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DropQuote

Low-Voltage Bid Calculator

A fast, free ballpark for cabling drops and head-end gear. Tune the inputs to your job — then build the real itemized proposal in DropQuote.

A quick ballpark using typical 2026 US material + labor units. Your real numbers live inside DropQuote, where you set your own pricing.

Estimated bid

$7,171.50

≈ $179.29 per drop · 44.3 labor hours

Material
$2,215.00
Labor
$3,761.25
Cost
$5,976.25
Markup (20%)
$1,195.25

Build the real, itemized version free

Start a free DropQuote account and turn this estimate into a branded proposal you can send.

How do you quote low-voltage cabling drops?

Most low-voltage shops bid per drop and per device, not per square foot. For each Cat6 or Cat6A drop you account for the cable run (often 130–170 ft average), the keystone jack and faceplate, supports, the patch-panel termination at the IDF end, and a certification test. Multiply the material and labor hours per drop by the drop count, add your head-end gear (patch panel, PoE switch, rack), apply your labor rate and markup, and you have a defensible number.

What this calculator includes

  • Riser/plenum Cat6 and Cat6A drop pricing with typical units
  • Optional patch-panel termination + certification test per drop
  • Optional head-end bundle (48-port panel, PoE switch, wall rack)
  • Your labor rate and markup applied across the whole job

It's a ballpark. Inside DropQuote you set your own material and labor pricing, add cameras, access control, and AV from the built-in assembly library, and send a branded PDF proposal your client can approve online.