Power is the part of a cubicle project people plan last and regret first. The furniture arrives on time, the crew builds the floor in two days, and then someone finds one wall outlet for twenty-four workstations and no permit filed. Here is how electricity and data actually reach a panel system, what to decide before you buy, and where the line sits between the furniture crew and a licensed electrician.
- How power gets into a panel system
- Powered vs non-powered panels: decide before you buy
- The 8-wire raceway and how circuits are shared
- Receptacle placement: base, belt line and stack-on
- Data cabling and the separation rules
- Who does what: electrician vs install crew
- Desktop power, grommets, monitor arms and spines
- Pre-install checklist for your electrician and building engineer
How power gets into a panel system
A powered cubicle system is not wired station by station. It is a chain of factory-made harnesses running through the panel bases, fed at one or more points from the building. Everything downstream of a feed point plugs together. Everything upstream is building electrical. There are three ways to reach it.
| Method | How it works | Best when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wall or base feed | A whip runs from a wall junction box into the base raceway | Pods sit against a wall or column | Whips have a fixed length; the run must reach a wall |
| Power pole | A vertical raceway drops from a ceiling box with power and often data | Pods float mid-floor | Visible; some landlords restrict them; needs ceiling access |
| Floor feed | Power rises through a poke-through, floor box or monument | Slab has boxes, or raised floor | Core drilling needs landlord approval, scanning and budget |
The connection at that feed point is the licensed part: whip, pole or floor box, an electrician makes the termination under permit. From there the harness is a listed plug-together system and the install crew handles it.
One feed does not serve a whole floor. Each run has a manufacturer limit before voltage drop and circuit loading force a second feed, so a 40-station floor commonly needs three to six. Where they land is a layout decision, which is why power belongs on the furniture plan.
Powered vs non-powered panels: decide before you buy
This is the most important thing in this guide. A powered and a non-powered panel of the same model, height and fabric look identical on a floor. The difference is inside the base: a powered panel has a raceway with a factory harness and receptacle sockets, a non-powered one has an empty channel or none. In liquidation inventory the two get mixed constantly, and if nobody checks you find out on install day.
| Powered panels | Non-powered panels | |
|---|---|---|
| Base raceway | Wired harness and receptacle openings | Empty, or no raceway |
| Cost | Higher per panel | Lower per panel |
| Use them for | Any panel that must carry power onward | End caps, dividers, file zones, walls where nothing plugs in |
| Retrofit later | Not needed | Only if parts are still made for that line; often not worth it |
Power travels through panels, so any panel in the electrical path must be powered and purely visual dividers need not be. A typical pod ends up around 70 percent powered.
Decide this while picking layouts, not after delivery. The cubicle configurations picker shows how single stations, 2-packs, inline runs, clusters, bullpens and benching chain together, and the chain is what power follows. In the instant quote builder, tell us how many stations need live power and we will spec the powered panel count.
The 8-wire raceway and how circuits are shared
Open the base of most panel systems and you find an 8-wire modular harness: four hot conductors, two neutrals, a ground and an isolated ground. Circuits 1, 2 and 3 share a neutral. Circuit 4 gets its own neutral and the isolated ground, originally intended for sensitive electronics.
Newer systems sometimes run a true four-circuit harness where every circuit has its own neutral. That matters: a shared neutral is a multi-wire branch circuit at the panelboard, with breakers tied together. Give your electrician the manufacturer and panel line before breakers are ordered.
How many workstations share a circuit causes the most trouble. A 20-amp, 120-volt circuit carries 2,400 VA, and continuous load is capped at 80 percent of that, or 1,920 VA.
| Station type | Typical draw | Planning figure per 20A circuit |
|---|---|---|
| Laptop, dock, two monitors, task light | 150-250 VA | 6 stations |
| Desktop tower, two monitors, phone | 250-400 VA | 4 stations |
| Local printer or shredder | Heavy spikes | Its own circuit |
| Space heater, microwave, coffee maker | 900-1,500 VA each | Never on a furniture circuit |
Four to six stations per circuit is the working range. It is a planning figure, not a code citation, and your licensed electrician makes the final call. Take the last row seriously: space heaters are the number one reason a cubicle circuit trips.
Receptacles are keyed or color-coded to the circuit they tap. That is how you balance a floor instead of loading six stations onto one breaker, so ask for circuit assignments on the plan.
Receptacle placement: base, belt line and stack-on
Outlet height changes daily life at the desk more than people expect.
- Base level. Receptacles snap into the panel base a few inches off the floor. Standard, cheapest, and what almost all used inventory has. People crawl under the desk to plug in a charger.
- Belt line. A powered raceway at roughly 30 inches, so outlets sit just above the worksurface. Far more usable, but it is a specific product on specific panel lines, costs more, and is hard to find used.
- Stack-on raceway. A powered segment added between stacked panel sections, raising outlets to belt height without replacing the base.
If belt-line power is not available for your panels, the standard fix is base-level power feeding a desktop module. Count outlets per station, not per pod: two is thin once you add a dock, two monitors, a phone and a charger. Four is comfortable. Adding receptacles at install is cheap. Adding a circuit later is not.
Data cabling and the separation rules
Most panel systems split the base raceway into two channels: one for the power harness, one for communication cable. Low-voltage data cable and line-voltage conductors must stay separated by the divider built into the base. Never zip-tie Cat6 to a power harness or run data through the power channel because it was easier to reach.
The reasons are code and performance. Sharing a channel can induce noise on copper cable, and mixing line and low voltage in one compartment violates the listing of the wiring system. Where they cross, cross at 90 degrees.
Sequencing matters as much as separation:
- Electrician sets the junction, floor or ceiling boxes at the feed points.
- Furniture crew builds panels and runs the internal harnesses, leaving the data channel open.
- Cabling vendor pulls horizontal runs through the data channel and terminates jacks.
- Electrician makes the final hardwired connections to the furniture infeeds.
- Furniture crew hangs worksurfaces, storage and screens, then closes the base covers.
Get that order wrong and somebody pays to take panels apart. Structured cabling is its own licensed trade in most states, so the cabling vendor is a third party alongside the electrician. Name all three contacts before the install date is locked. If you are moving at the same time, office relocation is where this sequencing gets managed.
Who does what: electrician vs install crew
Settle this before you compare quotes. It is where surprise costs live.
| Task | Licensed electrician | Office Station install crew |
|---|---|---|
| Branch circuits from the panelboard | Yes, under permit | No |
| Junction boxes, whips, floor boxes, core drilling | Yes | No |
| Final connection of building power to the infeed | Yes, permitted and inspected | No |
| Setting panels, connectors and worksurfaces | No | Yes |
| Routing and joining the raceway harnesses | No | Yes |
| Receptacles and power pole assembly | No | Yes |
| Scheduling around inspection and cabling | Coordinates | Coordinates |
This is why our prices exclude electrical. Every rate on our card is furniture only and excludes electrical, delivery and professional installation, all quoted separately. Electrical is permitted, licensed work priced per project, because it depends on panelboard capacity, the run to each feed point, ceiling and slab conditions and your jurisdiction. Anyone quoting electrical sight unseen is quoting a change order.
| Station | Liquidation grade | Remanufactured | New |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6' x 6' | $615 | $1,245 | $1,920 |
| 6' x 8' | $725 | $1,410 | $2,170 |
| 8' x 8' manager | $850 | $1,615 | $2,470 |
| Open bench seat | $460 | $875 | $1,235 |
Average market rate Prices subject to availability and project pricing.
Furniture only, and space planning is free. Panel height adjusts the price: low 42" x0.95, mid 53" x1.00, tall 65" x1.08. Lead times run 72 hours for in-stock liquidation grade, 7 to 14 days remanufactured, 4 to 6 weeks new, so book the electrician against the furniture date. Grades are compared in the used vs remanufactured vs new guide.
Desktop power, grommets, monitor arms and spines
Panel power gets electricity to the station. Desktop hardware keeps the surface usable.
- Grommets. The hole and cap cords pass through. Used surfaces often have them already, sometimes in the wrong place. Drilling a new one in laminate is easy, but ask before delivery.
- Desktop power modules. A block clamped to the surface edge or set into a grommet, with outlets and USB, cord-connected down to a panel receptacle. The cheapest fix for base-level outlets.
- Monitor arms. They free surface area, let people set height properly, and route cables through the arm. Confirm surface thickness and grommet diameter before ordering.
- Cable spines and trays. An under-desk tray gathers slack that would otherwise sit on the floor. Essential on height-adjustable desks.
- One cord down, not six. Everything plugs into a dock or desktop module, and one cord drops to the panel.
Desktop accessories are specified with the furniture, not the electrical scope, so raise them while the plan is still on paper.
Pre-install checklist for your electrician and building engineer
Walk the space with both of them, with the furniture plan in hand, before anything ships.
- Confirm spare panelboard capacity and how many 20-amp circuits you can add.
- Mark feed points on the furniture plan and agree the method at each: wall whip, power pole or floor feed.
- Give them the manufacturer and panel line, and confirm whether the harness shares a neutral.
- Set the station count per circuit for your real equipment and ask for circuit assignments on the plan.
- Check ceiling access and slab conditions if poles or core drilling are in play.
- Ask the building engineer about after-hours windows, freight elevator reservations, insurance certificates and whether power poles are restricted.
- Pull the electrical permit and learn the inspection lead time. This is what most often moves a go-live date.
- Book the cabling vendor into the sequence above, not the same day as panel build.
- Count receptacles and data jacks per station on paper, then add the ones you forgot for shared equipment.
- Verify which panels are powered against the inventory actually shipping.
- Confirm who removes the old furniture and cabling, and whether it has recovery value. See office decommissioning.
Items 2 and 10 we will do with you at no cost. Space planning is free: send a floor plan and a headcount and we will lay out the stations, mark where power has to arrive and spec the powered panel count, so your electrician bids from a real drawing. Browse used and remanufactured cubicles or email hello@officestation.com.
Frequently asked questions
Do used cubicles come with power?
Some do and some do not, and it is not something you can tell from a photo. A powered panel has a wired raceway in its base and a socket for receptacles. A non-powered panel of the same model looks identical from the outside but has an empty base. Always confirm which panels in a used set are powered before you buy, because retrofitting later costs more than buying powered up front.
How many cubicles can be on one 20-amp circuit?
A common planning figure is four to six workstations per 20-amp, 120-volt circuit, assuming a laptop or small desktop, two monitors and a task light at each station. A 20-amp circuit is limited to 1,920 VA of continuous load. Space heaters, microwaves and printers blow past that fast. Your licensed electrician sets the final number for your equipment.
Does Office Station do the electrical work?
No. Our furniture prices exclude electrical, and electrical is quoted separately per project by a licensed electrician. Connecting a building branch circuit to a furniture infeed is permitted, licensed work. Our install crew sets the panels, routes the internal raceway harnesses, snaps in receptacles and power poles, and coordinates the schedule around the electrician.
Can you add power to non-powered cubicles later?
Sometimes, if the manufacturer still makes the powered base raceway and harness for that panel line and the panel base can accept it. Often the parts are discontinued or the retrofit costs more than the panel is worth. On liquidation-grade inventory it is usually cheaper to buy powered panels from the start, or to run surface raceway and desktop power instead.
Can data cable run in the same raceway as power?
Yes, in most panel systems, but only in the separate communication channel the manufacturer built for it. Power conductors and low-voltage data cable must stay physically separated by the divider or partition in the base. Never zip-tie Cat6 to a power harness or share the power channel. Where a crossing is unavoidable, cross at 90 degrees.
What is an 8-wire cubicle power system?
It is the most common modular wiring configuration in panel furniture: eight conductors in the base raceway, typically four hot wires, two neutrals, a ground and an isolated ground. That yields three general-purpose circuits sharing one neutral plus a fourth circuit with its own neutral. Receptacles are color-coded or keyed to the circuit they tap.
