Electrical Specification

[Weegaz]

Hi all,

Would anyone have an electrical specification for a new build?

I am compiling a spreadsheet but I have shown it to someone else who got confused.

Is there a simple way of doing it?

Thanks

[Jeremy Harris]

What sort of spec?  Is it for an electrician to quote against, a supplier to quote for parts only, or the electricity supply company to enable them to size the connection?

I wrote a list of all the parts (sockets, switches, cable, cable accessories, light fittings, PIR motion sensors, heat and smoke alarms, ancillary stuff like network and sat cable, outlets and fittings) and used that to get quotes from a couple of local electrical merchants, then found the prices were silly and bought the whole lot from two or three online places for half the price.

For the electrician (who wasn't VAT registered, hence me buying all the parts) I provided two drawings, one for the ground floor one for the first floor, with every outlet, light and switch position marked.

For the electricity supply company I think I just filled in their form, unlike the water company I don't think they asked for any drawings or specs, I just asked for a standard 100A fused domestic single phase supply.

[Weegaz]

Hi Jeremy,

Our spark is a friend of the family who has given us a rough price based on previous work.

As I want to have a central hub for all tv, lights etc I want to put a spec of some sort together.

The light fittings and sockets are easy as I have a drawing marked up showing rough locations and quantities.

I have heard of people issuing a spec to the spark to price. I was wondering then if anyone had one of those 'specs' I could add to.

Thanks

 

[Jeremy Harris]

I just used the two drawings to get prices from electricians, labour only.  I did annotate what was at each location on the drawings, so they could see how much work was involved, but I didn't put together any sort of detailed specification, other than the list of parts I drew up. We also have a big unit for the TV etc, a single wall plate with two sat cables, DAB, FM, conventional TV, Ethernet, speaker terminals and a phone socket, with 4 13A switched outlets.  It was the single most expensive thing in the whole electrical installation..................

In the emails I sent out for quotes, I included the drawings and some additional detail, like the all-RCBO CU that I'd bought and that there was a 25mm² three core length of SWA coming into the house from a fused switch in the meter cabinet outside, rather than conventional meter tails.  All the electricians really just quoted on the basis of a quick site visit, though, I think.  I have a feeling it was done by some on the basis of counting the number of switches, light fittings and sockets, with no more detail than that!