Commercial Electrical Estimating in Canada

MeTiger helps Canadian electrical contractors and general contractors price commercial buildings with confidence — tenant improvements, retail fit-outs, offices, mixed-use, and institutional work. We turn tender drawings, specifications, and addenda into reviewable takeoffs, labour summaries, marked-up drawings, and a clean base-building versus tenant scope split.

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Commercial estimatingCEC-aware scope reviewBase-building vs TI splitMarked-up drawingsLabour & material summaries

Project types

Commercial projects we estimate

From a single-floor fit-out to a full mixed-use development, we organize the electrical scope the way you actually bid it.

Tenant improvements & fit-outs

Interior build-outs and TI work — devices, branch power, lighting, and controls added to an existing base building.

Retail fit-outs

Storefronts, shells to finished units, and multi-unit retail with feature lighting and dedicated equipment power.

Offices & professional space

Open-plan and demised office floors, boardrooms, and workstation power with lighting-control zoning.

Mixed-use & multi-family

Ground-floor commercial over multi-family residential suites, with common-area lighting and suite distribution.

Base-building & core-and-shell

Service entrance, house distribution, risers, and landlord scope for developers and base-building contracts.

Institutional where appropriate

Community, clinical, and institutional interiors handled where the scope suits a commercial-style estimate.

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Deliverables

What your commercial estimate includes

Quantity takeoff workbook by floor and area
Colour-coded marked-up drawings
Base-building versus tenant scope split
Material list by system
Labour-hour summary with the labour-unit basis
Lighting and controls count
Devices and branch-power schedule
Feeder and distribution takeoff
Inclusions and exclusions
Landlord / base-building coordination notes
RFI and scope-gap log
Addenda review
Bid summary you can price from

Coverage

Commercial systems we quantify

Service & distribution

Service entrance and metering
Switchboards, panels, distribution
Transformers and feeders
Risers and house power

Branch power & devices

Receptacles and dedicated circuits
Equipment and appliance connections
Workstation and furniture power
Junction boxes and rough-in

Lighting & controls

Interior and feature lighting
Lighting-control zoning and sensors
Emergency and exit lighting
Exterior and signage power

Life-safety coordination

Fire-alarm device coordination
Emergency and egress lighting
Life-safety power coordination

Low voltage & special systems

Data and communications rough-in
Access control / security rough-in where included
Audio-visual rough-in where included
EV charger rough-in where included

Demolition & phasing

Existing wiring removal where shown
Temporary and construction power
Phased and occupied-space allowances

Coordination

The coordination realities that move a commercial number

Commercial electrical margin usually leaks at the boundaries — between the base building and the tenant, and between the electrical drawings and every other trade. We estimate those boundaries on purpose instead of assuming them away.

Base-building versus tenant-improvement scope kept on separate lines so you price your contract, not the landlord's
Mechanical, plumbing, kitchen, and specialty equipment power reconciled against the electrical schedules
Phased and occupied-space sequencing, temporary power, and after-hours assumptions written into the labour basis
Landlord-provided, utility, and existing-to-remain items called out as exclusions, not silent guesses
Lighting, controls, and life-safety devices cross-checked against reflected ceiling and fire-alarm sheets

Approach

A CEC-aware approach to commercial scope

Our commercial estimating and Canadian Electrical Code-informed scope review are guided by CSA C22.1 / the Canadian Electrical Code, provincial amendments and practices, project specifications, local utility requirements, and the bid documents. We quantify what the documents call for and flag where they conflict — using regional labour adjustment and project-specific labour assumptions built for Canadian market pricing.

Final compliance remains subject to the project engineer, the local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), and applicable provincial/territorial requirements. MeTiger provides estimating and coordination support — not stamped drawings, sealed engineering, permit-ready engineering, or code-compliance certification — and works alongside the engineer of record where required.

Process

How it works

Send your drawings or a plan link

Share your PDF or DWG set, specifications, and addenda — or a Dropbox / Drive / Procore link.

Confirm scope and deadline

We confirm the project location, commercial project type, base-building versus tenant split, and bid due date.

Receive a fixed quote

A fee and delivery window, quoted after drawing review, before any work begins.

Takeoff and scope review

We perform the takeoff and organize the electrical scope by area, floor, and system.

Document assumptions and gaps

Scope splits, exclusions, phasing assumptions, and RFIs are logged clearly.

Deliver the package

You receive the reviewable commercial estimate on the agreed window, ready to bid.

Pricing

Commercial estimating pricing

There is no flat menu price for a commercial fit-out — a two-floor office TI and a mixed-use base building are different animals. Every fee is quoted after drawing review, based on floor and sheet count, scope complexity, phasing, deadline, and the deliverables you need. Send the bid set and due date and MeTiger confirms scope, fee, and delivery window before work begins.

See how pricing works Request Commercial Estimate

Related services

Related estimating services

Industrial estimating

Heavier plant, process, and warehouse electrical. See industrial estimating.

Retail estimating

Storefronts and multi-unit retail fit-outs. See retail estimating.

Restaurant estimating

Kitchen power and interlock coordination. See restaurant estimating.

Takeoffs & bid review

Standalone electrical takeoffs or a full estimating package.

FAQ

Commercial estimating FAQ

Do you split base-building and tenant scope?

Yes. On commercial fit-outs we keep a clear base-building versus tenant-improvement line so you price only your contract, and any assumed landlord-provided items are listed as exclusions.

Can you estimate work in occupied or phased buildings?

Yes. For occupied-space and phased work we note the sequencing, temporary power, and after-hours assumptions so your crew productivity assumptions and labour hours reflect real conditions, not an empty-shell count.

Do you pick up equipment power from other trades?

Yes. Mechanical, plumbing, kitchen, and specialty equipment often carries electrical connections that are not on the power plans. We reconcile equipment schedules against the electrical scope and flag any load with no clear source in the RFI and scope-gap log.

Do you use the Canadian Electrical Code?

Our takeoffs and scope review are informed by CSA C22.1 / the Canadian Electrical Code, provincial amendments, project specifications, local utility requirements, and the bid documents. Final compliance remains subject to the project engineer, the local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), and applicable provincial/territorial requirements.

Do you provide stamped drawings or engineering?

No. MeTiger provides estimating, takeoff, and coordination support — not stamped drawings, sealed engineering, or code-compliance certification. We work alongside the engineer of record where required and document what the tender set calls for.

What does a commercial estimate cost?

Every project is quoted after drawing review. Fees depend on floor and sheet count, scope complexity, phasing, deadline, and the deliverables you need. Send the bid set and due date and we confirm scope, fee, and delivery window before work begins.

Send your commercial bid set and get a fixed quote

Upload your drawings or share a plan link with the bid due date. MeTiger confirms scope, the base-building versus tenant split, fee, and delivery window before any work begins.

Request Commercial Estimate How pricing works