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Tips on How to Find and Hire the Right Electrician

An electrician’s job is important. One need only looks at functioning establishments to see how important energy is to keep a building powered sufficiently. Finding an experienced and certified electrician to handle such a technical and vital job is crucial to ensuring that electrical work is done according to the required standards. 

At Best Bid Electrical Estimating Software we strive to uphold these standards for each one of our clients.
We try to teach our customers and guide them along the way.

What Types of Jobs Does an Electrician Do?

An electrician can specialize in industrial, commercial or residential electrical work. It is vital to know the difference between these three, depending on the work you want to have done. 

Whereas a residential electrician focuses on the lighting, wiring, and configuring of the circuit boards for residential properties, a commercial electrician will focus on generators, transformers, and other electrical aspects that come with the building of properties such as schools, parks, resorts, and hotels.

You may also encounter terms such as journeyman and master electrician. A journeyman is in the process of completing training to become a master electrician. They can be responsible for managing your project but may have a supervisor work with them. 

A master electrician, on the other hand, oversees a team of labourers and electricians and is responsible for the schedule. The master electrician may be the person who oversees the journeyman.

Where to Find the Right Electrician

Finding the right electrician for the job is crucial if you want to get the job done satisfactorily. If you are already working with a contractor, they may have a list of reputable electricians they can refer you to. If not, you can always check with your Homebuilders Association for referrals.

 

Should these options fail to produce the results you’re looking for, then asking for recommendations from people you know and trust might help.

What to Look Out For

There are other things worth looking into and questions to be asked before an electrician starts the job. For example, you might want to check on their qualifications and experience to know if they are the right fit. They must also be able to provide you with an Electrical Compliance Certificate upon completion of their work.

 

You will also want to get a quote. Ask if your contractor uses electrician-specific estimation software. If so, ask to see the breakdown for their services before moving forward. This is often the way electricians will now provide you with a quote. 

If they are using a Best Bid product you can be sure that you are getting a correct and fair price.

How to Pay for Services

Many electrical issues are minor and relatively easy to have repaired. However, if you are doing a more substantial task that will be more expensive, consider refinancing your home to free up some money. 

When rates are low, you can substantially reduce your monthly mortgage payments, which may be enough to fund your project. Or you can request to cash out some of your funds. But note that cashing outcomes with some fees, so speak with your lender first before moving forward. 

Take the Time to Find the Right Electrician

Hiring an electrician is a task that should be undertaken with care to ensure you find a suitable candidate who knows what is required of them legally. 

Electricians that know their way around technology, such as electrical estimation software from Best Bid Electrical Estimating Software, should also make the process of executing electrical work an easier one. Do your due diligence to find a suitable candidate. 

Although it will take some time and effort, you will get the quality workmanship that you want and deserve. 

February 24, 2023 by

Highly Profitable Electrical Cost Estimating Software 2023

10 Important Points You Should Know About Electrical Cost Estimating Software.



  • 01. What is Electrical Cost Estimating software?


  • 02. What different types of electrical software are there?


  • 03. How can electrical estimating software help electrical contractors?


  • 04. Who needs electrical bidding software?


  • 05. Are computer estimating software worth the money?


  • 06. How hard are they to learn?


  • 07. How do I know which one is right for me?


  • 08. What is On-Screen Takeoff and how does it help?


  • 09. Is doing estimates with a computer faster than by hand?


  • 10. What is the best electrical estimating software?

electrical cost estimating

What is electrical cost estimating software?

At least 95% of all successful electrical contractors rely on electrical cost estimating software to perform their estimates. This statistic alone should tell you that if you are not using software to do your electrical bidding you should take a serious look at making the move to computer estimating.

Some contractors don’t understand the advantage that is gained by using software designed for electrical estimating. They feel that it cost more than they can afford or that it will take too long to learn.

In fairness, some estimating software can cost upwards of $10,000.00 with extra charges such as technical support, yearly fees, and extra cost per license. Some of these products are so complicated that you need to go to special classes just to learn how to use them.

This does not have to be the case. Going back to the question what is electrical estimating software? Bidding software starts with a large database of electrical items. Each item has a price and a (Time to install the item) called Man-Hours.

Once a project gets over several weeks to complete you can no longer say it will take 2 days to do this and 2 days to do that and another 5 days for the site work etc. It becomes impracticable to guess.

As you move products into the electrical estimate the software counts the material cost and the time it takes to install these items.

The Best Bid Hybrid Pro’s goal was to make moving these items into the estimate as easy as possible at a price anyone could afford. It does not need to be complicated. We are not trying to impress computer programmers with how complex we can make our screens we are trying to impress electrical contractors like yourself maybe without a lot of computer skills with how easily we can make this happen.

Being electrical contractors we have created the Best Bid Hybrid pro to be as electrical friendly as possible while providing all the information needed to bid and track your estimates.

 

electrical cost estimating

What different types of electrical software are there?

There are several types of electrical cost estimation software and they are not all created equal.
You have cloud-based software, shopping cart software, software with and without On-Screen Takeoff abilities, expensive complex software, server software, and one that will be right for your company.

We always recommend staying away from cloud-based software. This is a marketing idea to collect money from the user for life. After you get invested you have to follow along or lose everything. The more customers the company gets the larger servers they must purchase and guess what? The price WiLL go up and never end. If your internet goes down or their server has issues you are out of the estimating business. This usually happens just before bid time.

Shopping cart software is nothing more than selecting each product and placing it on a tally sheet. It does little to speed you up or track your projects. They can be very cheap but offer little help.

We feel from years of experience that the best investment by far is stand-alone desktop software like the Best Bid Hybrid Pro. You make an initial investment and you own the software for life. You control everything. Also with Best Bid, there are no extra fees for technical support, software updates, and comes with unlimited license. Best Bid is easy to use and does not require a special school to learn.

Best Bid also comes with a built-in On-Screen Takeoff not having to use a third-party company like most software.

How can electrical cost estimating software help electrical contractors?

The right software can help more than you can imagine. It will take the guesswork out of your electrical estimates. It will eliminate math mistakes, speed up your estimating time, and keep your bids uniform. This will free up time to do other important things. Estimating software will provide reports that will allow you to track your jobs after you win them. It will help you order materials and give your Project Manager all the tools he needs to succeed.

It is not a question of:

“Can I afford to purchase estimating software? The question is can I afford not to purchase electrical estimating software?”

electrical cost estimators

Who needs electrical bidding software?

All electrical contractors will need software to help them estimate electrical projects at some point. It is almost impossible to compete with electrical shops that have the advantage of good bidding software.

 

The one thing that you gain with software is you will know before the job is over if you are getting into trouble. If you want to fully understand what software can do for you give Best Bid a call and just talk about estimating. 800-941-7028

Are computer estimating software worth the money?

If you master the software and if you use the software no matter what you paid for the software you will be a great ROI. Electrical Estimating Software is the most important tool that you own. You will fail or succeed based on your ability to estimate. It is an investment. It is an investment of time and money.

You must be determined to learn the software. It does not happen overnight but the more you work with software the easier it becomes. Once you master the product you will receive all the advantages professional estimating has to offer.

electrical estimating software classes

How hard are they to learn?

Everyone learns at a different rate of time. This determines several factors.
01. How bad do you want it?
02. How important is it to you?
03. How much quality time will you invest in learning?
04. Will you watch the videos?
05. Will you follow the Quickstart guide?
06. Will you read and follow the instruction?
07. How much have you used a computer?
08. Do you already know how to estimate successfully?
09. Have you ever used computer estimating software?
10. Have you ever used On-Screen Takeoff?

All of these things determine how quickly you master software. I will say you will not open any software and do an estimate on it the first day that you get it. IT takes some time to learn any software.

The Best Bid Hybrid Pro has the shortest learning curve of any software you can purchase.
We also have the best helpline on the market. We give you all the tools you need to succeed but you must decide that failure is not an option.

How do I know which one is right for me?

We addressed this earlier but stay away from cloud-based software and shopping carts.

Choose software that has a built-in On-Screen Takeoff. Call the company and just talk about estimating and your company. You will get a feel right away if they are salespeople are electrical contractors. You will know if you can reach them. You will also know if they can help you. Just speaking to a company can help make a decision quickly. Don’t fall for quick talk sales but listen for true knowledge.

electrical cost estimating software

What is On-Screen Takeoff and how does it help?

On-Screen Takeoff gives you the ability to upload your PDF drawings onto your computer and do your counting and measuring right on your computer screen. This saves printing your plans and also helps eliminate mistakes. If it is colored it is counted.

Every estimate starts with a takeoff. Doing your takeoff on your computer screen speeds up the process. Once you have your takeoff these counts and measurements can easily be transferred to the estimate. If you have a product like the Best Bid Hybrid Pro the On-Screen Takeoff is built into the software, This transfer of information flows seamlessly. This can not be said for all software.

is electrical estimating software slow or fast

Is doing estimates with a computer faster than by hand?

This is a very easy question to answer. Just a small example would be entering 100 receptacles.
With pen and paper, you would start a list.

  1. 100-Receptacles
  2. 100-Receptacle Plates
  3. 100-Boxes
  4. 100-Plaster rings
  5. 100-Grounding Stinger
  6. Conduit
  7. Couplings
  8. Connectors
  9. Straps
  10. Screws
  11. Conductors

Then you would need to enter a price beside each item and then install man-hours.
Then you would need to total each list. Then add labor cost, profit, and overhead.

As you can imagine this is timely.

With the Best BId Hybrid Pro electrical estimating software you would enter 100, then enter, and you are done error-free.

Multiply this time savings across all phases of the estimate. The answer is after you learn how to use estimating software YES it is much faster and easier than estimating by hand!

What is the best electrical estimating software?

For ease of use, affordability, experienced staff, and quality of the estimate, the Bets Bid Hybrid Pro will be the best electrical estimating software for most electrical contractors.

www.bestbidestimating.com

800-941-7028

December 19, 2022 by

4 Contract Tips for Electrical Contractors

4 Contract Tips for Electrical Contractors   If you are a small business owner, you might wonder whether contracts are necessary when conducting your business. Regardless of the size or nature of your company, written agreements serve some essential purposes.   Understanding why you might need a contract, what goes into a successful deal, and […]

July 22, 2022 by

Eco-nomics: Tips for Future Green Business Leaders

eco nomics

With all the growing threats to our environment, there’s never been a more pressing need for “green” businesses than now. Building an eco-minded enterprise isn’t just good for the planet, it can also prove highly profitable. Here are a few tips from Best Bid Estimating Software for getting yours off the ground.

Online Tools

You’ll also find plenty of online tools and programs to help you
launch your operation and save on costs. You can start by moving away from
paper and digitizing your paper records. 

With the Best
Bid Hybrid Pro, you can save countless trees and eliminate
paper waste by uploading PDFs of your electrical drawings directly into the
software. This feature allows you to perform takeoffs directly from your
computer screen, saving time and paper while giving you complete control over
the process. 

The takeoff module is part of the Hybrid Pro package, so there’s
no need to use a third-party company for this task!

The Best Bid Hybrid Pro is leading the way in green technology and sustainability, helping preserve resources for future generations. With this powerful software operative, you can be sure that you are not only doing your part to help save our planet but also optimizing business processes at the same time – it’s a win-win situation!

 

Lastly, if your business deals with electrical contracts or usage in buildings, you may benefit from Best Bid Electrical Estimating app. This product can help you to win bids and track your contract as you complete the process. 

Understanding “Green” Businesses

The main difference between a “green” business and an archetypal one is that a “green” business should have ethicality at its core. This means exercising social and environmental responsibility in the way it operates or sources/manufactures products. 

The act of attaining carbon neutrality and using sustainably produced resources can incur extra costs; but to offset this, there are many government programs and private initiatives that may even help the scales. 

You may also benefit from a burgeoning “green” market, powered by consumers who care about the future of our planet. Whether you agree or not the push is to go green. At Best Bid Electrical Estimating Software we feel no matter what side of the fence you are on with this topic some changes are coming. 

This change is bringing jobs to the electrical contractor. We are here to help with all of your electrical needs. Electrical Estimating Software, Drafting, On-Line School for Electrical Estimating along with free electrical advice for your company.

Costs and Expenses

Contrary to common sentiment, going green is actually shown by evidence to be more cost-efficient. By cutting down on energy costs, utilizing digital solutions, and taking advantage of grants, loans, and other assistance programs, a company can typically shed many conventional overheads and even out its bottom line. 

If you’re seeking funding, consider applying to the EPA, Department of Energy Grants and Loans, National Science Foundation, SBA, or even crowdfunding for grants or loans. Some of our customers are applying for grants to install charging stations, solar farms, and installing solar panels on residences.  

Planning

For any ecopreneur serious about launching a successful green business, it’s imperative to have a business and a marketing plan before launch. A “green” business plan won’t deviate too much from a conventional one but must take into account environmental/social impacts, gauging success not only by profit but also by the potential impact your business may have on the natural world and the living standards of those involved in its success.

When it comes to marketing, green businesses may find themselves at an advantage as a part of the wider sustainable market ecosystem. Brands in this sector tend to support each other via collaboration, partnerships, and promotion. Your priority in this field should be to demonstrate social and environmental responsibility and create transparency within your process, establishing credibility and leading/inspiring others when it comes to sustainability practices.

 

You also may find at this point that you would benefit from additional training. With a business bachelor’s degree, you would be well-equipped to handle the fundamentals of running a new green business. Plus, with many online programs available, you can complete the coursework during your schedule and at your own pace.

Administration

It’s important, at an early stage, to navigate administration for your company – this includes choosing the right business structure. Consider, for example, forming an S corporation – this will provide you with pass-through taxation, self-employment tax savings, and the option to claim losses as tax deductions. 

A formation service can help you to navigate paperwork when forming your corporation and avoid unnecessary lawyer fees.

Utilize Your Resources to Go Green

Founding a green business, as with any other kind of business, takes time, energy, and resources. But as the sustainable market flourishes, you may see your efforts yield results that benefit yourself (and the planet) in the long term. 

Make use of the assistance programs, plan ahead and digitize your paper records to launch yourself into a greener future. And if you feel like you need additional knowledge about the business aspects, consider enrolling in an online program. 

Together, you will be equipped to start a new green business.

 

Image by Pexels

 

May 23, 2022 by

It is obviously not obvious.

It is obviously not obvious. I teach a lot of people how to estimate electrical projects. I also teach or at least share my experience of running an electrical contracting business with many new people with little more than a dream. You would think if you are starting an electrical contracting business that a few […]

May 8, 2022 by

Labor Burden-Know Your Cost or Lose Your +++

Labor Burden    What does it actually cost my Electrical Company to work an employee?   This is a great question! If you are going to run a profitable electrical contracting business, then you need to know exactly what running that business costs. That knowledge will allow you to estimate electrical projects accurately and also […]

February 7, 2022 by