What is lighting surveys and lux testing?
A lighting survey records what lighting you have, how it performs and what it costs to run. A lux survey measures light levels with a calibrated meter and compares them with BS EN 12464-1 targets, which is useful for workplace complaints, landlord handovers and planning an LED upgrade.
What's included
- Fitting counts, wattages and running hours
- Lux readings on a grid across key areas
- Comparison with BS EN 12464-1 targets
- Emergency lighting coverage check
- Energy and payback estimate for an LED upgrade
- A written report with photographs
How we deliver lighting surveys and lux testing
Brief
Agree areas, purpose and any complaint or issue.
Measure
Readings at working height on a grid, day and night where relevant.
Analyse
Compare with targets and calculate energy use.
Report
Findings, options and costs.
Guide prices
National guide budgets, supplied and installed, excluding VAT. Your fixed price follows a free survey.
| Item | Guide budget (ex VAT) | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial electrician | £300 – £500 | per day |
| LED panel (600×600) | £50 – £150 | per fitting, supplied and fitted |
| Emergency luminaire or exit sign | £60 – £150 | per fitting, supplied and fitted |
| Scissor or boom lift hire | £150 – £300 | per day |
Example: Two days of surveying and measurement by an electrician: about £600 – £1,000 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. |
Lighting surveys and lux testing FAQs
When do I need a lux survey?
Common reasons are staff complaints about light levels, a change of use, a lease handover, or checking a new installation against its design.
Do you charge for surveys?
Surveys ahead of a quoted upgrade are free. Stand-alone measured surveys with a written report are priced by site size.
Lighting surveys and lux testing by area
We provide lighting surveys and lux testing 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.
LED lighting upgrades
Swap fluorescent, halogen and metal halide fittings for efficient LED.
Emergency lighting installation
Escape route lighting and exit signs designed to BS 5266-1.
Office lighting
Glare-free LED lighting for desks, meeting rooms and receptions.
Guides
Emergency lighting testing: monthly and annual checks
How to test emergency lighting: monthly functional tests, annual duration tests, log books and five-yearly illuminance checks.
Who is responsible for emergency lighting?
Who must provide and maintain emergency lighting in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, including shared and multi-let buildings.
MEES, EPCs and commercial lighting
How lighting affects a commercial EPC, the minimum energy efficiency standards for lettings in England and Wales, and the rules in Scotland and NI.