Commercial job guide
Tenant electrical make-good and decommissioning in Calgary
An end-of-lease electrical job starts with an agreed list of what stays and what goes. The lease and landlord instructions define the commercial obligation; the contractor determines how to carry out the electrical work safely. Photograph and mark the scope before demolition begins.
CCT 01What the first visit needs to establish
Walk the space with the landlord or authorized manager and compare the original condition, lease obligations and current installation. Mark tenant equipment, landlord assets and disputed items separately. An electrician should not be asked to decide an unresolved lease interpretation while a demolition crew waits.
Pay attention to services crossing the suite boundary. A panel, sign feed or ceiling device that appears to belong to the departing tenant may serve another area. Establish ownership and supply relationships before authorizing removal. A marked plan is more useful than a general instruction to return everything to base-building condition.
CCT 02What to include in the work order
List equipment disconnection, circuit removal or retention, labelling updates, testing and any new work needed to leave a usable space. Assign demolition, waste removal, ceiling reinstatement and wall repairs. Identify any systems that must remain operational throughout the turnover.
Separate fire alarm, emergency lighting and controls interfaces from ordinary tenant power. The responsible specialists should review proposed changes before they affect other occupants. New tenant requirements are a different brief: do not quietly combine them with make-good obligations unless the landlord and both parties agree.
CCT 03What changes the price and schedule
Unknown circuits, old alterations and incomplete drawings can make a fixed-price demolition allowance unreliable. Ask for a defined investigation stage with a report, followed by the confirmed work scope. Agree who authorizes additional findings and what evidence the contractor must provide.
Completion dates should account for landlord review and required inspections, not just the day the tenant returns its keys. Electrical alteration questions belong with the permit authority and contractor. If a disputed obligation affects the job, settle the contract question with the appropriate adviser before approving removal.
CCT 04Information to send with your request
- Landlord-approved make-good list and relevant marked drawings.
- Photos of equipment and areas proposed for removal or retention.
- Lease-end date, access deadline and the landlord’s inspection process.
- Known shared services and occupied adjacent suites.
- Demolition contractor details and sequence of work.
- A named person who can approve discoveries and changes to scope.
CCT 05What a completed job should leave you with
Arrange a joint walk-through against the agreed list. Record retained circuits and services, updated labels, completed inspection items and any excluded repairs. Provide the landlord with the information the next tenant will need, especially where an old equipment connection is left available for assessment.
Keep landlord acceptance separate from a contractor's invoice. Both are useful records but answer different questions. A dated, photographed close-out helps prevent a completed electrical task from becoming an unresolved end-of-lease dispute.
Questions people ask
Does make-good mean removing every tenant-installed circuit?
Can the demolition crew remove electrical equipment first?
Sources and further reading
Use the official links in this guide and the editorial standards. Scope and procurement checklists are editorial planning guidance, not quotations or installation instructions.