Shoplot & Office Electrical Fit-Out
Load, TNB Supply, Circuits & Handover for a New Tenancy (2026)

Why the electrical plan comes first

In a shop or office fit-out, the electrical scope is the part most likely to change the budget late. The finishes can be value-engineered; a supply that cannot carry the ovens, chillers or aircon cannot. The order is therefore simple: list what the business will run, check what the unit already has, close the gap with the landlord and TNB, and only then fix the layout of points, lights and partitions.

This page is the electrical half of a tenancy fit-out. The plumbing half, including water points, grease traps and sewer connections, is covered in the shop and office plumbing fit-out guide.

Survey the existing installation before you sign

Ask to see the DB board, the incoming supply and the meter before you commit to the lease. Note whether the supply is single-phase or three-phase, how many ways the board has and how many are spare, the age and condition of the board and wiring, and whether the previous tenant left circuits, sockets or signage feeds that you can reuse. A board full of old rewireable fuses, scorched terminals or unlabelled circuits is a cost you want reflected in the rent negotiation or the landlord's scope.

Landlords preparing a unit should do the same from their side; the vacant shoplot and office preparation guide covers the handover record. For a brand-new unit, the new shoplot and office handover check lists what to test at vacant possession.

Work out the load the business will run

Load is the total power the premises may draw at once. It is set by the equipment, not the floor area. List every fixed appliance with its rating from the nameplate or the supplier's specification, then let the electrical contractor work out the demand. The table shows where the heavy loads usually sit.

Aircon is the load most often underestimated in a converted shoplot. Decide the aircon system before the electrical design, not after; the shop and restaurant aircon guide compares the options.

TNB supply for the new tenancy

Once the load is known, there are three possibilities. The existing supply is enough, and the tenant only opens an account in its own name. The supply needs upgrading, for example from single-phase to three-phase. Or the unit needs a new or separate supply. TNB's business guidance sets the route by load: up to 100A, appoint an electrical contractor registered with the Energy Commission to complete the internal wiring and apply on your behalf; above 100A, appoint an electrical consultant engineer registered with the Board of Engineers Malaysia.

TNB also says you can apply for an existing premise without appointing a contractor only if the TNB service cable and meter board are present and in good condition, no renovation has been done involving the internal wiring, and the wiring is in good working condition. A fit-out that rewires the unit does not meet that test, so plan for the contractor's paperwork. For what an upgrade involves, see the three-phase upgrade guide.

The DB board and circuits

A tenancy fit-out usually ends with a new or reorganised DB board. Good practice is to separate circuits by use, so a fault in one area does not take down the whole shop: lighting, general sockets, each heavy appliance, aircon, signage and the comms cabinet. Splitting earth-leakage protection across more than one RCCB means one nuisance trip does not black out the till and the chillers together.

Leave spare ways for the next tenant change or a new piece of equipment, and label every circuit at the board. The DB box size guide explains how many ways to plan for and when a metal board makes sense.

Power, data and lighting points

Mark every point on the layout before any wall or partition is built: counters, workstations, display fridges, the till, CCTV, the router and the signage. Floor boxes in an open office, sockets at counter height in a shop and isolators beside each fixed appliance are easier to plan than to add. Data points belong in the same drawing; the office structured cabling guide covers routes, cabinets and testing.

For lighting, group circuits by zone and by time of use, so the shopfront and signage can run on a timer and the back-of-house lights are switched separately. Adding points later is possible, as the add power points guide explains, but in a finished commercial interior it means trunking or opening up work that was just completed.

Emergency lighting, fire systems and signage

Commercial premises need emergency lighting and exit signs that keep working when the supply fails, and the building's fire alarm may need an interface with your fit-out. These are specialist items, usually handled with the building's fire contractor; the emergency lighting and exit signs guide covers what is involved. Plan their circuits in the same drawing as everything else.

Signage needs its own supply point at the right place on the facade, usually on a timer. The signboard installation guide covers the sign itself and the approvals that come with it.

Landlord, mall and building rules

Malls and managed office buildings usually set fit-out rules: drawings to submit, approved contractors, permitted working hours, a deposit, and a building electrician who must witness any connection to the landlord's supply. Read the fit-out manual before pricing, because rules on night work and approved contractors change the cost. For a standalone shoplot, the council and Bomba side of a commercial renovation is set out in the commercial renovation permit guide.

Where electrical work sits in the fit-out sequence

Electrical work comes in two passes. First fix runs conduit, trunking and cable while walls and ceilings are open; second fix fits the sockets, switches, lights and the board once finishes are done. The first fix and second fix guide explains why testing the first fix before boards go up saves cutting into a finished ceiling.

In a fit-out, coordinate first fix with the ceiling grid, aircon and sprinklers, which all compete for the same ceiling space. The commercial fit-out process guide shows where each trade sits in the programme.

Testing, paperwork and handover

TNB's guidance describes the contractor's two key documents: Form G, the supervision and completion certificate, and Form H, the test certificate for each circuit. Ask for both, together with a marked-up drawing of the final circuits and a fully labelled DB board. Keep them with the lease: the next fit-out, an insurance claim or a reinstatement dispute will all start from those papers.

Before opening, run every heavy appliance at once for a while and watch for trips, warm cables or a warm board. It is far cheaper to fix a circuit on a closed Sunday than during the first busy week.

What the electrical items cost

Commercial electrical work is quoted from the drawing, but these published ClickBina figures give a starting point (indicative 2026, Klang Valley):

How ClickBina can help

WhatsApp us your job details for a quote: the business, the unit size, the equipment list and the landlord's fit-out rules if there are any. ClickBina handles commercial renovation and fit-out works and coordinates the trades, so the electrical contractor's scope is planned with the layout, ceiling, aircon and plumbing as one programme. We reply within the hour, and the price agreed is a flat price with no hidden charges. A site visit is RM150, waived if you go ahead. See also shop fit-out and office renovation.

Sources & official references

• TNB (myTNB): Get Electricity, business — load routes (contractor or consultant engineer), existing-premise conditions, Forms G and H, change of tenancy.
• ClickBina add power points, office structured cabling, whole-house no power and three-phase upgrade guides — prices.
• ClickBina emergency lighting, commercial renovation permit and first fix / second fix guides — related requirements and sequence.

Methodology: prices are ClickBina indicative 2026 Klang Valley ranges from the guides named beside each; TNB connection charges and deposits are not quoted because TNB sets them per application.