Electrical contractors price jobs by the hour and are inspected by the hour. Records have to support both.
States license electricians and set a ratio of apprentices to journeymen on a job, often one journeyman for each apprentice or two. If the schedule does not show who is on which job, you can end up with a crew that is out of ratio on the day of an inspection. Put the classification on each employee record, and let the schedule warn when a job has more apprentices than allowed.
On federally funded construction the Davis-Bacon Act sets minimum hourly wages and benefits by trade and locality, and contractors submit weekly certified payroll. Many states have similar laws for state projects. The wage depends on the work performed, not only on the employee’s title, so someone doing journeyman work for three hours and laborer work for five is paid each rate for those hours. Without per-task time, certified payroll cannot be done accurately.
| Task | Hours | Class | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conduit run | 5 | Journeyman | $54.20 |
| Material handling | 3 | Laborer | $31.40 |
Electricians often visit several sites a day. Travel between jobs during the workday is generally working time. Driving to the first site, when the employee does not stop at the shop, is treated differently. Some prevailing wage rules require travel to be paid at a specified rate. Record where the day started and the route.
Where a person works at two rates in a week, overtime uses a weighted average. For 24 hours at $54.20 on a public job and 24 hours at $41.00 on a private job, the total is $2,284.80 for 48 hours, a regular rate of about $47.60. The half-time premium for 8 hours is $190.42.
Waiting for an inspector on a site is working time if the electrician is required to be there. Record it as its own task so you can show a general contractor why a job ran over, and so it can be billed if the contract permits.
Service electricians and project electricians have different days. Service work is many short calls with travel and callbacks, and project work is long days on one site. Record each type under its own code to see which part of the business pays better per labor hour. A shop that quotes both by the same hourly rate often finds that service calls need a higher rate to cover the drive time.
Electrical contractors bid jobs by phase: rough-in, service and feeders, trim, fixtures, testing. If hours are logged only to the job, you can see that it went over, but not where. Ask electricians to switch their phase code when they change tasks.
| Phase | Bid hours | Actual hours | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demo and make safe | 24 | 20 | -4 |
| Rough-in | 160 | 198 | +38 |
| Panel and feeders | 40 | 44 | +4 |
| Trim and devices | 80 | 76 | -4 |
| Fixtures | 60 | 71 | +11 |
| Testing and punch list | 24 | 35 | +11 |
Rough-in drove the overrun. On the next bid, either raise rough-in hours or find out why, for example late framing or a change order no one priced. Phase hours also support change order requests, because you can show the extra hours, not just claim them.
OSHA’s electrical safety rules require employers to protect workers from electrical hazards, and its lockout/tagout standard requires a written energy control program and training. Most employers follow NFPA 70E, the consensus standard for electrical safety in the workplace, which requires retraining in safe work practices at least every three years, and sooner if an audit shows someone is not following procedures.
The National Electrical Code is updated every three years, and states adopt editions on their own schedule. Many states require continuing education on code changes to renew an electrician’s license. Keep license numbers, expiry dates and CE hours in each employee’s file.
| Period | Work | Staffing move |
|---|---|---|
| Spring to fall | New construction and tenant improvements | Full crews, overtime planning on big pours and inspections |
| Storm season | Generators, surge repairs, service calls | On-call rotation for service techs |
| Winter | Interior work and service | Training, CE classes and code updates |
Service electricians are paid for every hour from the first call to the last, but only part of that time is billable to customers. The rest is driving, supply runs, estimates that do not close and paperwork. Divide billable hours by paid hours each week to get a billable efficiency figure for each technician.
If a technician is paid for 45 hours and bills 27, the efficiency is 60 percent. Use the figure to set your hourly service rate, so it covers the unbillable time, and to compare routes. A low number usually points to scheduling and travel, not to the electrician’s speed.
On public jobs, yes. On private jobs it is optional but useful to compare estimates to actual labor.
The rules depend on the state and the licensing board. Confirm your local requirement.
Check the contract and the governing law, which usually require several years.
NFPA 70E requires retraining in safety-related work practices at least every three years, and more often if supervision or an audit shows a worker is not following the practices.
In many states, yes. License renewal often requires a set number of continuing education hours, usually including changes in the latest National Electrical Code.
Yes, for non-exempt electricians. Picking up materials during the workday is work time, and so is the drive there.
The National Electrical Code was first published in 1897 and is revised every three years. That means an electrician with a long career will learn more than a dozen editions.
Weekly overtime math
What counts as paid travel
Wages as a share of revenue
Book a demo and we will set up a public job with separate classifications and hours.
This page is general information, not legal, payroll or tax advice. Rules differ by state, city and contract, and they change. Check with a qualified professional before you act. Numbers in examples are made up.