Panel builder or electrician: which one do you need?
It is a common mix-up — and an understandable one: both work with electricity, and often on the same project. But they do different things, and knowing the difference helps you ask the right company for the right quote.
What a panel builder does
A panel builder is the company that manufactures electrical switchboards. It takes the project’s single-line diagram or specification and, in a workshop, sizes and selects the gear (breakers, contactors, busbars), assembles the structure, executes the identified wiring and tests the board before it leaves — continuity, insulation and function. The result is a ready-to-install board, delivered with a test report and CE marking, built to the IEC 61439 standard.
What an electrician does
An electrician works on site: mounts cable paths, runs and connects the building’s circuits, fixes the board in place and connects it to the grid and to the loads. They also handle day-to-day work — replacing a socket, adding a circuit, fixing a household fault.
How they work together
On a typical project, the two roles fit like this:
- The designer or the client defines the electrical scheme;
- The panel builder manufactures the board to measure, in a workshop, and tests it;
- The electrician installs the board on site and connects it to the grid and circuits.
Why the board should come from a panel builder
Because a switchboard is safety equipment. Built in a workshop by a dedicated team, the board is sized to the project, assembled with gear from the main manufacturers, wired with identification and tested one by one — and all of it is documented. A board improvised on site, without tests or documentation, is a risk to people and equipment, and a headache for inspections and insurance.
It is not "one or the other": on projects with custom low-voltage switchboards, it is almost always "one and the other", each in their phase.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a panel builder for a small board?
If it is a custom board — even a small one — it is worth it: it leaves the workshop sized, tested and documented. At Shortlec we work from the single board to large projects.
Does the panel builder also install the board?
Our work ends with the delivery of the built and tested board. Fixing and connections on site are done by the project’s electrician or installer — we work side by side with them.
Can an electrician order boards from a panel builder?
Yes — and it is very common. A large share of our clients are electricians, installers and construction companies who hand us the manufacturing of their projects’ boards.