Estimating, written down
Practical pieces on pricing electrical work — the costs vendors don't publish, what AI actually does to a takeoff, and the Canadian tax and labour arithmetic behind a bid that holds up. No corporate filler; sources linked.
Licence, déclaration de travaux et taux horaires : ce qu'une soumission en électricité au Québec doit inclure en 2026
Le code en vigueur, la licence de sous-catégorie 16, la déclaration de travaux à la RBQ, les salaires de la CCQ, la TPS et la TVQ, et un exemple chiffré.
18 octobre 2026 · 8 min Lire l'article →Master electricians, permits and the code: what an Alberta electrical quote has to carry in 2026
Which code Alberta enforces, who can take out an electrical permit, Calgary and Edmonton fees in 2026, the master electrician exam, GST and labour.
October 18, 2026 · 9 min Read the piece →ESA permits, licences and the code: what an Ontario electrical quote has to carry in 2026
Which code Ontario enforces, who files the ESA permit and what it costs in 2026, the licences behind a bid, 13% HST and labour, with a worked example.
October 16, 2026 · 9 min Read the piece →Electrical estimating software in Canada: what the CEC changes and what it should cost
Why US-built estimators miss Canadian code and pricing, how provincial amendments change a takeoff, and what a one- to five-person shop should pay.
October 16, 2026 · 9 min Read the piece →AI electrical estimating software: a U.S. buyer's guide
The four kinds of AI estimating tools sold in the U.S., what each lists for price, the U.S. checks brochures skip, and a one-afternoon test on your own plans.
October 12, 2026 · 10 min Read the guide →AI construction estimating: what it means for electrical subs
What AI automates in a construction estimate, where it stops, what the BLS projections say, and five ways an electrical sub should put it to work.
October 12, 2026 · 7 min Read the piece →AI for electricians: six practical uses, three limits
Where AI saves an electrical contractor real hours in 2026, from takeoffs and code lookups to quotes, with the tools named, and the three jobs not to hand it.
October 12, 2026 · 8 min Read the guide →Best apps for electricians in 2026
Nine apps sorted by the job each one does, with listed prices: free calculators, code references, estimating, invoicing and the books.
October 11, 2026 · 9 min Read the guide →VOLTA is listed on TryCanadian.ca
We're in the Canadian-founded directory under Technology. What the listing says, and — just as importantly — what it doesn't mean.
September 21, 2026 · 3 min Read the note →How to estimate electrical work in Canada: the step-by-step guide
Specs → takeoff → labour units and factors → overhead and margin → GST/HST, with a fully worked TI example in CAD.
September 6, 2026 · 15 min Read the guide →The real cost of electrical estimating software (2026)
Sticker price vs. total cost of ownership: per-seat scaling, renewal drift, training days — and the five-year math.
September 6, 2026 · 8 min Read the breakdown →AI electrical takeoff software: what it actually does (and doesn't)
A plain map of the AI takeoff category — who drafts, who reviews, who decides — without the brochure language.
September 6, 2026 · 6 min Read the explainer →Do you need training to use electrical estimating software?
With legacy suites, usually yes. With VOLTA, no — cockpit, not classroom. Why the difference exists and what it trades away.
September 6, 2026 · 5 min Read the answer →How to switch from Excel to estimating software
Keep what the spreadsheet got right, retire what it can't do — a migration that takes an afternoon, not a bid week.
September 6, 2026 · 6 min Read the plan →Free electrical bid template (Canada, 2026)
A clean, working .xlsx bid template with labour factors, markup vs. margin and GST/PST built into the formulas. No email required.
September 6, 2026 · download Get the template →British Columbia: permits, tax and local markets
How do you get an electrical contractor licence in BC?
The steps, FSR exam and 2026 fees for a Technical Safety BC electrical contractor licence, the $10,000 bond, and what it costs to keep each year.
October 10, 2026 · 10 min Read the guide →What does an electrical permit cost in BC?
BC electrical permit fees for 2026, from the Technical Safety BC schedule and the Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey bylaws, plus where the fee sits in a bid.
September 13, 2026 · 8 min Read the guide →How to estimate: method, takeoff and margin
How to bid electrical jobs: a step-by-step guide
Nine steps from bid or no-bid to follow-up: takeoff, labour hours, markup vs. margin, square-foot checks and what the bid must say.
October 8, 2026 · 15 min Read the guide →What electrical labour units are, and where the published tables come from
What an electrical labour unit is, what is inside it, where published tables come from, and how to build units from your own finished jobs.
September 20, 2026 · 7 min Read the method →Choosing estimating software
Best electrical estimating software in Canada (2026)
A Canadian contractor's shortlist of electrical estimating software for 2026: deployment, CAD billing, database depth, and what each option trades away.
September 13, 2026 · 8 min Read the comparison →Free electrical estimating software: what’s actually free
Most “free” electrical estimating software is a trial. Here is what is genuinely free in 2026, what it limits, and what free actually costs you.
September 20, 2026 · 7 min Read the comparison →Pricing and cost
Running a small electrical shop
Straight answers
What software do electrical estimators use?
Electrical estimators use five kinds of software: dedicated suites, takeoff tools, platform modules, AI-assisted takeoff and Excel. Here is who uses which.
September 13, 2026 · 7 min Read the answer →Will AI replace electrical estimators?
No, but it is already shrinking headcount. The drafting layer of estimating is automating fast; the judgment layer is not. What the numbers actually show.
September 20, 2026 · 7 min Read the answer →Reading about estimating is the slow way. Price a real tender in VOLTA — free for 30 days.
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