Garage and Workshop Electrics: Planning Your Ideal Setup

A garage or outbuilding can be one of the most rewarding electrical projects for a homeowner. Whether you use it for car maintenance, woodworking, metalworking, or general DIY, a well-wired workshop with adequate power, lighting, and safety provisions transforms the space from a dark storage area into a genuinely productive workspace. Planning the electrical layout at the design stage is far more cost-effective than adding sockets one at a time over years.

The starting point is the supply. A dedicated circuit from the house consumer unit to the garage, run in armoured SWA cable, provides a robust and safe supply. This circuit feeds a small consumer unit in the garage, which then distributes power to the lighting, socket, and specialist equipment circuits independently. Having a consumer unit in the garage allows the whole garage supply to be isolated independently of the house and provides individual circuit protection for each circuit.

Socket provision should be generous. Garage and workshop sockets are frequently used with power tools, battery chargers, compressors, and welders. Industrial-style BS EN 60309 (commando) sockets — the blue 16A or red 32A round industrial connectors — are more robust than domestic sockets for workshop use. Standard 13A sockets are still useful for general purposes. If you plan to install an EV charger in the garage, this is best designed into the initial circuit layout.

Lighting in a workshop should be bright and shadow-free. LED strip or panel lights are excellent for workshops, providing even, cool-white illumination. All garage electrical work must be certificated; if the supply to the garage crosses into a separate structure, it is treated as a new installation and must have a full Electrical Installation Certificate. DP Power Solutions provides free quotes for garage and workshop electrical installations.