Electrical flat rate pricing for service work

Device swaps, breakers, panels and permit fees

Device work, such as replacing a receptacle or a switch, is short and repeatable and fits a flat price well. Breaker replacement and panel work depend more on what is found inside the enclosure, so many shops start with an assessment task and quote the repair after. Permit fees do not scale with hours, so model them as a fixed fee on the task instead of burying them in labor. TierMenu has a fixed-fee field on every task for that purpose. The worked example below prices a GFCI receptacle swap with a permit fee added as a fixed line, using the same functions as the app. Whether a permit is required, and what it costs, is a local question that you answer.

Define the task before assigning a price

Separate work by what is being installed, repaired or assessed, and by the conditions that materially affect the scope. A service call, device replacement, circuit-related repair and panel evaluation should not collapse into one generic line simply because the same technician handles them. Use a customer description that identifies the intended work without claiming a code outcome or capacity that has not been verified. Where the existing wiring, equipment condition or access is uncertain, price an inspection or diagnostic step first. The final proposal should describe what the customer is approving and where the quoted scope ends. This makes pricing consistency useful without replacing the electrician's professional judgment.

Build prices from shop assumptions

Set your own billable rate and the labor time associated with the task as you have defined it. Include the materials that are actually part of that scope, and apply the markup tiers your business uses. Consider whether mobilization, testing, labeling and cleanup are included, but avoid counting the same effort in several tasks. TierMenu shows owners how labor, parts, markup, fixed fees and rounding contribute to a formula price. Technicians can use the approved price and customer-facing description without seeing the owner's cost or margin. The starter library does not arrive with recommended sell prices; every shop must review and approve its own inputs.

Keep regulatory decisions with the licensed contractor

Pricing software cannot determine whether an installation complies with the requirements that apply at a specific property. The customer description should not imply that permits, inspections or approvals are included unless the business has confirmed and priced them. When a quote depends on load, circuit condition, equipment compatibility or a local approval, say so and carry out the necessary review before presenting a final scope. Use the price book to standardize repeatable work, not to replace a site assessment or licensed judgment. Make any exclusions and assumptions clear to the customer, and review the wording against your local requirements before using it in a proposal.

Present alternatives without blurring the work

A homeowner can compare options only when each one is described distinctly. Keep the base scope, optional equipment and recommended configuration separate, and avoid adding upgrades to an option without labeling them. TierMenu supports good-better-best style proposals with up to four options and separate add-ons. This lets the technician discuss alternatives without editing the internal cost formula in front of the customer. The owner can keep markup rules and true costs private, while the customer sees the proposed work and total. The proposal should still reflect what the technician observed and what the customer asked to solve; software cannot decide which electrical solution is safe or suitable.

Maintain entries as equipment and costs change

Review electrical tasks when the parts you stock, the installation methods you use or your labor assumptions change. Check formula-based prices after changing the billable rate or markup tiers, and separately review tasks with manual prices. Retire obsolete entries so they cannot be selected accidentally. If technicians frequently need to add the same clarification, improve the task description or split the task into more precise choices. Use a preview before applying bulk changes and confirm that the price and scope remain consistent. A controlled review process protects the company from stale entries while keeping the customer-facing book clear and practical for field use.

Review the wording with the person doing the work

Before a task goes live, have a qualified team member compare its description with the work the company actually performs. Confirm that the entry does not imply a permit, inspection, code result or equipment compatibility check unless those are part of the defined scope. Keep inspection-dependent tasks separate from fixed-price service work. Review the labor time and material list with the owner, then check the technician view to confirm it does not reveal private cost details. This small review helps align the customer quote, the field procedure and the shop's pricing decision without asking the software to make a safety or compliance judgment.

How it works in TierMenu

1. Step 1

   Write the scope

   Name the device, breaker or panel task and state what is excluded, such as drywall repair.

2. Step 2

   Add materials and fees

   Enter labor hours, material cost and any fixed fee such as a permit. Markup tiers apply to materials.

3. Step 3

   Send one price

   Add the task to a proposal. Every electrician quotes the same number and cannot see margin.

TierMenu, a spreadsheet and a paper price book

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