Hiring an electrical engineer virtual assistant (VA) can save AEC leaders hundreds of hours on redlines, estimates, submittals, and compliance-ready documentation. Whether you’re a contractor drowning in takeoffs or a PM juggling as-builts and change orders, a remote engineering VA can support your team under NEC and OSHA constraints, without hiring full-time staff.
This guide explains what electrical VAs do, the tools they use (AutoCAD, Altium, Revit, and more), licensure boundaries, cost models, and how Remote AE onboards vetted talent. If you need accurate, NEC-aware help without adding benefits overhead, this guide is your starting point.
Electrical engineer virtual assistants bring trade-specific support to firms without adding overhead. Unlike generalist VAs, they understand load calculations, BOM sourcing, NEC references, and PE-supervised tasks.
Here’s what they actually do.
Most electrical contractors run a backlog of estimates. A virtual assistant can:
Electrical VAs can assist with redlines, panel schedules, and one-line diagrams.
They use tools like:
Instead of engineers updating spreadsheets, a VA can:
This is a classic pain point for smaller firms. Electrical VAs can:
VAs can help prep job-site packets and QA forms that align with:
Tasks include:
Virtual assistants supporting electrical teams must use the right tools and know the limits of each.
Not all drafting is the same. Electrical VAs handle both building system plans and component-level design support:
Tip: For mixed-scope projects (e.g., PLC + building power), assign CAD and EDA work to separate VAs with domain experience.
Supported software includes:
Only a licensed PE can stamp electrical studies. But a VA can prep:
To integrate with client teams, electrical VAs typically use:
Pro tip: Set up shared folders with version control rules before kickoff.
VAs are not engineers-of-record. But under the right setup, they can prep 80–90% of deliverables for PE review.
Electrical VAs cannot:
These actions require state licensure and must follow NCEES rules.
What a VA can do:
Many firms use VAs for initial markups and pre-checklists, while the PE performs QA and final sign-off.
Electrical VAs must be OSHA-aware. They should follow:
If your VA supports U.S. projects, the supervising PE must be licensed in the project state.
Make sure you:
For multi-state work, centralize PE review in one location and assign VAs accordingly.
Electrical engineer virtual assistants can be hired through gig sites or vetted vendors. Both paths have trade-offs.
Marketplace (e.g., Upwork):
Managed service (e.g., Remote AE):
Before hiring a VA, run a scoped pilot.
Checklist:
For managed services like Remote AE, you can build in SLAs:
Remote AE includes these by default in all vetted engineering assistant placements.
Here’s how Remote AE sets up your electrical engineer VA step by step.
Yes, with the right tools. Many Reddit threads show full-time EEs working remotely using AutoCAD, ETAP, and Bluebeam with VPN and cloud access.
Yes. A VA supports the PE, but cannot legally stamp or take liability. You must have a licensed PE overseeing the work.
Start with your CAD or EDA tools (AutoCAD, Altium), shared cloud storage, and your PM tool. Use VPN or SSO to restrict access.
Use SSO/VPN, versioned folders, and permission tiers. Follow a NIST-aligned offboarding checklist when the engagement ends.
A general VA handles admin (emails, scheduling). An engineering VA can work in AutoCAD, prep estimates, manage BOMs, and follow NEC/OSHA requirements. See Upwork listings for task examples.
Need help yesterday? Remote AE can pair you with a vetted electrical engineer virtual assistant in as little as 14 days.
Ready to cut your estimating backlog, prep NEC-ready documents, or update CAD drawings without hiring full-time?
