Short answer: A foreman needs two skills. Communication: a short pre-task brief covering scope, hazards, who is qualified for what, and when to stop. Estimating: count devices and measure runs from the plans, apply labor units to get hours, divide by the crew to get days, then compare actual hours with the estimate and record why they differ.
Foreman is a job title, not a Texas license. Your license class, not the title, sets the electrical work you may do and supervise. The Texas Journeyman Practice Pack has 1,000 practice questions on the 2026 NEC, step-by-step solutions for 299 calculation questions, and 10 timed two-part mocks that score you by topic area. US$39 once.
Tsai Electro is an independent learning site. Not affiliated with TDLR or PSI. The labor units below are illustrative teaching numbers, not a published standard. Contractors use their own job history or a commercial labor-unit manual.
Foreman is a job, not a license
TDLR does not issue a foreman license. A foreman is a role your employer gives you inside the license structure: apprentices work under the general supervision of a Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician or Residential Wireman (TDLR apprentice page), and the licenses you hold set what you may supervise. The next license up from Journeyman is Master Electrician, which needs a Journeyman license held for at least two years and 12,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas Master (TDLR Master application page).
The pre-task brief
A good brief takes five to ten minutes at the start of the shift or the task. OSHA’s construction rules require employers to instruct each worker in recognizing and avoiding unsafe conditions on the job (OSHA 1926.21). The brief is where that becomes specific.
| Item | What to say | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | What we are doing today and where | Pull feeders from MDP to panels 2A and 2B, level 2 |
| Hazards | What can hurt us | MDP is energized; lift work at 14 feet; other trades below |
| Energy control | Who locks out what, and how we verify | Breaker 14 isolated under the employer lockout/tagout procedure; absence of voltage verified by a qualified person before work |
| Who does what | Match people to tasks they are qualified for | Journeyman terminates; apprentices pull and label |
| Materials and tools | What must be on hand | Pull rope, lube, cart, labels, lift inspection done |
| Hold points | What waits for someone else | No energizing until the foreman checks terminations and torque |
| Stop work | Anyone may stop the job if something is unsafe | Say it out loud every brief |
End by asking each person to repeat their task. If someone cannot, the brief is not finished.
Worked example 1: takeoff to labor hours
A small tenant space. The takeoff from the plans:
| Item | Count | Labor unit (hours each, illustrative) | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duplex receptacles, rough and trim | 36 | 0.60 | 21.6 |
| Single-pole switches, rough and trim | 14 | 0.55 | 7.7 |
| Recessed light fixtures | 22 | 0.80 | 17.6 |
| Cable, 12/2 MC, per foot | 1,450 | 0.01 | 14.5 |
- Receptacles: 36 × 0.60 = 21.6 hours.
- Switches: 14 × 0.55 = 7.7 hours.
- Fixtures: 22 × 0.80 = 17.6 hours.
- Cable: 1,450 × 0.01 = 14.5 hours.
- Subtotal for the four listed work items: 21.6 + 7.7 + 17.6 + 14.5 = 61.4 labor hours. This teaching estimate leaves out other required tasks, supervision, testing, mobilization and job-specific allowances.
- Crew of 2 working 8-hour days: 61.4 ÷ 16 = 3.84 crew days, so plan about 4 days for these items before adding other tasks, delays and scheduling allowances.
Check: add in another order. 14.5 + 17.6 = 32.1, plus 7.7 = 39.8, plus 21.6 = 61.4. Same total.
Worked example 2: cable quantity
The takeoff shows 1,450 feet of 12/2 cable. Add 10% for waste and makeup, and order in 250-foot coils.
- 1,450 × 1.10 = 1,595 feet.
- 1,595 ÷ 250 = 6.38 coils.
- Round up: 7 coils (1,750 feet).
Check: 6 coils = 1,500 feet, which is less than 1,595. 7 coils = 1,750 feet, which covers it.
Worked example 3: variance
The job finished with 70.0 actual labor hours against the 61.4-hour estimate.
- Variance in hours: 70.0 − 61.4 = 8.6 hours over.
- Variance in percent: 8.6 ÷ 61.4 = 0.1401, or 14.0% over.
- Record the cause: for example, ceiling grid installed before the fixtures were roughed in, so 14 fixtures were installed through the grid.
Check: 61.4 × 1.14 = 70.0 (69.996). Same actual hours.
The number is only useful with the cause next to it. A variance log with causes is what makes the next estimate better.
Communicating up and out
- To the general contractor: conflicts and delays in writing, the same day, with location and drawing numbers.
- To the office: daily hours by task code, so the variance can be tracked while the job is still running.
- To the crew: what changed since yesterday and why.
- To the inspector: have the plans, the permit and the person who did the work ready at inspection time.
Check yourself
Our own practice questions. Answers below each.
- 48 receptacles at 0.60 hours each. Labor hours? Answer: 48 × 0.60 = 28.8 hours.
- 120 estimated hours, crew of 3 on 8-hour days. Crew days? Answer: 120 ÷ 24 = 5 days.
- Estimate 80 hours, actual 72. Variance? Answer: 72 − 80 = −8 hours, −10%, under estimate.
Looking ahead to the Master license? The Texas Master Practice Pack has 368 practice questions and 10 timed two-part mocks, US$79 once.
FAQ
Do you need a license to be an electrical foreman in Texas?
TDLR does not issue a foreman license. Foreman is an employer role. What you may do and supervise depends on the electrician license you hold and on supervision under a Master Electrician.
What is a labor unit in electrical estimating?
The number of labor hours assigned to install one unit of an item, such as a receptacle or 100 feet of conduit. Contractors take labor units from their own job history or from a published labor-unit manual and adjust them for job conditions.
How do you calculate labor variance?
Subtract the estimated hours from the actual hours, then divide by the estimated hours. A positive result means the job took longer than estimated. Record the cause with every variance.
What should a pre-task safety brief cover?
The scope of work, the hazards, how energy will be controlled and verified, who does each task, needed materials and tools, hold points, and everyone’s right to stop work if something is unsafe.
Sources checked October 2026
- TDLR apprentice page (general supervision): https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/apply/individuals/apprentice-electrician.htm
- TDLR Master application page: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/apply/individuals/master-electrician.htm
- TDLR FY2025 exam statistics: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/elecExamStats2025.htm
- PSI Candidate Information Bulletin for TDLR (updated 9/15/2026): https://test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/1682
- OSHA 1926.21, safety training and education: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1926/1926.21
