Same house, two different numbers
A three-bed semi, full rewire, customers still living in it. One estimator walks round, counts roughly, and comes back with a figure. Another, on a similar house the week before, priced a good chunk higher. Both are experienced. Both are sure they are right. One of them either lost the job or will lose money doing it.
The owner looks at the two quotes and can't tell which assumptions made the difference.
Where the variation comes from
A rewire price depends on a long list of things that are easy to judge differently: points per room, floor coverings to lift, whether the house is occupied, plaster condition, loft access, making good, whether the board moves, and how many days of labour it all adds up to. Most estimators work from memory and a notepad, then a total goes into a quote template.
The quote template records the answer, not the working, so nobody can compare how two quotes were built.
| Factor | Commonly judged differently |
|---|---|
| Points per room | Counted, or assumed from room type |
| Occupied property | Extra days allowed, or not |
| Floor type | Carpet, laminate, solid, each adds different time |
| Making good | Included, excluded, or vague |
| Access | Loft and under-floor assumed easy |
Here is how it plays out on an ordinary Tuesday. One estimator counts every double socket and every light point on a pad. The other walks round, sees a standard three-bed layout and prices from a mental template. Both add a margin for 'the unknowns'. Neither writes down whether the customer will be living in the house during the work, which is often the single biggest swing in how many days the job takes.
The margin you can't see
Under-priced rewires run over, and your team spends days you aren't paid for. Over-priced ones go to someone else. Customers comparing quotes see vague line items and ring with questions. And when the job does overrun, you can't tell whether the estimate was wrong or the job was unusual, so nothing improves.
It also affects how the team feels about the work. Electricians who are regularly asked to finish an under-priced rewire in fewer days than it needs start cutting their breaks or leaving making good for later, and neither is good for them or for the customer.
A rewire builder that shows its working
- Rate library: your labour rates, materials allowances per point type and standard items are held in one place that the owner controls.
- Room survey: on a tablet, the estimator walks the house room by room, entering points, floor type and access notes, with photos.
- Allowances: consistent adjustments for occupancy, floor types, plaster condition and making good are applied from your rules, and can be overridden with a reason.
- Quote output: a clear quote grouped by room and stage (first fix, second fix, making good, certification), with exclusions stated in your wording.
- Comparison: completed jobs can be compared with their estimate, day by day, so allowances can be adjusted from real results rather than feelings.
- Hand-off: an accepted quote becomes a job in Simpro or your job software with the room list as the work plan.
Quotes you can explain
Any estimator's quote can be read and checked by another. The owner can see why a price is what it is. Customers get a breakdown they understand. And over time, your allowances get more accurate because you can see where jobs went over.
It also makes it easier to bring on a new estimator. Instead of shadowing the owner for months to absorb his instincts, a new person works through the same library and allowances, and the owner can check their first quotes line by line against the rules everyone else uses.
Is your rewire pricing like this?
- Estimators price rewires from memory.
- Similar houses get noticeably different quotes.
- Rewires regularly overrun the days allowed.
- Customers ask what exactly is included.
- You can't see how a past quote was worked out.