Lighting Audit Software for Contractors: A Practical Checklist
Updated: 4 days ago
Lighting audit software for contractors should preserve the information collected on site and make it usable in the estimate. Before choosing a platform, test whether fixture quantities, photos, operating assumptions and installation notes remain connected as the project moves toward a proposal.
This checklist focuses on commercial lighting retrofits. It also identifies the boundaries to check when software describes design, rebates or energy analysis.
Start with the job your team actually performs
A contractor collecting fixture data, a distributor supporting a customer's survey and an ESCO preparing a performance-based project may need different levels of analysis and documentation.
List the deliverables you must produce: field record, fixture schedule, estimate, product options, incentive support and customer proposal. Add contractual requirements such as approved file formats, branded output or an agreed measurement plan.
Use the lighting audit software comparison to identify candidates, then test their actual workflows with your own project.
Check field capture on the devices you use
The field record should support named areas, fixture groups, quantities, input watts, schedules, photos and access notes. Test duplicate fixtures and repeated areas without losing the location of exceptions.
If sites have unreliable connectivity, verify the offline workflow before the first visit: sign-in, local saving, photo capture, sync status and recovery. A mobile-friendly web page and an offline field app can have different capabilities.
LumaQuote Field is available for iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets. Its iOS guide and Android guide explain installation and field use. Test the relevant device rather than assuming the same layout and behavior on every screen.
Inspect the audit-to-estimate handoff
Use an audit containing more than one fixture family and a few real exceptions. Confirm that areas, quantities and photos arrive in the desktop project with enough context to select replacements and price the work.
Ask how imports, later field changes and desktop edits interact. Establish which record is authoritative at each stage. A platform's import feature should not be assumed to provide unrestricted two-way synchronization with every external tool.
For teams beginning with spreadsheets, the audit template is a useful baseline for comparing the same field data across workflows.
Verify the assumptions behind savings calculations
Check whether existing and proposed quantities, complete system watts, annual hours and electricity rates are visible and editable. Changing an input should produce an explainable result.
A useful test is a small fixture group that you can calculate independently. Compare existing and proposed annual kWh, then check the conversion from energy savings to cost savings. Confirm what the software includes in simple payback and any ROI display.
Existing controls must be reflected in the baseline, and optional new controls must be evaluated against the remaining LED consumption. Maintenance, demand charges and HVAC interactions need their own supported assumptions.
DOE's measurement and verification guidance explains why the baseline matters when verifying results. Our ROI calculation guide provides a transparent worked example.
Price the work around the fixture
Look beyond product cost. The estimate needs a way to represent installation labor, mobilization, access equipment, disposal and any commissioning or exceptional work.
Check that different installation methods can carry different allowances. Converting a fluorescent fixture with a listed Type B tube is a different scope from installing a compatible Type A tube. Ceiling height, obstructions and working hours can also change the job.
The labor-units guide can help structure the test, with the allowances calibrated to your own crew and site conditions.
Check rebate capabilities without assuming automatic approval
Separate entering an estimated incentive from checking product eligibility, reserving funds, submitting an application and receiving approval. Ask which of those tasks the platform actually supports.
Retain the program source, effective date, exact product, quantity and approval status. The DLC product lists can support product checks where the utility requires them; program rules and project review still apply.
In LumaQuote, rebates belong in the project economics and proposal assumptions. The contractor still needs to verify the applicable program and approval conditions. See the rebate workflow guide for a practical record structure.
Review the proposal and exported records
Generate the final document before committing to a workflow. Check whether it communicates the existing equipment, proposed scope, price, assumptions and exclusions without requiring a separate explanation.
Verify which export formats are included in the chosen plan and what data you can retain outside the platform. A sample retrofit proposal gives you an output to inspect, rather than relying only on feature descriptions.
A lighting survey and proposal tool is also distinct from point-by-point photometric design or a whole-building energy model. Confirm those specialist capabilities separately when the project requires them.
Run a complete pilot before switching
Use one familiar project, the intended field device and your own product prices. Measure the work your team performs: survey, data cleanup, estimating, revision, review and document preparation.
Change a fixture quantity and a product price, then check the estimate and proposal. Test one optional controls package, one uncertain rebate and one installation exception. These checks reveal more than a generic time-saving percentage.
LumaQuote's free plan provides up to three complete retrofit proposals without a credit card. Use the current plan details to check mobile access, exports and paid features before planning a wider rollout.
Frequently asked questions
What features matter most in lighting audit software for contractors?
Prioritize reliable field records, clear area and fixture organization, a usable estimating handoff, editable assumptions, complete installation costs and appropriate proposal output. The required depth depends on the projects you deliver.
Does lighting audit software replace photometric design?
Not necessarily. Audit capture and energy calculations are different from a photometric design using fixture data and project geometry. Verify any design capability against the required deliverable.
How should I compare software against my spreadsheet?
Run the same project through both workflows. Compare data quality, cleanup, revisions, review and final output, with the same scope and assumptions. Use your observed results to decide whether the subscription is worthwhile.
