Garage Electrics Guide 2026 — Sockets, Lighting, EV Chargers & Regulations
Whether you want a couple of sockets and a light, a full workshop setup, or an EV charger in your garage, the requirements differ significantly between attached and detached garages. This guide covers regulations, cable types, consumer units, costs and everything else you need to know before having garage electrics installed in Somerset in 2026.
Dan Stevens
NAPIT Registered Electrician
At a Glance
- All garage electrical work is notifiable under Part P — use a registered electrician
- Attached garage: add a circuit from the house board — cost £400–£900
- Detached garage: SWA armoured cable underground — cost £800–£2,500+
- Detached garage must have its own consumer unit with RCD protection
- EV charger: treated as a separate dedicated circuit — cost from £800 installed
- Extension leads are not a compliant permanent supply
Attached vs Detached Garage — Key Differences
The biggest factor in garage electrical work is whether the garage is attached to the house or detached. This determines the cable type, the protection required, the depth of any underground run, and the cost.
Attached garage
- Standard 2.5mm² or 4mm² twin and earth cable from house consumer unit
- Cable can be surface-run in conduit or clipped direct
- No armoured cable required (shared structure)
- Typically one or two circuits: sockets + lighting
- RCD protection required (from house board or local RCD)
- Cost: £400–£900
Detached garage
- SWA (steel wire armoured) cable for underground run
- Minimum burial depth: 500mm (with protective covers) or 600mm
- Cable marker tape above the cable route
- Own consumer unit or isolator + RCD at the garage end
- Earthing arrangement: TT earth (rod) or TN-S from house
- Cost: £800–£2,500+ depending on distance
Do I Need Part P Notification?
Yes. Any new electrical circuit — whether it is in the house, garage, garden, or outbuilding — is a notifiable installation under Part P of the Building Regulations (England). This applies regardless of the size of the job.
A NAPIT, NICEIC or other scheme-registered electrician can self-certify their own work and notify the local authority on your behalf. You receive a Building Regulations Completion Certificate. This certificate is required when you sell the property — without it, a solicitor may require indemnity insurance or a retrospective inspection.
If you use an unregistered person or attempt the work yourself, you must apply for a building regulations inspection before work begins. The inspector will check and test the installation. This costs more and takes longer.
What Should a Garage Electrical Installation Include?
Socket outlets
At least two double sockets as a minimum for a general-purpose garage. For a workshop, four to six doubles is more practical. Sockets should be RCD-protected and mounted at a sensible height (900mm is standard). In damp-prone garages, IP44-rated sockets are worth specifying.
Lighting
LED batten fittings are the standard choice for garages — robust, bright, energy-efficient and inexpensive. A single 4ft 40W LED batten gives around 4,000 lumens. For a double garage used as a workshop, two or three battens are recommended. A switch by the garage door and a secondary switch further in is useful for larger garages.
Consumer unit (detached garages)
A detached garage must have its own consumer unit at the garage end of the supply. This gives you a local isolation point and individual protection for each circuit. A small 4-way or 6-way RCBO consumer unit is typical. The unit must be in a weatherproof enclosure or inside the garage where it is protected from direct weather exposure.
Earthing
A detached structure requires careful earthing. Where the supply comes from a house on a TN-S or TN-C-S system, a combined earth and neutral path runs back to the house. However, many electricians recommend installing a TT earth (earth rod) at the detached garage as an independent safety measure, especially on older properties.
Outdoor security lighting
A PIR floodlight above the garage door is a common addition. This should be on its own switched circuit, rated IP65 or higher, and positioned so it covers the approach without causing nuisance to neighbours. A 30W LED floodlight is sufficient for most single garages.
EV Charger in the Garage
The garage is the most common location for a home EV charger, and for good reason — it is protected from weather and close to the parking position. An EV charger requires a dedicated circuit from the main house consumer unit (or garage sub-board), typically 7kW (32A) for most home chargepoints.
Key installation considerations:
- Cable size: 6mm² or 10mm² twin and earth (or SWA for outdoor/underground runs)
- Protection: Type A RCBO at the consumer unit — meets BS 7671 and OZEV requirements
- Smart charger required for OZEV grant eligibility (if applicable)
- Internet connection: some smart chargers require Wi-Fi or cellular access
- Part P notifiable: all EV charger installations are notifiable work
- Cost: from £800 for supply and install of a standard 7kW smart charger in Somerset
Typical Garage Electrics Costs 2026 (Somerset)
| Job | Guide cost (inc VAT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Attached garage — basic | £400–£650 | 1–2 sockets + lighting, single circuit from house board |
| Attached garage — full fit-out | £650–£1,100 | 4–6 sockets, lighting, security light, EV-ready circuit |
| Detached garage — basic | £800–£1,400 | SWA underground run up to 15m, sub-board, sockets + lighting |
| Detached garage — longer run | £1,400–£2,500+ | 15–40m SWA run, excavation, full sub-board, multiple circuits |
| EV charger (garage) | £800–£1,300 | 7kW smart charger supply and install, cable from main board |
| Security/PIR light | £80–£180 | Above garage door, IP65 LED floodlight |
All prices are indicative for Somerset in 2026 and include VAT. Exact cost depends on distance, cable route, specification and access. Get a written fixed-price quote before committing.
Can I Do Garage Electrics Myself?
In England, all new electrical circuits are notifiable under Part P — which means they must either be installed by a registered electrician who self-certifies, or inspected and approved by a building control officer. Doing the work yourself without registering is not illegal, but you must apply for building control approval before you start, which most people do not do.
Beyond regulation, garage circuits involve outdoor cable routing, underground SWA, earthing arrangements and RCD coordination that carry a real safety risk when done incorrectly. An undersized cable to a detached garage is a fire risk; incorrect earthing is a shock risk. The cost of using a registered electrician is modest relative to the risk and the value it adds at sale.
DS Electrical — Somerset
Garage Electrical Installations in Somerset
Dan installs garage circuits throughout Somerset and Bath — from a simple socket and light to full workshop fit-outs with EV chargers. All work is Part P notifiable, NAPIT registered, and comes with an Electrical Installation Certificate. Fixed-price quotes, no call-out fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need Part P for garage electrics? +
Yes. All new electrical circuits in England are notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations, including garage circuits. A NAPIT or NICEIC registered electrician can self-certify and notify on your behalf.
How much does it cost to wire a garage? +
An attached garage circuit typically costs £400–£900 in Somerset in 2026. A detached garage requiring an underground SWA cable run costs £800–£2,500+ depending on the distance and number of circuits. Get a fixed-price quote — call 07889 334849.
What cable do I need for a detached garage? +
Steel wire armoured (SWA) cable is required for underground runs. The size depends on the load — 6mm² or 10mm² three-core SWA is typical for a garage sub-board. It must be buried at least 500–600mm deep with cable marker tape above it.
Does a garage need its own fuse board? +
A detached garage always needs its own consumer unit or at minimum an RCD and isolation switch at the garage end of the supply. This is a BS 7671 requirement. An attached garage can typically be supplied from the main house board without a sub-board, provided it has RCD protection.
Can I run an extension lead to my garage? +
No — a domestic extension lead is not suitable for permanent or semi-permanent use as a garage supply. It is a fire risk, a shock risk, and is not compliant with BS 7671. A properly installed and certified circuit is required for any permanent garage power supply.
Can I put an EV charger in my garage? +
Yes — the garage is the ideal location for a home EV charger. A 7kW (32A) smart charger on a dedicated circuit from the main consumer unit is the standard installation. The circuit requires a Type A RCBO and a 6mm² or 10mm² cable. All EV charger installations are Part P notifiable.