Electrical contractors do specialize. Perhaps the most plentiful of electricians are residential contractors; they focus on electrical issues in people’s homes. Next comes commercial electrical contractors that work in the world of commercial settings like retail stores or office buildings. Following that are industrial electrical contractors who work in factories and industrial plants. Each has specialized knowledge and there are a few other specialties that electrical contractors can get into.

The focus of commercial electrical contractors is supplying power throughout a commercial building. Obviously, this means distributing power to outlets in areas where electricity is needed. Still, the following are a few other areas where a commercial electrical contractor can be of service. These areas may not always be thought of when thinking about a commercial electrical contractor.

Lighting
Commercial electricians are very well versed in dealing with lighting. It is something they do with almost every new construction project. It is obvious that lighting is powered by electricity. However, because of the aesthetic ramifications many people tend to think of an interior designer when it comes to lighting. While an interior designer may be able to choose the best kind of lighting, fixtures, and placement, the installation will be done by an electrician.

Also, a business should not forget about its outdoor lighting. An electrical contractor can install outdoor lighting for the storefront, surrounding the building, and for the parking area. Outdoor lighting will help clients and customers; it will also help with security.
Controls
In addition to lighting there are other devices that the building will have that are powered by electricity. In this digital age not only are devices powered by but are reliant upon electricity to communicate. Most buildings have controls for systems in their buildings that need wiring. One of the most obvious examples is environmental controls like a thermostat. The thermostat is in one location while the heater or air conditioner sits in another part of the building. The two are wired together to communicate. Some more secure buildings have access controls that will only open with a badge or code. These types of controls need wiring also.

Security
While talking about securing buildings alarm systems most often need wiring. Alarm systems are wired from doors and windows to a control panel. Also any kind of sensors like a motion detection sensor will need to be wired back to the control panel. Similarly, any closed-circuit cameras will need to have cable run back to the monitor.

Telecommunications
Finally, telecommunications is an area commercial electrical contractors can help a building in getting wired. Many commercial electricians would know how to run cables for telephone and computer networks. This is not always a simple job because sometimes the two systems can run on one cable and there could be numerous cables to keep track of. Some commercial electrical contractors are even knowledgable about working with fiber optic cable.

One thing to know, while electrical contractors can help wire a building in these areas of controls, alarms, and telecommunications they are probably not the ones who will terminate the ends (connect the ends of the wiring). That is done by the company providing the service like security monitoring or the telephone system.