(And What to Do Instead)

When you’re busy running an electrical business, outsourcing your tendering can seem like a tempting shortcut. You send off the plans, someone else crunches the numbers, and the tender lands back in your inbox ready to send.

Easy, right?

The problem is, that “easy” often comes at a much higher cost — not just in dollars, but in lost opportunities, reduced control, and weakened industry knowledge. If you’re serious about protecting your profits and growing your business, keeping your estimating process in-house is one of the smartest moves you can make.

Here’s why.

1. It Costs More Than You Think 💰

Outsourcing isn’t cheap. Many estimating companies charge fees that can eat up thousands of dollars per tender — and that’s before you’ve even won the job.

In fact, for the cost of outsourcing a single medium-to-large tender, you could pay for a full year (or more) of professional estimating software like Esti-mate Electrical. That means every time you outsource, you’re paying for someone else’s time and tools — instead of investing in your own.

And here’s the kicker: once the job’s done, you’ve got nothing to show for it. No improved systems. No better processes. No long-term benefit.

By doing your estimating in-house, you not only save money, you also build lasting capability within your team. Every tender becomes an investment in your business’s skillset.

2. You Lose Insight and Control 🛠

When you outsource, you hand over more than just the plans — you give away crucial business insight.

Your tenders are a goldmine of information:

• How the project will be built, this will allow you to estimate how much labour you need to commit to the project. And yes, forecasting labour is essential!
• Which items push your costs up or down and where there are areas to value manage items
• Where efficiencies can be found in future projects

When a third party does your tendering, you lose the chance to dig into those numbers. You’re left with a total figure, but not the “why” behind it — and that “why” is what helps you tender smarter and win more work.

Doing your own tendering means you stay close to the details, spot trends over time, and make informed decisions that strengthen your business.

3. It’s a Risky Game 🎯

Outsourcing your tendering isn’t just expensive — it’s risky.

At the end of the day, your name is on the tender. If a mistake is made in the quantities, pricing, or scope, it’s you who will have to deal with the fallout — not the person who prepared it as once the outsourced company ‘delivers’ the tender and their invoice is paid, they will wipe their hands of any issues that may arise down the track. We can guarantee they will celebrate with you if you are successful with their tender, but what will they say or do if you were successful due to a mistake made on their end………have a think about that!

Keeping your estimating in-house ensures you can check, tweak, and fine-tune every detail before it goes to the client and if you miss something on the tender, at least you can own the mistake and learn from it. It’s all about learning!

 

So, What’s the Alternative?

You don’t have to choose between the time-consuming grind of manual tendering and the expense (and risk) of outsourcing.

With Esti-mate Electrical and Count-Up, you can:
✅ Tender faster, with fewer errors
✅ Keep all your project data in one central place
✅ Build your team’s estimating skills over time

✅ Save thousands in outsourcing fees
✅ Receive constant support, tender reviews and many other ‘mind at ease’ services from our team who are not only estimators, but also practicing REC’s!  

We even offer 14-day free trials on all plans — so you can see the difference for yourself, risk-free.

💡 Bottom line: Outsourcing might seem like a quick fix, but the long-term costs — in money, knowledge, and control — make it a poor choice for most electrical businesses. The smart move? Bring your tendering in-house, invest in the right tools, and keep your project profits in your pocket.

📌 Explore your options here: esti-mateelectrical.com/pricing
#estimatewithconfidence