Best Estimating Software for Electricians in Australia (2026)
Electrical estimating is one of the most time-intensive parts of running an electrical business. Counting cable runs from plans, pricing materials at current wholesale rates, accounting for labour at award rates — and then sending a quote that actually wins the job. The right software cuts that time in half and makes your quotes more accurate.
By Benjy @ Tradie Scaler
Top 3 Electrician Estimating Tools at a Glance
Estimating Tools for Electricians — Quick Comparison
| Platform | Price (AUD/mo) | Plan Takeoffs | Labour Templates | Xero Integration | AU-Built | Try It |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tradify | $35 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | Free Trial → |
| Groundplan | $79 | ✓ | ✗ | ~ | ✓ | Free Trial → |
| AroFlo | $65 | ~ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Free Trial → |
| ServiceM8 | $29 | ✗ | ~ | ✓ | ✓ | Free Trial → |
| Fergus | $39 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | Free Trial → |
| simPRO | POA | ~ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Get Demo → |
Prices AUD unless stated. Verified April 2026.
The 6 Best Estimating Tools for Electricians — Reviewed
Tradify is the best all-round estimating and quoting platform for Australian electricians who want a complete workflow without complexity. Material library with current pricing, labour rate templates, a clean quoting interface, and strong iOS and Android apps mean you can quote in the van before leaving the job site.
No digital takeoffs — for large jobs involving PDF plan measurement, you'll want to pair Tradify with Groundplan. But for the majority of day-to-day electrical work, Tradify handles estimating better than any competing platform at this price.
Pros
- Full workflow
- Labour templates
- Material library
- iOS + Android
- Affordable
Cons
- No plan takeoffs
- NZ company
Groundplan was built with electrical contractors in mind. Upload PDF plans, select cable type, trace the run — Groundplan calculates length and quantity automatically. It handles cable run measurements, conduit lengths, switchboard counts, and other electrical-specific takeoffs that general construction takeoff tools miss.
Most AU electricians use it alongside Tradify or AroFlo for job management and invoicing. That two-tool setup dramatically reduces estimating errors and cuts quoting time for large residential and commercial jobs.
Pros
- Industry-leading takeoffs
- AU-built
- Fast
- Used by major AU electrical contractors
Cons
- Takeoffs only — needs companion job management tool
AroFlo has a native Groundplan integration — takeoff quantities import directly into AroFlo jobs for costing and management. It also handles compliance documentation and asset registers, which matter for commercial electrical contractors, plus integrations with major Australian electrical suppliers.
For an electrician doing significant commercial work, the AroFlo + Groundplan combination is the most complete electrical estimating and management stack available in Australia. More expensive to set up, but purpose-built for this kind of work.
Pros
- Groundplan integration
- Supplier integrations
- Compliance docs
- AU-built
Cons
- More expensive
- Complex setup
For reactive electrical work — switchboard faults, safety inspections, domestic service calls — ServiceM8 lets you walk through the job, note materials and labour, and send a professional quote before leaving the property. Compliance forms for electrical safety certificates are native. The iOS app is the best in the industry.
ServiceM8 is the cheapest tool on this list and the fastest for on-site quoting. It lacks depth for large project estimating, but for service electricians doing primarily reactive and maintenance work, it's the strongest option.
Pros
- AU-built
- On-site quoting
- Compliance forms
- Cheapest
- Offline mode
Cons
- Limited estimating depth for large jobs
- No plan takeoffs
Fergus does electrical estimating competently — materials, labour, mark-ups, Xero integration. NZ-origin shows in some AU compliance gaps. If you're already on Fergus and satisfied with the overall platform, the estimating module covers most needs for standard residential electrical work.
Pros
- Decent quoting
- Xero integration
- Labour templates
Cons
- NZ-built
- No takeoffs
- Dated UI
For large commercial and industrial electrical projects — multi-trade tenders, complex bill of materials, progress billing across long-duration contracts — simPRO is the industry standard for Australian commercial electrical contractors. The depth of estimating, job costing, and project management goes well beyond anything else on this list.
Pros
- Commercial estimating depth
- Material costing
- AU standard
Cons
- Expensive
- Long onboarding
Measuring cable runs by hand and pricing materials from memory?
Groundplan traces electrical plans digitally in minutes — most electricians save 2+ hours per quote. Start your free trial.
Try Groundplan Free →Frequently Asked Questions
For a complete workflow, Tradify is the best all-round choice for Australian electricians. For digital plan takeoffs specifically, Groundplan is the market leader. For large commercial electrical work, simPRO is the industry standard.
Yes — Groundplan was specifically designed with electrical contractors in mind. It handles cable run measurements, conduit lengths, switchboard counts, and other electrical-specific takeoffs from PDF architectural plans. It's the most widely used takeoff tool among Australian electrical contractors.
Quoting software (Tradify, ServiceM8) focuses on creating professional quotes with materials, labour, and mark-ups. Estimating software (Groundplan, PlanSwift) focuses on measuring quantities from architectural plans. Most electrical businesses need both — takeoff tools for large jobs, quoting tools for day-to-day work.