# Wire Voltage Drop Screening Calculator — Canada

> Screen the resistive voltage drop of a DC or idealized single-phase two-conductor circuit using explicit material resistivity. CAD planning view; stated limitations apply.

Page: https://askcalculators.com/ca/wire-size/
Definition: https://askcalculators.com/ca/wire-size/definition.json
JSON Schema: https://askcalculators.com/ca/wire-size/schema.json
Version: 20.16.0
Maintained by: AskCalculators (software project; not a credentialed reviewer)
Qualified review: pending. Automated checks do not establish professional approval.
Page status: Live
Review status: Pending

## Use
Open the calculator page and enter values. Query-string parameters can restore and bookmark a calculation.
Example: https://askcalculators.com/ca/wire-size/?unitSystem=metric&length=30&current=20&voltage=230&resistivity=0.0175&wireArea=4&dropLimit=3&unitRate=0&laborCost=0&deliveryCost=0&otherCost=0&costMultiplier=1&spreadPercent=15&taxRate=0

## Inputs
- unitSystem: Measurement system; type=select; optional; default=metric; values=imperial|metric
- length: One-way conductor length; type=number; required; default=30; min=0.01; max=1000000000000
- current: Load current, A; type=number; required; default=20; min=0; max=1000000
- voltage: Supply voltage, V; type=number; required; default=230; min=0.01; max=1000000
- resistivity: Conductor resistivity at the assumed temperature; type=number; required; default=0.0175; min=0.0001; max=1
- wireArea: Entered conductor cross-section; type=number; required; default=4; min=0.001; max=1000000000000
- dropLimit: Design voltage-drop allowance; type=percent; required; default=3; min=0; max=50
- unitRate: Material price per conductor length unit; type=money; required; default=0; min=0; max=1000000000000
- laborCost: Total labor allowance; type=money; required; default=0; min=0; max=1000000000000
- deliveryCost: Delivery allowance; type=money; required; default=0; min=0; max=1000000000000
- otherCost: Other fixed costs; type=money; required; default=0; min=0; max=1000000000000
- costMultiplier: Material/labor multiplier; type=number; required; default=1; min=0.1; max=10
- spreadPercent: Low/high sensitivity around the entered total; type=percent; required; default=15; min=0; max=100
- taxRate: Explicit tax allowance; type=percent; required; default=0; min=0; max=100

## Outputs
- voltageDrop: Two-conductor voltage drop, V; format=number
- dropPercent: Voltage drop as percentage of supply; format=number
- minimumArea: Cross-section required for the entered drop allowance; format=number
- materialCost: Material cost; format=currency
- laborCost: Labor allowance; format=currency
- deliveryCost: Delivery allowance; format=currency
- otherCost: Other specified costs; format=currency
- tax: Entered tax allowance; format=currency
- low: Low cost scenario; format=currency
- mid: Middle cost scenario; format=currency; primary
- high: High cost scenario; format=currency

## Formula
two-wire voltage drop = 2 × resistivity × one-way length × current ÷ conductor cross-section.

Inputs are converted to canonical units before evaluating this stated formula.

## Rules
- Empty optional inputs are undefined, not zero.
- Hidden conditional inputs are ignored.
- Do not invent missing required inputs.

Notice: Illustrative defaults are not local quotes or verified legal rules. Dated reference components and user-entered assumptions are explicitly distinguished. Professional review is pending.