Wire & Cable Costs in Residential & Commercial Buildings

Message #1 : 

• Wire & Cable Costs form a very small % of total construction costs of a building:
  • 1.0% to 1.5% for most commercial buildings and 1.5% to 2.0% for most residential buildings.
  • W&C Costs typically ranges from Rs 30 to 75 per sq ft BUA across building types which is a very small % of the total construction cost ……….and even smaller compared to the prevailing selling price (for example only 0.1% to 0.3% in an expensive property market like Mumbai).

Message #2 : 

• Hence trying to economize on Wire & Cable Costs should not be a stated objective…….instead the focus should be on using good quality wires and cables that provide superior conductivity, protection and fire safety.

Message #3 : 

• Copper W&C are widely used across sizes in residential and commercial buildings and is the preferred conductor upto 10 sq mm W&C. Increasingly, real estate promotional literature, brochures, etc. especially for residential projects specifically emphasize `100% copper internal wiring used in the project’ given the perceived benefits of copper wiring.