Electrical takeoff for distributors. E-sheets in, a bill of material out.
Electrical takeoff for distributors turns a contractor's E-sheets into the bill of material a counter quotes: every device with its box, ring and plate, conduit and fittings by size, wire by gauge, fixtures by type and the gear on the one-line. This page lets you run the electrical recipes on your own counts, watch the takeoff count a sample set, compare an electrical bill of material part by part, and keep the recipes as a CSV.
Try the order-list calculatorClients include
Can an electrical distributor get a bill of material from a contractor's plans?
Yes. Ruh counts the devices and fixtures on the E-sheets by type, measures the conduit runs that are drawn, and turns each count into its full rough-in: box, mud ring, support, device, plate, cable, connectors and wire nuts, with waste on the lines whose recipe sets it. 49 electrical and low-voltage recipes come with it to start from, and the first set we take off for you is free.
- electrical and low-voltage recipes to start from
- 49
- material lines in those recipes, waste and rounding as each one sets them
- 296
- a full takeoff on E-sheets you were asked to quote
- 1st takeoff free
What does one receptacle add to a bill of material?
Eight lines in the app's starting recipe: a 4 inch square box, a mud ring, a stud bracket, the device, a plate, 25 feet of MC cable, two connectors and three wire nuts. Choose a recipe and type the count from the E-sheets to see every line, with nothing priced.
1. Pick a starting recipe
Duplex receptacle 20A, MC cable, metal stud
Order list for 120 each of Duplex receptacle 20A, MC cable. A sample input: change it to the quantity on your set.
| Material | Per EA | Quantity | Waste | With waste |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4" square box, 2-1/8" deep | 1 EA, whole units | 120 EA | None | 120 EA |
| Single-gang mud ring | 1 EA, whole units | 120 EA | None | 120 EA |
| Box support stud bracket | 1 EA, whole units | 120 EA | None | 120 EA |
| Duplex receptacle 20A, spec grade | 1 EA, whole units | 120 EA | None | 120 EA |
| Cover plate, stainless, single-gang | 1 EA, whole units | 120 EA | None | 120 EA |
MC cable 12/2 with groundHow it is builtAverage drop plus run between devices | 25 LF | 3,000 LF | 10% | 3,300 LF, incl. 10% waste |
| MC connector, 3/8" | 2 EA, whole units | 240 EA | None | 240 EA |
| Twist-on wire connector | 3 EA, whole units | 360 EA | None | 360 EA |
Each line is the measured quantity times the recipe’s factor. Lines the recipe marks as whole units, such as sheets, boxes and hangers, are rounded up before waste, the way the app rounds them. Round the with-waste figure up to whole pieces when you build the order.
What this cannot tell you: fixture prices or lead times. Fixtures are counted by type, and the recipe leaves their price to your own quote. Wire comes in feet by gauge, not by reel, and the 25 feet of MC per device is a starting value to edit for your market.
What does Ruh see on an electrical set?
Each symbol on the lighting and power plans is counted against the legend and marked where it sits, and each count lands in Quantities tied to its sheet. Those counts are what the recipes above turn into a bill of material.
What does an electrical bill of material carry?
Count first, length second: here is where each part of the order sits on the E-sheets, how a takeoff gets it, and what it turns into.
| Part of the order | Where it is on the set | How it is taken off | What it becomes on the order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Devices | Power plans and the device legend | Counted per symbol against the legend | Device, box, mud ring, support, plate, cable and connectors per device |
| Light fixtures | Lighting plans and the fixture schedule | Counted per type tag against the schedule | Fixture by your quote, whip, junction box and support wire per fixture |
| Branch conduit and wire | Power and lighting plans, the riser | Linear feet where the run is drawn | EMT, couplings, straps, connectors and THHN by gauge and color |
| MC cable | Plans and specs where MC is allowed | Linear feet per circuit | MC cable by size, MC connectors |
| Panelboards | The one-line and panel schedules | Counted per panel, breakers per schedule | Panel, branch breakers, mounting kit, directory |
| Feeders | The one-line and feeder schedule | Linear feet along the documented route | Large conduit, conductors by size, ground |
Typical practice, not a standard. Engineers lay out legends and schedules their own way, which is why the takeoff reads the ones on each set.
What do distributors get wrong about counter takeoffs?
Our opinion: The fixture package gets the attention because it carries the margin, and the rough-in gets a guess. In the app's starting recipe every duplex receptacle brings seven more lines with it: a box, a mud ring, a support bracket, a plate, 25 feet of MC cable, two connectors and wire nuts. Quote the devices and skip the rough-in, and the contractor buys the rough-in from whoever counted it. We think the distributor who quotes the whole bill of material stands the better chance of keeping the order.
What it does and does not do
What it does today
- ✓Counts devices and fixtures by type from drawing PDFs, tied to the sheet
- ✓Turns every count and run into its rough-in material, with waste shown
- ✓Starts you on electrical and low-voltage recipes you can edit
- ✓Prices from your own price list first, with the source on every line
- ✓Exports as PDF, CSV or JSON
What it does not do
- Wire by reel or cut length
- Purchase orders
- Reading a reply or a quote back into the list
- Links to your ERP or point-of-sale system
Your first electrical takeoff is free.
Pick E-sheets a contractor already sent your counter and we take them off free. The electrical recipes are a CSV download here too, so you can check every factor first.
In a customer’s own words
“Ruh helped us win a job during the demo, so we saw value before we even became a client.”
Ben MorlinJ&S Excavation- takeoffs delivered to 29 contractors across 15 trades
- 45
- US, Canada and the UK, Jun to Oct 2026
- starting recipes in this supply line, yours to edit
- 49
- 296 material lines between them
- for every output, the material list included
- PDF, CSV
- and JSON for your own systems
Questions electrical distributors ask
Straight answers on electrical takeoff for distributors.
What is electrical takeoff for distributors?
Electrical takeoff for distributors is counting and measuring a contractor's electrical drawings so the distributor can quote the full bill of material, not only the fixtures. Ruh counts, converts and prices from your file, and your team signs it off.
Does it include the rough-in for each device?
How are light fixtures handled?
Which electrical drawings should we send?
Send a set. Check the bill of material.
Send E-sheets you were asked to price, and compare the free bill of material against your own count.
