Cost Comparison: Drawing Your Single-Line Diagram Yourself vs. Hiring an Electrician
How to compare self-documentation and a professional commission for a Belgian single-line diagram without unsupported market prices or savings promises.
For a Belgian inspection, the documents must reflect the real installation. Whether self-documentation or a professional commission is more economical cannot be derived from a generic price list. Compare survey, drawing, technical responsibility and inspection separately.
TL;DR — compare the same scope
| Task | Self-documentation with PlanElec | Commissioning an electrical professional |
|---|---|---|
| Existing-condition survey | appropriate only for data that can be established safely and reliably | may include competent identification and measurement |
| Diagram and situation plan | structured input and PDF export | drawing from supplied or professionally surveyed data, depending on the offer |
| Engineering design | not replaced by software | can be explicitly commissioned |
| Final technical review | arrange separately | included only when the offer says so |
| Official inspection | separate authorised inspection body | also separate unless expressly arranged |
| Price basis | PlanElec Early Access currently EUR 0; own time remains work | project quotation; no official flat tariff |
No fixed saving follows from this table. Complete, verified project data can make self-documentation practical; an unknown older installation can require a professional survey.
Three editable scenarios
The fields below are calculation positions, not Belgian average prices. Enter amounts from your quotation and your own time value.
1. Existing installation with dependable records
professional route = quoted survey + drawing + professional review + inspection
self route = own hours × personal time value + professional review + inspection
If the floor plan, boards, protective devices and circuit assignments are verified, self-documentation may mostly involve data entry and reconciliation. Unknown technical values remain unknown; they are not guessed. A contractor can alternatively review and draw from that bounded data set.
2. Existing installation without reliable assignments
The actual state must first be established safely: which circuit supplies each item, which protection is installed and which conductor information is known. Opening electrical enclosures and making electrical measurements are not suitable DIY work. Include a professional survey as a separate item in the self route. A zero software fee does not remove necessary electrical work.
3. New or importantly modified installation
Technical design comes before drawing new circuits or sources. Manufacturer conditions, distribution-system-operator requirements and the applicable AREI rules can affect the result. Do not compare an all-in design and installation commission with drawing only. Split design, installation, documentation and inspection so the difference remains visible.
What is the required result?
The official FPS Economy guidance names the single-line diagram and situation plan among the minimum documents for a domestic inspection. The diagram records conductor, installation and protection data; the situation plan locates the corresponding items. Both belong to the installation file. That outcome matters, not which tool drew the lines.
What PlanElec currently provides
PlanElec combines the floor plan, electrical topology and distribution-board planning. Single-line and situation-plan PDFs are available. The self-check covers a documented subset of rules that can be decided from project data; it is not a compliance certificate. The detailed material list and working dossier are pilot features with stated limits. Quotation creation and payment processing are not active.
The verified price statement is narrow: Early Access currently has a EUR 0 product fee. There is no active checkout and no published future tariff. Your time, professional services, installation work and official inspection do not become free.
When professional help is essential
- when a safe survey requires measurements or opening enclosures;
- when conductor data, protective coordination or earthing are unclear;
- when circuits, PV, storage, EV charging or backup operation are being designed;
- when an inspection report identifies physical infringements;
- when manufacturer or distribution-operator conditions must be assessed;
- when you want to transfer responsibility for technical decisions.
“Draw it yourself” and “install it yourself” are different propositions. Documentation software does not grant electrical competence.
Seven questions for each quotation
- Who gathers and verifies the inputs?
- Are both plans and every board included?
- Does the commission include calculations or only graphical transfer?
- Who reviews technical plausibility?
- How are changes and evidence-based corrections charged?
- Are VAT, travel and the inspection fee separate?
- Which editable source and PDFs are handed over?
A fair decision rule
Choose self-documentation when reliable data exist, the scope is domestic and manageable, and professional review is arranged for technical uncertainties. Choose a professional commission when the installation is unknown, engineering decisions remain open, measurements are required or you need one party to coordinate the technical work. A hybrid route is often sensible: organise existing information in PlanElec, mark unknowns clearly, and ask an electrician to verify only what needs professional judgement.
Record the assumptions behind either route. If a quotation excludes circuit tracing, say who will supply verified assignments. If your own estimate excludes the value of your time, show that explicitly. If a revision follows physical work, update both plans. Transparency is more useful than a headline saving percentage.
Conclusion
Self-documentation can fit a project with verified inputs and respected professional boundaries. A professional commission can be the safer and more economical choice when survey, design or technical responsibility are needed. Calculate with real quotations and recorded time; do not promise a standard saving or a successful inspection.