Electrical Specification Guide for Architects & Designers
Bringing the electrician in early — ideally RIBA Stage 2–3 — avoids redesigns and budget surprises later. This guide covers what to allow for electrically in a high-end renovation so it can be specified with confidence.
DS Electrical works alongside architects and designers across Bath and Mid Somerset as the electrical partner on renovation projects. We offer a free review of your drawings and a clear budget estimate priced to the spec.
This is a practical checklist of provisions to allow for, room by room and system by system. It is written for the planning stage — the earlier these decisions are made, the cheaper and cleaner they are to deliver. Send us your drawings and we will mark up what is needed and price it to the specification.
01 Before you finalise layouts
The fundamentals are easiest to resolve while the drawings are still fluid. Establish what the building can carry before the layout is locked.
Survey the existing installation early — an EICR on what's there to understand its condition
Establish supply capacity: single- or three-phase, and the main fuse rating
Confirm the consumer unit location and that there is space and capacity for the planned load (EV charger, heat pump, induction hob, AV)
Identify whether a board upgrade or a supply upgrade is needed
Flag listed and conservation constraints up front
02 Kitchens
The kitchen carries the heaviest load and the most layered lighting in the house. Allow for it generously.
Dedicated circuits for the oven, hob or induction, and high-load appliances
Ring or radial circuits for general appliances
Extractor supply
Under-cabinet and plinth LED
Layered lighting (task and ambient) on separate switched and dimmed circuits
Island power via floor boxes or pop-ups
USB-C points
Supply for boiling-water taps
Allowance for future appliances
03 Bathrooms & wet rooms
Everything in a wet area is zoned to BS 7671, so the fittings and their positions need specifying with the zones in mind.
IP-rated downlights specified to the correct zones
Backlit and demisting mirrors
Shaver supply
Humidity or timer extractor
Underfloor heating connection and thermostat position
Heated towel rail circuit
All zoned correctly to BS 7671
04 Lighting design
A proper scheme is layered and controllable. Plan the control method and the feature positions before first fix.
A layered scheme: ambient, task and accent
Separate switching and dimming circuits
Scene control, wired or smart
Back-boxes and conduit allowed for feature and pendant positions
External and landscape lighting with controls
Emergency lighting where required
05 Power, data & AV
Be generous with provision and run everything back to a single, ventilated comms position.
Generous socket provision, including USB-C
Floor boxes for islands and desks
Structured data cabling back to a comms position
Ceiling-mounted hardwired WiFi access points for whole-home coverage
TV and AV positions with power, data and conduit
A media or comms cabinet location with ventilation and power
06 EV & future-proofing
Even where systems aren't going in now, leaving the capacity and the routes in saves a major retrofit later.
Allow a dedicated EV charger circuit (Type A RCBO) even if not installing immediately
Leave spare ways in the board
Keep capacity headroom for a heat pump or induction
Run containment or conduit for likely future cabling
07 Heating & smart controls
Wire the smart backbone in during the build rather than retrofitting it afterwards.
Underfloor-heating manifolds and wiring centres
Smart thermostats (Hive, Nest)
Zoning
Boiler and heat-pump controls
A wired backbone for smart home (Hue, Hive, Nest) where possible
08 Heritage & listed properties
Older fabric demands a lighter touch and careful documentation. DS carries out heritage and listed-building rewires.
Minimise chasing
Plan surface versus concealed routes
Period-appropriate accessories
Work within conservation-officer constraints
Careful first-fix in lath-and-plaster and solid walls
Document everything for the property file
09 Compliance touchpoints
The certification path is straightforward when it is planned in from the start.
BS 7671 18th Edition
Part P building-control notification (DS self-certifies via NAPIT)
An EICR on the existing installation
Full certification handed over for the O&M and property file
10 How DS works with you
One firm, one point of contact, priced to the specification rather than guessed over the phone.
A free review of your drawings
A clear budget estimate priced to the spec, not a phone guess
A single point of contact
Tidy work kept on programme
Full certification for the handover pack
Accreditations: NAPIT approved, TrustMark, Part P registered, City & Guilds, BS 7671 18th Edition.
NAPIT
City & Guilds
TrustMark
Part P
BS 7671
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Send us your plans or drawings for a no-obligation budget estimate.
A free review of your drawings and a clear budget estimate priced to the spec. Call DS Electrical directly or email your plans across.
