01Service
Electrical Work
General electrical work for residential and commercial premises.
—Background
What counts as general electrical work
General electrical work is the category for jobs that are not one installation, not a rewire and not a fault hunt, but a mix of smaller changes, additions and repairs. A typical list combines a couple of new points, a fitting that has to come out, a switch in an awkward place and a circuit nobody ever labelled. It is easier to describe as a list than to give a single name.
Because the list is mixed, it helps to describe each item on its own and say which matter most. Some items are quick once someone is on site. Others, such as anything that needs a new cable run through finished walls, decide how long the visit takes and how much making good is left behind afterwards.
Homes and commercial premises bring different constraints. In a home the limits are usually the finished decoration and the people living around the work. In an office, shop or warehouse they are more often access hours, permission from the landlord or building management, and keeping the rest of the premises running while one area is switched off.
01Enquiries
What to tell us
None of this is required. It is what turns a first reply into an answer rather than another question.
- What the property is — villa, apartment, office, warehouse, retail unit
- What you want done, in your own words rather than in trade terms
- Whether the property is occupied and in use while the work happens
- Whether anyone has already looked at it, and what they said
- Whether the work has to fit a particular date
—Worth knowing
Before you ask about electrical work
What tends to change how this kind of job is done. General points about the work and the property, not promises about it.
- Finished walls or open walls
- Whether walls and ceilings are already decorated changes how a cable reaches a new position: chased into the wall and made good, run in surface trunking, or routed through a ceiling void. Each leaves a different finish, so it is worth deciding which you would accept before anyone arrives.
- Power off while the work is done
- Most changes need the affected circuit isolated. In an occupied home that can mean a room without power for part of the day; on commercial premises it may have to be planned outside trading hours.
- Building rules in towers and units
- Apartment towers and managed commercial buildings often ask for notice, a work permit or set working hours before electrical work in a unit. Checking with building management first avoids a visit that cannot go ahead.
- One list, one visit
- Several small items done together usually make better use of the time than the same items spread over several visits, and a written list means the right parts can be brought the first time.
—Questions
Questions people ask
- Can several small electrical jobs be combined into one visit?
- Usually, and it is often the sensible way to do them. List each item with the room it is in, mark the ones that matter most, and add photographs of anything unusual, such as an old fitting or a crowded distribution board.
- What should I ask building management before electrical work in an apartment or office?
- Whether contractors need a permit or work order, which hours work is allowed, whether there are rules on noise and dust, and how access to shared risers or meter rooms is arranged if the job needs it.
- Do I need to know whether my job is wiring, installation or general work?
- No. The categories overlap at the edges. Describe what you want done and where, and the category follows from the description rather than the other way round.
- Is it worth fixing small electrical annoyances before moving in?
- Often, because the rooms are empty and walls can be repaired and painted before furniture arrives. Sockets in the wrong place, unlabelled circuits and missing outdoor points are much easier to deal with then than once the home is lived in.
—Guides
Guides on electrical work
18 guides filed under electrical work: what to check, what is safe to do yourself and what to tell an electrician.
- What to do in a power cut
- Electrical safety around young children
- Using extension leads and adaptors safely
- Electrical safety in bathrooms
- Outdoor electrical safety
- Choosing an electrician
- The limits of DIY electrical work
- Electrical problems in a rented home
- Electrical work in an apartment tower
- What moves the price of electrical work
- Electrical snagging at handover
- Electrical work in a villa
- Electrical work in a townhouse
- Electrical work in an apartment
- Electrical work in an office
- Electrical work in a shop
- Electrical work in an older villa
- A landlord electrical responsibilities
—Also
Other categories
The five overlap at the edges. A fault found during maintenance becomes troubleshooting, and troubleshooting often ends in wiring work.
—NEXT
Ask about electrical work.
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