Office Fit-Out Electrical Planning: What to Check Before Work Starts

KEY POINTS

Confirm the landlord’s connection limits and approval process early.
Plan from equipment demand and the intended office layout.
Define testing and handover documents before comparing quotations.

An office fit-out changes how a leased space uses power, lighting and building services. The electrical brief should connect the tenant’s needs with the building’s available infrastructure and working rules.

Start with the landlord’s information

Request the current fit-out manual, available electrical drawings and the nominated connection point. Confirm the permitted supply capacity, metering arrangement and approval process. Include access hours, delivery routes, work permits and any restrictions on shutdowns.

Ask which systems remain under building management. Fire alarm interfaces, emergency lighting, access control and air-conditioning controls may require coordination beyond the tenant’s own installation.

Build the load list alongside the layout

List workstations, meeting-room equipment, pantry appliances, network racks, security systems and any specialist equipment. Record where each load will be connected, its rating and whether it needs backup power.

Schneider Electric’s power-loading guidance distinguishes installed capacity from assessed demand. The designer should evaluate the operating pattern and future allowance rather than simply adding socket ratings or assuming every appliance runs together.

Planning stage	Useful evidence
Before design	Landlord requirements, existing drawings and equipment list
During design	Layout, circuit schedule, lighting controls and connection details
Before site work	Approved scope, access arrangements and shutdown plan
Before occupation	Test records, updated drawings, labels and operating instructions

Coordinate routes and interfaces

Review cable routes with ceilings, partitions, furniture, mechanical services and data cabling. Confirm maintenance access and future expansion points. Electrical cable and protection selection need to account for installation conditions, as explained in the conductor-sizing guide.

Give meeting rooms and network equipment a specific brief. Identify which circuits require a UPS, who configures connected equipment and how any alarms or controls link to the building systems.

Compare the same scope

Ask each bidder to state quantities, equipment specifications, testing, working-hour assumptions and exclusions. Identify separately any landlord charges, specialist interfaces and existing defects outside the fit-out scope.

A useful programme shows approval, procurement, installation and testing dependencies. Confirm these with the building team before relying on a move-in date.

Prepare for operation

Agree how the tenant will receive circuit identification, final drawings, test results, equipment information and outstanding items. Confirm who handles defects and which systems the tenant must maintain.

ETES’s commercial electrical service and additions and alterations service can be discussed using the proposed layout, landlord manual and equipment list.