The spread between electrical bids on a multifamily project is often less about pricing and more about what each bidder assumed. A complete bid package narrows those assumptions, makes the numbers comparable and reduces the arguments after award. Here is what we look for when we price apartment and mixed-use work, and what we ask about when it is missing.
Drawings and specifications
- Full electrical set, including one-line diagram, panel schedules, lighting fixture schedule and site electrical plan.
- Architectural plans with unit types called out, so repeated unit layouts can be priced once and multiplied.
- Mechanical and plumbing drawings, because equipment connections (heat pumps, water heaters, pumps, elevators) are electrical scope.
- Civil drawings for site lighting, EV conduit and underground service routes.
- Division 26, 27 and 28 specifications, or a clear statement of which standards apply if there are none.
Information that changes the number
- Metering model. Individual utility meters per unit or master-metered. This changes the service, the meter room and the feeders.
- Utility status. Has the service application been filed? Is there a transformer location? Who pays utility fees?
- Schedule and phasing. Floor-by-floor turnover, temporary power duration, and whether any portion is occupied during construction.
- Fixture and device responsibility. Owner-furnished lighting, appliances, smart thermostats and access-control hardware are common and need to be stated.
- Low-voltage scope. Which systems are in the electrical package (pathways only, or pathways plus cabling, or turnkey) and which are by others.
- Fire alarm. Design-build by the electrical contractor or engineered drawings provided. Monitoring account responsibility.
- EV charging. Number of spaces at each readiness level, charger brand if known, and who owns the network.
The scope gaps that cause the most friction
Temporary power and lighting for the site. Final connections to owner-furnished equipment. Lighting controls and commissioning. Utility fees and permit fees. Core drilling and fire-stopping. Trenching and backfill for site conduit. Generator and transfer switch if added late. Each of these is sometimes electrical scope and sometimes not, and a bid package that says which saves everyone a meeting.
What to ask bidders
- A list of clarifications and exclusions, in writing, as part of the bid.
- Comparable multifamily projects with unit counts, and a reference from the GC.
- License and insurance certificates, and bonding capacity if the project will be bonded.
- Who will run the job in the field and how many electricians are planned at peak.
- Value-engineering ideas, with the savings and the trade-offs stated.
Sunderland Electric prices plan-and-spec and design-assist multifamily projects across Connecticut, and we are happy to review a bid package before it goes out. See our prequalification checklist, read about how we work, or send us your drawings.