What is fit-out and new-build lighting?
Fit-out lighting is the installation of new lighting, controls and emergency lighting during a commercial fit-out, refurbishment or new-build, from first-fix containment and cabling to second-fix luminaires and commissioning. New installations need to meet Building Regulations energy requirements, such as the lighting efficacy limits in Approved Document L in England.
What's included
- First-fix containment and cabling, second-fix luminaires
- Emergency lighting designed to BS 5266-1
- Controls designed in, not bolted on
- Part L (or national equivalent) efficacy evidence for building control
- Coordination with ceiling, partition and M&E trades
- Certificates, as-fitted schedules and O&M information
How we deliver fit-out and new-build lighting
Pre-construction
Design review, drawings and programme with the main contractor or client.
First fix
Containment and cabling before ceilings close.
Second fix
Luminaires, emergency lighting and controls.
Commission
Testing, certification and O&M handover.
Guide prices
National guide budgets, supplied and installed, excluding VAT. Your fixed price follows a free survey.
| Item | Guide budget (ex VAT) | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| LED panel (600×600) | £50 – £150 | per fitting, supplied and fitted |
| LED batten (complete luminaire) | £80 – £200 | per fitting, supplied and fitted |
| Emergency luminaire or exit sign | £60 – £150 | per fitting, supplied and fitted |
| DALI dimming and control | £50 – £150 | per luminaire, on top of the fitting |
Example: 80 LED fittings and 20 emergency fittings in a new office fit-out: about £5,200 – £15,000 excluding VAT. Get a figure for your site.
Standards and rules we work to
| Topic | Current position |
|---|---|
| Wiring | BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, the 18th Edition IET Wiring Regulations. Every installation is tested and certified. |
| Workplace light levels | BS EN 12464-1:2021, for example 500 lux on office task areas and 150 lux at the floor of rack storage. |
| Emergency lighting | BS 5266-1:2025 code of practice, BS EN 1838:2024 light levels and BS EN 50172:2024 testing and records. |
| Energy efficiency of new lighting | England: Approved Document L (95 luminaire lm/circuit-W, rising above 105 from 24 March 2027). Wales: Welsh Approved Document L (new edition from 4 March 2027). Scotland: Section 6. Northern Ireland: Technical Booklet F2. |
| Fire safety duties | England and Wales: Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Scotland: Fire (Scotland) Act 2005. Northern Ireland: Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010. |
| Waste | Fluorescent tubes are hazardous waste and are recycled through authorised routes, with paperwork. |
Fit-out and new-build lighting FAQs
What does Part L require for lighting?
In England, Approved Document L Volume 2 (2021, with 2023 amendments) asks for general lighting averaging at least 95 luminaire lumens per circuit-watt, or use of the LENI method. New 2026 editions raise this from 24 March 2027 in England and 4 March 2027 in Wales.
Do you work as a subcontractor?
Yes. We can work for a main contractor or directly for the occupier.
Fit-out and new-build lighting by area
We provide fit-out and new-build lighting in every part of the UK. Choose your area:
- Bedfordshire
- Berkshire
- City of Bristol
- Buckinghamshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Cheshire
- Cornwall
- Cumbria
- Derbyshire
- Devon
- Dorset
- County Durham
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- East Sussex
- Essex
- Gloucestershire
- Greater London
- Greater Manchester
- Hampshire
- Herefordshire
- Hertfordshire
- Isle of Wight
- Kent
- Lancashire
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Merseyside
- Norfolk
- North Yorkshire
- Northamptonshire
- Northumberland
- Nottinghamshire
- Oxfordshire
- Rutland
- Shropshire
- Somerset
- South Yorkshire
- Staffordshire
- Suffolk
- Surrey
- Tyne and Wear
- Warwickshire
- West Midlands
- West Sussex
- West Yorkshire
- Wiltshire
- Worcestershire
- Clwyd
- Dyfed
- Gwent
- Gwynedd
- Mid Glamorgan
- Powys
- South Glamorgan
- West Glamorgan
- Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
- Dundee and Angus
- Argyll and Bute
- Ayrshire
- Dumfries and Galloway
- Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Fife
- Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire
- Glasgow and Dunbartonshire
- Highlands and Islands
- Lanarkshire
- Moray
- Perth and Kinross
- Renfrewshire and Inverclyde
- Scottish Borders
- County Antrim
- County Armagh
- County Down
- County Fermanagh
- County Londonderry
- County Tyrone
Related services
Commercial lighting design
Lux calculations, layouts and specifications for any commercial space.
Emergency lighting installation
Escape route lighting and exit signs designed to BS 5266-1.
Lighting controls
Presence detection, daylight dimming and DALI systems.
Office lighting
Glare-free LED lighting for desks, meeting rooms and receptions.
Guides
Emergency lighting regulations: BS 5266-1:2025 explained
The standards behind UK emergency lighting: BS 5266-1:2025, BS EN 1838:2024 and BS EN 50172:2024, and how they fit with fire safety law.
Part L and lighting efficacy for commercial buildings
The lighting efficacy figures in Approved Document L, the Welsh and Scottish equivalents and Northern Ireland's Technical Booklet F2, plus the 2027 changes.