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Commercial Electrical

Commercial Electrical Installation in Vancouver, WA

You've got blueprints, a GC on schedule, and a building that needs power. Newman Electric handles commercial electrical installation for new construction, buildouts, and major renovations across Vancouver, WA and Clark County. Ryan and the crew have wired everything from retail spaces and restaurant kitchens to warehouse facilities and multi-tenant office buildings. We show up when we say we will, we work clean, and we don't hold up your project.

Licensed & Insured
154+ Commercial Projects
On-Time, On-Budget
Commercial building exterior in Vancouver WA wired by Newman Electric

Project Types

Types of Commercial Electrical Installation We Handle

Every commercial building has different electrical demands. A restaurant kitchen doesn't get wired the same way as an office suite, and a warehouse needs a completely different setup than a retail storefront. Newman Electric sizes the system to match your building and your business.

New Construction

Ground-up electrical for new commercial buildings. Service entrance, distribution panels, branch circuits, lighting, and life safety systems. We coordinate with your GC from slab pour through certificate of occupancy.

Retail Spaces

Storefront lighting, point-of-sale circuits, signage power, and customer-facing areas that need to look finished. No exposed conduit where your customers can see it. We work around your hours to keep disruption low.

Restaurants & Kitchens

Commercial kitchen equipment pulls serious amperage. We size the circuits for your fryers, ovens, hoods, and walk-in coolers so nothing trips when the dinner rush hits. Hood ventilation and fire suppression tie-ins included.

Office Buildings

Workstation power, server room circuits, conference room AV, and flexible layouts that can change as tenants come and go. Data and communication cabling runs alongside the electrical when you need it.

Warehouses & Industrial

High-bay lighting, machine power, loading dock circuits, and distribution panels rated for heavy equipment loads. EMT and rigid conduit runs built for a working building, not a showroom.

Multi-Tenant Buildings

Separate metering for each unit, individual panels, shared common area circuits, and distribution that scales as units get leased. We work with property managers on these projects regularly across Vancouver, WA.

Our Process

From Blueprints to Final Inspection

Commercial electrical installation follows a clear sequence. Missing a step or doing things out of order causes delays, failed inspections, and change orders that eat your budget. Newman Electric keeps your project on track from bid day through the final walk.

1

Bid and plan review

You send us the plans, we walk the site if the building is standing, and we put together a detailed bid based on the actual scope of work. No ballpark numbers. If something in the drawings doesn't make sense electrically, we flag it before it becomes a change order.

2

Permits and load calculations

We pull the electrical permit through L&I or the City of Vancouver depending on your jurisdiction. We run the NEC Article 220 load calculations to make sure the service size and panel capacity match what the building actually needs.

3

Rough-in

This is the big phase. Conduit runs, wire pulls, junction boxes, panel mounting, and all the behind-the-wall work before drywall goes up. Our crew coordinates with your plumber, HVAC contractor, and framers so trades aren't working on top of each other.

4

Trim and finish

Devices, fixtures, cover plates, panel labeling, and final connections. This is when the space starts looking like a finished building. We test every circuit and verify polarity, grounding, and GFCI protection before calling for inspection.

5

Inspection and handoff

We schedule the final inspection with the authority having jurisdiction. Once it passes, we walk you through the panel schedule, show you the disconnects, and hand off a clean, code-compliant building ready for business.

Commercial cable tray and conduit installation by Newman Electric

Commercial Installation Quick Facts

154+

Commercial projects completed

24 hr

Bid turnaround on most jobs

$0

Cost for your estimate

100%

Code-compliant & inspected

Code Compliance

Commercial Electrical Codes and Permits in Vancouver, WA

Every commercial electrical installation in Washington State requires a permit and inspection. Newman Electric pulls every permit and schedules every inspection so you don't have to think about it.

2023 NEC Adopted

Washington adopted the 2023 National Electrical Code effective April 1, 2024 per WAC 296-46B-010. All commercial electrical installation must meet current NEC standards, including updated requirements for arc-fault protection, emergency disconnects, and energy-efficient lighting controls.

Permit Authority

In the City of Vancouver, electrical permits go through the city building department at 360-487-7890. In unincorporated Clark County, permits are handled by Washington L&I at 360-896-2300. We know which office handles your project and pull the permit before work starts.

NEC Article 220 Load Calculations

Commercial buildings require formal load calculations to size the service entrance, feeders, and branch circuits correctly. We calculate based on actual equipment schedules, lighting loads, and receptacle counts for your specific building. Getting this right up front means your electrical system has the capacity you need without oversizing and overspending.

Life Safety & Emergency Systems

Commercial electrical installation includes emergency lighting, illuminated exit signs, fire alarm circuits, and accessible outlet placement per ADA requirements. These aren't optional. They're built into the design from the rough-in phase and tested before final inspection. Newman Electric installs all of it as part of every commercial project.

Customer Reviews

What Business Owners Say About Newman Electric

90+ Reviews

"Newman Electric is top notch. We use them for our personal projects and have used them for 10+ remodeling projects for our business and they have always showed up on time and been honest with pricing. Ryan and his crew are professional and friendly! I highly recommend."

Arne K.

Commercial Projects

"Garrett worked on our building recently and did an outstanding job. He was very professional and friendly. Thanks for all the fabulous work, Garrett! I will definitely recommend you to others for electrical work."

Matt C.

Commercial Building

"Newman Electric came out and gave a honest and fair price for installing a ceiling fan and bringing power to our bakery's ice machine. They had the work done within one week. They even fixed a prior problem we had with some wiring that the original electricians had done when we built out the space. As a small business owner, this is the first time in a long time that I don't feel as if I might be taken advantage of."

Local Bakery Owner

Commercial Installation

Common Questions

Commercial Electrical Installation FAQ

How long does a commercial electrical installation take?

It depends on the building size and scope of work. A small retail buildout might take a week of electrical work spread across the construction schedule. A ground-up warehouse could take several weeks across multiple phases. We give you a timeline during the bidding process and we stick to it. If your GC shifts the schedule, we adjust with them.

Does Newman Electric handle both new construction and renovations?

Yes. We wire new buildings from the ground up and retrofit existing spaces for new tenants or updated equipment. The process is different for each. New construction follows a phased schedule with other trades. Renovation work means dealing with existing systems and sometimes cleaning up what the last electrician left behind. Either way, the crew and the quality are the same.

Do I need a permit for commercial electrical work in Vancouver, WA?

Yes. Every commercial electrical installation in Washington requires a permit and inspection. We handle all the permitting. In the City of Vancouver, permits go through the city building department. In unincorporated Clark County, they go through Washington State L&I. Cowlitz County jobs go through the L&I Kelso office. You don't have to figure out which office or stand in line.

Can you coordinate directly with our general contractor?

That's how most of our commercial projects work. We coordinate directly with your GC on scheduling, phasing, and trade coordination. Ryan is easy to get on the phone and we don't hold up the schedule. We've built good working relationships with several general contractors in the Vancouver, WA area because we show up when we say we will and do what we said we'd do.

What size electrical service does a commercial building need?

It depends on the building's use, equipment, and square footage. We run the load calculations per NEC Article 220 and size the service accordingly. A small office suite might need 200 amps. A restaurant with commercial kitchen equipment could need 400 to 600 amps. Warehouses with heavy machinery sometimes need 800 amps or more. Newman Electric calculates this during the bidding phase so you know exactly what you're getting.

Do you provide free estimates for commercial electrical installation?

Yes. We review your plans, walk the site, and put together a detailed bid at no charge. If construction hasn't started yet, email us the blueprints and we'll work from those. We don't pressure you to sign anything. The bid includes everything: materials, labor, permits, and inspections.

Where We Work

Commercial Electrical Installation Across Clark & Cowlitz County

Newman Electric is based in Vancouver, WA and our crew handles commercial electrical installation across Southwest Washington. From new construction in Ridgefield to restaurant buildouts in downtown Vancouver, we're the commercial electrician that GCs and business owners call. Need us in Cowlitz County? We cover Longview, Kelso, Woodland, and Kalama too.

Get Started

Ready to Get Your Commercial Project Wired?

Send us the plans or give Newman Electric a call. We're the commercial electrician Vancouver, WA businesses and general contractors rely on for new construction, renovations, and buildouts. The bid is free and Ryan will get back to you within a few hours.