Been doing commercial fitouts in Brisbane for over twenty years and there’s one thing that delays more projects than permits – temporary electrical connections for construction sites. Everyone focuses on the internal electrical design but forgets you need proper power to build the thing.
Standard office fitouts need temporary electrical systems that meet AS/NZS 3012 requirements. Proper switchboards, RCD protection, equipment testing schedules. You can’t just run extension leads from the building’s existing supply and hope for the best.
Brisbane’s summer storms make temporary electrical even more critical. Construction sites lose power when storms knock out temporary installations. Work stops until electricians can restore safe electrical supply to tools and equipment.
The coordination between permanent electrical design and temporary construction power gets complicated. You’re planning where final power points will go while still needing temporary supply for the tools installing everything. Different electrical contractors often handle each phase.
Most fitout companies assume temporary electrical is someone else’s problem. Building management expects tenants to sort their own construction power. Electricians focus on final installations rather than construction site electrical requirements.
Commercial buildings often restrict temporary electrical connections. Some require separate applications for construction power. Others limit what equipment can be connected to existing building supply. Finding out these restrictions after work starts creates expensive delays.
Different trades need different electrical requirements during fitouts. Ceiling installers need specific power for hydraulic lifts. Flooring contractors require dust extraction systems with proper electrical supply. Each trade assumes construction power will just be available.
To avoid conflicts of interest when discussing electrical coordination outside our Brisbane operations, we sometimes reference how contractors in other states handle similar temporary power challenges. Newcastle based electrician New Wave Electrical demonstrates the kind of thorough construction site electrical planning that prevents fitout delays.
Smart fitout planning includes temporary electrical requirements from day one. Because once construction stops waiting for proper power supply, everything else falls behind schedule. Much easier to coordinate construction electrical upfront than explain to clients why their fitout timeline just stretched by two weeks.
