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Electrician pricing calculator
Two calculators for UK electricians: work out the day rate you actually need to hit your income target, then price a specific job with materials, overheads, margin and VAT at 20%.
1. Your day rate
Overheads means van, fuel, insurance, tools, scheme membership, accountancy and phone — the costs you pay whether or not you're on a job.
Minimum day rate
£223.81
- Hourly equivalent
- £27.98
- Must cover per year
- £47,000.00
This is break-even for your target income — it includes no profit for the business. Add margin in the job calculator below.
2. Price a job
Quote the customer
£1,324.80
- Labour
- £480.00
- Materials + mark-up
- £420.00
- Certs & extras
- £60.00
- Profit
- £144.00
- VAT (20%)
- £220.80
Your cost on this job is £960.00. Below that and you're paying to work.
How UK electricians price work
Start from your income target, not the competition
Undercutting the sparky down the road only works if his numbers are right. Work backwards from the money you need to take home, add your overheads, and divide by the days you can genuinely bill.
Be honest about billable days
260 working days a year is fantasy. Holiday, illness, quoting, chasing payments, certification and van maintenance usually leave 200–220 chargeable days.
Price materials with a mark-up
Sourcing, collecting and guaranteeing materials is work. A mark-up on trade price covers the time and the risk of a faulty part you have to return to.
Certification and testing take time
EICRs, EIC certificates, notification through your scheme and Part P paperwork are billable hours. Put them in the quote rather than absorbing them.
Questions electricians ask about pricing
- How do I work out my electrician day rate?
- Add up what you need to earn in a year, plus your business overheads, then divide by the number of days you can realistically charge for. Most self-employed sparks bill 200–220 days a year once holiday, sickness, quoting and admin are taken out, not 260.
- What overheads should an electrician include?
- Van and fuel, insurance, tools and test equipment, calibration, NICEIC or NAPIT membership, certification software, accountancy, phone, workwear and waste disposal. Spread the yearly total across your billable days rather than trying to add it job by job.
- Do I need to add VAT to my prices?
- Only if you are VAT registered. Registration is compulsory once your taxable turnover passes the HMRC threshold in any rolling 12 months, and you can register voluntarily before that. The standard rate is 20%; some domestic energy-saving work qualifies for a reduced rate, so check the current HMRC guidance for the job you're doing.
- Should I charge a call-out fee or a minimum charge?
- A minimum charge covering the first hour plus travel is standard for domestic call-outs. It protects you on small jobs where the travel and paperwork cost more than the work itself.
General guidance only, not tax or regulatory advice. Check current HMRC rules and your scheme provider's requirements for your own situation.
Free invoice & quote template
Turn the number above into a customer-ready invoice or quote with VAT.
Tools for electricians
Job management, expenses and pricing built around how sparks actually work.
Want it to remember your numbers?
The full Job Pricing Calculator saves every quote and applies your own overhead and margin defaults — £1/month, or £5/month for the whole bundle.
See the full calculator