Sequence: why this happens before plaster
Electrical is a first-fix trade. Conduits are chased into walls, wires are pulled, and then the wall is closed with plaster and never opened again without damage. That means every socket, switch, light and data point has to be decided while the layout is still on paper. The trigger for doing it is the frozen furniture plan: you cannot place a bedside socket until you know which side the bed's head is on, and you cannot place the TV points until you know whether the unit is wall-hung or floor-standing.
| When the point is decided | Cost to add one | Disruption |
|---|---|---|
| At layout stage, on the drawing | ₹450–₹900 | None |
| During conduiting, before wiring | ₹700–₹1,400 | Half a day |
| After wiring, before plaster | ₹1,100–₹2,200 | One day |
| After plastering | ₹1,800–₹4,500 | 2–3 days, visible patch |
| After painting and handover | ₹3,500–₹9,000 | Surface conduit or a re-paint of the wall |
Room-by-room point checklist
| Room | 6 A sockets | 16 A | Switch points | Data / other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living room | 8 | 2 (AC, TV zone) | 5 | 1 RJ45, 1 TV, 1 doorbell | 17 |
| Master bedroom | 7 | 2 (AC, geyser spur) | 5 | 1 RJ45 | 15 |
| Second bedroom | 6 | 1 (AC) | 4 | 1 RJ45 | 12 |
| Kitchen | 8 | 3 (hob, oven, microwave) | 4 | 1 chimney point | 16 |
| Bathroom x2 | 2 each | 1 each (geyser) | 2 each | 1 exhaust each | 12 |
| Passage / foyer | 2 | — | 3 | 1 video door phone | 6 |
| Utility / balcony | 2 | 1 (washing machine) | 2 | — | 5 |
Total 83 including bathrooms and utility; a lean but adequate scheme lands at 52–68. Builder provision is usually 34–42.
Design and build under one accountable roof
Heights — the detail that decides whether it is usable
Standard builder practice puts sockets at 300 mm and switches at 1200 mm everywhere, which is convenient for the electrician and wrong for about half the rooms. Set heights against the furniture.
- Kitchen counter sockets: 1050–1150 mm from floor, i.e. 150–250 mm above a 900 mm counter, clear of the backsplash joint.
- Bedside: 600 mm from floor if the socket sits behind a side table, or 750 mm if it is above the headboard line. Two sockets and a USB-C outlet each side.
- Desk: 850–900 mm, i.e. just above the worktop, never below it.
- Wall-hung TV: 1150–1250 mm, positioned behind the panel and offset 200 mm from the bracket plate so the plug fits.
- Floor-standing TV unit: 250 mm, behind the unit, with a 60 mm grommet in the back panel.
- Washing machine: 1100 mm, above the machine height, never behind it.
- Switches: 1200 mm is fine generally; 900 mm is better in a children's room.
- Geyser isolator: outside the shower zone, 1800 mm, with an indicator.
Circuits and load
A 2BHK drawing 6–8 kW needs its load split properly, not stacked on three MCBs. The failure mode of an under-circuited flat is not dramatic — it is a kitchen MCB that trips every time the microwave and the induction hob run together, for fifteen years.
| Circuit | Rating | Cable | Serves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lighting, general | 6 A MCB | 1.5 sq mm | All ceiling and cove lighting, two circuits in a 2BHK |
| Power, general | 16 A MCB | 2.5 sq mm | 6 A socket rings, split by zone |
| Kitchen power | 20 A MCB, dedicated | 4 sq mm | Hob, oven, microwave, chimney |
| AC, per unit | 20 A MCB each | 4 sq mm | One circuit per indoor unit |
| Geyser, per bathroom | 16 A MCB each | 2.5 sq mm | With an isolator switch outside the wet zone |
| Washing machine | 16 A MCB | 2.5 sq mm | Dedicated; motors trip shared circuits |
| Whole flat | 40–63 A RCCB, 30 mA | — | Earth-leakage protection; test button pressed quarterly |
Havells, Legrand, Schneider and ABB are all acceptable. What matters more is the RCCB actually being there and the earth being tested.
The ten points people wish they had added
- A socket inside the wardrobe — for a robot vacuum dock or an iron.
- Two sockets in the passage, for cleaning and for festival lighting.
- A 16 A point in the utility for a dishwasher you will buy later.
- A socket near the entrance door at 400 mm, for the shoe-cabinet light and a phone charger.
- A ceiling point in the balcony, switched from inside.
- A spare 25 mm conduit with a draw string from the TV wall to the equipment niche.
- One RJ45 per bedroom, even in a Wi-Fi house.
- A switched socket above the fridge, so the fridge is never on an extension.
- Two-way switching on the bedroom light, at the door and at the bed.
- A dedicated point for the inverter or UPS, near the DB rather than in a corner.
Walk the flat with the furniture layout and a roll of masking tape. Mark every point on the wall at its real height. You will move a third of them.
Greenbox principal designer
What the electrical scope costs
| Scope | What it includes | Cost, ex-GST |
|---|---|---|
| Point addition only, 2BHK | 18–25 new points, chasing, wiring, plates, making good | ₹48,000–₹95,000 |
| Full rewire, 2BHK | New conduiting, wiring, DB, RCCB, 55–65 points | ₹1,35,000–₹2,10,000 |
| Full rewire, 3BHK | Same, 75–90 points, 2 DBs | ₹2,10,000–₹3,40,000 |
| Modular plates upgrade | Legrand Myrius or Schneider Livia across the flat | ₹280–₹650 per point |
| Smart switching | Retrofit modules on 12–18 circuits | ₹65,000–₹1,60,000 |
| Earthing pit check and rectification | Where the building earth is unreliable | ₹12,000–₹35,000 |
Add 18% GST. Light fittings, fans and appliances are separate.
Selected work by Greenbox Design Studio. Tap any image to enlarge.
Frequently asked questions
How many electrical points does a 2BHK need?+
52 to 68 in a properly planned 900 to 1,050 sq ft 2BHK, against the 34 to 42 a builder typically provides. The shortfall is mostly in the kitchen, bedsides and the TV wall. Adding them during first fix costs ₹450 to ₹1,400 a point; adding them after plastering costs ₹1,800 to ₹4,500 and leaves a visible patch.
At what height should kitchen sockets be?+
1050 to 1150 mm from the finished floor — that is 150 to 250 mm above a 900 mm counter. Keep them clear of the backsplash tile joint so the plate sits flat, and off the wall directly behind the hob. Appliance sockets for the oven and microwave go inside the tall unit at the appliance's own height, not at counter level.
Do I need to rewire an old Mumbai flat?+
If the flat is over 25 years old and still on aluminium wiring, a rewire is not optional. Check three things: whether the wiring is aluminium or copper, whether there is an RCCB in the distribution board, and whether the earth reads below 5 ohms. Any one of those failing makes the case. A 2BHK rewire is ₹1,35,000 to ₹2,10,000 ex-GST.
What is an RCCB and do I really need one?+
A residual current circuit breaker trips the supply when it detects earth leakage — typically at 30 mA, well below the level that injures someone. MCBs protect the cable from overload; only the RCCB protects the person. In a home with geysers, a washing machine and an Indian-monsoon damp season, it is the single most important device in the board.
When should the electrical layout be finalised?+
After the furniture layout is frozen and before plastering begins — usually week three or four of a typical home project. Every point position is derived from a piece of furniture: which side the bed head is on, whether the TV is wall-hung, where the study desk lands. Freezing points before the furniture plan guarantees rework.