Electrical fit outs in Scotland for offices, shops, bars and industrial units
We are the electrical contractor for Cat A and Cat B fit outs, shop refits, bar and restaurant fit outs and industrial unit fit outs, working from our Peterhead base across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and the North East of Scotland: boards, three phase supplies, small power, lighting and emergency lighting, finished with an Electrical Installation Certificate. Each job is a fixed price to a written scope after a free site survey, and the written quote usually follows within one working day. Call 07304 027013.
Team led by Steven Watt, with Callum working alongside him. City and Guilds 2391-52, 2382-22, 2365-03 and 2921-34. OZEV authorised installer EVHS/WCS14254. Company SC821028.
What is an electrical fit out?
An electrical fit out is the installation that turns an empty, shell and core or stripped out unit into working premises for one occupier: the board and sub mains, the circuits for sockets, equipment and lighting, the emergency lighting, and the testing and certificate that show it is safe to put into use. Landlords commission one to bring a vacant floor up to a lettable standard; tenants commission one to make space they have just taken fit the way they work. A refurbishment or refit of occupied premises follows the same steps on a smaller scale.
An electrical fit out with us starts with a free site survey and a fixed price against a written scope, usually within one working day, and ends with an Electrical Installation Certificate under NICEIC Approved Contractor 620239. We work across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire from our base at 17 Thomson Road, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, AB42 3FJ, and the team is led by Steven Watt with Callum working alongside him. Fit outs are one part of our commercial work; the rest is on our commercial electrical contractors in Aberdeen page.
Our fit out of a Peterhead accommodation conversion
This is a fit out we carried out ourselves: a Peterhead building converted into letting rooms, each with an en suite, around a shared communal area. We took it from bare rooms to a tested and certified installation, in the same order as any office, shop or unit fit out: board first, then power and lighting room by room, then emergency lighting, then testing.
- One new distribution board. A 21 way FuseBox F3021MZ with a 100A main switch and seventeen circuits, each on its own RCBO, so a fault in one room leaves the others powered.
- Room by room power and lighting. Sockets placed for the bed, the desk and a wall mounted television in each letting room.
- A lit communal area. A grid of LED downlights across the finished ceiling.
- Emergency lighting. A maintained exit sign above the final exit door of the communal area.
The same method applies to an Aberdeen office floor, shop or industrial unit: survey the supply, agree the scope in writing, then first fix, second fix and certificates. Call 07304 027013 to talk through yours.
Fitting out or converting premises in Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire?
We price the electrical package from a free survey and put the scope in writing.
Cat A and Cat B fit outs, and what each means for the electrics
Cat A and Cat B are labels the property industry uses, mostly for offices; neither is defined in law or in BS 7671. In common use, a Cat A fit out takes a shell and core space to a basic standard a landlord can let, and a Cat B fit out makes that space work for a particular occupier. Some landlords also market a "Cat A plus" suite, finished part way towards Cat B so a tenant can move in sooner; there is no fixed definition of it either. The British Council for Offices publishes a Guide to Specification and a Guide to Fit Out for the office sector, but your lease and the landlord's specification decide where the line actually falls.
| Typically | Cat A: lettable shell | Cat B: ready for the occupier |
|---|---|---|
| Who usually pays | The landlord, before the space is let | The tenant, once the lease is signed, unless the lease says otherwise |
| Distribution | The landlord's supply to the floor or unit, with a board or tap off for it | Extra boards or ways for the occupier's circuits, and separate distribution where a unit is shared |
| Lighting | A general grid in the ceiling on simple switching | Fittings moved or added for rooms, displays or a bar, with controls to suit |
| Small power | Little beyond what the landlord provides at the perimeter or in the floor | Sockets, floor boxes and fused spurs laid out to the furniture and equipment plan |
| Emergency lighting | Covers the open floor as it is let | Redesigned when new rooms and partitions change the escape routes |
| Data | Usually no more than an incoming route | Containment and power for the IT installer's cabling and comms cabinet |
| Certificate | An Electrical Installation Certificate for the landlord's works | An Electrical Installation Certificate for the tenant's works |
The overlap between the two is where budgets slip. A Cat B design that assumes the Cat A board has spare ways, or that the ceiling grid already carries emergency fittings, falls apart at first fix if neither is true. Our written scope records what we found on site and anything we are relying on being there, so a wrong assumption shows up at the survey. Call 07304 027013 to book one.
Taking on a Cat A floor or planning a Cat B fit out?
A free site survey, then a fixed price against a written scope, usually within one working day.
Office, shop, hospitality and industrial unit fit outs
The Cat A and Cat B labels come from offices, but the electrical work follows the same pattern in any unit. What changes is where the load sits and what the layout asks of the circuits.
Offices
Desk and floor box power to the furniture plan, meeting rooms, a tea point or kitchen, LED panels with lighting controls, and a supply for the comms cabinet. Most of the design time goes on small power and on keeping the escape lighting right for the new rooms.
Shops and retail units
Display and shelf lighting, a counter with its own circuits for the till and card terminal, shopfront and sign supplies on a timer, and a stock room at the back. Work through our shop fit out electrical checklist before the shopfitter fixes the counter.
Bars, cafés and restaurants
The kitchen is usually the heaviest load in the building: ovens, fryers, dishwashers and refrigeration, often on three phase. Front of house adds back bar power, chillers, coffee machines and lighting scenes that change with the mood of the room.
Industrial and trade units
An empty unit becoming a workshop, store or trade counter needs a board sized for its machinery, three phase where the plant needs it, high bay lighting and sockets along the benches. Units that have changed hands often hide old circuits that we trace before anything is altered.
Whatever the premises, the survey starts with the supply. If the incoming supply or the existing board cannot carry the new load, it is better to know before the programme is fixed. Call 07304 027013.
What we install on an electrical fit out
A typical package from us covers the items below, priced together against one written scope.
- Distribution boards and sub mains. New boards or added ways, sized on the load you will actually run, with every circuit identified and charted. Three phase where kitchens, plant or chargers need it; see our three phase supply and boards page.
- Small power. Sockets, floor boxes, fused spurs and dedicated circuits placed to the furniture and equipment plan, including the corridor sockets cleaners rely on.
- Lighting and controls. Panels, downlights, track and high bays, with presence detection and daylight dimming where the scheme calls for them. More on commercial LED lighting.
- Emergency lighting to BS 5266. Designed for the escape routes the new layout creates, then fitted, tested and certified.
- Containment. Tray, trunking and conduit with space left for the data installer's cabling and for circuits added later.
- Chargepoints where the premises come with parking. We are an OZEV authorised installer; read about commercial EV charger installation.
- Testing and certification. An Electrical Installation Certificate for the new work under NICEIC enrolment 620239, handed over at completion.
Data cabling, mechanical services and other specialist systems normally come from their own installers. We provide the containment and power they need and set out in the written scope who does what, so nothing falls between two packages. Call 07304 027013 to talk the scope through.
One survey, one scope, one fixed price
Boards, power, lighting and emergency lighting priced together, with the certificate included.
How the electrical work fits around the other trades
The electrical work on a fit out happens in two main visits with the other trades in between: first fix while the walls and ceilings are open, and second fix once they are closed and decorated. Getting those two slots in the right place does more for the programme than anything else we do.
Survey and written scope
We check the incoming supply and the existing boards, measure the space and read whatever you have: drawings, a furniture plan, an equipment list or the landlord's specification.
First fix
Containment, cables and back boxes go in after the partitions are set out and before the ceiling grid, boarding and plaster close them in. A layout change costs least at this stage.
Second fix
After decoration, sockets, switches, light fittings and boards are connected and every circuit is identified at the board.
Testing and commissioning
Every circuit is tested to BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, lighting controls are set up and the emergency lighting is tested before handover.
Handover
Certificates are handed over for everything we install, ready for your landlord, your insurer and, where the job has a building warrant, the completion certificate.
We work Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 1pm, and book first and second fix within those hours. If the rest of the building stays open, we agree in writing which circuits go off, in what order and for how long, planned around your opening hours. Standard jobs are usually booked within 5 to 10 working days of the quote being accepted. Bring your programme to the survey, or call 07304 027013.
Building warrants, completion certificates and the EIC on a Scottish fit out
Some fit outs in Scotland need a building warrant from the local council before work starts, and those finish with a completion certificate that the council has to accept. The Scottish Government describes the council as the verifier that grants the warrant and accepts the completion certificate, and mygov.scot is clear that starting work which needs a warrant without one is an offence.
When a fit out is likely to need one
- Work that alters the structure, the escape routes or the fire separation of the building.
- A change of use. Schedule 2 of the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004 lists the conversions covered, including opening a building to the public where it was not open before and dividing it between occupiers where it was in one occupation.
- Not sure? The council's building standards team will tell you, and we raise it at every fit out survey.
Which council issues it
Aberdeen City Council for premises in the city, including Dyce, Cults and Kingswells.
Aberdeenshire Council for Peterhead, Ellon, Fraserburgh, Inverurie and Westhill, even though Westhill has an Aberdeen postal address.
Where the electrical certificate fits
Standard 4.5 of the building regulations requires an electrical installation not to threaten the health and safety of people in and around the building, or to become a source of fire. Our Electrical Installation Certificate, issued to BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, is the record that the new installation was tested against that, and it is the document to have ready when the completion certificate goes in.
Part P has no place on a Scottish fit out. It sits in the building regulations for England and Wales, and the English Building Control notification route does not exist here. Paperwork that quotes either was written for the wrong country. We certify all new work to A4:2026, the only edition of BS 7671 for new work from 15 October 2026. Call 07304 027013 if your project has a warrant in progress.
Emergency lighting on a fit out
New partitions change the escape routes, so a fit out usually means redesigning the emergency lighting rather than adding a fitting or two. A corridor formed by new meeting rooms, a stock room behind a shop floor or a kitchen behind a bar can each leave a route that the original fittings never covered.
- Coverage designed for the new layout, following the escape routes, exit doors and changes of direction as built.
- Maintained or non maintained fittings and exit signs chosen to suit how the premises are used.
- Tested and certified on completion, with the logbook started from the first results.
- Monthly function tests and an annual full duration test follow under BS 5266, which we can carry out as part of planned electrical maintenance.
In Scotland the duty sits under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005: whoever controls the premises must carry out a fire safety risk assessment, and after a fit out that assessment needs to reflect the new layout and the emergency lighting that serves it. Ask for the emergency lighting to be designed with the rest of the package. Call 07304 027013.
Has your new layout changed the escape routes?
We design, fit, test and certify emergency lighting to BS 5266 as part of the fit out.
Can a handyman do electrical work on a fit out?
The UK has no licence for electricians, but in Scotland anyone wiring business premises must be competent for the work and the result must meet the building standards, which makes a fit out a job for a qualified electrician. A handyman can hang the shelving; the circuits behind it are another matter.
What the law says
- Regulation 16 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 says nobody shall do work where technical knowledge or experience is needed to prevent danger unless they have it, or are suitably supervised. It extends to Scotland.
- Regulation 3 places those duties on employers and self employed people, so both the business and anyone working for it carry them.
- Regulation 8 of the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004 requires work to be carried out in a technically proper and workmanlike manner, and standard 4.5 covers electrical safety.
Why it matters to you
- The certificate records test results, so it has to come from someone qualified to carry out and interpret the tests. Your landlord, insurer and, where there is a warrant, the council will want it.
- Ask any contractor for a register entry in the same company name as the quote, insurance in writing and the certificate you will hold at the end.
- Ours: NICEIC Approved Contractor 620239, £2M public liability, and City and Guilds 2391-52 inspection and testing held by Steven Watt.
After the fit out: is an EICR a legal requirement in Scotland?
For business premises, no Scottish law names the EICR, but the duty behind it is a legal one. Regulation 4(2) of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 requires electrical systems to be maintained so as to prevent danger, so far as is reasonably practicable, and a periodic inspection recorded on an EICR is the usual way to show it has been done. Private landlords letting homes are in a different position: the Repairing Standard requires an EICR at least every five years.
A fit out starts the inspection cycle
The Electrical Installation Certificate for your fit out records when the first periodic inspection is recommended. From then on a commercial EICR checks the installation as it ages and as the layout changes around it.
We code reports under A4:2026: only C1 and C2 findings make a report unsatisfactory, while C3 and FI are advisory, and an FI should still be investigated promptly.
Taking on premises without a fit out?
An EICR before you sign shows what you are inheriting, so the lease negotiation happens with the facts in front of you.
Commercial EICRs start at £200 + VAT, priced on boards and circuits. Call 07304 027013 to book one.
How much does an electrical fit out cost?
We do not publish a fit out price, because two units of the same size can need very different work. Every fit out is priced after a free site survey as a fixed sum against a written scope, and the figure you agree at the start is the figure you pay unless the scope changes.
What sets the price
- The supply and the board: whether they can take the new load, or a larger board or three phase is needed.
- The number of circuits, which follows the furniture and equipment plan more than the floor area.
- Access: suspended ceilings and raised floors are quicker to work in than solid ones.
- The lighting scheme and how much control it needs.
- What can stay, once the existing installation has been traced and tested.
What our written quote tells you
- What we found on site, and anything we are relying on already being there.
- Where our scope ends and which items belong to other trades.
- The certificates you will receive at handover.
- How a change is handled: priced in writing before the work is done.
Where fit out budgets usually slip
- The supply is too small, found only when the equipment list arrives. An upgrade from the network operator has its own lead time.
- The furniture plan arrives after first fix, so floor boxes and desk power have to move.
- New partitions change the escape routes and nobody reassesses the emergency lighting.
- Containment is full on day one, leaving no room for the next circuit.
- Gaps between packages, where each trade assumes another is doing the data or the controls.
Our survey checks each of these before we price, so they are in the written scope rather than a surprise later.
- Send the address and any drawings, furniture plan or equipment list you have.
- Free site survey of the supply, the boards and the space.
- Fixed price and written scope, usually within one working day of the survey.
- Dates booked into your programme; standard jobs are usually booked within 5 to 10 working days.
- Certificates handed over for everything we install.
Ready to price your fit out?
Send the address and whatever drawings you have. The survey is free and the price comes in writing.
Electrical fit outs across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
We take on fit outs in the city and in the towns around it, from our base in Peterhead.
- Aberdeen
- Dyce
- Westhill
- Inverurie
- Ellon
- Peterhead
- Fraserburgh
Commercial pages by town
In our home town we are commercial electricians in Peterhead. West of the city we work as commercial electricians in Westhill, and to the north we cover commercial electricians in Ellon and a commercial electrician in Fraserburgh.
Electrical fit out questions
Something else to ask? Call 07304 027013, Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm or Saturday 9am to 1pm.
What is the difference between a Cat A and a Cat B fit out?
Cat A and Cat B are property industry labels rather than legal terms. A Cat A fit out takes a shell and core space to a basic lettable standard, usually at the landlord's cost: the landlord's distribution, a general lighting grid and emergency lighting for the open floor. A Cat B fit out makes the space work for one occupier, usually at the tenant's cost: rooms, small power to the furniture plan, lighting to suit the layout and emergency lighting redesigned for the new escape routes. The lease decides who pays for what.
How much does an electrical fit out cost?
We do not publish a fit out price, because two units of the same size can need very different work. The cost depends on the supply and board, the number of circuits, ceiling and floor access, the lighting scheme and how much of the existing installation can stay. After a free site survey you get a fixed price against a written scope, usually within one working day.
How long does an electrical fit out take?
That depends on the size of the space and on the other trades, because first fix has to wait until the partitions are set out and finish before the ceilings close, and second fix follows the decorators. We agree our first and second fix slots with you at the survey. Standard jobs are usually booked within 5 to 10 working days of the quote being accepted.
Do I need a building warrant for a fit out in Scotland?
It depends on what the fit out changes. Work to the structure, the escape routes or the fire separation, and changes of use such as dividing a building between occupiers or opening it to the public, are the cases to check. The warrant comes from the local council's building standards team: Aberdeen City Council in the city, Aberdeenshire Council in Peterhead, Ellon, Westhill and Fraserburgh. Where a warrant is needed it must be granted before work starts, and the job finishes with a completion certificate. Part P and Building Control notification do not apply in Scotland. We raise the question at the survey.
Can a handyman do electrical work on a fit out?
There is no licence for electricians in the UK, but in Scotland anyone wiring business premises must be competent for the work under regulation 16 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, and the work must meet the Scottish building standards. A fit out also ends with an Electrical Installation Certificate recording test results, so it is a job for a qualified electrician. Ask for a register entry, insurance and the certificate you will receive.
Is an EICR a legal requirement in Scotland, and what does one cost?
For business premises no law names the EICR, but regulation 4(2) of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 requires electrical systems to be maintained so as to prevent danger, so far as is reasonably practicable, and a periodic EICR is the usual way to show that. Private landlords letting homes in Scotland need an EICR at least every five years under the Repairing Standard. Our commercial EICRs start at £200 + VAT, priced on the number of boards and circuits.
What certificate do I get at the end of a fit out?
An Electrical Installation Certificate for the new work, with the schedule of test results, issued to BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 under our NICEIC enrolment 620239. If the fit out includes emergency lighting you also get an emergency lighting certificate, and every board is left with a chart that matches what was installed.
Book a free site survey for your fit out
Call 07304 027013 or use the form. Tell us the address, what the space will be used for and where your programme stands, and send any drawings or a furniture plan if you have them. We survey free of charge and send a fixed price in writing, usually within one working day.
Request a fit out quote
Faithful Spark Electricians Ltd, 17 Thomson Road, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, AB42 3FJ. Registered in Scotland SC821028. VAT 503 6560 13. NICEIC Approved Contractor 620239. TrustMark 4205123. OZEV EVHS/WCS14254. £2M public liability. Cat A and Cat B are industry conventions, not legal specifications. Commercial prices exclude VAT and were correct at October 2026. Last updated 13 October 2026.