Fitting out a shop, office or commercial unit involves more coordination than a domestic job — other trades, a trading deadline, sometimes a landlord’s requirements — and the electrical package sits right in the middle of that. This guide walks through what actually happens, in order, so you know what to expect and what to have ready before the first site visit.
What the electrical package actually covers
“Electrical fit-out” can mean different things depending on who you ask, so it’s worth being specific. Our package covers the power and lighting circuits themselves, containment (trunking, conduit, cable management), the distribution board and any upgrades it needs, and full testing and certification at the end. It does not cover the fixtures and finishes — the shopfitting joinery, signage, or specialist equipment — and it doesn’t cover data cabling unless that’s specifically scoped in alongside the electrical work. Knowing this split matters when you’re budgeting across multiple trades, so nothing falls into a gap between contractors.
What drives the cost
The single biggest factor is unit size — the ranges above scale roughly with floor area, from a small shop around 50–100m² through to a large 250m²+ unit. Within that, three things move a job up or down inside its band:
Existing infrastructure. A unit that’s had a recent fit-out with a modern board and reasonable containment already in place is a faster, cheaper job than a shell unit or one with an old, undersized board that needs replacing before anything else can go in.
Lighting scheme complexity. A straightforward grid of LED panels is quicker to install and certify than a designed scheme with multiple circuits, dimming, or feature lighting — worth discussing early if you have a specific look in mind, since it affects both first-fix containment and second-fix time.
Downtime constraints. If the unit has to stay trading throughout, work often needs to happen in phases or outside normal hours, which extends the programme compared with an empty unit where we can work continuously.
The process, start to finish
Site walkthrough. We assess the space in person, look at the existing board and any containment already there, and talk through your layout — whether that’s your own plan or one from a shopfitter or architect.
Spec and fixed quote. You get a clear scope and a real number before anything starts. If your plans are still being finalised, we’ll quote against the current version and flag anything likely to change the price if the layout shifts.
Programming around your hours. For trading premises, this is often the part that matters most. We agree upfront what can happen during trading hours (usually little to nothing disruptive) versus what needs an early morning, evening, or closed-day slot.
Install, test, certify. First fix — containment and cabling — typically happens before other trades finish their work, so cables are in place before walls, ceilings or floors are closed up. Second fix follows once the space is otherwise ready: fittings go in, the board is completed, and everything is tested.
Handover pack. You get full documentation on completion — certification, and anything else relevant to your insurance or landlord requirements.
What to have ready before the survey
A fit-out moves faster when we’re not waiting on decisions mid-job. It helps to have: a floor plan, even a rough one, showing where power and light fittings need to go; any fixtures or equipment you already know you’re installing (till points, kitchen equipment, signage with electrical requirements) so we can plan circuits for them; and a realistic view of your trading hours and any dates you’re working toward, so we can tell you honestly whether the programme fits.
Coordinating with other trades
Most fit-outs aren’t just electrical — there’s usually a shopfitter, a main contractor, sometimes a separate data/IT installer. We work to whatever programme is already in place rather than insisting on our own sequence, and we’ll flag early if something in the existing plan doesn’t work electrically (undersized board, a layout that clashes with structural elements) so it can be resolved before it becomes a delay on site.
Landlord and lease considerations
If you’re leasing the unit, it’s worth checking your lease for any restrictions on alterations before work starts — some landlords require sign-off on electrical changes, particularly anything affecting the building’s main supply or shared distribution. We can provide whatever documentation your landlord’s agent typically asks for as part of the handover pack; just flag it at survey stage so it’s built into the programme rather than requested at the last minute.
Minimising downtime for a trading business
For an occupied unit, the real cost of a fit-out is often the trading time lost, not the electrical invoice itself — which is why we plan the programme around that specifically rather than treating it as a fixed inconvenience. A few things help in practice: agreeing which work genuinely needs the power off (usually board work and final connections) versus which can happen with supply live in unaffected areas; sequencing so disruptive work happens in a closed section or during a quiet trading period rather than spread across the whole programme; and being upfront about what’s realistic — some tasks (testing the full installation, for instance) can’t safely be rushed or done piecemeal without compromising the certification at the end.
Emergency lighting and other compliance requirements
Commercial units — particularly retail and hospitality — often have emergency lighting and fire alarm interface requirements that domestic jobs don’t. If your unit needs emergency lighting as part of building or fire regulations, this needs designing into the electrical package from the start rather than added afterward, since it affects circuit layout and testing. If you’re not sure what’s required for your specific unit type, flag it at survey and we’ll advise what’s typically expected, though for anything fire-safety specific we’d always recommend confirming with your building control or fire risk assessor directly, since requirements vary by use class and occupancy.
Three-phase and larger power requirements
Some commercial units — particularly kitchens, larger retail units, and light industrial space — need three-phase power rather than standard single-phase domestic-style supply. This is a different conversation to a standard shop or office fit-out, both in terms of what the existing supply can support and what it costs to bring in if it isn’t already there (this can involve your distribution network operator, not just us, and their charges sit outside our electrical package). If you know your unit needs three-phase — commercial kitchen equipment is the most common reason — mention it as early as possible, ideally before you’ve signed a lease, since checking what’s actually available to the building can change the viability of a location.
Getting a number for your unit
Every fit-out is different enough that a genuinely accurate price needs an actual walkthrough of the space — the ranges above are a starting point, not a quote. Tell us the unit size, roughly what you’re planning, and your trading constraints, and we’ll book a survey. You’ll get a fixed price in writing before work starts, covering exactly what’s discussed above, with anything outside that scope quoted separately rather than bundled in as a surprise. For the full detail on what’s included versus excluded in a commercial fit-out and to see current pricing bands, see our commercial fit-out page.
