New Construction & Tenant Finish Electrical in Seattle
On a commercial new-build or tenant improvement, the electrical contractor either keeps the GC's schedule or breaks it. Konsker Electric has been pulling commercial rough-in and finish for Seattle general contractors since 1923 — long enough that we know exactly when the framing inspection will release us, when the drywall hangers actually show up versus when they were promised, and how to phase our crew so we are never the trade holding up the next inspection. We provide written look-ahead schedules every Friday for the upcoming two weeks and we hit them.
Get A Free Quote(206) 260-1981Working With General Contractors and Project Schedules
On a typical 15,000 sq ft Seattle TI we mobilize during demo to verify existing conditions, return for underground rough during slab work if applicable, then phase the wall rough-in to chase the framing inspection by no more than three days. We coordinate directly with the mechanical sub on chase locations, with the fire protection sub on sprinkler clearances around panels and conduit runs (NEC 110.26 working space is non-negotiable and we will not allow it to be encroached), and with the low-voltage sub on backbox provisions. Friday look-ahead schedules go to the GC superintendent every week with crew counts, expected inspections, and any anticipated coordination needs.
Load Calculations by Tenant Type
Restaurants, offices, and retail are not interchangeable. A typical 3,000 sq ft full-service restaurant pulls 200–400A at 208V three-phase once you account for a Type I hood with makeup air, walk-in refrigeration compressors, dish machine booster heater, and induction or convection cooking. A 3,000 sq ft Class A office in the same shell pulls 80–125A. A 3,000 sq ft retail tenant with display lighting and back-of-house computing typically pulls 100–175A. We perform a NEC Article 220 load calculation for every TI based on the actual tenant equipment list — not a square-foot rule of thumb — and we size feeders, panels, and the service contribution to the building's main accordingly. Undersizing during TI is the single most expensive mistake we see other contractors make.
Seattle and King County Commercial Permit Process
Inside Seattle city limits, commercial electrical permits go through Seattle DCI and require stamped electrical drawings (PE seal) for any project over the SDCI threshold for routine review — practically, anything beyond a single tenant lighting and receptacle TI. Inspections are scheduled through DCI's online system and inspectors typically respond within one business day. In King County (Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Renton, Bothell, Shoreline) the permit goes through the city's building department, generally Washington State L&I for the electrical portion, and an L&I electrical inspector responds within 48 hours of inspection request. We maintain working relationships with inspectors in every Eastside jurisdiction and we know the local interpretations — for example, Bellevue's strict enforcement of NEC 110.16 arc-flash labeling on every piece of equipment, even small panelboards.
Tenant Improvement Electrician: Permitting and Scope in Seattle
A tenant improvement electrician works inside an existing commercial shell, not the ground-up structure, and the permitting path is different because of it. The electrical permit for a TI is separate from the base-building shell permit and from the GC's building permit, and it must be pulled by the licensed electrical contractor doing the work, not the general contractor or the property owner. Inside Seattle proper that permit is filed with Seattle DCI; in the Eastside and the rest of King County the electrical portion is filed with Washington State L&I, and unincorporated King County TI work routes through King County DLS. As a commercial contractor licensed and 600V-rated in Washington State, Konsker files the electrical permit under our own license, carries the trade-specific bond the AHJ requires, and stays named on the permit through final inspection and close-out, so permit ownership is never a gap the GC has to chase. On a shell or core new construction the ground-up electrical scope runs from underground and service rough-in through the switchgear set, gated by framing and structural inspections you do not control, and switchgear lead times of 16 to 28 weeks on commercial-class equipment usually set the critical path. On a tenant improvement the shell service and main distribution already exist, so the scope is wall rough-in, feeder taps off the existing house panel or a new tenant subpanel, lighting, receptacles, and equipment connections, and a straightforward 3,000 to 15,000 sq ft TI runs rough-in through final in a matter of weeks rather than months once the permit is in hand. The capacity check is the step a shell build never needs and a TI always does. Before we bid a TI we verify the existing service can carry the new tenant load with an NEC Article 220 calculation against the building's main. If it cannot, the TI quietly turns into a service-upgrade project that must be coordinated with Puget Sound Energy (or Seattle City Light inside Seattle), and we flag that during bid, not at rough-in.
AFCI and GFCI in Commercial Tenant Spaces
AFCI protection in commercial space is more nuanced than residential. NEC 210.12(B) requires AFCI on dwelling-unit branch circuits, but the 2020 NEC also extended GFCI requirements significantly into commercial space: all 125V single-phase 15A and 20A receptacles in commercial kitchens (210.8(B)(2)), within 6 feet of any sink in any commercial space (210.8(B)(5)), in indoor commercial damp/wet locations (210.8(B)(8)), and in unfinished basements and crawl spaces of commercial buildings. Many TI designs we receive show only the old GFCI requirements; we flag those during shop-drawing review and add the required protection rather than waiting for the inspector to red-tag at final.
Close-Out Documentation
Final close-out includes a signed Washington State L&I or Seattle DCI inspection certificate, as-built electrical drawings showing any field changes, panel directories typed and laminated (not handwritten), arc-flash labels per NEC 110.16 and NFPA 70E with calculated incident energy values, manufacturer cut sheets and warranty documentation for all major equipment, infrared baseline scan results for the new switchgear, and a written one-year electrical warranty from Konsker Electric. Building inspectors do not release a certificate of occupancy without complete close-out — we deliver it at substantial completion, not weeks later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you bid design-build or do you only work from completed engineering drawings?
Both. On design-build TI projects under approximately 10,000 sq ft we frequently provide the electrical design in-house through our partner PE, which compresses the schedule and removes a coordination layer for the GC. On larger or more complex projects (medical, food service with multiple hood systems, mission-critical computing) we strongly recommend independent MEP engineering and we bid hard from those drawings. Either way, we provide a fixed lump-sum price with a clearly defined scope and schedule of values.
How do you handle change orders mid-project?
Every change order is documented in writing with a scope description, labor and material cost breakdown, and schedule impact statement before any work proceeds. We use a standard AIA G701 form or the GC's preferred CO format. T&M change orders are tracked daily with signed field tickets. We will not perform changed work and bill later — that is how disputes happen and we have built our reputation on not being that contractor. If a field condition is discovered that requires immediate action to keep the schedule moving, our PM will call your superintendent and get verbal authorization, then follow up with written documentation the same day.
What is your bonding capacity and insurance coverage?
Konsker Electric carries a single-project bonding capacity sufficient for typical Seattle commercial TI and mid-rise new construction work. Our general liability coverage is $2 million per occurrence with $4 million aggregate, and we carry $5 million umbrella coverage above that. Workers' compensation is fully Washington L&I-rated with no open claims affecting our experience modifier. Certificates of insurance naming the GC and owner as additional insureds are provided within 24 hours of contract award. For projects exceeding our standard bonding, we coordinate with our surety in advance.
Can you handle the low-voltage and fire alarm scope as well?
We perform the line-voltage and feeder work for low-voltage systems (data, AV, security) and we install the rough-in conduit and back boxes per the LV designer's drawings. We typically partner with specialized low-voltage and fire alarm contractors for the head-end equipment, terminations, and certifications, since fire alarm work in particular requires NICET-certified technicians and a separate FA permit. We can recommend trusted Seattle-area LV and FA partners who routinely work alongside our crews, or we can bid as a sub to your preferred provider.
How far in advance do you need to be brought onto a project?
Ideally during design development so we can flag constructability issues, panel placement conflicts, and service-size constraints before the drawings are issued for permit. Practically, we can mobilize on a TI within 2–3 weeks of contract award if the permit is in hand. For new ground-up construction we like 60 days of lead time to complete shop drawings, submittals, and major equipment ordering — switchgear lead times from Square D, Eaton, and Siemens currently run 16–28 weeks on commercial-class equipment, so the earlier the project starts the equipment ordering, the better the schedule outcome.
How long does a commercial tenant improvement take from permit to final inspection?
Assuming the drawings are clean and the existing service has capacity for the new load, a typical 3,000 to 15,000 sq ft Seattle TI runs rough-in through final in a matter of weeks rather than months, because the shell service and main distribution already exist. The gating items are the permit itself and inspection scheduling: inside Seattle city limits DCI inspectors typically respond within one business day of a request, and outside Seattle the Washington State L&I electrical inspector responds within about 48 hours. Where a TI stretches out is when the existing service turns out to be undersized for the tenant's equipment, which pulls a Puget Sound Energy or Seattle City Light service coordination into the schedule. We run the NEC Article 220 load calculation before we bid, so if the TI is really a service-upgrade project we tell you up front rather than at rough-in.
Who pulls the electrical permit on a tenant improvement: the GC, the owner, or the electrician?
The electrical permit is separate from the GC's building permit and from the base-building shell permit, and it must be pulled by the licensed electrical contractor performing the work, not the general contractor or the property owner. Konsker files that permit under our own Washington State L&I electrical license and carries the trade-specific bond the jurisdiction requires. Inside Seattle proper the electrical permit is filed with Seattle DCI; on the Eastside and elsewhere in King County the electrical portion goes through Washington State L&I, and unincorporated King County TI work routes through King County DLS. We stay named on the permit through final inspection and close-out, so permit ownership is never a gap the GC has to manage.
Do you handle tenant improvements outside Seattle, and does the permit process change by city?
Yes. We run commercial TI work across the greater Seattle metro: Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Renton, Bothell, Shoreline, and the rest of King and Snohomish County. The AHJ changes with the jurisdiction, and getting that right matters: Seattle DCI handles permits and inspections inside Seattle city limits, Washington State L&I handles the electrical portion for most Eastside and King County cities, and King County DLS handles unincorporated King County. We know the local interpretations too. For example, Bellevue enforces NEC 110.16 arc-flash labeling on every piece of equipment down to small panelboards. Note that commercial TI is governed by commercial electrical code and the AHJ permit process, not by residential landlord-tenant statute, so the base-building versus tenant scope split is defined by the lease and the drawings rather than by any residential rule.
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