Garden Shed Electrics Explained: A Beginner’s Guide
Considered quite extravagant just a decade or two ago, wiring a shed for electricity has become quite normal and extremely commonplace today, largely thanks to the way people now view garden sheds.
No longer merely a place to store tools, sheds have evolved into home offices, hobby studios, and even fully fledged home business workshops. While the traditional ‘quiet retreat’ is still very much a stalwart of British tradition, sheds have also become more versatile.
Sheds Have Evolved!
To turn your garden shed into something more interesting and useful, you almost certainly need electricity. But shed electrics aren’t as simple as running an extension lead through a window.
UK law is pretty stringent: all electrical work must meet strict safety standards, and in most cases, only a qualified electrician should carry it out.
This guide explains the benefits of wiring a shed, the rules you may need to follow, and what to expect when a professional does the work.
Why You Need Electricity in Your Shed
There are countless benefits of installing electricity in a shed, including:
- ⚡ Broad Functionality: Many people convert sheds into workshops where electrical tools are, of course, nothing short of essential. Others set up studios, garden offices, and home gyms. Either way, electricity in a shed is a prerequisite.
- ⚡ Convenience: With shed electrics installed, you can add overhead lighting, sockets for chargers, and appliances like a kettle or fridge. That means no more tripping over extension cables or lugging heavy equipment back to the house just to power up.
- ⚡ Security: With electricity properly installed, you can connect motion-sensor lights, CCTV cameras, or alarms for that extra layer of shed security.
Regardless of your motivations, wiring a shed is one of the best upgrades you can make. The difference can be quite remarkable. But before you get started, you need to consider some serious regulatory points that are relevant to installing electricity in a shed.
Part P Building Regulations
In the UK, Part P of the Building Regulations sets the rules for all domestic electrical work, including outbuildings like sheds, garages, and garden rooms.
Some electrical work is classed as “notifiable.” That means it must either be:
- ⚡ Carried out by a registered electrician (someone who can self-certify), or
- ⚡ Inspected and approved by your local building control body.
In short, you could say that notifiable work covers anything more complex than changing a light switch. This includes installing a brand-new circuit, running mains electricity out to a shed or other outbuilding, and replacing or adding a consumer unit.
Each of these jobs needs to be properly certified, either by a registered electrician or by building control, to ensure the work is safe and compliant. Smaller jobs, such as changing a socket faceplate, may not fall into this category, but most shed electrics certainly do.
Why It’s Important
Failing to comply with Part P has real consequences, the most obvious being that the work may be unsafe, risking electrocution or fire. If you decide to sell your home, you could also run into problems during conveyancing if you don’t have the right certificates.
In the absolute worst-case scenario, carrying out notifiable work without approval could even count as a criminal offence. That’s how seriously the authorities treat it, and rightly so. After all, electricity isn’t something to be trifled with.
For anyone considering installing shed electrics, the bottom line is that you simply can’t ignore Part P.
The Importance of Hiring a Qualified Electrician
DIY electrics might seem tempting if you are blessed with basic skills, but it’s never worth the risk, not to mention totally illegal. Electricity is rarely forgiving, and just one trivial, absent-minded mistake could cause a painful accident at best, or a fatality at worst.
Hiring a qualified electrician ensures the job is not only safe and legal, but also:
- ⚡ Ensure all work complies with Part P and BS 7671 (the UK Wiring Regulations).
- ⚡Use the correct protective equipment, like RCDs, to protect against shocks.
- ⚡ Provide a certificate of compliance once the job is complete.
This certificate proves that the installation was done correctly and diligently. It may prove quite vital when it comes to selling your property later.
Finding the Right Person
✔ Competent Person Register: This is a trusted place to look up registered electricians.
✔ Ask for paperwork: Always check that they’ll provide certification.
✔ Look for experience: If they’ve handled outbuildings and garden projects before, even better.
Yes, hiring a professional for your shed electrics will cost more than attempting the work yourself – UK electricians aren’t known for their cheap labour, and rightly so – but wiring a shed properly is an investment in safety. Any other option simply isn’t worth the risk.
This is where we can help, if required. Take a look at our ‘extra services page’, and you can see all the options available to help you with any garden project, including shed electrics, wiring a shed and electricity in a shed. Just give us a call, and we can help.
Planning Your Shed’s Electrical Needs
Before wiring a shed may commence, you must take a little time to plan. This avoids disappointment and helps your electrician understand exactly what you need.
⚡ Draw a layout: Nothing overly complicated – just a simple sketch of your shed showing where you would like sockets, switches, and lights.
⚡ Consider equipment: Power tools, heaters, and computers all draw different amounts of electricity. Your electrician needs to know what you’ll be plugging in.
⚡ Plan for the future: Adding extra sockets now is cheaper than having the job readdressed later.
We might be stating the obvious here, but think carefully about how you intend to use the space.
For example, a garden shed office might need at least four sockets for a computer, printer, router, and lamp, plus lighting overhead.
A workshop may need high-level sockets for wall-mounted tools. In our experience, a little planning will help avoid frustration later.
How to Get Power to Your Shed
Running electricity to a shed isn’t complicated once you know the basics, but again, it does need to be done properly – a point we have probably made quite sufficiently by now!
From the type of cable you choose to how it’s routed and protected, every step is important for both safety and performance. The process usually involves the following:
The Correct Cable
The industry standard for running electricity outdoors is Steel Wire Armoured (SWA) cable, which is incredibly tough, reassuringly durable, and perfectly designed to withstand weather and damage.
The cable size needed depends on the distance from the main house supply to the shed and the amount of equipment you plan to run.
You needn’t worry too much about this, as the electrician will almost certainly calculate it, but as a rough guide, 2.5mm² cable might suit a short run with low demand, while 6mm² is used for longer runs or higher loads.
Routing the Cable
Generally speaking, there are two main methods for running the cable:
- Overhead: Often cheaper but more exposed. The cable is strung between the house and the shed using catenary wire.
- Underground: More common and considered safer by most professionals, underground cables are buried at a depth of around 600mm and protected in conduit or ducting. Warning tape is laid above them to prevent accidental damage from digging.
Circuit Protection
Of course, safety measures do not end with the cable. Once inside the shed, electricity is distributed safely via:
- An RCD (Residual Current Device) – cuts power instantly if a fault is detected.
- A small consumer unit – similar to the fuse box in your house, dividing the supply to sockets and lights.
Together, these measures ensure wiring a shed meets modern safety standards.
Budget and Costs
The cost of installing shed electrics varies, but most homeowners can expect to spend £500 to £3,000.
Factors Affecting Cost
- Distance: Wiring a shed close to the house is cheaper than wiring one at the far end of the garden.
- Power needs: A single socket and light costs far less than wiring for multiple sockets, lighting circuits, and heating.
- Groundworks: Digging trenches for underground cables can add labour costs.
Example Scenarios
Let’s take a look at potential costs, depending on the scale of the project:
Basic Setup
For the simplest arrangement, you might just want a single socket and one overhead light. This kind of installation usually falls in the £500–£700 range, depending on the distance from your house and how straightforward the job is.
Mid-Range
A more practical option for most people is to have several sockets, proper overhead lighting, and a small consumer unit fitted in the shed. This type of setup offers flexibility with tools and appliances, and it typically costs around £1,000–£1,500.
High-End
If you plan to turn your shed into a fully-fledged garden office or workshop, the costs will rise accordingly. A high-end installation might include heating, multiple circuits, and the capacity to handle a heavier power load. In that case, expect to pay between £2,000 and £3,000.
Bottom Line
Electricity in a shed gives you a flexible space that can serve as a workshop, gym, office, or simply a safe and well-lit storage area. Just plan your layout, think carefully about what you might need now and in the future, and hire a professional to do the work.
Introduce electricity, and you will be pleasantly surprised at the huge difference that a little lighting, some heating, and a few plug sockets make.
Why settle for a dark, unused shed? Browse our garden sheds for sale and see how easy it is to transform yours into a powered, practical space you’ll actually enjoy using.
