The answer in two lines
Build your rough-in list from your own floor plan, not from a ready-made number: count the points in each room, group them into circuits (lighting, sockets, AC, water heater), then choose wires, conduits and boxes by load. The sizing rule is load current ≤ breaker ≤ wire ampacity, and a qualified electrician or engineer confirms the final sizes. We give no invented meters or counts: those come out of your plan.
Preparing the rough-in for a 100 m² flat and not sure how to start your list before the walls close? In this guide from Tawredaat (توريدات), an electrical and finishing materials store in Cairo and Giza (FAQ), you will learn the core materials, what each does, and how to build your list step by step from the floor plan.
Safety first: this list helps you understand and ask the right questions; circuit design, final sizes and installation belong to a qualified electrician or engineer.
What are the core materials of an apartment electrical rough-in?
In short: wires inside conduits, conduits joined through boxes, all gathered in a distribution board with breakers, plus the earth wire. Each material has its own guide on our blog:
| Material | Role | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Copper wires | Carry current to lighting, sockets and appliances; standard apartment sizes are 1.5, 2.5, 4, 6 and 10 mm² | Breakers and wire sizes |
| Conduits | Protect the wires inside walls and floors and make pulling and replacing them easier | Conduit size guide |
| Junction boxes | A closed place where wires are joined and branched; keep it accessible for maintenance | Junction box size |
| Switch and socket boxes | Hold the switches and sockets fitted after finishing | Switches and sockets guide |
| Distribution board and breakers | Splits the flat into circuits, each with its own breaker | Distribution board |
| Earth wire | Runs with every circuit and protects against leakage in a fault | Earth wire |
How do you build the materials list step by step?
1) Take the floor plan and count the points in each room
Open the floor plan (even a hand sketch) and give each room a line: how many lighting points, sockets and switches, and whether it has an AC, water heater or heavy appliance. These counts come from your needs and furniture layout, not from a generic number for any 100 m² flat.
As an example of minimums only, Schneider Electric's Electrical Installation Guide lists minimum points per room (an international example, not an Egyptian code, and a floor rather than what your flat needs):
| Room | Minimum sockets (Schneider example) | Minimum lighting points |
|---|---|---|
| Living room | 5 | 1 |
| Bedroom | 3 | 1 |
| Kitchen | 4 (above the worktop, in addition to dedicated circuits) | 2 |
| Bathroom | 1 | 2 |
| Entrance and hall | 1 | 1 |
| Laundry area | 2 | 1 |
Fine Homebuilding notes that the code is a minimum standard focused on safety, and that planning for convenience and future expansion is optional but recommended. So add beyond the minimum for how you will live; it is far cheaper before tiling.
2) Group the points into circuits: lighting, sockets, AC, water heater
Not everything goes on one circuit. According to the Schneider guide:
- ✔ At least one lighting circuit, each serving several rooms up to a maximum area of 50 m².
- ✔ At least one socket circuit rated 16 A, serving a reasonable number of sockets considering wire size and run length.
- ✔ A dedicated circuit for each high-load appliance, such as a washing machine, dishwasher or cooker.
- ✔ Water heaters and fixed heaters are connected by terminals, not through a socket.
- ✔ A protective (earth) conductor for each circuit (IEC 60364).
- ⚠ Air conditioning is not covered by that source, so its line is sized from the unit's nameplate and confirmed by the electrician.
3) Choose the wire size and breaker for each circuit
Wire size is not a matter of taste. For each circuit, work out the current of the devices on it (from the nameplate, not a horsepower-to-amps rule), then pick a breaker greater than or equal to the load and less than or equal to the wire's ampacity. The Schneider guide says phase, neutral and protective conductors have the same cross-section on circuits up to 32 A, and that conductor size and protective device depend on the load, ambient temperature, installation method and neighbouring circuits. Details and a size table are in our breakers and wire sizes guide.
4) Conduits and boxes follow the wires
Once you know how many wires run in each path, you can pick the conduit size (by fill, see our conduit guide) and the gathering points that need junction boxes (junction box guide). The number of switch and socket boxes comes from your point count in step 1.
5) Review the list with your electrician and leave room to grow
Show the list to the engineer or electrician before buying, and ask about the board (how many ways), the earth (earth wire) and leakage protection (RCCB). Leave spare capacity in the board and conduits for future additions.
A blank list template (fill it from your plan)
| Room | Lighting points | Sockets | Dedicated appliances | Circuit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living room | … | … | … | … |
| Bedroom 1 | … | … | … | … |
| Kitchen | … | … | … | … |
| Bathroom | … | … | … | … |
When the table is done, record for each circuit: expected current, wire size, breaker and conduit. That is what turns into a purchase list in metres and pieces.
Common mistakes that show after the walls close
- ⚠ Estimating quantities from a ready-made number online instead of counting from your plan, so you over- or under-buy.
- ⚠ Putting all sockets on one circuit, or heavy appliances on lighting circuits.
- ⚠ A wire smaller than the appliance load, or a breaker larger than the wire can carry.
- ⚠ Burying a junction box under plaster with no access.
- ⚠ Skipping the earth wire, or forgetting a spot for a future AC or heater before tiling.
- ✔ Review the list twice: once against the plan and once with the electrician before buying.
Who does what?
Design, approval of sizes, installation and testing belong to a qualified electrician or engineer. Your part as the owner is a clear plan, a first-draft list and the right questions. Tawredaat supplies the materials and does not set the sizes for your flat.
Rough-in materials available at Tawredaat
To compare your list with a ready package, we offer the Electrical Installation Package for a 100 m² Apartment. The product page lists copper wire reels, conduit rolls, junction boxes, covers and clips, but it is a product listing, not a design for your flat: check each item against your list and have the electrician confirm the sizes suit your circuits. You can also browse Wires & Cables, Conduits and the Electrical collection.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy the rough-in materials myself?
Yes, provided a qualified electrician or engineer reviews the list before you buy, because wire and breaker sizes are set by each circuit's load.
How many metres of wire do I need for 100 m²?
There is no correct general number: metres depend on the plan, point locations and the board position. Count the points, measure the runs on your plan and ask the electrician to confirm.
How do I make sure the electrician does not use a lower-grade material?
Agree a written list of sizes and types before starting, ask to see the materials before they go in, and check the size printed on the wire coils and the conduit and box brands.
What are the standard wire sizes?
1.5, 2.5, 4, 6 and 10 mm². The size for each circuit is set by its load, as explained in our breakers guide.
Do the AC and water heater need separate circuits?
The Schneider guide asks for a dedicated circuit per high-load appliance and connects water heaters by terminals, not a socket. It does not cover air conditioning, so size that line from the unit's nameplate and confirm with the electrician.
Is the installation package enough for my flat?
We cannot say without your plan. Compare the package items with your list and have the electrician confirm.
Preparing your rough-in list?
See wires, conduits and boxes at Tawredaat, with delivery in Cairo and Giza.
About Tawredaat: Tawredaat (توريدات) is an Egyptian supplier of electrical and finishing materials, serving homeowners, companies and contractors in Cairo and Giza. Questions? See our FAQ.
English summary: An apartment's electrical rough-in is wires inside conduits connected through boxes and gathered in a distribution board with an earth conductor. Build your list from your own floor plan: count lighting and socket points per room, group them into circuits, size each circuit by load (load current ≤ breaker ≤ wire ampacity, standard sizes 1.5, 2.5, 4, 6 and 10 mm²), then derive conduits and boxes. A qualified electrician confirms the final design.
Sources
- Schneider Electric Electrical Installation Guide, Residential electrical installation - Circuits (at least one lighting circuit with each circuit serving up to 50 m²; at least one 16 A socket circuit; a dedicated circuit for each high-load appliance such as washing machine, dishwasher or cooker; water heaters and fixed heaters connected by terminals, not a socket; same cross-section for phase, neutral and protective conductors up to 32 A; a protective conductor per circuit per IEC 60364; example minimum socket and lighting points per room) — electrical-installation.org/enwiki/Residential_electrical_installation_-_Circuits
- Fine Homebuilding, How many outlets per circuit? (the code is a minimum standard focused on safety; planning for convenience and future expansion is optional but recommended) — finehomebuilding.com/project-guides/wiring/how-many-outlets-per-circuit
- Tawredaat product page, Electrical Installation Package for a 100 m² Apartment (lists wire reels, conduit rolls, junction boxes, covers and clips; it is a listing, not a design for your flat) — tawredaat.com/products/electrical-installation-package-for-a-100-m-apartment
- Tawredaat guides on breakers and wire sizes, conduit size, junction boxes, distribution board ways, earth wire and RCCB (each cites its own sources) — tawredaat.com/blogs/news/breaker-amps-apartment-guide
