The rates above are starting points, not going rates. Put your own in — and if you have never worked out what your hour actually has to earn, do that first with the charge-out rate calculator. Every price below it is a guess.
A worked example: two-bedroom unit, switchboard and lighting
A real job, priced the way a customer can follow. Sparky is registered for GST. Half a day on site, one return visit to make good.
| Line | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switchboard upgrade — replace fuses with RCBOs, new enclosure | 1 | $1,180.00 | $1,180.00 |
| Supply and install LED downlights, incl. removal of old fittings | 8 | $95.00 | $760.00 |
| New double GPO, kitchen bench, chased and patched | 2 | $185.00 | $370.00 |
| Test, tag and certificate of compliance | 1 | $140.00 | $140.00 |
| Subtotal | $2,450.00 | ||
| GST (10%) | $245.00 | ||
| Total inc GST | $2,695.00 | ||
| Deposit to book in (20%) | $539.00 | ||
| Balance on completion | $2,156.00 |
Notice what the customer can see: what they are getting, what each part costs, and what they pay now versus at the end. Nothing is bundled into one number they have to take on faith — which is exactly why this kind of quote wins against a texted "about $2,700 mate".
What to put on an electrical quote
Work down this list before you send. The first four are what makes it a quote rather than a message; the rest are what stops the argument later.
- Your business name, ABN and electrical licence number. Most state and territory regulators require the licence number on your advertising and paperwork, and customers increasingly check it. Confirm the exact requirement with your own regulator.
- The customer's name and the site address — the site, not the billing address, if they differ.
- The date, and a quote number. A quote with no date cannot expire.
- Line-by-line scope — what you are installing, how many, and what each costs.
- Whether GST is included. If you are registered, show it. If you are not, say the price has no GST rather than leaving them to assume.
- Exclusions, in writing. Patching and painting, asbestos, rectifying non-compliant existing wiring, scaffolding, after-hours access — name the ones that apply.
- Certificate of compliance. Say whether the electrical safety certificate is included in the price. It is the single most common "you never said that would cost extra".
- Who supplies what — and if the customer is supplying fittings, that you cannot warrant them.
- How long the price holds. Thirty days is standard; shorter is fine on a cable-heavy job if you say so.
- Deposit and payment terms — the deposit to book in, the balance on completion, and the days to pay.
- The variations sentence. One line: anything found once the wall is open gets quoted separately before it goes ahead.
Common mistakes, and what each one costs
- Quoting the make-safe as if it were the repair. Fault-finding is unbounded work. Quote the diagnosis at an hourly rate with a cap, then quote the fix once you know what it is.
- Forgetting the certificate of compliance. It is your time and your name on it. If it is not a line, it is a discount.
- No travel or call-out on a job across town. Two hours of driving billed at nothing is two hours of your week gone, every week.
- Materials at cost. You carried the money, made the trip, and warrant the part. A markup on materials is normal, and the markup and margin calculator shows why 30% added on is not a 30% margin.
- An open-ended quote. Copper moves. A quote with no expiry is a price you have promised forever.
- Sending it three days later. The quote sent from the driveway wins far more often than the good one written at 9pm on Thursday.
Three things that win the job
Quote on site, before you leave. The customer is standing next to the problem and nobody else has priced it yet. That is the moment your number is compared with nothing.
Give them a reason to pick the middle. Where it fits, price the safe option and the thorough one — new board versus new board plus surge protection and a spare way. Most people choose the middle option when there is one.
Follow it up. Most quotes are not lost, they are forgotten. A single message on day two and another on day five turns a surprising number of them around — the wording is in the quote follow-up templates.
Yamate keeps your saved rates, your licence details and your terms, so a quote is a few taps rather than a blank page — then turns the accepted quote into the invoice without retyping it. Sign up before 30 September 2026 and lock in the Founder plan at $19/mo — forever. It's $29/mo after that. No lock-in, cancel anytime. Prices in AUD.
FAQ
What should an electrician's quote include?
Your business name, ABN and electrical licence number; the customer and the site address; the date and a quote number; a line-by-line breakdown of labour and materials; whether GST applies; what is excluded; how long the price holds; and your deposit and payment terms.
Should I quote per point or per hour?
Per point or per item for most residential work — customers want a fixed number and will compare you against one. Keep hourly for fault-finding and make-safe, where nobody can know the scope until the wall is open. Say which you are using on the quote.
Do I have to put my licence number on a quote?
Licensing is set by each state and territory regulator, and many require your licence number on advertising and paperwork. It is standard practice either way and customers do check. Confirm what applies to you with your own regulator.
How long should an electrical quote be valid?
Thirty days is the usual answer. On a job that is mostly cable and switchgear, 14 days is reasonable — as long as the quote says so, in writing, before they accept it.
Do I charge GST on a quote?
Only if you are registered for GST, which is generally required once your turnover reaches $75,000. If you are registered, show the GST. If you are not, say the price includes no GST. See when a sole trader has to register.
Next steps
General information for Australian tradies, not tax, legal or financial advice. Every figure this page produces is an estimate based on what you type in. Licensing, certificate-of-compliance and deposit rules are set by each state and territory — check yours before relying on this page.