Estimating Buddies delivers bid-ready electrical and MEP takeoffs for Washington contractors - quantities, Washington-specific labor and material pricing, and code-checked scope, from Seattle high-rises to Eastern Washington industrial work.
Service Node Map
REF: WA-ELEC-01
Seattle
Puget Sound hub
Bellevue
Eastside commercial
Tacoma
Pierce Co.
Everett
Snohomish Co.
Spokane
Eastern Washington
Vancouver, WA
Clark Co.
I-5 / I-90 corridor · Statewide coverage · Scale: NTS
24–48h
Turnaround
Statewide
WA coverage
±2–5%
Typical variance
2-Pass
QA review
What We Offer
Washington contractors rarely bid electrical alone - mechanical, coordination and full MEP packages are usually due on the same clock. Our team covers all of it under one intake.
01 · CORE SCOPE
Complete electrical cost estimating for Washington projects - service and distribution, branch wiring, devices, fixtures and gear, quantified to a bid-ready level of detail.
02 · BID SUPPORT
Turnaround built around your bid clock - clean quantities, unit pricing and a summary sheet ready to drop into your submission, with addenda tracked as they land.
03 · MECHANICAL
HVAC, ductwork, piping and controls quantified in step with your electrical scope, so equipment power and controls wiring interfaces are caught early, not at the field.
04 · COMBINED PACKAGE
Mechanical, electrical and plumbing priced together as one coordinated package - useful for design-build and negotiated work where trade interfaces need to line up.
05 · SUB-TIER
Detailed takeoffs built for electrical and mechanical subs bidding to general contractors, formatted the way sub bids get compared line item by line item.
06 · GC SUPPORT
Overflow estimating capacity for general contractors and design-build teams during heavy bid seasons - including full construction cost estimate packages when you need the whole picture.
Who We Serve
From large Seattle electrical contractors to two-person crews in Eastern Washington, the process adapts to how you actually bid work.
ID-01 · CONTRACTOR
Licensed WA electrical contractors who need a reliable second estimator during peak bid season without adding headcount.
ID-02 · GC
GCs folding electrical and mechanical numbers into a larger construction cost estimate, working with one point of contact.
ID-03 · SUB
Electrical and mechanical subs bidding directly to GCs, needing numbers formatted to hold up at the bid table.
ID-04 · DESIGN-BUILD
Firms needing conceptual and detailed pricing early enough in design to actually shape decisions.
ID-05 · OWNER
Owners wanting an independent budget check on electrical and mechanical scope before bids come back.
ID-06 · PUBLIC WORKS
Contractors bidding municipal and public works electrical projects requiring documented, defensible pricing.
Project Types
A data center build in Quincy doesn't estimate the way a Seattle tenant improvement does. Methodology, productivity and sourcing shift with the project type.
Commercial
Residential
Industrial & Institutional
What's Included
Included in every estimate: a full takeoff, Washington pricing and a written log - plus the workbook, markups and summary that land in your inbox.
Included in every estimate
Deliverables
Sample Estimate
An excerpt from a commercial electrical estimate for a Seattle-area tenant improvement.
Electrical Estimate - Excerpt
PROJECT: OFFICE TI, BELLEVUE WA · SHEET 03/09
Item
Description
Qty
Unit
Unit Price
Total
26-05-19
THHN copper, #12 AWG
3,960
LF
$0.42
$1,663.20
26-05-33
EMT conduit, 3/4"
1,120
LF
$3.15
$3,528.00
26-27-26
Duplex receptacle, spec-grade
74
EA
$34.50
$2,553.00
26-51-00
2x4 LED troffer, 4000K
52
EA
$118.00
$6,136.00
26-24-16
Panelboard, 225A, 42-ckt
2
EA
$2,940.00
$5,880.00
Subtotal
$19,760.20
Full estimates include labor hours by task, equipment, permit allowance and complete panel schedules. Illustrative excerpt, not a live quote.
How the Process Works
The same five steps whether it's a Seattle high-rise or Eastern Washington industrial work.
STATION 01
Upload plans, specs and addenda through our intake form or email - full sets or partial bid packages both work.
STATION 02
We confirm project type, deadline and which systems you need priced, then commit to a firm delivery window.
STATION 03
Estimators complete the quantity takeoff and apply current Washington material and labor rates.
STATION 04
A second estimator checks the takeoff against the drawings before anything ships.
STATION 05
You receive the workbook, markups and summary. Post-addenda updates are free before your bid closes.
Software & Pricing Sources
No guesswork, no stale national averages - every takeoff runs through the same tools and pricing sources contractors use to check our numbers.
Bluebeam Revu
Digital takeoff & markup
PlanSwift
Quantity takeoff
Trimble AccuBid
Electrical estimating
On-Screen Takeoff
Drawing measurement
RSMeans Data
Labor & cost data
Washington-region distributor pricing, refreshed on a rolling basis rather than a fixed annual catalog.
RSMeans cost data, adjusted for Puget Sound, Eastern Washington and statewide labor conditions.
Direct manufacturer and distributor quotes for gear, switchgear and specialty equipment.
Service and metering requirements per the applicable Washington utility - Seattle City Light, PSE, Avista and others, by project location.
Accuracy & Code Compliance
Seattle, King County, Spokane and smaller Washington jurisdictions each layer local amendments on top of the base code. We check against the version that applies to your project's address.
The estimator who builds the takeoff isn't the last reviewer. A second estimator independently checks quantities, pricing and scope before delivery.
Panel sizing, conductor ampacity, box fill, clearances and grounding are checked against code minimums as part of the takeoff itself.
Every judgment call on an unclear detail or missing schedule is written down, so you know exactly what the number covers.
When drawings revise mid-bid, we track what changed and update only the affected quantities - not a full re-run.
Why Contractors Choose Us
Quantity takeoff and electrical estimating for Washington contractors who need a number they can bid with - measured from the drawings, reviewed twice, and delivered before the deadline.
WA FIRST
Rates built around Puget Sound and statewide conditions, not a generic national default.
24–48H
Standard delivery in 24–48 hours, with rush options when a bid deadline is tight.
2X
Every estimate is checked by a second estimator before it reaches you.
OPEN BOOK
Full visibility into quantities, unit pricing and labor hours - never a single lump sum.
NO LOCK-IN
No retainer or minimum commitment - use us for one bid or as ongoing overflow capacity.
1 TEAM
The same team can scope MEP alongside electrical, so your bid package stays coordinated.
Service Areas
Deepest day-to-day experience is in the Puget Sound corridor, with regular work statewide.
Don't see your city? We regularly cover King, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane and Clark counties, and take on projects statewide - send your project location and we'll confirm coverage before you upload drawings.
Codes & Compliance
Washington code isn't one-size-fits-all. We check quantities against the adopted NEC, local amendments and serving-utility standards for the specific city and county of the job.
WA-01
Panel sizing, conductor ampacity, box fill, clearances and grounding are checked against the Washington-adopted NEC version for the project address.
WA-02
Statewide building-code requirements that affect electrical interfaces, coordination and MEP packages are reviewed with the takeoff.
WA-03
Seattle and King County work is reviewed against DCI and local amendments layered on top of the statewide code.
WA-04
Energy-code requirements that change lighting, controls and equipment quantities are factored in where they affect the takeoff.
WA-05
Service entrance, metering and utility coordination follow the serving Washington utility for the project location.
WA-06
Device mounting, panel working space and public-facing electrical work are reviewed against accessibility clearance requirements.
Cost & Pricing
Estimating fees are quoted per project against a few concrete factors - never a flat rate that ignores complexity.
01
Square footage and system complexity are the largest driver of estimating time.
02
Fully detailed construction documents take less interpretation than early design-development sets.
03
Standard 24–48 hour delivery is priced differently than a same-day rush against a tight deadline.
04
Electrical alone is priced separately from combined electrical and mechanical (MEP) scope.
05
Industrial and specialty work - data centers, aerospace, healthcare - carries more systems to quantify.
Every quote is free and based on your actual drawing set - send your plans and we'll confirm a firm price and delivery time before work begins.
Get a Free QuoteReady to Bid?
Send your plans and we'll return a firm, no-obligation quote before any work begins - there's no cost to find out what your Washington project would run.
Common questions from Washington contractors.
A full quantity takeoff of devices, fixtures, conduit, wire, panels and gear, priced with current Washington material and labor rates, plus a written log of assumptions and exclusions.
Most standard projects deliver in 24–48 hours. Larger or industrial projects may take longer, and rush turnaround is available for tight bid deadlines.