Office Electrical Fit-Out Checklist: From Strip-Out to Sign-Off

Office Electrical Fit-Out Checklist: From Strip-Out to Sign-Off

If you're managing an office refurbishment — whether it's a two-room suite in Maidstone or a multi-floor fit-out in central London — the electrical work is one of the most complex and consequential parts of the project. Get it wrong and you're looking at failed inspections, costly remedials, and potential delays to your fit-out programme.

This office electrical fit-out checklist walks through every stage of the process, from the moment strip-out begins to the point a qualified electrician hands over your completion certificate. It's aimed at facilities managers, project managers, and business owners who want to understand what good electrical work actually looks like — not just tick a box.

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Stage 1: Pre-Works Planning and Design

Before anyone touches a cable, the electrical design needs to be agreed. This is often where fit-outs go wrong — electrical requirements are bolted on as an afterthought rather than designed into the project from the start.

What to establish before work begins

• Load requirements — How many workstations, server rooms, kitchen appliances, air conditioning units, and EV chargers will be in use? Undersizing your incoming supply at this stage creates problems that are expensive to fix later.
• Distribution board locations — Where will the main distribution board (DB) and any sub-distribution boards sit? This affects containment routes, cable lengths, and access for future maintenance.
• Lighting design — Lux levels for office environments are set out in CIBSE guidance (typically 300–500 lux for general office areas). Emergency lighting escape routes must be planned in accordance with BS 5266.
• Data and communications — While structured cabling is often handled by a separate contractor, the electrical team needs to account for containment routes, power to comms rooms, and UPS provision.
• Regulatory compliance — All electrical installation work must comply with BS 7671:2018 (the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations, including Amendment 2). For commercial premises, Part P does not apply in the same way it does to domestic properties, but Building Regulations notification may still be required depending on the scope.

Getting a qualified electrician involved at the design stage — ideally one who works to NICEIC standards — means you're not redesigning on site.

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Stage 2: Strip-Out

Once the existing fit-out is removed, the electrical team should carry out a thorough survey of what's being retained and what's being replaced.

Strip-out electrical checklist

• Isolate and make safe all existing circuits before any demolition begins
• Identify and label circuits that are being retained (e.g. supplies to lifts, server rooms, or shared building services)
• Remove redundant cabling, trunking, and containment — don't leave it in the ceiling void or under raised floors unless it's confirmed as live and in use
• Check condition of the existing incoming supply and distribution boards — a fit-out is often the right time to upgrade if equipment is ageing or non-compliant
• Survey the condition of earthing and bonding — particularly important in older commercial buildings across Kent and the South East, where some premises still have legacy TN-C-S or TT earthing arrangements

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Stage 3: First Fix

First fix is where containment, cabling, and back boxes are installed before walls, ceilings, and floors are closed in.

First fix checklist

• Install cable containment (trunking, conduit, cable tray) following agreed design routes
• Pull in power cables to distribution boards, sub-boards, and final circuit points
• Install back boxes for sockets, switches, and data outlets
• Rough in cabling for lighting, emergency lighting, fire alarm interface points, and access control
• Install earthing and bonding conductors — main protective bonding to incoming services (gas, water, structural steel) must comply with BS 7671 Section 411
• Ensure adequate separation between power and data cabling to avoid interference
• Where raised access floors are used, cable runs should be in appropriate containment — loose cabling draped across floor voids does not comply

At this stage, coordinate closely with the mechanical and public health (M&E) teams. Clashes between electrical containment and ductwork or pipework are common and easier to resolve before ceilings are fixed.

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Stage 4: Second Fix

Second fix takes place once the fabric of the building is complete — ceilings up, walls plastered or dry-lined, floors finished.

Second fix checklist

• Fit and connect all sockets, switches, and FCUs
• Install luminaires and commission lighting controls (including DALI or KNX systems if specified)
• Install and test emergency lighting units — self-contained maintained or non-maintained fittings depending on design
• Connect distribution boards and sub-boards, label all circuits clearly
• Install consumer units or commercial switchgear — all new DB installations must use RCBOs or dual RCD protection in accordance with the 18th Edition
• Connect specialist equipment: server room cooling, kitchen circuits, EV charging points, disabled refuge systems
• Install and test fire alarm system final connections (if in scope)

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Stage 5: Testing, Inspection, and Certification

This is the stage that separates a compliant installation from one that looks finished but isn't.

Testing and inspection checklist

• Carry out full Initial Verification in accordance with BS 7671 Part 6
• Insulation resistance testing on all circuits
• Earth fault loop impedance (EFLI) testing — particularly important for TN-S and TN-C-S systems
• RCD operation testing at the correct tripping thresholds (30mA for personnel protection)
• Polarity checks on every outlet
• Emergency lighting duration testing — 1-hour or 3-hour test depending on fitting type
• Fire alarm system commissioning (if electrical contractor is responsible)
• Compile and issue an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) — not a Minor Works Certificate, which is not appropriate for a new or substantially rewired installation

When to call a qualified electrician

If you're at this stage and your contractor can't provide a full EIC with test results attached, that's a serious problem. An EIC issued by an NICEIC-approved contractor gives you independent assurance that the work has been tested and verified against the current standard. Without it, your building insurer, your landlord, and your occupiers have no formal record that the installation is safe.

For fit-outs in commercial premises across Kent, Surrey, Greater London, and the wider South East, Building Control may also require notification and inspection for certain types of electrical work — particularly where the incoming supply is upgraded or new consumer units are installed.

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Stage 6: Handover and Documentation

A fit-out isn't complete until the paperwork is in order. Good documentation protects you if something goes wrong, and it's essential for future maintenance.

Handover documentation checklist

• Electrical Installation Certificate with full Schedule of Test Results
• As-fitted drawings showing final circuit layouts, containment routes, and DB schedules
• Operation and maintenance (O&M) manuals for all installed equipment
• Emergency lighting log book (required under BS 5266)
• Fire alarm cause-and-effect chart and commissioning certificate
• Any relevant product warranties (luminaires, switchgear, specialist equipment)

Keep these documents on site or in your building management system. You'll need them for future periodic inspection and testing (recommended every 5 years for commercial premises under BS 7671).

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A Final Word on Appointing the Right Contractor

A comprehensive office electrical fit-out checklist is only useful if the contractor carrying out the work has the competence to deliver it. Look for NICEIC approval — it means the contractor's technical ability and work quality are independently assessed on a regular basis, not just self-certified.

Cleary Electrical is a NICEIC-approved electrical contractor based in Rochester, Kent. We work on commercial fit-outs across the South East — including Kent, Surrey, Essex, Greater London, Sussex, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Hampshire — and we offer free, no-obligation quotes for projects of all sizes.

If you're planning an office fit-out and want to talk through the electrical requirements before committing to a programme, get in touch with our team.