Electrical Contractor Completes 60% More Estimates Annually With McCormick
Problem
Solution
Commonwealth Electric of the Midwest is an electrical contracting company operating across 10 US offices. Specializing in commercial, industrial, healthcare and large-scale data center projects, the company requires a fast and efficient estimating process to support its nationwide service.
Originally, the team tried the manual estimating route but recognized early on that scaling to a national level would require more than just bigger goals; it required a standardized way to bid.
McCormick provided that vital consistency, transforming their estimating department into a high-volume system where data remains accurate and workflows remain seamless across every office branch.
Since unifying their estimating under McCormick’s consolidated platform, Commonwealth began to deliver the same precision and integrity in every bid from coast to coast.
Scaling for National Growth
As Commonwealth Electric transitioned from a regional player into a nationwide electrical contractor, the sheer scale of their expansion introduced new levels of complexity.
Senior Project Manager Nick Page, who joined the firm in 2001, witnessed these growing pains firsthand.
“We grew to have multiple offices and tons of jobsites,” Page said. “And being spread out across that distance, it became tricky to consistently manage our estimates.”
But the company wasn’t just growing their team; they were taking on massive, data-intensive projects that required a more sophisticated, unified estimating approach to maintain their reputation for precision.
It was clear that Commonwealth was at a crossroads: modernize their infrastructure or risk being held back by communication gaps.
The choice was easy: move away from manual entry and toward an automated, fail-safe estimating system.
“As a human, you can mess up,” Page detailed. “But a computer decreases those errors.”
Speed, Accuracy and Collaboration
To support their scaling operations, Commonwealth Electric turned to McCormick Systems: an electrical estimating software that had been around for decades and maintained a strong reputation in the industry.
With McCormick, the company resolved many of the hold ups they experienced with manual estimating processes. As Page quickly discovered, McCormick was effective at automating bidding and smoothing out the team’s collaboration.
“We were immediately able to document our work and have everything backed up,” Page said. “From day one, McCormick just made it easier to keep everything in one location with our estimates. All our
estimators could start pulling from a central place.”
“Without McCormick, I would still be spending 5 to 10 hours more on each estimate,” Page explained. “All the parts and pieces of McCormick’s diversified system really help us save time and money, because we can dial in and build our estimates with detail literally down to the nuts and bolts.”
And the team quickly realized the sharp contrast between performing manual estimating and using electrical-specific software for bids.
Commonwealth started completing 60% more estimates each year thanks to McCormick’s digital takeoff tools — which cut out the tedious measuring and counting previously done by hand.
Specialized Tools for Advanced Estimates
By leveraging McCormick’s estimating tools, Commonwealth’s team increased accuracy and efficiency across their entire bidding process.
Features like Design Estimating Pro (DEP), Auto Home Run and an extensive electrical database helped Commonwealth estimators bid larger and more sophisticated electrical projects – and their estimates finally reflected the work they could do.
“Since incorporating these features into our workflow, they have tremendously decreased the time it takes to complete our takeoffs, we’re [getting more done] and getting [larger things done,]” Page said.
A Partnership That Feels Like Family
For Commonwealth, McCormick is more than a tool; it’s a long-standing relationship built on trust, responsiveness and collaboration.
“Commonwealth Electric has relied on McCormick for so long because of the longevity, the personal touch and the family feel,” Page noted.
The direct line of communication between Commonwealth and McCormick’s development team ensures the software evolves alongside the company.
“As an end-user, I can give our input to help shape McCormick,” Page said. “And that makes everyone’s lives easier because we’re receiving exactly what we need.”
Projects Estimated Across the Country
With McCormick at their side, and faster, more accurate estimating in their wheelhouse, Commonwealth Electric is poised to handle the next generation of infrastructure and data center projects with the same quality and confidence that has defined them.
“I’m a firm believer in using McCormick,” Page said. “And I look forward to continuing our partnership.”
Commonwealth has no plans for slowing down, confident in their continued growth because of the robust platform and the family touch that McCormick provides. As Page stated, “I live and breathe McCormick. It’s all I use.”