Start with what the base building gives you
A tenant improvement (TI) turns a leased shell, or the last tenant's layout, into a space that works for your business. The electrical side is often one of the biggest drivers of schedule and cost. Most of the surprises come from one question nobody asked early enough: how much power is actually available to this unit?
In most Edmonton office buildings, strip malls and industrial bays, the landlord owns the service entrance, the main switchgear and the meter bank. Your scope normally starts at the tenant meter or at a feeder the landlord provides. Before you sign, or at least before design starts, get answers to these questions:
- What size is the existing tenant panel and feeder, and at what voltage (for example 120/208 V or 347/600 V three-phase)?
- Does the base building have spare capacity if you need more?
- Which panels, rooftop units and life safety devices belong to the landlord?
- What does the lease work letter say about who pays for what, and which building standards you must follow?
- Who is allowed to work on the fire alarm system, and is it monitored?
Landlords and property managers often have base-building electrical drawings and recent panel schedules. Ask for them early. They shorten the site survey and expose capacity problems before you commit to a layout.
Design, load calculation and permits
Small refreshes, like moving a few receptacles, can sometimes be laid out on site. Anything larger benefits from a proper design: a lighting layout, a power and data plan, panel schedules and a load calculation done to the Canadian Electrical Code (CSA C22.1) as adopted in Alberta. See electrical design and layout and load calculations.
The load calculation tells you whether your equipment fits on the existing feeder. Restaurants, salons, labs, fitness studios and light manufacturing are the usual places where it does not. If it does not fit, the options are to reduce or shift load, upgrade the tenant feeder, or ask the landlord for more capacity at the service. Each option has a very different timeline.
Electrical work in a TI needs a permit. Inside Edmonton, the City of Edmonton issues electrical permits. Elsewhere in Alberta it is the local accredited municipality or agency under the Safety Codes Act. Some jobs also need stamped drawings, and larger projects are often tied to a building permit. Requirements depend on the scope, so check with the permit authority or have your contractor confirm. More on this in permit drawings.
What is usually in the scope
Every space is different, but a typical office or retail TI electrical scope covers five systems.
| System | What to decide |
|---|---|
| Lighting | Fixture layout, LED type, controls, occupancy sensors, daylight zones |
| Power | Receptacle locations, dedicated circuits for copiers, kitchen appliances and servers |
| Data and low voltage | Cabling routes, IT room power, access control, cameras |
| Mechanical | Power for new rooftop units, exhaust fans, unit heaters and controls |
| Life safety | Emergency lighting, exit signs and fire alarm devices to suit the new walls |
Life safety items are easy to forget. New walls change where exit signs, emergency lights and fire alarm devices must go, and fire alarm changes usually need verification by a qualified technician before you can occupy the space.
Schedule and coordination
Electrical work happens in two main passes. Rough-in is done once framing is up and before drywall closes the walls: boxes, conduit and cable go in, and the inspector may want to see it. After paint, trim-out installs devices, fixtures and panel terminations, followed by testing and a final inspection.
The usual delays are long-lead equipment (panels, transformers and some light fixtures can take weeks or months), late changes to furniture or equipment layouts, and waiting on the landlord or utility. Ordering long-lead items as soon as the design is approved protects your opening date.
- Lock in equipment and furniture layouts before rough-in.
- Name one person on your side who approves changes.
- Ask for a look-ahead schedule that shows inspection dates.
- Plan any landlord shutdown for after hours, with notice to other tenants.
Closing out the job
A finished TI should leave you with more than working lights. Ask for an updated, typed panel schedule, as-built drawings if the scope included design, test records for fire alarm and emergency lighting, and confirmation that the permit is closed. These documents make the next renovation, insurance review or sale much easier. Our guide to single-line diagrams and electrical documentation explains what to keep.
No two TIs cost the same. The biggest drivers are available capacity, the amount of demolition, ceiling access, the fixtures and controls chosen, after-hours work requirements and the number of changes made after design.
Common questions
How early should an electrician be involved in a TI?
Before you sign the lease, if you can. A site visit and a look at the panel and feeder tell you whether your equipment will fit, which can change what you negotiate with the landlord.
Can I use my own electrician, or must I use the landlord's?
Read the work letter. Some landlords require their own contractor for base-building systems such as fire alarm or main switchgear. Tenant-side work is often open to any licensed contractor who meets the landlord's insurance and safety requirements.
Do I need a permit for a small TI?
Most electrical work in a commercial space needs a permit. The scope decides how much paperwork is involved. In Edmonton the City issues the permit; elsewhere in Alberta the local permit authority does.
What happens to the old tenant's wiring?
It is reused where it is safe, code compliant and in the right place. Abandoned wiring is normally removed back to the panel so it does not confuse future work.
Codes and permit rules change and every building is different. For work on your system, talk to a licensed electrician and your local permit authority.