Commercial tenant improvements look straightforward on paper: new walls, new lighting, extra outlets, a few low-voltage runs, a panel upgrade if the load demands it. Then you walk the space and discover the panel is at 95 percent capacity, the landlord’s main has a sketchy neutral, and the ceiling grid hides a spaghetti bowl of old whips from three previous tenants. If you’re a property manager, GC, or building owner trying to keep schedules and budgets tight, the electrician you choose and the way you phase the electrical scope will make or break your project.
I’ve spent years in tenant buildouts across Los Angeles County, from Santa Clarita office suites to older mixed-use buildings in the Miracle Mile. The tips below come straight from those jobs: the hiccups that cost money, and the practices that saved it. Whether you already have an electrical contractor locked in or you are still evaluating bids, these insights will help you ask sharper questions, anticipate lead times, and avoid rework.
Start With a Load Story, Not Just a Fixture Count
Many tenant plans show a lighting schedule and a general note that says, “Provide outlets per code.” That’s not enough. Every commercial space has a load story. A hair salon with six stations, three backbar water heaters, a washer-dryer, and a retail POS draws very differently than a professional services office with laptops and a break room. Restaurants and medical suites can swing from light to heavy use, especially when equipment cycles.
Before anything moves forward, ask your electrical contractor to build a preliminary load calculation using the tenant’s actual equipment list and a reasonable diversity factor. If a list doesn’t exist, your electrician can interview the tenant and build a working draft. This single step influences breaker sizing, panel space, conduit sizing, feeder runs, and whether a service upgrade is even on the table.
Two numbers make the early difference: calculated connected load and available capacity at the existing service. If these numbers are close, you need to decide early whether to slim down loads with higher-efficiency fixtures and equipment, or plan for a heavier service. In older buildings around LA County, split-bus panels and limited main capacity are common. In Santa Clarita, newer tilt-up industrial spaces may have plenty of service but limited panel space in the suite. Let the load story guide where the dollars go.
Don’t Skip the Exploratory Demolition
Commercial TI schedules often push the electrician into the space after framing begins. Then the surprises start. Old conduits inside the demising walls, junction boxes hidden above hard-lid sections, multiple neutral-sharing circuits from a previous era, or long home runs that make no sense. A two-hour exploratory demo before finalizing the electrical plan pays for itself. Have the GC open a couple of strategic sections of ceiling and a line in each wall where new circuits must land. Bring the electrical contractor in to trace circuits and verify feeder routes. If an inspection later reveals abandoned or noncompliant wiring left in place, you’ll lose time correcting it and patching finished surfaces.
For one Santa Clarita office conversion, the plans called for reusing existing lighting whips. We found the existing wiring was THHN sheathed in flex that had been crushed in multiple spots. The insulation looked brittle after decades near hot rooftop ductwork. We re-scoped the job before framing, shifted to new homeruns, and avoided a patchwork of future failures.
Lighting: Design for Comfort and Control, Not Just Code
Meeting code is the start. Productive spaces go further. In offices, light the desks, not the carpet. Layer overheads with task lighting, give tenants control zones that match how they actually work, and use photosensors or daylighting where the glass allows. California Title 24 has very specific requirements for lighting power density, controls, and acceptance testing, so bring your electrician and lighting controls vendor into the conversation early.
Retail and hospitality spaces benefit from contrast and warmth. Don’t over-illuminate. Let accent lighting work, and keep color temperature consistent with the brand. If a tenant plans to swap displays seasonally, choose tracks or modular systems that can adapt without re-wiring. Warehouse spaces with mezzanines should be modeled for vertical foot-candles. A glossy mezzanine surface can cause glare issues. Ask for photometrics, even a simple run, before ordering fixtures.
Dimming and control narratives are often the weak link. The electrician handles the backbone, but the programming and submittals must be precise. Decide on the control protocol early, confirm low-voltage runs and power packs, and require a mockup or sample board for signoff. On one Los Angeles buildout, we switched from a proprietary control brand with 12-week lead times to a more available line that still met Title 24 and saved the schedule. The tenant didn’t lose any features they cared about in the process.
Panels, Pathways, and the Right Kind of Capacity
Panel capacity is more than open breaker spaces. It is about usable capacity today and future growth. If the tenant has plans to add equipment in year two, discuss now whether to install a larger subpanel or leave space and conduit for a future one. In some suites, the panel location is dictated by fire corridor layouts and ADA clearances. Verify panel working clearance before framing. Reworking a wall after sheetrock is a morale killer for everyone.
Pathways matter. If you plan for additional tenants or future layout changes, stubbing conduits to accessible locations can save full days later. Roof penetrations for mechanical connections, power to signage, and camera locations need coordination. The fact that you can squeeze a conduit through a chase doesn’t mean it’s the best long-term path. Think serviceability. If a future electrician can’t pull a wire without demolishing a soffit, your client will feel it.
As an electrical contractor, I prefer setting a clear rule: no shared neutrals on new general circuits, dedicated neutrals for sensitive electronics, and label everything as if someone else will troubleshoot it five years from now. It takes a few extra minutes at install time and hours off future service calls.
Power Distribution and Outlets: Function Before Finish
Outlet placement seems trivial until a tenant moves in and immediately starts running extension cords. Interview how the space will be used. Are there copy stations? A podcast room? Hot desks? Quiet zones? Janitorial equipment that needs dedicated circuits and convenient outlets? For office kitchens and break rooms, plan separate circuits for microwaves and refrigerators, and think about GFCI locations that don’t require a toaster reset to fix the coffee maker.
In open offices, furniture power systems can reduce floor-core penetrations. If the tenant is leasing modular furniture, coordinate the furniture power specs with your branch circuits and tie-in points. In retail, check casework drawings carefully. Lighting in millwork, POS stations, and small appliances add up. In salons, I like to install recessed floor boxes for stations where wall power looks messy or creates cord tangles. Make sure they’re spec’d for moist environments if needed and that the covers are robust enough for foot traffic.
Low Voltage Is Not an Afterthought
Data, Wi-Fi, access control, cameras, and audio systems have their own logic, but their success rides on the electrical backbone and pathway planning. A simple oversight, like forgetting a power outlet for a Wi-Fi access point or failing to provide a sleeve between floors for network risers, can delay an entire move-in.
Treat low-voltage early, with a riser diagram and a list of device locations. Mark where power injectors, NVRs, or PoE budgets will live. Coordinate sound masking and speaker zones with lighting controls so devices don’t fight for ceiling real estate. In medical suites, label med gas alarms, nurse call, and monitoring circuits and circuits for emergency systems clearly, and test with the vendor onsite. If a GC tells you, “Low voltage is by others,” ask who is responsible for power to those devices and how the schedule aligns. Too many TIs suffer from the LV contractor arriving after ceilings are closed.
Code, Permits, and Inspection Strategy
In LA County, jurisdictions vary. Santa Clarita, Glendale, Pasadena, and the City of Los Angeles each have their own submittal quirks and review timelines. A tenant improvement with significant electrical work typically needs a plan check unless it is very minor. If you’re tight on time, consider an early start permit where allowed, especially for non-structural demo and rough-in. Your electrical contractor should be fluent in Title 24 documentation and acceptance testing, including lighting control certification.
Inspections go smoother with a clean site and clear labeling. It sounds basic, but it is often missed. Provide panel schedules that match actual breaker numbers, not the initial plan. If the panels changed, update the schedules before inspection. For lighting control, have the submittals on hand, including sequences of operation. Inspectors appreciate seeing clear means of access to junction boxes and emergency egress lighting marked as such. If you’re working in multitenant ev charger installation buildings, schedule inspections with building management in mind. Service shutdowns need coordination notices, and some buildings restrict access hours for noisy work.
Phasing Around Active Tenants and Live Buildings
Working in an occupied building requires a different rhythm. Quiet hours, dust control, and temporary power solutions shape your plan. If the demising wall backs to a neighboring tenant, expect the unplanned: blocked penetrations, drywall layers you didn’t anticipate, and above-ceiling conflicts. In office towers, elevator access and material staging become schedule drivers. For medical and dental, infection control risk assessments may restrict ceiling work to off-hours and require sealed barriers.
Use temporary lighting and temp power thoughtfully. Don’t leave crews chasing power in the dark. Install a temporary subpanel or spider boxes so trades can work efficiently and safely. If service shutdowns are needed, plan them like military operations: notices posted, downtime windows confirmed, and all hands ready. A clean cutover avoids tenants calling the property manager at 7 a.m. asking why their suites are dark.
Budgeting and Value Engineering Without False Economies
There is smart value engineering standby generator installation service and there is short-sighted cost cutting. Smart VE targets materials or methods that deliver the same function with less complexity or lower lead times. Swapping a specialty trim for a standard one, choosing a lighting control system with stock components instead of a boutique line, or running a shared home run in a low-load area can make sense. Cutting dedicated circuits that protect sensitive equipment, shrinking conduit sizes to the minimum with no headroom, or eliminating a service switch that isolates a future tenant rarely pays off.
Ask for alternates. A seasoned electrician can show you where a $7,000 change nets $25,000 in scheduling and coordination savings. On a retail project in the Valley, we switched from custom linear fixtures to modular runs with factory corners and cut install labor by a third. The tenant felt no difference in light quality and met their store opening date.
Lead Times and Procurement Reality
Electrical timelines changed in recent years. Switchgear, even for modest TI projects, can carry unpredictable lead times. Lighting drivers and specific color temperatures get backordered. Specialty controls sometimes require factory authorization for programming, which means scheduling a startup tech weeks in advance.
Your electrical contractor should flag anything with a lead beyond four weeks at bid time. Then, lock those submittals fast. If the tenant wants to review fixture finishes, get samples on order early and set a decision deadline that lines up with the critical path. Stock alternatives are your insurance policy. Keep at least one pre-approved second-choice fixture in your back pocket, plus a controls alternative that still hits Title 24 and the design intent.
Safety, Documentation, and the Last 10 Percent
Safety on TI projects revolves around tight spaces, ladders, overhead work, and energized equipment nearby. The best crews show it in their habits: lockout/tagout when working in panels, clear cord runs, and no balancing on top of ladders to reach one last wire. A safe job finishes faster. Accidents slow entire sites and invite inspections you don’t need.
Documentation is the other habit that pays. As-builts should be more than a formality. A well-marked panel schedule, circuit directory with actual receptacle loads, and a floor plan with device notes save hours on future service calls and reduce warranty drama. I like to include a short owner’s packet that lists lighting control reset procedures, the location of time clocks or network bridges, and the name of the controls rep who supported the job. It avoids frantic calls when someone forgets how to adjust a schedule after daylight saving time.
The last 10 percent of a TI can drag without focus. Walk the space with the tenant and GC before ceiling closure. Test every GFCI, emergency light, and egress sign. Verify labeling. Power up the low-voltage gear with the LV subcontractor present, not days later. If something quirky shows up, like a flicker due to a compatibility issue between an LED lamp and a dimmer, fix the pairing now. Don’t leave the tenant stuck with a ghost problem.
Special Considerations for Restaurants, Medical, and Industrial Suites
Not all TIs are created equal. Restaurant buildouts have grease hoods, MUA units, refrigeration, heat lamps, and dish machines. Voltage drop matters on long runs to rooftop units and walk-in condensing units. Plan for robust GFCI strategies that don’t trip constantly under inductive loads. Integrate shunt trips or gas interlocks as required by code and AHJ. If the dish area is tight, specify wet-location-rated devices and covers that hold up to daily cleaning.
Medical suites introduce critical circuits and equipment sensitivity. Shielded cable, dedicated circuits, isolated grounds where required, and clear documentation keep inspectors and device vendors comfortable. Plan the emergency and normal power segregation early. Dental offices often underestimate compressor and vacuum loads; verify manufacturer specs and allow enough panel space for expansion if another chair gets added later.
In light industrial spaces, 3-phase equipment and high-bay lighting step in. Don’t forget light levels at the work plane. If a tenant uses racking, coordinate fixture spacing to minimize shadowing. Consider motion sensors by aisle rather than giant open zones that shut off lights in half the warehouse while staff work quietly in one aisle. For rolling doors, run power and controls to accessible spots and protect exposed conduits from forklift strikes with bollards or strategic placement.
Working With a Los Angeles County Electrician
If your project is in LA County, you already know the variables: inspector preferences, utility coordination, traffic that complicates service calls, and buildings that range from pristine new shells to charming but temperamental older structures. A local electrical contractor who has pulled permits in your specific city can shave weeks off the process. They will know when plan check expects a full Title 24 acceptance packet and when a counter plan will pass with a simple diagram.
In Santa Clarita, tenant improvements often move fast because business parks are active and landlords are organized. A Santa Clarita electrician used to the area’s industrial tilt-ups, office condos, and medical spaces can predict where main services typically land, how roof access is managed, and which property managers require specific documentation for shutdowns. In the City of LA, plan on more layers and longer review times. Both environments reward careful preconstruction and early submittals.
How to Evaluate Electrical Bids Without Guessing
Not all low numbers are equal. Look at scope clarity. Does the bid include permits and as-builts? Who handles Title 24 acceptance testing? Are lighting controls fully included with programming and startup, or is the contractor assuming the lighting vendor handles it? Are equipment disconnects included for future rooftop units or only for what’s in the first phase? Is demo of abandoned wiring and devices included or excluded?
Review allowances. If a contractor lists an allowance for fixtures, verify it reflects the actual design intent. If the project has core drilling or slab trenching, confirm who owns the patchback. Ask for a schedule narrative that shows long-lead items, anticipated inspection points, and any planned shutdowns. It isn’t about penalizing a contractor who is thorough; it is about avoiding change orders for “invisible” scope.
Practical Preconstruction Checklist
The following short checklist captures the items that, if missed, drive cost and schedule pain. Use it during your kickoff meeting with the GC, tenant, and electrical contractor.
- Confirm actual equipment list and build a preliminary load calculation with diversity assumptions noted. Identify long-lead gear and fixtures, set a submittal approval deadline, and select alternates now. Walk the space with exploratory openings to verify existing feeders, panels, and pathways. Freeze a lighting control narrative, including zones, sensor types, timeclock schedules, and commissioning plan. Map low-voltage device locations and power needs, including access control, cameras, Wi-Fi, and audio.
Field Notes That Seem Small but Matter
Labeling panels with both suite number and a unique identifier helps when buildings reassign suite numbers. I like to include the service voltage and phase on the label. For outlets behind appliances, mount horizontally if vertical clearance is tight; it simplifies plug clearance and avoids crimping cords. In ceilings with crowded mechanicals, color or number-coded tape on whips speeds up final connections and troubleshooting.
When pulling wire in busy TI ceilings, lay down ground rules for other trades. If someone moves a whip to make space for their duct and doesn’t return it, the hunt begins. Keep a shared ceiling map in the job trailer or a cloud folder, and take quick photos by grid location during rough-in.
When the Tenant Moves In: Support and Handoffs
The best projects finish with a soft landing. Offer a short onboarding session with the tenant’s facility contact. Show them how to override lighting control schedules, find panel directories, and test emergency lights. Provide a single phone number for warranty calls and clarify hours. If your electrician can support minor moves, adds, and changes, state the rates and response times upfront. Tenants appreciate predictability, especially after a move.
A month after occupancy, a quick courtesy check often catches small issues before they annoy the client. A flickering lamp turns out to be a mismatched dim-to-warm module, a motion sensor angle needs a tweak, or a break room circuit needs to be split after actual use patterns settle. These are small fixes that build long-term trust.
Final Thoughts From the Field
Commercial tenant improvements are about alignment: aligning the tenant’s vision with building realities, code requirements, and a sequence of work that respects neighboring suites. The electrician’s role touches almost every piece of that puzzle, from the bones of power distribution to the finesse of lighting scenes. When you ground the project in a solid load story, protect schedule with early procurement, and keep an eye on serviceability, you finish with a space that works on day one and adapts in year three.
If you’re weighing bids or planning your next buildout in Los Angeles County, ask your electrical contractor to walk the space with you before you finalize anything. The best ones will spot the tells: a congested main, a too-small gutter, a long feeder run that needs upsizing, a controls package that looks elegant on paper but comes with a startup bottleneck. That kind of attention is what keeps your TI on track and your tenant happy when the lights come on.
American Electric Co
26378 Ruether Ave, Santa Clarita, CA 91350
(888) 441-9606
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American Electric Co keeps Los Angeles County homes powered, safe, and future-ready. As licensed electricians, we specialize in main panel upgrades, smart panel installations, and dedicated circuits that ensure your electrical system is built to handle today’s demands—and tomorrow’s. Whether it’s upgrading your outdated panel in Malibu, wiring dedicated circuits for high-demand appliances in Pasadena, or installing a smart panel that gives you real-time control in Burbank, our team delivers expertise you can trust (and, yes, the occasional dad-level electrical joke). From standby generator systems that keep the lights on during California outages to precision panel work that prevents overloads and flickering lights, we make sure your home has the backbone it needs. Electrical issues aren’t just inconvenient—they can feel downright scary. That’s why we’re just a call away, bringing clarity, safety, and dependable power to every service call.