Electrical plan: how to draw your installation online
An electrical plan shows where the panel, the sockets, the switches and the lights go, and how the cables link them in circuits. It is the document you hand to an electrician to get a quote, the one you use to plan a renovation or an extension, and the one you keep so you know later what runs behind the plaster. This guide explains how to draw one, from the walls to the circuits and the cable lengths, and what Plan² can and cannot tell you about it.
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What an electrical plan is for
An electrical plan is a floor plan with the electrical equipment added: the consumer unit (the panel), the sockets, the switches, the light points and the cables that join them. It does not show every conductor. It shows what is where, and which circuit each item belongs to.
People draw one to ask for comparable quotes, because an electrician who is given a plan prices the same work as the next. They draw one to plan a renovation, an extension or a conversion, to see how many circuits the new rooms need, and to think about where the sockets will sit before the walls are closed. And they keep one, because the cables are hidden in the walls and the plan is the only record of where they run.
A plan drawn by you is a base for discussion with a qualified electrician. It is not a design that is installed as it stands, and it is not a compliance document.
The rules behind an installation: a word of caution
Every country has a code for electrical installations, and the installation is checked against it. The code to check depends on where you live: in the UK it is BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations, and in the United States it is the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) with local amendments, applied through the local building department. In France it is the NF C 15-100, and a certificate from the Consuel is required for a new installation. Elsewhere, ask your electrician or your local authority which code applies.
Plan² includes advice texts that are based on the French NF C 15-100, and they say so. They are indicative: a hint to catch a drawing slip, such as a breaker too large for its cable section, and not a compliance check. They do not replace the code, the electrician or any inspection. Outside France, ignore the numbers that do not match your own code, and do not rely on them as a design rule.
What to prepare before you draw
- A plan of the structure: the walls, doors and windows. Draw it first, as the house guide explains.
- The position of the existing panel, the meter and the cable entry, if there are any.
- A list of what each room needs: sockets, light points, switches, and the large appliances that need a circuit of their own (oven or hob, washing machine, water heater, car charger).
- The way you use each room: a desk wants more sockets than a spare bedroom.
- For a renovation, a photo of the existing panel, so you can see how the circuits are protected today.
Drawing the electrical plan in Plan², step by step
Draw the structure first
Draw the walls, the doors and the windows in the usual way, so that the cables and sockets rest on a correct plan. Do not furnish the plan too much: you only need what bears on the electrics.
Switch to Electricity mode
Open the Layers button and pick Electricity. The mode offers only the electrical tools and locks the other layers, so a stray click will not move a wall. Hide the layers you do not need to keep the plan readable.
Place the panel
Put the electrical panel where it is, or where it will go, then the meter if there is one. The cables are drawn from the panel outwards.
Place the sockets, the switches and the lights
Pick each item in the library and tap the plan to place it: sockets, double sockets, a 32 A socket, a weatherproof socket, a TV socket, switches, two-way switches, light points and wall lights. On a phone, use the viewfinder: drag the plan under the crosshair, place the item and go on.
Lay the cables
Pick the cable tool and tap each point of a run, then finish it from the island at the top of the canvas. A cable is drawn as a run, point by point. To link two floors, place a riser, which joins them.
Make the circuits
Open the circuits. Give each one a name, a use (sockets, lighting or dedicated), a breaker rating, a cable section and a colour. Give each cable run a circuit, and keep a dedicated circuit for one appliance only.
Read the advice and the lengths
Each circuit shows its cable length and, if you want, advice. Read the advice as a hint to catch a slip: an oversized breaker, too many sockets on a circuit, a missing cable on a circuit. It is not a compliance check.
Export with the legend and the measure
Choose File, then Export…, pick the Plan, and choose which networks to include: over the plan, under it, or apart, with one plan per network. Switch on the legend and the quantities, which list the circuits and the length of cable of each. Choose PNG or PDF, the paper and the scale.
Reading the advice, and the numbers it quotes
The advice quotes the usual figures of the French standard, so you can see what the tool is checking. A circuit of 8 sockets at most is paired with a 1.5 mm² cable and a 16 A breaker. A circuit of 12 sockets at most is paired with 2.5 mm² and 20 A. A lighting circuit uses 1.5 mm² and takes at most 8 light points. A dedicated circuit feeds one appliance only, and a hob is usually wired in 6 mm² behind a 32 A breaker.
These pairs are specific to the French standard. If you live elsewhere, treat them as an example of what such a check looks like, and read the values of your own code with your electrician. If an advice message surprises you, it is a reason to ask, not a ruling.
Common mistakes in an electrical plan
- Drawing sockets and lights without circuits. A plan with no circuits tells the electrician little.
- Putting several large appliances on a single circuit. A dedicated circuit feeds one appliance.
- Forgetting the panel, so that nobody knows where the cables start.
- Counting only the sockets you will use today. Plan for the furniture you will have.
- Placing a socket behind a door or a radiator without checking.
- Forgetting the risers when the house has several floors.
- Treating the advice as an approval. It is not one.
What Plan² does not do
Plan² does not check that your design complies with a code. It does not size cables from the load, and it does not draw wiring diagrams or panel schedules. It does not replace the electrician, who designs and installs the circuits, and in some countries it does not replace the inspection that follows.
What it does is give you a clear, measured base: the plan, the equipment, the circuits and the cable lengths, which you can print, share and discuss. Keep the JSON file, and the plan stays editable.
Frequently asked questions
What is an electrical plan used for?
It shows where the panel, sockets, switches and lights go, and how the cables link them in circuits. You use it to get comparable quotes from electricians, to plan a renovation or an extension, and to keep a record of what is behind the walls.
Can I draw an electrical plan for free?
Yes. Plan² is free, needs no account and runs in the browser. Draw the walls, switch to Electricity mode, place the equipment and lay the cables in circuits, then export the plan as a PNG or a PDF with a legend of the circuits and the cable lengths.
Does Plan² check my installation against the code?
No. Its advice is indicative, based on the French NF C 15-100, and meant to catch a drawing slip. It is not a compliance check. A qualified electrician checks the installation, and in France the Consuel certifies a new one. Elsewhere, follow your local code.
Which code applies where I live?
It depends on the country. In the UK it is BS 7671, in the United States the NEC with local amendments, in France the NF C 15-100. Ask your electrician or your local authority which code and which approvals apply to your project.
How is the length of cable worked out?
Each cable is drawn as a run of points, and Plan² adds up the length of its segments for each circuit. The length can be listed in the legend of the exported plan, for a quote. Add a margin for routes through walls, slack and connections.
Can I draw several floors?
Yes. Each floor has its own plan, and a riser joins two floors so that a circuit can run from one to the other. The riser shows where it leads and what it carries.