Re: Troubleshooting v.s. bid price
I think it is self defeating to provide too much information about a small "bid job". I wouldn't tell them how many hours it will take, how many men will do the work, or what the materials will cost, or where you'll get the materials. You just invite them to dissect your bid.
Just tell them that you charge $1,500 to do a 200A (or whatever size it is) service/panel upgrade and stop there. Don't try to justify your price. You'll waste too much of your time, cross yourself up, and get your price squeezed.
If that is your price, then don't negotiate and don't explain.
Don't act like you have all of the time in the world to discuss or explain it, or that you really need or want to do the work, or that you don't have anything else as good going on. If you give them that impression, you just invite them to squeeze you.
If you appear willing to spend an hour discussing a one-day job, they will probably think that either you don't have anything else to do or that your price is high enough to justify the extra time you are spending on trying to sell them the work.
Keep it within reason, but act like you are very busy and in demand, but because of the serious nature of their problem, you'll try to work them in as soon as you can to help them out (i.e. you're doing a favor for them, not them doing a favor for you) -- but not that same day, or even the next day unless the situation is really dangerous. If immediate attention is really needed, then having to stop your other work in mid-stream justifies a higher price, since you are interrupting the work-flow of your other work.
If you act like you have lots of time available, and nothing better to do, then they will expect to get it done for less because you need the work so badly.
If you act like you don't have enough work to stay busy, then they may conclude that either your prices are too high or that you work isn't very good. If you act like you have about as much work as you can do, then they will probably conclude that your prices are competitive and that your work is good -- that's why you're in demand and are so busy.
Use some basic psychology in these situations.