VoltaELECTRICAL ESTIMATING
Feature · Distribution & panels

Panel schedule software — for the bid, not the CAD file

VOLTA reads the panel information on your PDF drawings — designations, service size, transformers — and turns it into priced estimating lines. It's panel schedule software for the person bidding the job: the distribution division of your takeoff, drafted and factored automatically, reviewed by you.

What it does with a panel schedule

  • Detects panels from the drawing text. Upload the tender PDF; VOLTA extracts the text in your browser and mines it for panel designations, service amperage and transformer counts.
  • Drafts the distribution takeoff. Detections feed priced line items — main service, panels, feeders, transformers, generator connections — alongside the other eleven divisions.
  • Factors the labour honestly. Distribution and site work carry NECA-style labour factors and never drop below ×1.25 in VOLTA's engine — heavy gear doesn't get priced like a duplex receptacle. (New to factors? See the glossary.)
  • Shows its work. The calculation report lists what the scan found — so you verify panel counts against the drawings before the bid goes out.
VOLTA estimator showing a drafted takeoff with distribution line items and live bid total

Looking for a "panel schedule generator"?

Two different tools share this search. A panel schedule generator designs the schedule — breaker layouts, load calcs — for the construction documents; that's design software territory. VOLTA is the estimating side: the schedule already exists on the drawings, and the job is to price it. If you're bidding the work rather than engineering it, you're in the right place — and the rest of the estimate (PDF takeoff, pricing cockpit, client quote) comes with it.

Frequently asked

Is VOLTA a panel schedule generator?
Not in the CAD sense — design tools (ETAP-class) generate panel schedules for construction documents. VOLTA works the other direction: it reads the panel information already on your drawings and turns it into priced estimating lines — panels, breakers, feeders, service equipment. If you need to design a panelboard, use a design tool; if you need to bid one, that's VOLTA.
How does VOLTA read panel schedules from my drawings?
When you upload the PDF, VOLTA extracts the drawing text in your browser and mines it for panel designations, service size and transformer counts. Those detections feed the AI takeoff draft's distribution division. It reads text-based PDFs — photo scans without embedded text won't yield detections.
Can I edit what the scan finds?
Everything. Detected panels, service size and every drafted quantity are editable line items — the scan is a head start, not a verdict. The calculation report shows exactly what the scan found so you can verify it against the drawings.
Does VOLTA price feeders and service equipment too?
Yes — the distribution division covers main service, panels, feeders, transformers and generator connections, with NECA-style labour factors applied (distribution work never factors below ×1.25 in VOLTA's engine).
What does this cost?
It's part of the one VOLTA plan: 30-day free trial, then $9.99 CAD/month plus applicable tax — every feature included.

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Related: PDF to electrical takeoff · VOLTA for small shops · how to estimate electrical work