Electrical contracting is different from plumbing or HVAC because high-ticket estimates dominate your revenue. A typical service call is $300-800. Panel replacements run $2,000-5,000. This changes everything about what software matters.
Unlike other trades where call volume matters, electrical is about closing high-ticket estimates. One missed follow-up on a $3,500 estimate costs you more than 20 routine service calls combined. This guide focuses on estimate follow-up and quote closure, not call volume.
The Five Main Players in Electrical Software
ServiceTitan, FieldEdge, Housecall Pro, Jobber, and RunBy each solve different problems. Here's what matters for electrical shops.
| Feature | ServiceTitan | FieldEdge | Housecall Pro | Jobber | RunBy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $99/month (base) | $199/month (Pro) | $49/month (Starter) | $49/month (Starter) | $299/month |
| Sweet Spot (Truck Size) | 6-50+ trucks | 3-12 trucks | 1-3 trucks | 1-8 trucks | All sizes (follow-up) |
| AI Call Answering | No | No | No | No | Yes (24/7) |
| Estimate Management | Strong | Excellent | Basic | Good | AI follow-up |
| Permit Tracking | Yes | Yes | Basic | Basic | Integrates |
| Quote Follow-up Automation | No | No | No | No | Yes (AI) |
| Mobile App Rating | 4.2/5 | 4.0/5 | 4.4/5 | 4.6/5 | 4.9/5 (integration) |
| Learning Curve | Steep (3-4 weeks) | Moderate (1-2 weeks) | Easy (2-3 days) | Easy (2-3 days) | Easy (1 day) |
| Integrations | Many | Decent | Limited | Good | All dispatch |
Why Estimate Follow-up Is Worth More in Electrical
In plumbing, you win emergency calls. In electrical, you win estimates. The typical electrical sales cycle is 10-20 days from estimate to close. During that window, you're competing with 2-3 other contractors.
Most electrical shops don't follow up consistently. You send an estimate on Monday. On Wednesday you say you'll call back. On Friday you forget. By Tuesday of the next week, the prospect has already hired someone else. You lose a $2,500 job because of one forgotten call.
The math: Typical electrical estimate close rate: 25-30%. But if you follow up within 24 hours, then 3-4 days later, then 7-10 days later, close rate jumps to 45-55%. That's 50% more revenue from the same lead volume. Automated follow-up is how you get there.
RunBy handles the first 2-3 follow-ups automatically. Your humans only take the call when the prospect is ready to close. You're not wasting time on dead leads. You're focusing on closing high-ticket jobs.
The Decision Framework: Which Software for Your Shop Size
You're Running 1-3 Trucks
Best choice: Housecall Pro or Jobber
- Affordable ($49-99/month base)
- Simple to learn (no training overhead)
- Handle estimates, dispatch, invoicing without complexity
- Augment with RunBy ($299/month) for AI quote follow-up
- Total cost: $350-400/month for full stack
- You focus on sales. RunBy handles the follow-up drip.
Pick Housecall Pro if you want absolute simplicity. Pick Jobber if you want better mobile app and slightly more customization. Either way, the value is in RunBy's follow-up automation.
You're Running 4-8 Trucks
Best choice: FieldEdge or Jobber
- FieldEdge is purpose-built for electrical with permit tracking
- Jobber scales well to this size without getting complex
- Both have strong estimate management
- Pair with RunBy ($449/month) for AI follow-up automation
- At this size, systematic follow-up is the difference between $1M and $1.5M revenue.
You're Running 9+ Trucks or $2M+ Revenue
Best choice: ServiceTitan
- Built for scale and complexity
- Advanced estimate tracking, financial integration, multi-location
- Steep learning curve but handles everything
- Most expensive but cost scales with revenue
- Still pair with RunBy ($799/month) for intelligent follow-up
The Honest Strengths and Weaknesses
ServiceTitan
Strengths: Enterprise-grade. Handles large teams, multi-location, complex workflows. Excellent estimate and financial tracking. Good integrations. Industry standard for large shops.
Weaknesses: Overkill for shops under $1.5M revenue. Expensive ($99-500+/month). Steep learning curve (3-4 weeks). Oversells features you won't use. Estimate follow-up is manual.
Best for: 10+ truck operations with complex financials.
FieldEdge
Strengths: Purpose-built for electrical and HVAC. Excellent permit and code tracking. Good estimate management. Moderate learning curve. Scales to 8-10 trucks without feeling cramped.
Weaknesses: Smaller ecosystem than ServiceTitan. Fewer integrations. Less community support online. Estimate follow-up is manual. Price midway between simple and enterprise.
Best for: 3-8 truck shops that need electrical-specific features.
Housecall Pro
Strengths: Cheapest entry point. Simple UI. Gets the job done for small teams. Good customer support. Easiest to learn.
Weaknesses: Lacks advanced estimate features (no permit tracking). Doesn't scale past 3 trucks without friction. Limited integrations. Estimate follow-up is manual.
Best for: 1-2 truck shops that want simplicity over functionality.
Jobber
Strengths: Best mobile app of the bunch. Scales to 5-8 trucks without overhead. Good balance of features and simplicity. Growing market share among electricians.
Weaknesses: Not electrical-specific. Estimate features are good but not exceptional. Permit tracking is limited. Estimate follow-up is manual. Pricing creeps up with add-ons.
Best for: 2-6 truck shops that want a long-term, general-purpose platform.
RunBy
Strengths: Only platform designed specifically for AI estimate follow-up. Integrates with all dispatch platforms (doesn't replace them). Specializes in understanding high-ticket sales cycles. Fastest deployment (1-2 weeks). Directly impacts revenue on day one.
Weaknesses: Doesn't handle dispatch or invoicing directly. Not a complete solution by itself. Requires you to already have a dispatch system.
Best for: Adding to whatever dispatch software you already use. For electrical, this is the definition of ROI.
What None of Them Do Well: Estimate Follow-up and 24/7 Answering
All five platforms above have some estimate management. None of them handle follow-up consistently because it's not their primary business.
ServiceTitan's estimate follow-up is manual (you have to remember to call). Housecall Pro has basic reminders but no AI. FieldEdge is good but still requires human discipline. Jobber is functional but not intelligent.
None of them can:
- Automatically follow up on stale estimates (day 3, 7, 10)
- Answer incoming calls at 6pm on Friday when you're not answering
- Book follow-up appointments without human involvement
- Understand when a prospect is ready to close vs. still shopping
- Handle objection handling in real-time
RunBy exists because this gap costs electricians thousands per month. You don't replace ServiceTitan, FieldEdge, or Jobber with RunBy. You add RunBy on top because none of them excel at follow-up.
The Stack Recommendation: What Actually Works
For 1-3 trucks
- Dispatch: Housecall Pro or Jobber ($49-99/month)
- Quote follow-up: RunBy ($299/month)
- Accounting: QuickBooks (integrates with both)
- Total: $350-400/month
- Real outcome: You send an estimate. RunBy automatically follows up 3 times. You close 50% more jobs.
For 4-8 trucks
- Dispatch: FieldEdge or Jobber ($99-199/month depending on tier)
- Quote follow-up: RunBy ($449/month)
- Accounting: QuickBooks + Zapier bridge ($50/month total)
- Total: $600-700/month
- Real outcome: Your team manages jobs. RunBy manages the sales pipeline. Better conversion on high-ticket work.
For 9+ trucks
- Dispatch: ServiceTitan ($300-500+/month)
- Quote follow-up: RunBy ($799/month)
- Accounting: Built into ServiceTitan
- Total: $1,100-1,300/month
- Real outcome: ServiceTitan handles the operations. RunBy handles the sales velocity. Enterprise-grade stack.
Pricing Reality Check
Here's what you'll actually pay per month for a working electrical software stack:
- Budget option (1-3 trucks): Housecall Pro ($49) + RunBy ($299) = $348/month
- Mid option (4-8 trucks): FieldEdge ($199) + RunBy ($449) = $650/month
- Enterprise option (9+ trucks): ServiceTitan ($300-500) + RunBy ($799) = $1,100-1,300/month
All of these are cheaper than:
- Hiring a full-time estimator ($5,000-7,000/month)
- Hiring a quote closer ($4,000-6,000/month)
- Losing $3,500 jobs due to inconsistent follow-up (daily cost in missed opportunities)
FAQ: Common Questions About Electrical Software
Ready to Double Your Electrical Estimate Close Rate?
See how AI follow-up works for electrical estimates. Hear it live — (786) 733-2114.
Hear it live — (786) 733-2114 →Or start your 14-day free trial — no credit card required.