Electrical contract template
An electrical contract has to cover things the homeowner never sees: the permit, the inspection, the utility disconnect and the code items that come with the job. This template fits panel upgrades, new circuits, EV charger installs and partial rewiring. Read it below, then open it in SignMaster, add your numbers and send it.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 4 min read
The contract
Gray blanks are yours to fill in before you send. Each signer fills in the blanks in their color.
- You, before sending
- Property owner
- Electrical contractor
Electrical Contract
This Electrical Contract (the "Contract") is made on Contract date between Electrical contractor name, electrical license number Electrical license number (the "Contractor"), and Owner name (the "Owner").
1. The property
The work will be done at Work address. The Owner confirms they own the property or are authorized by the owner to contract for this work.
2. Scope of work
The Contractor will supply the labor and materials to do the following:
- Panel and service work: Panel and service work.
- New circuits: New circuits.
- Devices and fixtures: Devices and fixtures.
- Other work: Other electrical work.
Items supplied by the Owner: Owner-supplied items. The Contractor will install them but warrants only its installation, not the items. Conditions the Contractor noted before signing: Existing conditions noted.
3. Permits and inspections
The Contractor will apply for the permits this work needs and arrange the required inspections. Permit and inspection fees are Permit fees included or extra. The work is complete when it passes final inspection. If an inspector finds a problem with the Contractor's work, the Contractor will correct it at no charge.
4. The utility
If the work needs the electric utility to disconnect, reconnect, inspect or upgrade the service, the Contractor will request it, but the utility sets its own schedule. Delays caused by the utility or the building department extend the schedule and are not a breach of this Contract.
5. Code upgrades and existing wiring
Once existing wiring is altered or extended, the code may require added protection or upgrades, such as arc-fault or ground-fault protection, grounding and bonding, or smoke alarm changes. If the work reveals aluminum branch wiring, ungrounded circuits, knob-and-tube wiring, damaged insulation or another unsafe condition, the Contractor will tell the Owner and quote the needed work. Upgrades are done only after the Owner approves their price in writing, except what the Contractor must do to leave the installation safe.
6. Schedule and power outages
Work is expected to start on or about Estimated start date and take about Estimated working days working days. The Contractor will tell the Owner in advance when power will be off. The Owner will protect computers, refrigerated food and anything else that depends on power, tell the Contractor about any equipment that must stay powered, and reset clocks and devices afterward.
7. Walls, ceilings and finishes
Running new wiring can require small openings in walls and ceilings, which the Contractor will keep as small as practical. Patching and painting are Patching included or excluded. The Owner will clear furniture and belongings from the work areas.
8. Price and payment
The Owner will pay a total of Contract price, as follows:
- A deposit of Deposit when this Contract is signed.
- A progress payment of Progress payment when Progress payment milestone.
- The balance when the work passes final inspection.
Accepted payment methods: Payment methods.
9. Changes
Any change to the work, price or schedule, including the upgrades in section 5, must be set out in a written change order signed by both parties before the changed work starts.
10. Warranty and insurance
The Contractor warrants its workmanship for Workmanship warranty in years year(s) from final inspection. Equipment and devices carry their maker's warranty. The warranty does not cover damage from lightning, power surges, overloading, misuse or later work by others. The Contractor carries general liability insurance, and workers' compensation where the law requires it, and will show proof on request.
11. Cancellation and general terms
If this Contract was signed at the Owner's home or anywhere other than the Contractor's place of business, the Owner may have a legal right to cancel it within three business days, and the Contractor will give a written notice explaining how. This Contract is the whole agreement for this work and is governed by the laws of the state of State. Electronic signatures count as original signatures.
Owner contact details
Phone: Owner phone Email: Owner email
I understand that code upgrades under section 5 may cost extra and that the power will be off at times during the work.
Property owner
Electrical contractor
Opens it in SignMaster as a template you can edit and send.
A starting point, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review it for your state and situation.
On this page
What makes electrical work different
Electrical jobs involve more outside parties than most trades. The inspector decides when the job is finished, the utility decides when the power goes off and back on, and the code decides what else has to change once you touch a circuit. A good contract tells the customer all of that up front, so a failed inspection or a wait for the utility isn't read as a broken promise.
In most places, panel and new-circuit work needs a permit and an inspection by the local building department, and it has to be done by a licensed electrician. The template puts your license number at the top and says who pulls the permit and when the job counts as done.
What the template covers
- Scope: the panel and service work, new circuits, devices and fixtures, each on its own line, plus anything the owner supplies.
- Permits and inspection: who applies, whether fees are included, and that the job is complete when it passes final inspection.
- Utility coordination: for a service upgrade, the utility sets the disconnect and reconnect dates, and its delays aren't a breach.
- Code upgrades: changes the code may require once existing wiring is altered, quoted and approved before you do them.
- Existing conditions: aluminum branch wiring, ungrounded circuits, knob-and-tube and damaged insulation found along the way.
- Walls and ceilings: fishing wire means small openings, and whether patching and painting are in the price.
- Power outages: advance notice, and the owner's job of protecting computers, food and anything else that needs power.
- Payment and warranty: a deposit, a progress payment at rough-in, the balance after final inspection, and your workmanship warranty.
Mistakes electricians make in contracts
- Leaving the inspection out of the payment terms. Say the balance is due when the final inspection passes, so neither side argues about whether the job is done.
- Promising a date that depends on the utility. A service upgrade waits on the utility's calendar; give a target, not a guarantee.
- Pricing a panel swap without opening the panel. Double-tapped breakers, a missing ground or a problem panel brand change the job, so note what you found.
- Assuming existing wiring stays as it is. Once you extend circuits, the code may require arc-fault or ground-fault protection on them. List likely upgrades so they aren't a surprise.
- Staying silent on patching. Every hole you cut to fish a wire becomes a conversation unless the contract says who closes it.
Licensing and permits vary
Who may do electrical work, and which jobs need a permit, is set by your state and the local building department. Some places let homeowners pull permits on their own houses; work on someone else's home usually needs a licensed electrician. Fill in your license number and check the local rules for each job.
How to send it with SignMaster
- 1
Open the template
Choose Use this template. It opens with two signers in order: the property owner, then your company.
- 2
Write the scope
Fill in the gray blanks with the panel and circuit work, the devices, and the price split into deposit, progress payment and balance. Note anything you found when you opened the panel during the estimate.
- 3
Send it to the owner
Add the owner's name and email and send. They sign from the link on any phone or computer, which is the whole process for a landlord who lives in another state.
- 4
Or sign at the walkthrough
If you're quoting in person, choose Sign in person and let the owner sign on your tablet before you leave the driveway.
- 5
Keep it with the permit
Once you've both signed, each of you gets the PDF with its certificate of completion. File it with the permit so the agreed scope is on hand at inspection.
EV chargers and repeat installs
If you install EV chargers or generator transfer switches for a dealer or a builder, the scope barely changes from house to house. Save the template with your usual scope and prices already filled in, and use bulk send to create one contract per address from a spreadsheet, with columns like Work address, New circuits and Contract price filling the blanks of the same name. Each owner signs their own copy.
Questions? Answers.
Does an electrical contract need a permit clause?
It should. Most panel, service and new-circuit work needs a permit, and the contract should say who applies for it, who pays the fee, and that the job isn't finished until it passes inspection.
Who pays if the inspection fails?
Under this template, the contractor corrects its own work at no charge until it passes. Changes the inspector requires to existing wiring the contractor didn't install are quoted as extra work and need the owner's approval.
Can the homeowner supply their own light fixtures?
Yes. Section 2 has a line for owner-supplied items. The contractor installs them but warrants only the installation, not the fixture or charger itself.
Is an electronic signature valid on an electrical contract?
For most contracts, yes, under the ESIGN Act and state e-signature laws. The signed PDF and its certificate of completion show who signed and when. See are electronic signatures legal.