For conservation shophouses
Electrical Work in Conservation Shophouses
In a conserved shophouse, the rules decide the routes. We plan them with you first.
IllustrationWhat conservation rules mean for the electrical
URA’s approach is maximum retention, sensitive restoration and careful repair. For the electrical, that comes down to a few practical rules.
No surface conduit outside
URA rules: supply and routes planned inside.
Condensers at the rear
Supplies run to screened rear condensers.
Concealed wiring
In trunking, ceilings or panels, not chased into brick.
Timber floors and party walls
Routes agreed early around floors and walls.
Supply upgrades
SP upgrades take weeks to months; above 45 kVA, an EMA licence.
Original fittings
Original fans and fittings kept; signs to URA guidelines.
How a shophouse job runs with BSH
- 1Drawings and surveySupply and routes surveyed; a quote in 24–48 hours.
- 2Routes and supplySP upgrade applied for early.
- 3InstallOur own crew, protecting what is retained.
- 4Test and hand overLEW endorsement, SP turn-on, handover pack.
Send us your drawings
An itemised quote within 24–48 hours of your drawings or BOQ.
Shophouses we have worked on
About ten jobs on protected shophouse streets: offices, a café, a shop’s rewiring, and the upper floors of two adjoining shophouses.
Frequently asked questions
Does electrical work in a conserved shophouse need URA permission?
Any work to a conserved building needs Conservation Permission before it starts, and some items, such as air-conditioning units and signs, are handled as minor works. Internal rewiring is not listed on its own, so check with URA or your qualified person for the specific building.
Can the meter or incoming cable go on the outside of the building?
Plan for it not to. URA does not allow conduit on the surface of external walls, and its technical guidance places meters inside the building, for example boxed in at the front staircase. SP’s current metering rules apply as well.
How long does a supply upgrade take?
With SP, roughly four weeks for a larger non-domestic installation on an existing connection, around three months for a new connection from the mains, and longer if a substation is needed. We apply as soon as the load is known.
Who certifies the installation?
Our own EMA-licensed Electrical Technicians design installations up to 150 kVA, and install, test and maintain installations up to 500 kVA. Above their limits we engage an independent Electrical Engineer as project LEW.