rather than waiting until the very end.

If unexpected issues arise during a job, such as finding old rubber insulated cable or non compliant earthing, stop work immediately and discuss a variation with the customer before proceeding. Keep your scheduling organized so you can manage your time if a job runs over scheduling.

• Use fixed prices for standard upgrades like consumer units or lighting circuits
• Use hourly rates for fault finding and investigative work
• Break large rewires down into staged payments for first and second fix

Quick questions

Pricing electrical work correctly comes down to knowing your numbers, adding a fair markup on materials, and never forgetting your testing and paperwork time. Take five minutes today to review your day rate and ensure your overheads are fully covered on every job. If you want a straightforward way to build quotes, send them to customers, and track what you are owed, Maintenato is free while in beta.