Hi,
I'm currently planning on laying a patio (which has to be done quite soon), but in the future I'd like to be able to run power to a garage on the other side of it. When that happens I don't want to be digging up the patio.
I suspect I can't afford either the cost of the electrical work now, or the associated BCO / paperwork / signoff pain, but I'm trying to plan for the future as much as possible and avoid problems later.
The power requirements for the garage will be perhaps a couple of double sockets and some kind of lighting. I may want to run a fridge/freezer and ~3kW power tools, but won't to be doing heavy workshop stuff, and definitely no prospect for converting it to living space.
Consumer unit is about 10m from the back wall of the building - garden length is about 11m, with a lawn section, and a hypothetical patio at the end. Both buildings have single skin brick wall at those edges.
I seem to have a few possible options, and am struggling to evaluate how reasonable / sane / legal / cost effective they are
1) Dig a 2-3ft trench along the garden, run conduit with rope for pulling cable, and warning tape, fill in and lay patio. Persuade an electrician to run the cable and installation at both building ends at a later date.
2) Dig a 2-3ft trench along the garden, run cable (10mm 3 core SWA?) and warning tape, fill in and lay patio. Persuade an electrician to use this cable later
3) Do both of the above (SWA in conduit - though I'm not sure which conduit would be big enough)
4) Do nothing now, and try later to persuade an electrician to run cable as needed along the fence line (concrete fence posts and kick plate)
5) Do nothing now, and try to get it done with suspended cable later (not keen on this approach)
6) Pay someone now to make the whole problem go away by putting in all the electrical work with trenches etc as needed.
7) Give up on the whole thing as too expensive and difficult, and move house to somewhere with power already in the garage
I've read around a bit, but haven't managed to work it out yet. I'd appreciate any thoughts on how reasonable these options sound, whether an electrician would be likely to be okay with using pre-installed cable / conduit (which sort?), and whether it's actually feasible for a DIYer to get the trenches done properly...
Many thanks
I'm currently planning on laying a patio (which has to be done quite soon), but in the future I'd like to be able to run power to a garage on the other side of it. When that happens I don't want to be digging up the patio.
I suspect I can't afford either the cost of the electrical work now, or the associated BCO / paperwork / signoff pain, but I'm trying to plan for the future as much as possible and avoid problems later.
The power requirements for the garage will be perhaps a couple of double sockets and some kind of lighting. I may want to run a fridge/freezer and ~3kW power tools, but won't to be doing heavy workshop stuff, and definitely no prospect for converting it to living space.
Consumer unit is about 10m from the back wall of the building - garden length is about 11m, with a lawn section, and a hypothetical patio at the end. Both buildings have single skin brick wall at those edges.
I seem to have a few possible options, and am struggling to evaluate how reasonable / sane / legal / cost effective they are
1) Dig a 2-3ft trench along the garden, run conduit with rope for pulling cable, and warning tape, fill in and lay patio. Persuade an electrician to run the cable and installation at both building ends at a later date.
2) Dig a 2-3ft trench along the garden, run cable (10mm 3 core SWA?) and warning tape, fill in and lay patio. Persuade an electrician to use this cable later
3) Do both of the above (SWA in conduit - though I'm not sure which conduit would be big enough)
4) Do nothing now, and try later to persuade an electrician to run cable as needed along the fence line (concrete fence posts and kick plate)
5) Do nothing now, and try to get it done with suspended cable later (not keen on this approach)
6) Pay someone now to make the whole problem go away by putting in all the electrical work with trenches etc as needed.
7) Give up on the whole thing as too expensive and difficult, and move house to somewhere with power already in the garage
I've read around a bit, but haven't managed to work it out yet. I'd appreciate any thoughts on how reasonable these options sound, whether an electrician would be likely to be okay with using pre-installed cable / conduit (which sort?), and whether it's actually feasible for a DIYer to get the trenches done properly...
Many thanks