Tenant Improvements
Tenant Improvement Electrician
in Vancouver, WA
You signed the lease. Now the space needs to actually work for your business. Newman Electric is the tenant improvement electrician that GCs and business owners in Vancouver, WA call when a commercial space needs new circuits, lighting, panels, or a complete electrical buildout. Ryan and the crew know how TI projects move. Fast timelines, tight coordination with other trades, and zero surprises on the bill.
What's Involved
What Goes Into a Tenant
Improvement Buildout
A tenant improvement starts with an empty shell or an outdated space and turns it into something that works for your business. On the electrical side, that means figuring out what the existing building gives you and what needs to change.
Most commercial lease spaces in Vancouver, WA come with basic power to the unit. But "basic" doesn't mean "ready." Your office needs workstation outlets in the right spots. Your restaurant needs dedicated circuits for kitchen equipment. Your retail store needs track lighting and signage power. None of that is there yet.
Newman Electric works with your GC and your floor plan to figure out exactly what circuits, panels, and fixtures you need. We bid it, pull the permit, and wire the space around the construction schedule. When the other trades are done and the inspector signs off, your space is ready to open.
Our Process
How a Tenant Improvement
Project Works With Us
Every tenant improvement has its own timeline, but the electrical side follows the same four phases. Newman Electric keeps each phase clean so inspections pass the first time.
Site Walk & Bid
We walk the space with your GC or property manager, review the plans, and check the existing electrical infrastructure. You get a written bid within 24 to 48 hours. No charge.
Permits & Planning
We pull the electrical permit and coordinate with the building's existing panel capacity. If the space needs a new subpanel or service upgrade, we handle that before rough-in starts.
Rough-In & Trim
Conduit, wire runs, boxes, and panels go in during framing. Once the walls are closed, we come back for devices, fixtures, and final connections. Two clean phases, no hold-ups.
Inspection & Keys
We call for the electrical inspection, make sure everything passes, and walk you through the panel schedule. Your space is ready for business. You open the doors and everything works.
Spaces We Build Out
Tenant Improvement Electrical
for Every Type of Business
Different businesses put different demands on the electrical system. A hair salon doesn't need the same wiring as a dental office. Newman Electric has handled tenant improvement projects for all of these across Vancouver, WA and Clark County.
Office Suites
Workstation receptacles, conference room AV drops, server closet circuits, and lighting that works for computer screens. We plan for flexible furniture layouts so outlets aren't stranded behind walls nobody uses.
Restaurants & Cafes
Commercial kitchen circuits for 208V and 240V equipment, hood ventilation connections, walk-in cooler power, front-of-house lighting, and POS system circuits. We size everything based on your actual equipment list.
Retail Storefronts
Track lighting, display case power, signage circuits, and POS stations. Retail spaces need to look good, so we route conduit and wiring where nobody can see it. Clean finishes matter when customers are walking through.
Medical & Dental
Dedicated circuits for imaging equipment, exam room outlets at specific heights, sterilization equipment power, and emergency backup connections. Medical tenant improvements have strict code requirements and we know them.
Salons & Spas
Styling station outlets (lots of them), shampoo bowl circuits, HVAC for proper ventilation, and specialty equipment power. The layout changes based on how many stations you're running, and we plan for that.
Warehouses & Light Industrial
Machine circuits, high-bay LED lighting, loading dock power, and distribution panels. When a warehouse tenant needs 208V three-phase for equipment, we handle the service upgrade and branch circuit buildout.
Permits and Code for Tenant Improvements in Vancouver, WA
Every tenant improvement with electrical work in Washington requires a permit and inspection. In the City of Vancouver, permits go through the city at 360-487-7890. In unincorporated Clark County, they're handled by Washington L&I at 360-896-2300.
Washington follows the 2023 NEC (per WAC 296-46B-010), which took effect April 1, 2024. Newman Electric pulls the permit, schedules the rough-in and final inspections, and makes sure everything passes. You don't need to deal with any of it.
Common TI code requirements:
- AFCI protection on 15/20A circuits in commercial office spaces per NEC 210.12
- Emergency lighting and exit signs per NEC Article 700
- GFCI protection within 6 feet of water sources
- Accessible outlet heights per ADA guidelines
- Panel labeling with circuit directory per NEC 408.4
Customer Reviews
Business Owners Trust
Newman Electric
"Newman helped me with a new chandelier install and wiring in our restaurant. Roman and Chris were on time, knowledgeable, and worked quickly and cleanly so we could get opened for our lunch shift. Highly recommend the entire team at Newman Electric for any of your projects!"
Bonnie W.
Restaurant Buildout
"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 Remodels
"Very professional, responsive and right on schedule. Very clean job and quite reasonably priced, especially considering this was not a very big job. Ran 50 amp service from house panel to sub panel in shop."
Maritsa B.
Subpanel Installation
Common Questions
Tenant Improvement
Electrical FAQ
Most of the time, we can get a site walk and bid done within a few days. Once you approve the bid and we pull the permit, our crew can start as soon as your GC is ready for electrical rough-in. Ryan keeps the schedule flexible enough to fit TI projects in quickly because he knows landlords and tenants don't want to wait.
It depends on what the space already has and what your business needs. Some lease spaces come with a subpanel that has enough capacity. Others need a new panel or a service upgrade to handle the additional circuits. We assess this during the site walk and include it in the bid if it's needed. Newman Electric handles the panel work and the branch circuits as a single scope.
We plan around it. If we need to access the main panel or shut off a shared feeder, we coordinate with the property manager and schedule it during off-hours when possible. Most of the work happens inside your unit and doesn't affect anyone else. If there's a brief outage needed, we give everyone notice ahead of time.
Yes. We pull the permit, schedule the inspections, and make sure everything passes. In the City of Vancouver, permits go through the city building department. In unincorporated Clark County, they go through Washington State L&I. Either way, Newman Electric handles it so you don't have to.
It varies a lot depending on the size of the space, what's already there, and what your business needs. A small office suite with basic lighting and outlets is a different scope than a restaurant kitchen that needs 200-amp service and twenty dedicated circuits. We give you a detailed, line-item bid after the site walk so you know exactly what you're paying for. The estimate is always free.
That's the standard for most of our tenant improvement work. We coordinate directly with your GC for scheduling, phasing, and trade coordination. If you're managing the buildout yourself without a GC, we can work with you directly too. Either way, Newman Electric fits into whatever project structure you have.
Related Services
More Commercial Electrical
Services From Newman Electric
Commercial Installation
New construction wiring
Learn MoreOffice Electrical
Workstation and server power
Learn MoreRestaurant Electrical
Kitchen equipment circuits
Learn MoreRetail Electrical
Storefront and display lighting
Learn MoreData Cabling
Structured network wiring
Learn MorePower Distribution
Panels and switchgear
Learn MoreParking Lot Lighting
Exterior and lot lighting
Learn MoreSecurity Lighting
Building security systems
Learn MoreWhere We Work
Tenant Improvement Electrician
Serving Vancouver, WA & Beyond
Newman Electric handles tenant improvement electrical work across Clark County and Cowlitz County. Office buildouts in downtown Vancouver, restaurant wiring in Camas, retail spaces in Battle Ground. Wherever your lease space is, we're close enough to get there fast and keep your project on schedule.
Get Started
Got a Lease Space
That Needs Wiring?
Give Newman Electric a call or send us the plans. We're the tenant improvement electrician Vancouver, WA businesses trust to get their space ready on time and on budget. Ryan will get back to you fast.