Wachter: how tailored training and bespoke features transformed estimating for a large electrical contractor

Wachter is one of the largest electrical and technology contractors in the United States, delivering complex projects across commercial, industrial, and infrastructure sectors. With estimating teams spread across the business and a high volume of bids to manage at any one time, having the right tools and the confidence to use them well is essential to how the business operates.

The challenge

Before Countfire, their teams were losing significant time to manual processes. Pricing had to be copied from emailed quotes into spreadsheets by hand. Hitting a target profit margin meant adjusting numbers manually until they landed right. And keeping the product catalogue tidy required constant upkeep, with changes sometimes affecting estimates already in progress. Wachter needed a provider who would genuinely invest in their people and their processes, not just hand over a product and move on.

Getting up and running

Onboarding was practical and tailored to how Wachter actually operates. Rather than a generic walkthrough, Countfire took the time to understand the team's workflows and built training around them — making sure every estimator felt confident using the platform from the outset. The impact was felt quickly.

"The initial setup was very easy thanks to the Countfire staff. It makes counting devices and measuring cable pathways very easy and saves tons of time." – Kris P., Wachter

Ongoing support has been just as important as the initial training.

When questions come up, Countfire is there fast, keeping teams moving without disruption to their day.

"The in-chat feature is amazing. I have yet to experience a wait time longer than a couple of minutes. The takeoff portion of the software is unbelievably intuitive and far and away more user-friendly than any estimating software I have previously used." – Jason R., estimator, Wachter

Built around Wachter's feedback

Rather than offering a fixed product and expecting teams to adapt, Countfire listened closely to how Wachter's estimators work and built around it. Supplier quote management, profit margin controls, tax handling, and expanded cost categories all came directly from feedback from the team. Countfire delivered several bespoke features in the first few months of working together, with more continuing to follow as the relationship has grown. When Wachter raises a request, Countfire takes it seriously and acts on it.

The results

Wachter's estimating teams now have a platform that handles the complexity of their operation for them. Bids go out faster and with greater accuracy, and the team works with real confidence knowing they are using a platform that keeps improving because their people are shaping it.

"The training and support from Countfire has been exceptional and the time savings our teams have seen speak for themselves." – Travis Francher, Wachter