Temporary power and lighting: what the spec usually hides
Temporary power often gets one line in an electrical estimate. On the job it is a service, a distribution system, months of maintenance and a string of relocations. Here is where the requirements hide in the bid documents, what to price and what to state in your proposal.
Temporary power can belong to the general contractor, the electrical contractor or the owner, and the answer is often split. The bid documents rarely say it in one sentence.
Read the Division 01 section on temporary facilities and controls first. It usually sets who provides temporary power, lighting and utilities.
Then read the Division 26 general requirements. They may add to, or contradict, Division 01. A conflict between the two is an RFI before bid day.
Check the GC's bid instructions or scope sheet. On many projects the GC splits temporary power differently from the specs, and the scope sheet is what they will hold you to.
Note what is already on site: an existing service, a utility pole or a generator. It changes what you have to build.
2 · Price the build, not just the panel
The temporary service is easy to see. The distribution to every trade and every floor is where the hours are.
Temporary service: utility application, metering, the temporary pole or pedestal, and the main disconnect. Check who pays utility connection fees.
Distribution: spider boxes or temporary panels on each floor or area, cords and feeders between them, and how often they move as the building closes in.
Ground-fault protection on temporary receptacles, and any testing or inspection program the specs or the site rules require.
Temporary lighting levels: the specs may set a minimum for work areas, stairs and egress paths. Count fixtures to meet it, not a rule of thumb.
Special loads: tower cranes, hoists, welders, concrete heaters, dewatering pumps and site trailers. Each may need its own feeder or service.
3 · Duration is the hidden cost
Temporary power is priced by time as much as by material. A longer schedule, or a phased one, multiplies the cost.
Maintenance: someone has to keep temporary power and lighting working, replace lamps and fix damaged cords for the whole job. Carry the hours per week.
Relocations: every time a wall closes or a floor is turned over, temporary distribution moves. Phased or occupied projects move it more often.
Generator rental and fuel: if the permanent service will not be ready in time, a rental generator may run for months. Check who pays for fuel and refueling.
Removal: taking temporary power out, and patching what it went through, is part of the scope.
4 · Energy costs and early use of permanent power
Who pays the power bill, and when the permanent system takes over, are two lines that can quietly swing a bid.
Read who pays for energy during construction. If it is you, carry an estimate; if it is the owner or GC, say so in your proposal.
Check whether the specs allow temporary use of the permanent system, and what that requires: cleaning, re-lamping or extended warranties before turnover.
If the permanent service date drives when temporary power can come out, note the date you assumed.
5 · Put your assumptions in writing
When the temporary scope is unclear, a few clear lines in your proposal set the boundary before award.
State what temporary power and lighting you included, the duration you assumed and the number of relocations.
State who pays for energy, utility fees and generator fuel.
Exclude items carried by others in the GC's scope sheet, and name them, so nobody reads silence as inclusion.
Price it from the schedule
Ask for the construction schedule, or build a simple one from the bid documents: when the temporary service goes in, when each floor or area closes in, and when permanent power takes over. Price the build once, then price maintenance and relocations for each phase. If the schedule changes after award, your written assumptions are what support a change order. Temporary power often sits next to other time-based costs; see our guide to common Division 26 scope gaps for the rest.
Questions estimators ask
Is temporary power the electrical contractor's responsibility?
It depends on the project. Division 01, the Division 26 general requirements and the GC's scope sheet can each assign it. Read all three, and if they disagree, ask before bid day or state your assumption in the proposal.
How do I estimate temporary lighting?
Start from any lighting level the specs require for work areas, stairs and egress, then lay out fixtures and strings to meet it for each phase. Add maintenance hours for the duration and the moves as areas close in.
Who pays for electricity during construction?
The specs or the contract usually say. It can be the owner, the GC or the trades. If the documents are silent, say in your proposal who you assumed pays for energy and utility fees.
How can I check the temporary power requirements across a full bid package faster?
Read Division 01, Division 26 and the scope sheet side by side. Bidprobe reads the whole bid package and flags scope gaps, spec conflicts, missed addendum items and exclusions; most reviews come back in 5 to 15 minutes.
Catch the temporary scope buried in the specs.
Bidprobe reads the whole bid package and flags scope gaps, spec conflicts, missed addendum items and exclusions. Most reviews come back in 5 to 15 minutes, and your first bid check is free with no card.