Electrical takeoff: counting points off a plan, a worked NZ example

Steve Parker

Sep 19

5 min read

To count electrical points from a plan, read the legend, then count one symbol type at a time: downlights, then power and switches, then data, smoke alarms, fans and the board. Number every symbol, add the layers up, and reconcile the total against the schedule or quote before you price. In our sample: 71 points plus the DB.

The drawings in this post are samples we made for illustration, not a real project.

You can argue about a rate. A missed count you usually just wear. On the sample below, 4 downlights left off one quote line add up to $660 + GST that nobody priced.

How to count electrical points: start with the legend

Before you count anything, read two things.

The legend. Our sample plan uses 7 symbols: downlight, double power point (GPO), light switch, data point (Cat6), smoke alarm, extractor fan and switchboard. If a symbol on the plan is not in the legend, stop and ask. Do not guess.
The title block. This sheet is E-101 Rev A at 1:100 on A3. Write the drawing number and revision at the top of your count sheet. If Rev B lands, you know which count is stale.

Sample: the plan before counting. Read the legend and note the revision first.

Layer 1: downlights only

Count one symbol type across the whole sheet. Ignore everything else for now.

Number each downlight on the plan as you go. Numbers beat ticks. A tick says something was counted. A number says exactly what, so a second person can check it.

On the sample, the downlights come out at 28:

12 across the 3 bedrooms (4 each)
4 in the kitchen
6 across the open-plan dining and living
2 in the hall
1 each in the bathroom, ensuite, laundry and entry

Watch the single fittings in small rooms. A grid of 4 is hard to miss. A lone downlight in a laundry, next to a fan symbol and a door swing, is easy to skip.

Sample: layer 1, downlights only. 28 numbered on the plan.

Layer 2: power and switches

Next pass, two symbol types, two colours. On the sample that gives 18 double GPOs and 12 switches.

Count these across the sheet, not room by room. A GPO on a shared wall belongs to 2 rooms, so a room-by-room count catches it twice or not at all.

Keep them as separate lines even if you quote per point. The sample quote below prices a double GPO at $155 and a switch at $95. Lump the 30 together and one rate is wrong.

Sample: layer 2, power and switches. 18 double GPOs and 12 switches.

Layer 3: everything else, then the total

The last pass picks up the low-count items. They are few, which is why they get missed.

5 data points
5 smoke alarms: one in each of the 3 bedrooms, 1 in the hall, 1 in the living area
3 extractor fans: bathroom, ensuite, laundry
1 switchboard

Now add the layers back up yourself: 28 + 18 + 12 + 5 + 5 + 3 = 71 points, plus the DB. If your rows do not sum to your total, one layer is wrong. Find it before you price.

Check the spec for anything the symbol does not tell you. A smoke alarm symbol does not say whether the alarm is hard-wired or battery-only, and those price differently.

Sample: layer 3, everything else. 71 points plus the DB.

Cable runs are indicative, so say so

Look at the tally in the sample. The TPS 1.5 mm² and TPS 2.5 mm² lines are left blank on purpose.

A floor plan shows where the points go, not the route. Cable length depends on where the DB sits, ceiling access and the final circuit layout. Any metres taken off a plan like this are indicative only.

You have two honest ways to handle it:

Price cable inside an all-in rate per point. The sample quote does this and says so: "Rates all-in per point, NZD excl GST."
Price cable as a separate line. Then write on the quote that the metres are indicative and how you will adjust them.

The count also tells you what is drawn, not how it is installed. Circuit arrangement and protection under AS/NZS 3000 are a separate check, and a floor plan rarely shows them.

Check the electrical quote against your count

The sample quote from "Subcontractor A" lists 7 lines and a subtotal of $13,865 excl GST.

Check it line by line against your count:

Double GPO 18. Matches.
Switch 12. Matches.
Data point 5. Matches.
Smoke alarm 5. Matches.
Extractor fan 3. Matches.
Switchboard 1. Matches.
Downlight 24. The plan shows 28.

That is 4 downlights at $165, or $660 + GST, not priced. The quote does not say which 4 it missed. A numbered count shows the gap in one line.

Sample: the quote says 24 downlights, the plan shows 28. 4 × $165 = $660 + GST not priced.

Who carries the $660 depends on which side of the quote you sit:

If you wrote the quote, the 4 fittings were on the drawing when you priced, so a variation later is a weak claim. Expect to wear it.
If you are the builder accepting it, the gap comes back as a variation claim or an argument on site. Catching it before you sign costs 1 line in an email.

The same check works against a fixture or lighting schedule. Where plan and schedule disagree, raise an RFI and state on the quote which one you priced. More on building the quote itself in how to quote an electrical job.

Before you send the price

Legend read and drawing revision written on the count sheet
One layer per symbol type, every symbol numbered
Layers sum to the total (71 points plus the DB on the sample)
Total reconciled line by line against the schedule or quote
Cable stated as indicative, or included in the per-point rate
Exclusions written down (the sample quote prices the range, HWC and mains separately)

On tender work the count feeds a bill of materials. See checking an electrical tender BOM and comparing supplier quotes on an electrical tender.

Want the quantities checked before you commit? Our Takeoff Verification is $490 + GST per trade, back in 48 hours, in writing.

FAQ

How do I count electrical points from a plan?

Read the legend, count one symbol type at a time across the sheet, number each symbol, then check the total against the schedule or quote. The sample here comes to 71 points plus the DB.

Is a double GPO one point or two?

It depends on your rates. The sample quote treats each double GPO as 1 point at $155. Either way, write it on the quote so the builder reads the count the same way.

Can I get cable lengths off a floor plan?

Only indicative lengths, because the plan shows points, not routes. Include cable in an all-in per-point rate, or price it separately and mark the metres as indicative.

What if the plan and the fixture schedule disagree?

Raise an RFI. If you must price before the answer comes back, state on the quote which document you priced from and how many items differ.

Get your count checked

Send us the plan and your count, or the quote you have been given, through the contact page. Ask for the free quote check. We go through it line by line against the drawing and reply in writing, with every difference tied to a drawing reference. On the sample, 4 missed downlights came to $660 + GST.