Switchgear, Panelboards & Electrical Distribution worked example

Cost Per Panel at 58% billable and capture rate: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop billable and capture rate to 58%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Cost Per Panel breaks a switchgear or panelboard order down into a defensible total and a per-unit build cost.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Number of panels in the order: 100 units (held at the documented default)
  • Build cost per panel: 45 $ / unit (held at the documented default)
  • Billable / capture rate: 58 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 80)
  • Fixed engineering & drawing cost: 250 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Cost Per Panel cost = quantity × rate × capture factor + fixed cost.
  • Weighted cost works out to 2,860 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Per piece value works out to 28.6 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Captured value works out to 2,610 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed adjustment works out to 250 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where billable and capture rate sits at 80% and the headline result is 3,850 $, this scenario comes in 25.71% below the baseline at 2,860 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to billable and capture rate, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. The capture rate is a single blended factor; it does not model per-panel option variation, freight, or escalation on copper and steel between quote and build.

Results at a glance

  • Weighted cost: 2,860 $ (headline result)
  • Per piece value: 28.6 $ / piece
  • Captured value: 2,610 $
  • Fixed adjustment: 250 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Cost Per Panel calculator, set billable and capture rate to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.