1. Confirm which quantities belong in the estimate
Suppose a reviewed lighting takeoff contains eight new Type B fixtures, two fixtures to remove and three existing fixtures to remain. The new fixtures need materials and installation labor. The removals need labor. The existing fixtures stay visible in the takeoff but do not enter pricing.
Exclude false matches and leave unresolved items pending until they have been checked. In Metruno, quantities must be reviewed and eligible before they can be priced. Source links let you return to the drawing when a code, scope or quantity is unclear.
This is a deliberately small calculation example, not a complete project estimate. It does not establish that conductors, raceways, controls, access requirements or other project scope have been covered.
2. Apply your material and labor assumptions
Use $85 per new fixture and 0.5 labor hours to install it. Allow 0.25 hours to remove each old fixture, with no new material on that removal line. Set the labor rate to $80 per hour, overhead to 10% and markup to 12%.
These are illustrative USD inputs, not recommended market rates. Replace them with supplier quotations, your labor assumptions and the project’s actual working conditions. Markup and gross margin are different calculations; this example applies a markup to direct cost plus overhead.
3. Calculate materials, labor, overhead and markup
Illustrative rates · USD · 8 new lights and 2 removals
| Scope | Quantity | Material / EA | Labor hours / EA | Material total | Labor hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New work | 8 EA | $85.00 | 0.5 | $680.00 | 4 |
| Removal | 2 EA | $0.00 | 0.25 | $0.00 | 0.5 |
- Materials 8 × $85, plus $0 for removals
- $680.00
- Labor 4.5 hours × $80.00
- $360.00
- Direct cost Materials + labor
- $1,040.00
- Overhead 10% of direct cost
- $104.00
- Markup 12% of direct cost + overhead
- $137.28
- Example estimate total
- $1,281.28
The eight new fixtures contribute 4 labor hours and the two removals contribute 0.5 hours. At $80 per hour, 4.5 hours costs $360. Add $680 in materials to get $1,040 in direct cost.
Overhead is 10% of direct cost: $104. Markup is 12% of direct cost plus overhead: $137.28. The resulting example total is $1,281.28. Metruno rounds material line totals and the resulting cost components to cents.
4. Review a change before creating a revision
Now suppose drawing review adds two new Type B fixtures. After accepting the source change, new work increases from eight to ten. Materials rise to $850.00 and labor becomes 5.5 hours, or $440.00. The removal scope and rates stay the same.
| Component | Original | Revised |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $680.00 | $850.00 |
| Labor | $360.00 | $440.00 |
| Direct cost | $1,040.00 | $1,290.00 |
| Overhead | $104.00 | $129.00 |
| Markup | $137.28 | $170.28 |
| Total | $1,281.28 | $1,589.28 |
The revised total is $1,589.28, an increase of $308.00. Metruno flags changes in source quantities so you can review their effect before creating a revision. A finalized estimate stays locked.
Before finalizing the estimate
- Confirm that the processed drawing set and reviewed quantities cover the intended scope.
- Review new work and removals separately; keep existing and excluded items out of pricing.
- Check unit costs, labor hours and the order in which overhead and markup are applied.
- Resolve source changes, unresolved items and any pricing warnings.
- Check project work that a symbol count does not measure automatically, including conductors and raceways.
Use a supported PDF of 25 sheets or fewer to try the complete Metruno workflow on your free project. You can process selected pages from a larger PDF, but a partially processed plan set cannot be finalized as a complete estimate. See pricing and plan limits.
For the earlier steps, see how to count electrical symbols in a PDF and the free takeoff workbook.