Commercial power, delivered on programme

Commercial electrical work demands a discipline that residential projects rarely test: the ability to coordinate across multiple trades within compressed programmes, work safely in occupied tenancies, and produce documentation that building managers, future tenants, and compliance auditors can rely on for the life of the asset. Lumen & Wire holds an Electrical Contractor Licence under the Electricity Safety Act 1998 and carries commercial projects from base-build distribution through to tenancy fit-out completion, treating programme management and documentation with the same rigour we apply to the electrical work itself.

Our commercial division operates across Melbourne's CBD, inner-ring suburbs, and surrounding metropolitan area, with experience across office fit-outs, retail tenancies, hospitality venues, healthcare premises, and mixed-use developments. Whether we are pricing a straightforward small tenancy lighting and power package or tendering a multi-storey base-build distribution network — complete with main switchboard, sub-mains risers, and floor distribution boards — the process begins with a thorough review of the consultant's electrical specification and a candid conversation about programme, access constraints, and the practical realities of the build.

Base-Build Distribution and Switchboard Construction

Main switchboard construction and sub-mains distribution are work that rewards experience and punishes shortcuts. Our switchboard work complies with AS/NZS 61439 (Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear assemblies) and AS/NZS 3000, with panel schedules, single-line diagrams, and circuit labelling produced as working documents from day one and updated to reflect as-installed conditions at practical completion. We specify metering at each distribution board where sub-tenancy energy recovery or NCC Section J energy monitoring requirements apply.

Sub-mains cable sizing is calculated under AS/NZS 3008.1.1, accounting for grouping, installation method, and ambient temperature. We do not default to minimum compliant sizes when load growth is a realistic prospect — an undersized riser cable locked behind concrete that needs replacement when a tenant installs a commercial kitchen or data centre UPS is an expensive problem that thoughtful design prevents at no significant upfront cost.

• Main switchboard and distribution board construction to AS/NZS 61439
• Sub-mains cable sizing under AS/NZS 3008.1.1 with load growth consideration
• Tenancy lighting: LED panel, track, and architectural systems with DALI dimming where specified
• Mechanical services power: AHU, FCU, exhaust, and hydraulic equipment connections
• Data and communications rough-in coordinated with structured cabling contractor
• Out-of-hours and weekend works capability to suit occupied-building programmes

Tenancy Fit-Outs and Occupied Buildings

Tenancy electrical work in occupied buildings requires a standard of site management that many contractors underestimate. Planned power outages must be booked through building management, communicated to affected tenants, and executed within agreed windows — often late evening or weekend timeslots. Lumen & Wire maintains an experienced after-hours crew and a project management process that treats outage planning as a critical path item rather than a detail to organise at the last minute.

At practical completion, we provide a full as-built package: updated single-line diagrams, circuit schedules, switchboard photographs, Certificate of Electrical Safety covering all prescribed electrical work, and — where required by the building manager or consultant — a commissioning report for protection devices and emergency lighting systems. This documentation package is not an administrative afterthought; it is a contractual deliverable we plan for from day one and are measured against at handover.