Cost Comparison: Drawing Your Single-Line Diagram Yourself vs. Hiring an Electrician

If you need an electrical inspection in Belgium, you need an up-to-date single-line diagram and a situation plan. The obvious question: do it yourself or hire an electrician? We crunch the numbers for three typical scenarios.

TL;DR — Cost Comparison at a Glance

What Does an Electrician Cost?

Prices for creating a single-line diagram by an electrician in Belgium vary depending on the region, company, and scope of the installation:

Typical Prices (as of 2026)

• On-site survey + single-line diagram: €269-450
• Single-line diagram + situation plan: €350-600
• Electrician hourly rate: €40-60/hour (excl. VAT)
• Rush surcharge: +30-50% for urgent orders
• Travel costs: €30-50 flat rate or per trip

On-Site Survey

For a correct single-line diagram, the electrician must survey your entire installation on-site. For an average home, this takes 2-4 hours:

• Document the distribution board
• Identify and trace all circuits
• Note protection devices (RCDs, circuit breakers)
• Check cable cross-sections
• Record devices in each room

What Does PlanElec Cost?

PlanElec offers a one-time pricing model:

• Single project: from €49
• No recurring costs — no subscription, no monthly fees
• Includes: single-line diagram, situation plan, Cabinet Editor, AREI validation, PDF export

Hidden Costs with an Electrician

Beyond the basic fee, there are often hidden costs that drive up the price:

Waiting Time

Good electricians in Belgium are heavily booked. Expect 2-4 weeks of waiting time until your appointment. For urgent matters (e.g., property sale with inspection deadline), this can become a problem — and the rush surcharge drives up the price.

Travel Costs

Many companies charge a travel flat rate of €30-50, especially in rural areas.

Changes Cost Extra

Has something changed since the survey? Forgot a circuit? With most electricians, changes to the finished plan cost extra — often at the hourly rate again.

Second Appointment

Sometimes one visit is not enough. For complex installations or incomplete documentation, a second on-site visit may be needed.

3 Calculation Examples with Concrete Numbers

Example 1: Existing Plan for Inspection (Single-Family Home, ~12 Circuits)

With an electrician:

With PlanElec:

*Your own time is of course not "free," but you do not need specialized knowledge — the wizard guides you through the process.

Savings: ~€340

Example 2: New Build (18 Circuits, 3-Bedroom Apartment)

With an electrician:

With PlanElec:

Savings: ~€480

Example 3: Property Sale (Urgent, Inspection in 2 Weeks)

With an electrician:

With PlanElec:

Savings: ~€440

With a property sale, the time factor also plays a role: with PlanElec, you can start immediately instead of waiting 2-4 weeks for the electrician.

When to Hire an Electrician Anyway

There are situations where an electrician is the better choice:

• Complex industrial installations: Installations with dozens of circuits, frequency converters, or compensation systems go beyond PlanElec's scope.
• Extensive installations: From 30+ circuits, planning can become demanding (three-phase is increasingly standard in Belgian single-family homes and is not a complexity indicator on its own).
• When you feel uncertain: If you do not know your installation or feel uncomfortable with electrical engineering, professional help makes sense.
• Old installations without documentation: For very old houses (pre-1981) without any documentation, the survey can be complex.

Drawing It Yourself — Is That Really Possible?

Important: Anyone is permitted to draw the plans. The installation work itself, however, must be carried out by a licensed electrician.

Yes! PlanElec is designed so that even non-specialists can create a regulation-compliant single-line diagram:

1. Step-by-step wizard guides you through the process
2. AREI-compliant symbols are automatically used
3. Automatic layout — you do not need to draw anything
4. AREI validation checks your diagram against more than 20 rules
5. PDF export delivers a print-ready document for the inspector

What you need to know: which devices are in which room and how your distribution board is set up. You can document this yourself on-site.

Note: A self-created diagram is checked just as strictly during the inspection as one from a professional — a diagram created with PlanElec does not automatically mean a positive inspection. The diagram must correctly reflect the actual as-built state of your installation.

Conclusion

For most private individuals in Belgium, drawing it yourself with PlanElec is the cheaper and faster option. You save €220-550 compared to an electrician and can start immediately — no waiting time.

The electrician remains the right choice for complex commercial installations or if you do not know your installation. But for the typical homeowner who needs an inspection, PlanElec is the smarter way.

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• PlanElec vs. Excel/Paper

Save Money on Your Single-Line Diagram

Create your regulation-compliant single-line diagram yourself with PlanElec — from €49, directly in the browser, with automatic AREI validation. Get started now →