Estimating Buddies builds bid-ready electrical and MEP takeoffs for Illinois contractors - quantities, Illinois-specific labor and material pricing, and scope checked against code, from Loop high-rises to Rockford industrial builds.
Electrical Riser
CHICAGOLAND · SHT E-01
SVC ENT
Service entrance
MDP
Main distribution
FEEDER
Feeder run
PANEL A
225A / 42-circuit
Service, feeders and panels counted from the drawings - priced to Illinois material and labor rates.
24–48H
Turnaround
Statewide
IL coverage
±2–5%
Typical variance
2-Pass
QA review
What We Offer
Illinois contractors rarely bid electrical in isolation - mechanical, coordination and full MEP packages usually share the same deadline. Our team covers all of it under one request.
01 · CORE SCOPE
Full electrical cost estimating for Illinois 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 for submission, with addenda tracked as they're issued.
03 · MECHANICAL
HVAC, ductwork, piping and controls quantified alongside electrical scope, catching power and controls interfaces before they reach the field.
04 · COMBINED
Mechanical, electrical and plumbing priced as one coordinated package - built for design-build and negotiated work where trade interfaces need to align.
05 · SUB-TIER
Detailed takeoffs for electrical and mechanical subs bidding to GCs, formatted the way sub bids get compared line by line at bid time.
06 · GC SUPPORT
Overflow estimating capacity for GCs 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 Chicago electrical contractors to small crews in Central and Southern Illinois, the process adapts to how you actually bid work.
01
Licensed IL electrical contractors needing a reliable second estimator during peak bid season without adding headcount.
02
GCs folding electrical and mechanical numbers into a larger construction cost estimate, with one point of contact.
03
Electrical and mechanical subs bidding directly to GCs, needing numbers formatted to hold up at the bid table.
04
Firms needing conceptual and detailed pricing early enough in design to actually shape decisions.
05
Owners wanting an independent budget check on electrical and mechanical scope before bids return.
06
Contractors bidding municipal and public works electrical projects requiring documented, defensible pricing.
Project Types
A Cook County high-rise doesn't price the same way as a Peoria warehouse. Methodology and labor productivity shift with the project type.
What's Included
A takeoff is only useful if it's specific enough to price. Here's what's standard on every Illinois electrical estimate we return.
Included in every estimate
Deliverables
Sample Estimate
Pulled from a commercial electrical estimate for a Naperville office build-out.
Electrical Estimate - Excerpt
PROJECT: OFFICE TI, NAPERVILLE IL
Item
Description
Qty
Unit
Unit Price
Total
26-05-19
THHN copper, #12 AWG
4,110
LF
$0.41
$1,685.10
26-05-33
EMT conduit, 3/4"
1,205
LF
$3.10
$3,735.50
26-27-26
Duplex receptacle, spec-grade
78
EA
$33.75
$2,632.50
26-51-00
2x4 LED troffer, 4000K
58
EA
$116.00
$6,728.00
26-24-16
Panelboard, 225A, 42-circuit
2
EA
$2,910.00
$5,820.00
Subtotal, this excerpt
$20,601.10
Full estimates include labor hours by task, equipment, permit allowance and complete panel schedules. Illustrative excerpt, not a live quote.
How the Process Works
Most contractors come to us against a deadline, so the process is built to move without cutting corners on accuracy.
STOP 01
Upload plans, specs and addenda through our intake form or email.
STOP 02
We confirm project type, deadline and which systems need pricing.
STOP 03
Estimators build the quantity takeoff with current Illinois rates.
STOP 04
A second estimator checks the takeoff against the drawings.
STOP 05
You receive the workbook, markups and summary - free addenda updates included.
Software & Pricing Sources
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
Labor & cost data
Chicagoland and statewide Illinois distributor pricing, refreshed on a rolling basis.
RSMeans cost data adjusted for Cook, DuPage, Will, Lake and Kane County labor conditions.
Direct manufacturer and distributor quotes for gear, switchgear and specialty equipment.
Service and metering requirements per ComEd and Ameren, depending on project location.
Accuracy & Code Compliance
Chicago, Cook County and smaller Illinois jurisdictions each layer local amendments on the base code. We check against the version that applies to your project's address.
The estimator who builds the takeoff completes a full self-check of quantities against the drawing set.
A second, independent estimator re-checks quantities, pricing and scope before anything is delivered.
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.
Why Contractors Choose Us
Quantity takeoff and electrical estimating for Illinois contractors who need a number they can bid with - measured from the drawings, reviewed twice, and delivered before the deadline.
IL-FIRST
Pricing built around Chicagoland and statewide Illinois conditions, not a generic national default.
24–48H
Deadline-aware turnaround, with rush options when a bid deadline is tight.
2-PASS QA
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.
ONE TEAM
The same team scopes MEP alongside electrical, so your bid package stays coordinated.
Service Areas
Deepest day-to-day experience is in Chicagoland, with regular work statewide.
Region
Cities Covered
Chicagoland
Chicago, Aurora, Naperville, Joliet, Elgin, Schaumburg, Evanston, Cicero, Waukegan, Bolingbrook, Arlington Heights, Orland Park
Northern IL
Rockford, Des Plaines, Palatine, Skokie, Downers Grove, Tinley Park, Oak Park, Oak Lawn
Central IL
Springfield, Peoria, Bloomington, Decatur, Champaign
Counties
Cook, DuPage, Lake, Will, Kane and surrounding counties statewide
Don't see your city? We regularly cover projects statewide - send your project location and we'll confirm coverage before you upload drawings.
Codes & Compliance
Illinois 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.
IL-01
Panel sizing, conductor ampacity, box fill, clearances and grounding are checked against the Illinois-adopted NEC version for the project address.
IL-02
Statewide plumbing and building-code requirements that affect electrical interfaces, coordination and MEP packages are reviewed with the takeoff.
IL-03
Chicago projects are checked against the City of Chicago Electrical Code, not a statewide default.
IL-04
Cook County work is reviewed against county amendments layered on top of the base code.
IL-05
Service entrance, metering and utility coordination follow ComEd or Ameren, depending on project location.
IL-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, manufacturing, 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 Illinois project would run.
Common questions from Illinois contractors.
A full quantity takeoff of devices, fixtures, conduit, wire, panels and gear, priced with current Illinois 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.