Tenant build-outs, retail renovations, and office reconfigurations. Cliff handles the electrical scope from demo to final inspection, on schedule with the GC or direct with the property owner.
Every upfit starts with an electrical plan review and ends with a signed inspection card. Here's what happens in between.
Plan Review & Load Calc
Review the architect's drawings, calculate the tenant's electrical load, and size the panel or sub-panel accordingly. If the drawings don't have an electrical plan, Cliff draws one.
Panel & Sub-Panel Sizing
Match the panel to the tenant's actual load , not just what's there now, but what they'll need when they're fully operational. Restaurants and salons pull more than most people expect.
Circuit Layout
Map out every circuit for the new floor plan. Dedicated circuits for equipment, general power for outlets, and separate circuits for lighting zones. Everything labeled and documented.
Lighting Design & Install
LED retrofits, recessed cans, track lighting, under-cabinet lighting. We match the lighting layout to the space . retail needs different foot-candles than an office or a restaurant.
Dedicated Equipment Circuits
POS systems, kitchen equipment, server rooms, salon stations, HVAC units . each gets its own dedicated circuit with the right wire gauge and breaker size. No shared circuits on commercial equipment.
Fire Alarm & Emergency
Fire alarm circuit coordination, emergency lighting, illuminated exit signs, and sign circuits for exterior signage. All required by commercial code in New Hanover County.
Who We Work With
We fit into your project , not the other way around.
Cliff works alongside the plumber, HVAC crew, and framing contractor . coordinating rough-in timing so nobody's waiting on the electrician. Forty years of commercial work means he knows the sequence.
General Contractors
Rough-in, trim-out, final . on your schedule
Property Managers
Upfits between tenants, code updates, metering
Restaurant Owners
Kitchen circuits, hoods, walk-ins, POS
Retail Tenants
Display lighting, sign circuits, POS power
Office Managers
Workstation power, data, conference rooms
What You Should Know
Commercial upfit details that matter.
Permits & Code
Every commercial electrical upfit in Wilmington and New Hanover County requires a commercial electrical permit. This isn't optional . the city inspector signs off on the rough-in and the final before you can open. Cliff pulls the permit, schedules the inspections, and makes sure everything passes the first time.
Commercial code requires more circuits and higher wire gauges than residential
ADA-compliant lighting levels are mandated in public spaces . lobbies, restrooms, corridors
Emergency lighting and illuminated exit signs are required in all commercial tenant spaces
Duke Energy commercial service applications have different requirements than residential . Cliff handles the paperwork
Timeline & Coordination
Electrical scope on a typical upfit runs 2–6 weeks depending on the size of the space and what's going in. A small retail shop might be two weeks. A full restaurant build-out with kitchen equipment, hoods, and a walk-in cooler is closer to six.
Rough-in happens after framing is up and before drywall goes in
Trim-out . devices, fixtures, connections . happens after paint
Final inspection coordinates with all other trades for certificate of occupancy
Cliff shows up when he says he will . GCs don't have to chase him down
FAQ
What property owners ask about commercial upfits.
Electrical scope typically runs 2–6 weeks depending on square footage and complexity. A small retail space or office might be two weeks. A restaurant with kitchen equipment, walk-in coolers, and a hood system is closer to six. We coordinate with the GC's timeline so we're not holding anyone up.
Yes . rough-in, trim-out, and final on the GC's schedule. Cliff has been doing commercial work for 40 years. He knows the sequence, shows up when he says he will, and doesn't hold up the drywall crew or the painters. If you need a sub for the electrical scope, call him.
Panel sizing through final inspection. Lighting, power, data, fire alarm circuits, sign circuits, emergency lighting . the full scope. One contractor, one permit, one point of contact. Cliff doesn't sub out pieces of the job to someone else.
Depends on the lease. Some landlords sub-meter and bill tenants based on usage. Others require each tenant to have their own Duke Energy account with a separate meter. Either way, Cliff handles the wiring and the Duke Energy application if a new service is needed.
Yes . it's one of the most common requests in commercial upfits. Swapping fluorescent troffers for LED panels or retrofitting existing fixtures drops energy costs significantly and meets current code requirements for lighting levels. Most commercial spaces see the difference on their first Duke Energy bill.
Commercial electrical permit through New Hanover County. Cliff pulls it and schedules all inspections . rough-in and final. The inspector signs off before drywall goes up (rough-in) and again before the tenant opens (final). Unpermitted commercial work is a code violation and will cause problems with the certificate of occupancy.
Yes . Hobart certified for kitchen equipment. Dishwashers, mixers, slicers, hood systems, ice machines, POS stations . all of it. Restaurants pull more power than most tenants expect, so panel sizing matters. See our restaurant kitchen electrical page for more detail on what that scope looks like.
Where Cliff Works
Commercial upfit service areas.
Cliff handles commercial electrical upfits across the Wilmington area . from tenant build-outs at Mayfaire and downtown storefronts to new commercial spaces along Military Cutoff. We've wired retail in Porters Neck, restaurants near Wrightsville Beach, and office suites in Carolina Beach and Kure Beach.
Leland has been growing fast on the commercial side . new strip centers, medical offices, and restaurant pads going up along Highway 17. Hampstead is catching up with new commercial development along US-17 north. We also cover Monkey Junction, Myrtle Grove, and Figure Eight Island for any commercial work that comes up.
Whether it's a restaurant kitchen that needs dedicated equipment circuits, a retail space that needs sign circuits and display lighting, or an office that needs workstation power and data runs . Cliff handles the electrical scope from panel sizing through final inspection. One contractor, one permit, one phone number: (910) 431-8227.