What does a fire alarm and low voltage estimating package include?
A fire alarm and low voltage estimating package lists every counted device, the conduit and cable by run, and the labor hours at a stated wage basis, each with its measurement rule. We deliver an Excel workbook, a PDF summary and marked-up drawings so your bid can be checked line by line.
Our Professional Fire Alarm & Low Voltage Estimating
Division 28 work fails a bid in two places: a device count that misses a floor's worth of smoke detectors, and a conduit-and-wire allowance that ignores the copper market. Our fire alarm and low voltage estimating starts from the symbol legend and riser diagram, not from a square-foot multiplier, so each number on the sheet traces to a drawing sheet and a measurement rule.
Every line carries its unit, its counting rule and the arithmetic behind it. When a riser diagram shows a fiber backbone between the MDF and each IDF, we measure the riser length once and count terminations at both ends, then show the patch panel and fiber enclosure as separate line items. You receive the workbook, the PDF summary and the marked-up drawing pages showing where each count came from.
We price labor from published U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data and adjust material to current Producer Price Index movement, then an estimator reviews the sheet before it goes to you. The fee is quoted per project after we review the plans. Send your drawings through our trade estimating services intake and we will confirm scope in writing.
Fire Alarm & Low Voltage material takeoffs
We perform the fire alarm takeoff services line by line: initiating devices counted by type from the device schedule, notification appliances counted by room from the reflected ceiling plans, and the fire alarm control panel, remote annunciators and power supplies listed as equipment. Conduit is measured in linear feet by trade size and raceway type, wire in feet per circuit from the point-to-point wiring, and cable by category. Boxes, backboxes, plenum-rated cable, terminal cabinets and jockey pump or sprinkler flow switch monitoring modules each get their own line with a count and a source sheet reference.
Fire Alarm & Low Voltage labor cost estimates
Labor is built device by device and foot by foot, not as a percentage of material. Pulling Cat6 through a telecommunications room, terminating a patch panel, mounting a horn strobe at its required height and programming an addressable loop are separate tasks with their own hours. We apply the wage rate for the trade and note where a prevailing wage determination will govern the job. Copper wire and cable has moved sharply on the Producer Price Index over the past year, so the material portion is dated and labeled rather than blended into one lump sum.
Bid-ready fire alarm & low voltage cost estimates
The finished package is organized by CSI MasterFormat Division 28 sections so it drops into your bid form without re-sorting. Each line shows quantity, unit, material cost, labor hours, labor cost and extended total, with the measurement rule stated in a notes column. Alternates, unit prices for added devices and a separate schedule of testing and commissioning hours are broken out so you can carry or drop them. The marked-up drawings let a reviewer check any count against the sheet it came from, and the same traceable format carries into the structural steel estimates support we prepare for other divisions.
What Is Included in Our Fire Alarm & Low Voltage Estimates?
Our fire alarm and low voltage estimating covers the full Division 28 scope plus the structured cabling that often rides with it. We read the drawings against NFPA 72 requirements and the project specifications, and we flag where the device schedule and the floor plans disagree so the question goes to the design team before bid day. Where the fire alarm work ties into site utilities, fire pump power or underground duct banks, we coordinate the scope with our civil estimating services so the same quantities are not counted twice. The deliverable is a line-item workbook, a PDF summary and marked-up drawings.
| Item | Unit | Counting rule |
|---|---|---|
| Addressable smoke detector | Each (EA) | Count symbols on floor plans; reconcile to device schedule |
| Pull station | EA | Count at each exit and stair landing per NFPA 72 layout |
| Horn strobe | EA | Count by room from reflected ceiling plan; check candela notes |
| Fire alarm control panel | EA | One per riser diagram; add transponders per floor or building |
| EMT conduit | Linear feet (LF) | Scale-measure each home run; add 5% typical waste for bends and cuts |
| FPLP plenum cable | LF | Circuit length from panel to last device plus vertical riser drop |
| Cat6 horizontal cable | LF | Device to patch panel run plus 10 feet typical slack at each end |
| Patch panel | EA | Count per telecommunications room rack elevation |
Fire alarm devices, panels, raceway and cabling
The component list follows the symbol legend and specifications:
- Fire alarm control panel, remote annunciator, transponder and booster power supplies
- Initiating devices: smoke detectors, heat detectors, duct detectors, pull stations, waterflow and tamper switches
- Notification appliances: horn strobes, speaker strobes, chimes and mass notification units
- Addressable loop wiring, isolated circuits and point-to-point wiring between devices
- Raceway: EMT, PVC and flexible conduit by trade size, plus boxes and fittings
- Cable: FPLR and FPLP plenum cable, Cat6 and Cat6A, fiber optic backbone and patch cords
- Telecommunications room equipment: patch panels, fiber enclosures, racks, cable management and grounding
- MDF and IDF build-out, including cross-connects and labeling
- Testing, commissioning and as-built documentation allowances
Materials, labor, equipment and cost breakdowns
Each line splits into four columns so you can see where the money sits:
- Material — quantity times unit price, with cable and conduit priced against current Producer Price Index movement for copper and steel.
- Labor — hours per device or per 100 feet, multiplied by the published wage rate for the installing trade, with prevailing wage noted where it applies.
- Equipment — lifts, coring tools, test equipment and programming time carried as separate items rather than buried in labor.
- Indirect and markup — shown as a separate line so you decide what to carry.
A worked illustrative example: 180 addressable smoke detectors at 0.75 labor hours each is 135 hours; at the published electrician wage that labor line is computed separately from the device material, and both appear on the same row.
Who Needs Our Fire Alarm & Low Voltage Estimating?
Division 28 estimating is usually a side task for an electrical estimator who is already buried in power and lighting. We take the low voltage package off that desk and return a sheet the estimator can merge into the main bid. Each group below uses the same workbook differently, and fire alarm and low voltage estimating is the whole scope rather than a line item inside a larger electrical takeoff.
Fire alarm and low voltage subcontractors
A specialty contractor bidding three jobs in the same week needs the fire alarm control panel, device counts and cable quantities back fast enough to price the work. We count from the symbol legend and the device schedule, build labor hours per device, and hand back a bid estimate you can adjust for your own crew productivity. You keep the marked-up drawings to defend your number in a scope meeting. Our bid package estimating page covers how the workbook is formatted for submission.
General contractors and home builders
A general contractor carrying a Division 28 allowance needs to know whether the number is real before the subcontractor bids arrive. We produce a fire alarm system cost estimate from the same drawings the subs are pricing, so you can compare apples to apples and see which bid missed a floor of notification appliances. For residential work, the scope is smaller but the smoke detector and carbon monoxide placement rules still drive the count.
Developers, architects and suppliers
Developers use the estimate at pro forma stage to test whether the low voltage package fits the budget, and again at buyout to check the awarded contract. Architects get a device count that reveals whether the MDF and IDF rooms are sized for the racks and cable management the design calls for. Suppliers can use the cable and conduit quantities to plan material releases against the construction schedule, and the device-level count replaces a lump sum they cannot break down.
Types of Fire Alarm & Low Voltage Projects We Estimate
The counting rules stay the same across project types; what changes is the density of devices, the code edition in force and the amount of infrastructure behind the walls. We adjust the fire alarm quantity takeoff to the building type rather than applying one rate to every job, and the same discipline carries through every Division 28 assignment we take on.
Residential projects
Single-family and low-rise residential work is dominated by smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, a small panel and limited raceway, often wired in cable rather than conduit. Multifamily buildings add a riser, floor control panels and addressable initiating devices in common areas, plus a telecommunications room per building. We count devices per dwelling unit and per common space so the count ties to the unit mix. Our concrete estimating services team handles the structural package when the same project needs both.
Commercial buildings
Offices, schools, retail and healthcare drive the bulk of Division 28 volume: full addressable loops, voice evacuation, duct detectors tied to air handling units, and a structured cabling plant with an MDF and multiple IDF rooms. Point-to-point wiring and raceway fill become the labor drivers, and the sequence of operations in the specifications sets how many hours testing and commissioning will take. We measure each floor separately so a change on one level does not require re-counting the whole building.
Industrial and infrastructure projects
Warehouses, plants and infrastructure work add hazardous-area classification, fire pump and jockey pump monitoring, sprinkler flow and tamper switches, and long conduit runs between buildings. Fiber optic backbone between structures and outdoor-rated raceway change the unit mix substantially. We measure exterior runs in linear feet from the site plan and keep them on a separate line from interior work. Our sitework estimating services page covers the civil scope that surrounds those runs, and the two scopes are reconciled before the fire alarm and low voltage estimating package is issued.
Our Fire Alarm & Low Voltage Estimating Process
Every Division 28 estimate starts with the documents that govern the scope: the fire alarm and low voltage estimating package should include the riser diagram, device schedule, symbol legend, sequence of operations and the specification sections that fix the manufacturer and the testing requirements. We log the drawing revision and spec section number on the first tab of the workbook so each later number can be traced back to a single sheet. Where the electrical drawings and the fire alarm drawings disagree on conduit routing, we list both and flag the conflict for the contractor rather than picking one silently. Contractors pricing a full building often pair this scope with our demolition estimates for the removal side of a renovation, so the two sheets reconcile on the same drawing set.
Submit drawings and specifications
Send the PDF plan set, the Division 28 specification, the electrical drawings that carry the raceway, and any addenda issued to date. We also ask for the point-to-point wiring diagram and the circuit schedule if the design team has produced them, because those two documents set the conductor counts that the takeoff depends on. If the package arrives without a device schedule, we note the gap and take counts from the floor plans and legend instead, marking the assumption on the marked-up pages. Takeoff runs on the digital set: initiating devices and notification appliances counted by each against the symbol legend, conduit measured by linear foot along the routed raceway with fittings and boxes counted separately, and plenum cable measured by the foot per home run from the riser and circuit schedule. Structured cabling is taken off the same way, with Cat6 and fiber optic runs by the foot, patch panels by each, and telecommunications room and MDF/IDF terminations listed as discrete items.
Plan review and digital takeoff
Each line carries a unit, a measurement rule and the arithmetic that produced it: smoke detectors by each, pull stations by each, horn strobes by each, conduit by linear foot with fittings counted separately, and plenum cable by the foot per home run. Labor hours come from the device counts and the footage, priced against national average unit costs adjusted with published U.S. wage and price data, then reviewed by an estimator. Copper wire and cable pricing has moved sharply over the past year, so conductor and cable lines are flagged for a current quote rather than carried at a stale unit price. Quality checks run before release: device counts are reconciled against the schedule and the floor plans room by room, addressable loop loading is checked against the panel capacity, and battery and voltage drop calculations are listed as design deliverables rather than estimated quantities. The finished package is an Excel workbook and PDF summary with marked-up drawing pages, and the fee is quoted per project after we review the plans.
Cost calculation, quality checks and delivery
Each line carries a unit, a measurement rule and the arithmetic that produced it: smoke detectors by each, pull stations by each, horn strobes by each, conduit by linear foot with fittings counted separately, and plenum cable by the foot per home run. Labor hours come from the device counts and the footage, priced against national average unit costs adjusted with published U.S. wage and price data, then reviewed by an estimator. Copper wire and cable pricing has moved sharply over the past year, so conductor and cable lines are flagged for a current quote rather than carried at a stale unit price. Quality checks run before release: device counts are reconciled against the schedule and the floor plans room by room, addressable loop loading is checked against the panel capacity, and battery and voltage drop calculations are listed as design deliverables rather than estimated quantities. The finished package is an Excel workbook and PDF summary with marked-up drawing pages, and the fee is quoted per project after we review the plans.
Sample Fire Alarm & Low Voltage Estimate and Deliverables
The illustrative example below is a two-story, 40,000 sq ft office fit-out with an addressable panel, and it is labeled illustrative because the quantities and unit costs are assumed for the walkthrough, not quoted from a live project. The device counts come from the floor plans and the device schedule; the conduit and wire come from the riser diagram and the circuit schedule. Note that the smoke detector count excludes the four duct detectors, which sit on a separate line with their own labor. Our fire alarm and low voltage estimating keeps a battery calculation and a voltage drop check on the sheet, because both can change the wire size and therefore the material total before the bid goes out.
| Item | Qty | Unit | Unit cost range | Extended range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Addressable smoke detector, ceiling mounted | 46 | EA | $210 – $260 | $9,660 – $11,960 |
| Duct smoke detector with sampling tubes | 4 | EA | $480 – $560 | $1,920 – $2,240 |
| Manual pull station, addressable | 10 | EA | $230 – $280 | $2,300 – $2,800 |
| Horn strobe notification appliance | 52 | EA | $240 – $300 | $12,480 – $15,600 |
| Fire alarm control panel with addressable loop cards | 1 | EA | $6,500 – $8,200 | $6,500 – $8,200 |
| EMT conduit, 3/4 in., with fittings | 1,850 | LF | $9.50 – $12.00 | $17,575 – $22,200 |
| Copper conductor, THHN, 14 AWG, two-wire loop | 3,700 | LF | $0.55 – $0.70 | $2,035 – $2,590 |
| Cat6 plenum cable, telecommunications and monitoring | 4,200 | LF | $0.65 – $0.85 | $2,730 – $3,570 |
| Testing, commissioning and as-built documentation | 1 | LOT | $4,800 – $6,200 | $4,800 – $6,200 |
| Total (illustrative) | — | — | — | $60,000 – $75,360 |
Excel quantity takeoff sheet
The workbook holds one tab per system and one row per device or assembly, with columns for the drawing sheet, the room or zone, the quantity, the unit, the labor hours per unit and the material unit price. Formulas stay live so a revised device count flows through to the extended cost, and a summary tab rolls the divisions up by CSI code. Filtering the sheet by drawing sheet lets you audit any single line back to the plan.
Marked-up drawings
Each counted symbol is highlighted on the PDF page it came from, with the count written beside the legend entry so a reviewer can re-count a room in seconds. Runs of conduit are traced and dimensioned, and any device taken from a schedule rather than a plan is flagged in a different color. Discrepancies between the fire alarm drawings and the electrical drawings are called out on the page where they occur.
Itemized cost estimate
Each counted symbol is highlighted on the PDF page it came from, with the count written beside the legend entry so a reviewer can re-count a room in seconds. Runs of conduit are traced and dimensioned, and any device taken from a schedule rather than a plan is flagged in a different color. Discrepancies between the fire alarm drawings and the electrical drawings are called out on the page where they occur.
Software and Pricing Data We Use
The fire alarm device counts takeoff is only as good as the pricing behind it, so each quantity is priced from a national average unit cost and then adjusted with published U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage and Producer Price Index data. Copper and steel move the conduit and conductor lines; plastic construction products move the raceway fittings and boxes. The chart below tracks the Producer Price Index series for those material groups, rebased to 100 at the start of the window, so you can see which inputs have moved and by how much before you commit a bid.
Takeoff and estimating software
Counts are taken on screen from the PDF set in on-screen takeoff software, with each symbol tagged to a sheet and a room. Quantities feed a spreadsheet estimating model where every line carries its unit, its labor hours and its material price, and a separate cost database supplies the national average unit costs that the model starts from. The tools are chosen for auditability: a reviewer can open any line and see the plan page, the count rule and the arithmetic. We do not name specific products, because the method matters more than the platform.
Regional material and labor pricing method
Counts are taken on screen from the PDF set in on-screen takeoff software, with each symbol tagged to a sheet and a room. Quantities feed a spreadsheet estimating model where every line carries its unit, its labor hours and its material price, and a separate cost database supplies the national average unit costs that the model starts from. The tools are chosen for auditability: a reviewer can open any line and see the plan page, the count rule and the arithmetic. We do not name specific products, because the method matters more than the platform.
Material price movement, Oct 2023 to Sep 2026
| Occupation | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security and fire alarm systems installers | $22.99 | $28.88 | $35.43 |
| Electricians | $23.76 | $30.38 | $40.36 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers | $26.11 | $35.73 | $46.08 |
Base wages before payroll taxes, insurance and benefits. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, national, all industries.
Why Contractors Choose Our Estimating Services
Fire alarm work fails a bid in two places: the device count and the labor hours behind the conduit and wire. Our sheets show both, line by line, so you can challenge a count before the bid goes out rather than after the award. The same discipline applies to structured cabling estimating, where the telecommunications room, the patch panel counts and the fiber optic runs are taken off separately from the fire alarm scope.
Trade-specific expertise
Division 28 takeoff starts with the symbol legend and the device schedule, not the floor plan. We count initiating devices and notification appliances by type and mounting height, then reconcile the total against the riser diagram and the addressable loop assignments. Conduit and wire are measured by raceway size and conductor count, with plenum cable called out separately where the ceiling assembly requires it. Battery calculations, voltage drop and circuit schedules are read as scope, so the panel and booster sizes in the estimate match what the engineer specified. Every workbook carries an assumptions tab that states the drawing revision, the spec sections used, the count rules applied and any scope taken from a schedule rather than a plan. A second estimator re-counts a sample of devices and traces the conduit runs against the riser diagram. Where the drawings are silent, the assumption is written down rather than buried in a unit price, so you can accept it or correct it before submission. Revisions are logged against the addendum or sketch that triggered them, so a device count change on one floor does not silently alter the conduit and wire totals on another. Questions during the takeoff go back to you in writing against the sheet and line item, so the answer lands in the workbook rather than in a call summary. The same count discipline carries into adjacent scopes, which is why teams pairing this work with professional masonry estimating services get a consistent rule set across divisions.
Quality control and clear assumptions
Division 28 takeoff starts with the symbol legend and the device schedule, not the floor plan. We count initiating devices and notification appliances by type and mounting height, then reconcile the total against the riser diagram and the addressable loop assignments. Conduit and wire are measured by raceway size and conductor count, with plenum cable called out separately where the ceiling assembly requires it. Battery calculations, voltage drop and circuit schedules are read as scope, so the panel and booster sizes in the estimate match what the engineer specified. Every workbook carries an assumptions tab that states the drawing revision, the spec sections used, the count rules applied and any scope taken from a schedule rather than a plan. A second estimator re-counts a sample of devices and traces the conduit runs against the riser diagram. Where the drawings are silent, the assumption is written down rather than buried in a unit price, so you can accept it or correct it before submission. Revisions are logged against the addendum or sketch that triggered them, so a device count change on one floor does not silently alter the conduit and wire totals on another. Questions during the takeoff go back to you in writing against the sheet and line item, so the answer lands in the workbook rather than in a call summary. The same count discipline carries into adjacent scopes, which is why teams pairing this work with professional masonry estimating services get a consistent rule set across divisions.
Turnaround, communication and revisions
Division 28 takeoff starts with the symbol legend and the device schedule, not the floor plan. We count initiating devices and notification appliances by type and mounting height, then reconcile the total against the riser diagram and the addressable loop assignments. Conduit and wire are measured by raceway size and conductor count, with plenum cable called out separately where the ceiling assembly requires it. Battery calculations, voltage drop and circuit schedules are read as scope, so the panel and booster sizes in the estimate match what the engineer specified. Every workbook carries an assumptions tab that states the drawing revision, the spec sections used, the count rules applied and any scope taken from a schedule rather than a plan. A second estimator re-counts a sample of devices and traces the conduit runs against the riser diagram. Where the drawings are silent, the assumption is written down rather than buried in a unit price, so you can accept it or correct it before submission. Revisions are logged against the addendum or sketch that triggered them, so a device count change on one floor does not silently alter the conduit and wire totals on another. Questions during the takeoff go back to you in writing against the sheet and line item, so the answer lands in the workbook rather than in a call summary. The same count discipline carries into adjacent scopes, which is why teams pairing this work with professional masonry estimating services get a consistent rule set across divisions.
Fire Alarm & Low Voltage Estimating Pricing
The fee for fire alarm and low voltage estimating is quoted per project after we read the drawings, not published as a rate card. We price the work by the sheet: a Division 28 package with a riser diagram, device schedule and symbol legend takes less review than a combined electrical and low voltage set with point-to-point wiring matrices. Send the plans through our bid estimate intake and the quote comes back with the scope of sheets and trades stated in writing.
A fire alarm bid estimate is only as good as the count behind it, so the quote reflects how many addressable loops, notification appliance circuits and panel locations must be traced. Low voltage scopes that include structured cabling add Cat6 horizontal runs, fiber optic backbones and telecommunications room terminations to the same review.
How quotes are calculated
The quote is built from the takeoff, not from a square-foot multiplier. We count devices by type from the device schedule, measure conduit and wire by circuit, list panels and power supplies, then apply labor hours at the wage rates shown in the wage table below and material pricing adjusted with current producer price data. The calculator below is a separate tool: enter building area, your own base hard cost per sq ft, soft-cost percentage, contingency percentage and escalation percentage, and it returns hard cost, soft costs, contingency, escalation, budget total and all-in cost per sq ft. It carries no prices of its own and no building-type assumptions, so it will not produce a fire alarm system cost estimate on its own.
What affects price and delivery time
Sheet count drives the review: a single-floor tenant fit-out with a clean symbol legend moves faster than a campus with separate MDF and IDF rooms across multiple buildings. Trades bundled into one request, alternates, and addenda issued after the bid date all add scope to reconcile, and each one is priced as a line item rather than absorbed into a lump sum. Testing and commissioning requirements written into the specification, along with battery calculation and voltage drop submissions, tell us how much documentation the estimate must carry.
Delivery time follows the same inputs. Fewer sheets, a single trade and a firm bid date shorten the schedule; late addenda, missing device schedules and open RFIs lengthen it. We confirm the delivery date with the quote, and that date is the one we hold to. If your package also includes raceway and grounding work outside Division 28, our estimating support across the building trades can price those divisions on the same workbook so the numbers reconcile.
Square-foot budget calculator
- Hard cost
- $444,000
- Soft costs
- $53,280
- Contingency
- $49,728
- Escalation
- $21,880
- Budget total
- $568,888
- All-in per sq ft
- $237
Enter your own base rate from a recent bid, cost book or estimator. The default values are placeholders for the math, not market prices.
Fire Alarm & Low Voltage Estimating Across the US
Wage levels are the largest regional variable in fire alarm and low voltage estimating. Electricians installing conduit and wire are priced from local Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, and public work under prevailing wage shifts the labor line upward in every state where the requirement applies. We adjust the labor rate by the project's county rather than applying one national figure, and the wage table below shows the national medians the adjustment starts from.
Material delivery and climate change the rest. Copper wire and cable pricing has moved sharply, so conduit and wire quantities are priced at current producer levels and flagged for re-pricing near the bid date. Cold-climate projects carry freeze protection and sprinkler monitoring interfaces; coastal and high-humidity areas push plenum cable and fiber optic termination choices. Local code editions adopted from NFPA 72 differ by jurisdiction, so device spacing and notification appliance coverage are confirmed with the building department before counts are final.
One team in the U.S. serves all states, so a Texas school district and a Washington hospital are estimated from the same workbook structure. As-built drawings and prior submittals, when you have them, shorten the review because the existing device count and raceway routing are already documented. Send your plans to get a quote and the regional labor basis is stated on the summary page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a fire alarm & low voltage estimate cost?
The fee is quoted per project after we review the plans, so it depends on drawing completeness, the number of floors and risers, device count, and whether structured cabling and telecommunications rooms are in scope. A single-tenant fit-out with a clean device schedule prices differently from a multi-building campus with MDF and IDF rooms. Send the set and we return a quote that names the scope and deliverables.
How long does a fire alarm & low voltage takeoff take?
The delivery date is set by the size of the drawing set, how legible the symbol legend and device schedule are, and how many revisions follow. We confirm the date with the quote rather than publishing a standing turnaround. Sets with a complete point-to-point wiring schedule and matched floor plans move faster than sets where device counts must be reconstructed from the riser diagram.
Do you estimate labor and material costs?
Yes. Each line carries a quantity, a unit, a material unit cost, and labor hours at the trade rate, so the estimate shows both sides of the number. Electrician labor is priced from published wage data and adjusted for the project's state and prevailing wage requirements. Material pricing reflects current producer price movement for copper wire and cable, steel raceway, and plastic conduit and fittings.
What drawings do you need?
Send the fire alarm and low voltage sheets with the symbol legend, device schedule, riser diagram, and floor plans, plus the electrical plans and single-line diagram for panel and circuit references. Specifications, the sequence of operations, and any telecommunications room layouts help. If the device schedule is missing, we count from the plans and flag the assumption in the workbook.
Can you use my estimate template?
Send the template along with the plans and we confirm whether the estimate can be delivered in it before the quote is issued. Excel-based templates with clear line-item columns and a labor rate field usually map cleanly to our takeoff. If the format conflicts with how we record quantities and measurement rules, we say so up front rather than forcing the data.
Do you sign NDAs?
Clients can request an NDA before sending drawings, and the terms are agreed before plan review begins. Send the document you want signed with your initial inquiry so the paperwork does not hold up the takeoff. We do not publish a standard NDA policy, so each agreement is handled as its own request.
What is the difference between an addressable loop count and a conventional zone count in your takeoff?
We record them as separate line items because they drive different labor. Addressable loops are measured by device count per loop with spare capacity noted, and the panel's loop card quantity follows. Conventional zones are counted by circuit with home-run conduit and wire measured back to the panel. Mixing the two in one line hides the wiring and card costs.
Do you include battery calculations and voltage drop in the estimate?
Battery calculations and voltage drop checks are engineering deliverables, not takeoff quantities, so we do not produce them. We do price the items they affect: notification appliance circuit wire size, panel battery cabinets, and remote power supplies shown on the drawings. Where the drawings omit them, we note the omission as an assumption for the estimator of record to resolve.
How do you handle plenum-rated cable and raceway in the takeoff?
Plenum cable is taken off separately from riser and general-purpose cable, with the length measured along the actual routing shown and ceiling plenum runs identified from the reflected ceiling plan. Raceway is measured by type and size, with fittings and supports counted. The separation matters because plenum-rated cable and steel conduit carry different unit costs and different price movement.
Can you estimate structured cabling and telecommunications rooms?
Yes. We count Cat6 and fiber optic horizontal runs by cable type and length, data outlets by room, patch panels by port count, and racks, cable managers, and UPS units by telecommunications room. MDF and IDF rooms are taken off with their backbone riser conduit and grounding. The result ties outlet counts to the drawings so the bid quantity can be checked.
Do you estimate sprinkler monitoring and fire pump interfaces?
We include the monitoring interfaces shown on the drawings: sprinkler flow and tamper switches, fire pump status and running signals, and jockey pump monitoring, each as a monitored input at the panel. The associated conduit and wire from the device to the panel is measured. Where the sequence of operations calls for additional relays, we count them and note the reference.
What does the fire alarm and low voltage estimating deliverable look like?
You receive an Excel workbook and a PDF summary with marked-up drawing pages. The workbook shows each line item with its unit, measurement rule, quantity, material cost, labor hours, and the public data source behind the pricing. The marked-up pages let you trace any count back to the sheet it came from, which is what makes fire alarm and low voltage estimating reviewable before bid day.
Do you price testing, commissioning, and as-built work?
Testing and commissioning hours are estimated as a separate line from installation labor, scaled to device count and the number of loops, because NFPA 72 acceptance testing is a distinct activity. As-built drawing production is priced only if the drawings or specifications assign it to the contractor. If the scope is silent, we list it as an exclusion in the summary.