EC&M - June 2026

JUNE 2026

EC&M Magazine

ecmweb.com

C E L E B RAT I N G 1 2 5 Y E A RS • 1901-2026

THE TOP 40 Electrical Design • National Electrical Code • Safety

We rank this year’s industry leaders in electrical design.

PAGE 24

The Rise of Condition Monitoring PAGE 10

June 2026 • Vol. 125, No. 6

Benefits of Prefabrication PAGE 18

Spatial AI in Construction PAGE 56

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Contents

June 2026

Cover photo: Irfanhad19/Shutterstock

Volume 125 • Number 6 ecmweb.com

COVER STORY

Riding the Data Center Boom Top 40 Electrical Design Firms see a double-digit revenue boost amidst more demand concentration in the data center space.

12

56 FEATURE 56 Risk vs. Reward

How electrical contractors can evaluate spatial AI without increasing project risk

24

18

62

66

DEPARTMENTS 8 Industry Viewpoint

The electrical design industry at an inflection point

10 Maintenance Facts

Revolutionizing electrical services: the rise of condition monitoring

12 Safety Corner

Elevating safety: Essential tips to prevent falls and OSHA citations

18 Job-Site Intelligence

Maximizing the benefits of prefabrication in electrical contracting

58 Product News 65 Ad Index 4

NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE 59 Code Basics

NEC requirements for receptacles

U P A E E

Y S

62 Illustrated Catastrophes More Code catastrophes

63 Code Quiz of the Month

S

Test your Code IQ

64 Practically Speaking

AL-CU versus CO/ALR markings

66 What’s Wrong Here?

Can you spot the Code violations?

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

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online

With its exclusive online content, ecmweb.com is a valuable source of industry insight for electrical professionals. Here’s a sample of what you can find on our site right now:

2026 Top 40 Electrical Design Firm Projects in the Spotlight: Part 1 Some of this year’s Top 40 firms share their most notable electrical projects from 2025. ecmweb.com/55377391

Courtesy of CDM Smith

CONSULTANTS AND CONTRIBUTORS NEC Consultant Mike Holt mike@mikeholt.com NEC Consultant Russ LeBlanc russ@russleblanc.net

SALES AND MARKETING

Regional/Territory Account Manager Jay Thompson jthompson@endeavorb2b.com

ID 13910448 © OnAir2 Dreamstime.com

The Top 10 OSHA Violations of 2025

Follow us X: x.com/ecmmagazine Facebook: www.facebook.com/ElectricalConstructionMaintenanceMagazine LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/electrical-construction-maintenance Instagram: www.instagram.com/ecmmagazine YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/ecmwebtv TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@ecm.magazine Subscribe to our Newsletters: ecmweb.com/newsletters Electrical Construction & Maintenance (USPS Permit 499-790, ISSN 1082-295X print, ISSN 2771-6384 online) is published monthly by Endeavor Business Media, LLC. 201 N. Main St 5th Floor, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Atkinson, WI, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Electrical Construction & Maintenance, PO Box 3257, Northbrook, IL 60065-3257. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Publisher reserves the right to reject non-qualified subscriptions. Subscription prices: U.S. ($68.75 year); Canada/Mexico ($ 112.50); All other countries ($162.50). All subscriptions are payable in U.S. funds. Send subscription inquiries to Electrical Construction & Maintenance, PO Box 3257, Northbrook, IL 60065-3257. Customer service can be reached toll-free at 877-382-9187 or at electricalconstmaint@omeda.com for magazine subscription assistance or questions.

Printed in the USA. Copyright 2026 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopies, recordings, or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the publisher. Endeavor Business Media, LLC does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person or company for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident, or any other cause whatsoever. The views and opinions in the articles herein are not to be taken as official expressions of the publishers, unless so stated. The publishers do not warrant either expressly or by implication, the factual accuracy of the articles herein, nor do they so warrant any views or opinions by the authors of said articles.

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Regional/Territory Account Manager David Sevin dsevin@endeavorb2b.com

OSHA’s annual list reveals the most frequently cited safety standards in 2025, with fall protection leading the list, highlighting ongoing safety challenges. ecmweb.com/55378807

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

Editor Michael Morris mmorris@endeavorb2b.com

Mike Hellmann mhellmann@endeavorb2b.com

ID 150210717 © Pakorn Khantiyaporn | Dreamstime.com

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Managing Editor Ellie Coggins ecoggins@endeavorb2b.com

VP/Market Leader — Buildings & Construction

EC&M On Air — The Everyday Electrician’s Top Videos & Behind-the-Scenes

Trevor Ottmann, the face behind EC&M’s The Everyday Electrician, joins the podcast to discuss some of his best videos.E ecmweb.com/55379951

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Ellen Parson eparson@endeavorb2b.com

Regional/Territory Key Account Manager Ellyn Fishman efishman@endeavorb2b.com Account Manager Steve Suarez ssuarez@endeavorb2b.com

PRODUCTION AND CIRCULATION Art Director David Eckhart deckhart@endeavorb2b.com Production Manager Josh Troutman jtroutman@endeavorb2b.com Ad Services Manager Deanna O’Byrne dobyrne@endeavorb2b.com User Marketing Manager James Marinaccio jmarinaccio@endeavorb2b.com

E A

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ENDEAVOR BUSINESS MEDIA, LLC

CEO: Chris Ferrell COO: Patrick Rains CDO: Jacquie Niemiec CMO: Amanda Landsaw CALO: Tracy Kane EVP Building & Construction Group: Chris Perrino VP of Content Strategy: Mike Eby Reprints: Contact reprints@endeavorb2b.com to purchase custom reprints or e-prints of articles appearing in this publication.

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INDUSTRY VIEWPOINT

The Electrical Design Industry at an Inflection Point

E Leading electrical design firms are becoming increasingly selective and strategic about where they pursue growth.

very June, EC&M unveils the results of its proprietary Top 40 Electrical Design Firms survey. After analyzing this year’s findings, presented in a special report written by veteran freelancer Tom Zind (starting on page 24), I couldn’t help but notice a recurring theme that seems to be reinforced not only in the electrical engineering sector but also in the broader engineering profession. Growth remains strong — key industry players answering our survey generated a combined $5.776 billion in electrical design revenue in 2025, up more than 10% from the previous year and reaching another record high for the survey — yet they are becoming increasingly selective and strategic about where they pursue that growth, inevitably placing bigger bets on vertical markets they believe will hit that sweet spot of stability, profitability, and long-term demand.

It comes as no surprise that the primary driver of growth among Top 40 respondents was data center construction. As I was writing this viewpoint, a notice ironically popped up in my email announcing that construction is underway on a new $16-billion data center in Michigan (The Barn in Saline Township), marking the largest economic investment in state history. Considering the legal battle that ensued following local opposition (which started with the township initially rejecting the data center, followed by the developer filing a lawsuit claiming the denial was illegal exclusionary zoning, and ending with a court-approved settlement that allowed the project to proceed with added conditions and community concessions), this project is a prime example of the debate over whether communities should accept large AI data centers and who should bear the costs of powering them. Again this year, more than half of responding firms identified data centers as one of their three hottest markets, while nearly half expect the sector to represent a significantly larger share of their workload in 2026. According to Faith Technologies Incorporated (FTI’s) Executive Vice President Wade Leipold, this segment isn’t showing any signs of slowing anytime soon. “There’s a lot of money behind this data center activity now, which is a major difference from other phases” of past manias, he said. “Even with a backlog, we don’t see anything tapering off at this point.”

That line of thinking aligns closely with the key takeaways from the ACEC Research Institute’s “Q2 2026 Engineering Business Sentiment Survey,” which identified data centers (+87) as the strongest-performing market across the engineering profession.

“The sector is shifting from a growth posture driven by demand and labor constraints to one defined by cautious expansion, cost management, and strategic selectivity,” said ACEC Board Chair Steve Lefton in a recent press release. “Firms are healthy, and they’re planning to grow with greater discipline and a closer eye on the horizon.”

Just as AI is reshaping our work and our world, the electrical design market seems to be at an inflection point. As a growing share of business is becoming increasingly concentrated in power-intensive, technology-driven mission-critical sectors, the demand for electrical expertise will only increase. I thought Nicki Sparks, principal and electrical engineering leader at HED, captured this sentiment especially well. “Energy nodes will become more critical, and that means staff must be open to different perspectives and ways of thinking,” said Sparks. “You can’t be black or white on electrical design anymore, except when it comes to safety.”

Ellen Parson, Editor-in-Chief 8

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

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MAINTENANCE FACTS

Revolutionizing Electrical Services: The Rise of Condition Monitoring

Electrical services have evolved from reactive maintenance to advanced condition monitoring, utilizing real-time data and predictive maintenance.

GABRIEL ARCE, SIEMENS SMART INFRASTRUCTURE USA ID 164104730 © Ekkasit919 | Dreamstime.com

The traditional approach

Traditionally, electrical services relied heavily on reactive maintenance.

This approach meant that issues were addressed only after they had caused disruptions or outages — an approach commonly called “run to failure.” While this method was straightforward, it often led to unexpected downtime, costly repairs, and safety hazards.

The lack of real-time data made it challenging to predict and prevent potential problems.

Shift to preventive maintenance

Predictive maintenance methods have advanced thanks to new technologies, such as Internet of Things (IoT) enabled devices that can continuously monitor the health of electrical systems.

In the ever-evolving landscape of electrical services, the journey toward condition monitoring represents a significant leap forward.

Today, customers face many challenges — an aging workforce and infrastructure, the rising cost of energy and operation, and the lack of transparency about the condition of key building systems.

10

Dealing with these challenges requires a transformation driven by the need for enhanced reliability, efficiency, and safety in electrical distribution systems, with increased automation filling the gap created by leaner staffing levels. Let’s explore how this journey has unfolded and what it means for the future of electrical services.

As technology advanced, the industry began to shift toward preventive maintenance. This approach involved regular inspections and scheduled maintenance activities to prevent failures before they occurred. While preventive maintenance reduced the frequency of unexpected breakdowns, it relied solely on technician site visits and still lacked the precision needed to optimize performance and extend the lifespan of electrical equipment.

Rise of condition monitoring

The advent of digital technologies and the Internet of Things (IoT) has paved the way for condition monitoring. This innovative approach leverages real-time data from sensors and advanced analytics to continuously monitor the health and performance of electrical equipment.

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

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Here’s how condition monitoring is revolutionizing electrical services: 1. Real-time data collection: Sensors installed on electrical equipment collect data on various parameters such as temperature, vibration, power quality, and electrical load. This data is transmitted in real time to a central monitoring system.

2. Advanced analytics: The collected data is analyzed using sophisticated algorithms to detect anomalies and predict potential failures.

This predictive capability allows for timely interventions, reducing the risk of unexpected breakdowns.

3. Enhanced reliability: By continuously monitoring the condition of electrical equipment, maintenance can be performed based on actual needs rather than fixed schedules.

This approach ensures that equipment is serviced only when necessary, enhancing reliability and reducing maintenance costs.

4. Improved safety: Condition monitoring helps identify potential safety hazards before they escalate into serious issues. For example, detecting overheating in electrical components can prevent fires and other dangerous situations.

5. Extended equipment lifespan: Regular monitoring and timely maintenance help extend the lifespan of electrical equipment. This not only reduces replacement costs but also contributes to sustainability by minimizing waste.

The future of electrical services: machine learning

The journey toward condition monitoring is just the beginning. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect even more advanced solutions that will further enhance the efficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of electrical services. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) will enable even more accurate predictions and smarter maintenance strategies.

Machine learning can significantly enhance predictive analytics in electrical equipment by transforming raw operational data into actionable insights that anticipate failures before they occur. By continuously analyzing

data from sensors monitoring temperature, vibration, load, humidity, partial discharge, and power quality, ML algorithms can detect subtle patterns and anomalies that traditional rule-based systems may overlook.

These models learn from historical performance, maintenance records, and failure events to predict remaining useful life, identify high-risk components, and recommend optimal maintenance timing — reducing unplanned downtime and extending asset lifespan. Pairing these models with equipment performance data can help forecast the health of equipment and identify potential failures. Ultimately, ML will play a central role in making electrical services more efficient, reliable, and cost-effective while supporting a proactive, data-driven asset management approach.

Condition monitoring and AI

AI revolutionizes electrical equipment monitoring by leveraging advanced pattern recognition and anomaly detection capabilities. Through sophisticated analysis of historical operational and maintenance data, AI can identify potential issues before they trigger traditional alarm thresholds.

This technology excels at rapidly integrating and analyzing multiple data streams — from operational metrics to environmental factors — creating a comprehensive view of equipment health. This intelligent integration enables predictive maintenance strategies, enhanced risk assessments, and real-time performance optimization, ultimately delivering proactive alerts that transform reactive maintenance into predictive reliability management.

By embracing these advanced technologies, the industry is poised to achieve unprecedented levels of reliability, safety, and efficiency. As we look to the future, the continued innovation in condition monitoring will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of electrical services.

EV Infrastructure This twice-a-month e-newsletter tracks the development, design, installation, and safe operation of electric vehicle supply equipment and systems.

Topics covered include: • Applying NEC requirements • Industry news and trends • New products • Federal investment allocation • National EV charging infrastructure buildout development

Subscribe Today See all of our EC&M e-newsletters at www.ecmweb.com

Gabriel Arce is a portfolio manager – digital electrical services for the Buildings Business at Siemens Smart Infrastructure USA. www.ecmweb.com • June 2026

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SAFETY CORNER

Elevating Safety: Essential Tips to Prevent Falls and OSHA Citations Working at elevation entails special risks. Do you know how to protect yourself against them?

ID 155568345 © Somporn Suebhait | Dreamstime.com

BY MARK LAMENDOLA, ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT

Each year, four of the top 10 OSHA citation categories are elevationrelated, and falling from elevation is a major cause of death on the job.

The following tips will help you avoid being yet another statistic in the losing fight against gravity.

Don’t be there

”Don’t be there” is arguably the primary rule of safety. Try to reduce the time needed at elevation and the number of ascents/descents. What prefab can you do on the ground?

What tools and test equipment can 12

reasonably be anticipated for the job? How can the work be planned, organized, and supplied to reduce time above grade?

If you’re up there and realize you should have brought a reciprocating saw, don’t just go get it. Save a trip or two by mentally walking through the remaining steps to see if you need something else, too.

Understand the elevator

Ladders can slide, lifts can tilt over, and scaffolding can collapse. No means of elevation is inherently

safe, but all of them can be rendered acceptably safe if you consistently apply the rules for using them.

Given OSHA’s citation stats, there’s a fair chance your employer has not provided adequate training. So actively go after that training.

But not when it comes to ladders, right? You just lean an extension ladder against the wall and walk up it, right? Nope and nope. If the ladder slips due to an incorrect angle or inappropriate feet, the results may be fatal. If the ladder is too far laterally from the work, the results may be

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

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fatal. There’s much more to ladder use than leaning and walking.

Scissor lifts, fixed ladders, and scaffolding seem safer, but they have issues too. Know them all, and act accordingly.

Inspect before going up

What can you see from ground level that might be an issue up there?

For example, can you identify the fall protection anchor points?

Missing guardrail?

Inspect your means of elevating.

For example, test the controls on the scissor lift. Look for battery corrosion and evidence of hydraulic leaks. Ensure its outriggers are correctly deployed, and the system is stable. Look up to see if there is clearance to extend the platform close enough to the work; if not, can you move the platform a bit to gain clearance? Look for dangers above, such as an energized busway. Look for dangers below, such as combustibles that could ignite and trap you on the platform. Look for dangers to others.

Does this area need to be roped off?

Redo when relocating

It’s sometimes tempting with a scissor lift to just drive from point to point with the platform extended; what can go wrong? Grabbing a ladder from the top and bumping it along the grade to move it over a foot saves time, right? These and other shortcuts are pure gambling. Some scissor lifts are designed for the aforementioned purpose; most are not. For those that are, some rules apply, such as you scoping the driving path first.

If you must move a lift or ladder just a few inches, treat that as an entirely new setup. Much of your “checklist” work is already done, so this doesn’t take as long as it might seem (just address what may have changed). Mainly, you must ensure against sliding (ladder) or tipping (lift). Also, check that there’s no new hazard (e.g., mud from shoes now on a ladder rung) that would present a slipping hazard.

Correctly use the appropriate PPE

A harness and lanyard won’t protect you on the way up; that job falls 14

mainly to your shoes. One of the safety features of a work shoe (or boot) is the superior traction it provides compared to, say, a casual leather shoe. When you’re climbing a ladder, there is a far greater chance you will slip with your foot than with your hand. You reduce that chance dramatically with a pair of serviceable OSHA-compliant (e.g., ASTM F2412) work shoes.

Employer-provided personal protective equipment (PPE) ranges from nets to harnesses. Whatever it happens to be, assume it isn’t suitable until you establish otherwise. Is the net suspended with enough room

Employer-provided personal protective equipment (PPE) ranges from nets to harnesses. Whatever it happens to be, assume it isn’t suitable until you establish otherwise. under it that you won’t get impaled?

Is your harness past its “freshness date”? Do not use expired PPE. Visually inspect all PPE and reject ones that show any signs of damage or wear.

Fall protection PPE for construction and maintenance is designed for a quick catch, not a soft catch. For example, there is hardly any give in a fall protection lanyard.

When it catches, the user feels the full force. To limit the energy involved, lanyards are limited to 6 ft (or less) with instructions to never climb above the anchor point. If you go 6 ft above the anchor point, that’s a 12-ft fall.

Climb with technique

When climbing a ladder, tilt your body (center of gravity) forward.

This reduces the force that must be

held by your hands and arms. It also increases your traction on the rung by shifting lateral force (decreases adhesion) into vertical force (increases adhesion). Ideally, you would lay your body flat against the ladder while climbing, but in reality, you can’t quite do that.

If you put an average-sized shoe on a typical ladder rung, about threefourths of your shoe is supported by nothing but air. To make that shoe stick to the rung instead of sliding off it, raise your heels slightly while climbing a ladder and consciously push down a bit. This may seem counterintuitive, but it is exactly how rock climbers stick to much smaller surface areas. Yes, climbing shoes help with this, but so do OSHA-compliant work shoes.

Always look where you intend to put your foot before you put it there.

Yes, rock climbers do this too. Rather than feel for the rung and possibly miss it, watch what you are doing and place your foot precisely. Once the foot is placed, redirect your gaze to where you are going.

Some people climbing ladders use a “death grip” to feel more secure.

You can maintain this maximum grip for about 15 sec, after which it will steadily get weaker. A grip similar in firmness to a handshake is sufficient.

One problem with the death grip is that it feeds the fear response, which makes you more likely to make a mistake and fall. Just stay calm, watch your foot placement, and keep your body weight as close to the ladder as is practical.

Have a system for tools and materials

If you try to carry material up with you, how can you maintain three points of contact on the ladder? One alternative is to have an assistant throw things up to you. The owner of a service company in Mentor, Ohio, banned this method after he personally lost an eye that way.

You may have noticed roofs being replaced after a hailstorm. Most roofing companies use a conveyor lift to get the materials onto the roof instead of having workers haul them up. It’s faster, there’s less material

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

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C C breakage, and it’s safer. That kind of system is overkill for the typical electrical job done at elevation, but for large or heavy items, you should be thinking sharply in that direction.

Power tools and small parts can be passed up and down via the tried-andtrue bucket and rope system.

Identify and address unsafe points

Once you’re at elevation, repeat the assessment you did from grade.

What dangers can you spot, and how can you protect yourself against them? Note that “be aware of it and work carefully” is a weak protection that is prone to failure. Come up with a solution that will physically prevent your body from falling to grade.

Moving at elevation

As with climbing, look where you are putting your foot before and while putting it there. You could easily step

into an opening, onto a loose scaffold board, or into something slippery. You could slip on a loose tool or step right off the edge.

Once you’re at elevation, repeat the assessment you did from grade. What dangers can you spot, and how can you protect yourself against them?

If you’re standing on a ladder, keep your head between the rails. Don’t lean to the side to reach something, no matter how close it seems. Why? Because this will keep the centerline

of your body mass roughly in line with the center of the ladder. That alignment is what prevents the infamous, and often deadly, sideways ladder fall.

S

Inherently doesn’t mean always

Working with electricity is inherently dangerous, yet electricians typically enjoy a long and rewarding career.

Working at elevation is inherently dangerous, yet many people do it day after day for decades. In both cases, the positive outcome is a result of consistently working safely. It’s not humanly possible to remember every safety rule all the time. But it is well within your ability to look at each situation for its potential dangers so that you don’t have to rely on memory alone.

Mark Lamendola is an electrical consultant based in Merriam, Kan. He can be reached at mark@mindconnection.com

E C

•

•

•

•

•

A T

w

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5/20/26 4:21 PM PM 6/9/26 3:42

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4:21 PM

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Patent pending

148

© 2026 Arlington Industries, Inc.

6/2/26 3:42 6/9/26 3:02 PM PM

JOB-SITE INTELLIGENCE

C C

Maximizing the Benefits of Prefabrication in Electrical Contracting

Focusing on the strategic integration of prefabrication, learn practical approaches for tracking performance and quantifying the value added through prefabrication efforts.

What happens when you get a dozen specialty subcontractors together to review what they have learned and turned into practice on prefabrication? You get confirmation of the purposes and a plan for a measurement system for it.

Benefits of prefabrication

There are three main categories of prefab work: 1. Common among all items but unique to the type of job, like boxes, wall mounts, whips, fixture kits, etc.

(Photo).

2. Job/type of work specific items that are related, such as hospital headwalls, high-bay light assemblies, and racks.

3. Build-to-order/project specific items that are one of a kind or highrisk elements of a project.

The panel of electrical contractors — part of MCA’s Agile User Group that meets virtually three times per year — recalled/remembered that they worked with their teams to set the foundation with a strong understanding of “the why” behind prefab. Clarifying its purpose will help establish a consistent mindset and set expectations, making it easier to drive adoption and expand its use across projects.

Prefabrication provides far more benefits than just faster installation, as shown in the Table 1 on page 20.

Since work happens in a removed environment away from the job 18

ID 397041088 © Welcomia | Dreamstime.com

BY JENNIFER DANESHGARI AND SYDNEY PARVIN, MCA, INC.

SC

Performing prefab work on commonly installed electrical items can not only improve installation speed on job sites, but also enhance safety and reliability for workers.

site, it is safer, more reliable, and more predictable. The controlled environment of a prefab shop allows the work to happen with far fewer disruptions than those experienced day to day on the job site.

Without the impact of weather, other trades, working around material and equipment, the space of the prefab shop itself can offer a distraction-free space to produce efficiently. With prefab, work can happen in parallel and sooner, reducing the various peaks and dips of a typical project schedule.

Lastly, despite concerns that prefabrication might take work away

M TH

from the field, it has the opposite effect. When implemented effectively, it helps contractors stay competitive and win more projects, employing more electricians.

Measuring prefabrication outcomes

In the early days of introducing prefabrication to your team, buy-in from the field can be a challenge.

Having a clear message and understanding of the benefits lays the groundwork to bridge this gap.

A common misconception to overcome is that prefabrication simply means faster installation.

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

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6/9/26 3:43 PM

2604EC

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Patent pending

147

© 2026 Arlington Industries, Inc.

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JOB-SITE INTELLIGENCE

While that can often be true, it also becomes a point of resistance when it isn’t. This causes other important benefits to be overlooked.

As your team buys into the concepts, sees the various ways to measure success, and is using it in the daily work, how do you measure/ know it’s working? The electrical subcontractors got together and

reviewed methods of measurement to confirm meeting their goals. The measurements that were discussed used can be categorized into three areas: • Utilization: the act of making use of something (how much) • Effectiveness: how well the desired result was produced (how successful) • Savings: if there is a financial benefit

approaches can still provide useful data to support and encourage teams to increase prefabrication efforts.

Ideas shared were: • Prefab percent usage (hours spent in prefab out of the total) per job, scope of work, or division. This is preferably done by reviewing the work breakdown structure and percent of projects using prefab at all/in any capacity.

The focus of the discussion was on if it’s at the job site or in the workshop/another location.

• Reviewing if equipment utilization is tied to prefab. The thought with this is if subassemblies are made and brought to the site, the equipment can be on the job site for a shorter amount of time by working quickly to assemble/install the prefab versus waiting for the team to make multiple items/using the equipment sporadically.

• Headcount expected on site versus actual. Some companies do use a more “production” measurement approach.

One prefabrication manager for a large electrical contractor explained their team has established a rough estimated time for different assemblies.

In the shop, they will track and monitor how long that assembly takes, if it took longer than expected, and why. This data is compiled monthly and used for production and quality goals. The top producers receive incentives to continue improving.

Utilization

Effectiveness

The controlled environment of a prefab shop allows the work to happen with far fewer disruptions than those experienced day to day on the job site.

There were several ways the companies looked at how much prefabrication was being done. While they acknowledged that not every method may consistently apply, these

This entails measuring how well the prefabrication is working. This is different than how fast or how much.

Looking at the benefits to your entire system is important.

Want to Know More?

Check out the NECA-5 NEIS Standard for Prefabrication. Prefabrication collectively refers to any kind of completion of electrical components, subassemblies, or modules of a construction project in a different, off-site location and performed in a controlled environment.

Take the Prefabrication Litmus Test, introduced in MCA’s 2023 EC&M feature article, “The Evolution of Prefabrication,” to assess where your organization falls along this maturity model and look for next steps (Table 2 on page 22).

20

What Does Prefab Provide?

• Safer • More reliable • More predictable • Controlled environment • Manpower allocation/buffer • Reduce project duration • Get more work © MCA, Inc. and Dr. Perry Daneshgari

Table 1. Why use prefabrication?

• A prefabrication foreman from a participating contractor explained that tracking productivity in an application that complies with the ASTM E2691 Job Productivity Measurement Standard, like JPAC® (Job Productivity Measurement and Control) allows them to see if the prefab assembled and sent to the job site was able to be installed productively. In reviewing the trends, the weeks following the prefabs arrival to the job site, his team is able to see how the prefab impacted the productivity for the overall job.

• Making common among all types of prefabrication in the workshop in an uninterrupted setting is a very good way to increase productivity on the job site by having quality checked items available for faster installation.

• Building consistent items needed for your job that can be manufactured altogether, quality checked (like those patient headwalls or luminaires or electrical panels), and sent as needed for installation will help for consistent flow and work.

F se

C

N

*

Savings

While considering cost savings may seem self-explanatory, it is imperative to consider time, cost, and the increased quality.

If you have established common and consistent prefab assemblies that you use (by default) across your jobs, are using BIM to build the job more productively, but not yet practicing full simulation of building, work and information modeling — you are most

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

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2509EC

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08412

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20

.780 1.120

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3/4" 1"

08413

1-1/4"

20

1.000 1.460

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Fitting and Bushings (A, B, C) Throat Dia Fitting A B C

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1-1/4" 1-1/2" 2"

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6/3, 6/4, 4-3, 4-4, 8/3, 8/4, 6/3 2-3, 2-4, 1-3 6/3, 6/4, 4/3, 4/4, 3/3, 1.132 2-3, 2-4, 1-3, 1-4, 1/0-3, 1/0-4, 2/0-3, 3/4, 2/3, 2/4 2/0-4, 3/0-3 2/4, 1/3, 1/4, 1/0-3 1.382 2/0-4, 3/0-3, 3/0-4, 4/0-3, 4/0-4, 250-3, 250-4 1/0-4, 2/0-3 2/0-3, 2/0-4, 3/0-3, 3/0-4, 1.875 250-4, 300-4, 350-3, 350-4, 500-3 4/0-3, 4/0-4, 250-3 500-3, 500-4, 600-3 4/0-4, 250-3, 250-4, 300-3 --600-4, 750-3 300-4, 350-3, 350-4, 500-3 --600-4, 750-3, 750-4 350-4, 500-3, 500-4

3.450

2.662

2.985

3.344 750-3, 750-4, 1000-4

8414

08414

1-1/2"

10

1.360 1.770

1.250 1.590

8415

08415

2"

10

1.700 2.200

1.550 2.050

8416

08416

2-1/2"

5

2.100 2.700

1.950 2.400

8417

08417

3"

5

2.500 3.300

2.350 3.000

2" 2-1/2" 2-1/2", 3"

8418

42910

3-1/2"

5

3.300 3.600

3.031 3.500

3-1/2"

* Example of 3- and 4-conductor cables

CSA TECK90 Conductor Size # of Conductors* (AWG/KCMIL/ACWU)

1.018

1-1/4"

Patented ** Listed for MC, PVC, MC, Teck, TC cables

Conductor Size # of Conductors* (AWG/KCMIL)

.870

750-3, 750-4, 1000-3

www.aifittings.com Scranton, PA 18517 800/233-4717

© 2024 Arlington Industries, Inc.

Catalog UPC/DEI/NAED Number Mfg. #018997

Product Info https://www.aifittings.com/landing/8412

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8/27/25 6/9/26 12:20 3:43 PM PM

S

JOB-SITE INTELLIGENCE

Prefabrication Litmus Test Complete the table by placing a checkmark to indicate the frequency of usage/application of the following items within your company.

Never

Rarely

Occasionally

Often

Always

Basic prefab assemblies Manual prefab production Traditional

BIM on jobs were required BIM in combination with surveying equipment to aid layout Technology/tools to model work, effort, and time Supply-chain resources to reduce non-installation effort Common/consistent prefab assemblies Some automation in prefab production process Results of BIM models to learn and improve productivity

Transitional

Work modeling for optimization Information modeling for design failure mode and effects analysis (DFMEA) BIM model outside job site to learn about how to do the physical build better CAD or BIM libraries include data on ideal work packaging Fully automated production of common parts

Industrial/ Technological

Digitalization of model components for finite element analysis (FEA) and boundary testing Full simulation of building, work, and information modeling for optimal time, cost, and quality Continuous and ongoing waste reduction Practices to reduce information entropy

© MCA, Inc. and Dr. Perry Daneshgari

Table 2. This checklist shows users where they are in the spectrum of building prefabrication and is part of MCA’s Prefabrication Litmus Test.

likely aligned with the transitional contractor (see the Table 2).

Our 2023 feature article, “Measuring the Cost Benefits of Prefab,” discussed a simple and straightforward way to quickly recognize and measure cost savings from prefab. This approach consists of measuring the total labor cost savings that result from improved productivity and reduced composite rate. These can easily be measured at the job level using the Job Productivity Measurement (ASTM Standard E2691) and Job Productivity Assurance & Control (JPAC®).

While cost savings is only one of the several benefits provided through prefab (and intentionally placed last in the discussion), this approach will allow your team to get immediate feedback on: • Is prefab improving the overall productivity of building the job?

• Are we harnessing resources effectively with prefab to reduce the overall labor cost?

22

Electrical contractors in MCA’s Agile User Group forum have taken the Prefabrication Litmus Test (shown in Sidebar on page 20).

When they review the stage they’re in, have been in, and are moving to, they discussed and shared the benefits they’re realizing — and the challenges they’re encountering to push from traditional to transitional to industrialized.

While several participating contractors have measurements and prefab tracking in place, few have achieved a holistic view of the benefits and risk reduction opportunities at a larger scale. It’s worth noting that other shared approaches noted amongst this group for tracking prefab were: • Using a prefab tracker to monitor the orders as they come in.

• Tracking hours against the job (using a prefab cost code or multiple cost codes for prefab).

• Tracking work completion, hours,

productivity, and composite rate savings.

Conclusion

Whether you are just starting out or further along the prefabrication continuum, maintaining a clear understanding of its core value is essential to not losing sight of the overall goal: building in a way that optimizes time, cost, and quality. Working in a controlled environment also reduces risk and improves safety outcomes. The impacts on workers, projects, and the organization can be measured through one or more of the approaches outlined above — the key is ensuring the intent behind the process remains intact.

Jennifer Daneshgari is VP of Financial Services at MCA, Inc. Jennifer can be reached at jennifer@mca.net.

Sydney Parvin is an associate data analyst at MCA, Inc. She can be reached at sparvin@mca.net.

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

2606ECM_18-23_Jobsite_Intel.indd 22

6/9/26 3:43 PM

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8/27/25 AM 6/9/26 10:03 3:43 PM

By Tom Zind, Freelance Writer

Riding the

Data Center Boom

This year’s Top 40 electrical design firms see a double-digit revenue boost amidst more demand concentration in the data center space.

T

every crevice of the marketplace while data centers, AI’s lifeblood, became controversial shorthand for a future less demanding of human labor and more demanding of investment, land, power, and water. Squarely in the center of all Courtesy of Power Design

he short answers to just about every question on the economy, employment, and technology seemingly boiled down to two items in 2025: artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers. AI seeped into

that disruption sat businesses bringing it all to life — few as consequential as those responsible for the electrical component of those projects.

For one key leg of that stool, the electrical design element, 2025 was another one for the record books — at least in terms of revenue for leading firms, driven in no small measure by data center work. Electrical design firms that made the cut for EC&M’s Top 40 Electrical Design Firms for 2026, based on reported 2025 electrical-only revenue, collectively brought in $5.776 billion. That marked another all-time

Sponsored by

Spanning more than 2.5 million square feet in the heart of downtown Austin, Texas, Waller Creek is a large-scale development integrating infrastructure, public space, and mixed-use buildings. Power Design is delivering electrical, life safety, DAS, lowvoltage, and luminaires to support the scale and complexity of the project.

24

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

2606ECM_24-55_Cover_Story.indd 24

nominal high for the annual Top 40, topping revenues firms reported for 2024 by 10.6%.

Clues to the growing importance of data centers, as well as myriad other performance and sentiment measures, again came from a proprietary EC&M survey of Top 40 member firms.

In this year’s installment, just over half of respondents put data centers in their top-three “hottest” markets list (Table 1 on page 28) for 2025. That share has steadily risen, from 22% in 2023 to 43% in 2024. Amplifying that finding, 44% placed data centers as the single “electrification-related” task generating the most design work for their firms (Fig. 1 on page 28), far outpacing others, including all-electric buildings and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. Likewise, nearly half expect data centers to be a Sponsored by Champion Fiberglass

6/9/26 3:53 PM

Courtesy of HED

significantly growing share of their 2026 design work (Fig. 2 on page 30).

Hogging the spotlight

More focus on the data center space may have come at the expense of other markets. At 35%, in line with last year but 16 points behind first-place data centers, the power/utility market got the second-most top three mentions.

Health care had the third most — but fell sharply — from a 43% tie with data centers last year to 27% this year. Other top 2025 markets were government, education, manufacturing and water, all of which tapered off in mentions.

Lagging markets — those deemed “coolest” — were a little less concentrated (Table 2 on page 30).

Hospitality and private office again led the pack, but not as forcefully. In 2024, they were, respectively, in 38% and 34% of respondents’ top three lists; this year, they were each at 26%. Retail, tied for second with education and residential and new to the upper end of the cool list along with several others including manufacturing and renewables, also edged down, from 24% to 19%.

That wider dispersion in “cool” markets may suggest that despite the unusually large impact of data centers as Sponsored by Champion Fiberglass

2606ECM_24-55_Cover_Story.indd 25

Courtesy of Mott MacDonald

With HED, Royal Oak, Mich., as a design partner, NTT fashioned a cutting-edge, 205,000-square-foot data center in 2024 in Itasca, Ill. HED’s electrical design contribution for the CH2 Data Center featured the use of prefabricated modular electrical enclosures; resilient power strategies to protect uptime and flexible distribution tailored to client needs; and use of a digital model that brought in all parties in real time, which minimized delays and rework without sacrificing technical rigor.

Mott MacDonald designed this low-impact battery energy storage system facility, which maximized capacity within a constrained footprint while supporting faster permitting and strengthening the regional power grid. The project was touted as the world’s largest lithium‑ion battery energy storage project when it was completed and unveiled. www.ecmweb.com • June 2026

25

6/9/26 3:53 PM

THE 2026 TOP 40 ELECTRICAL DESIGN FIRMS Sponsored by

Top 40 Electrical Design Firms 2026 Ranking

2025 Ranking Company

Location

Revenue Specifically Related to Electrical Design Work in 2025 (millions of $)

% Change (2024 to 2025)

1

1

Burns & McDonnell

Kansas City, Mo.

$1,427.3

6.6%

2

2

Black & Veatch

Overland Park, Kan.

$847.1

-12.5%

3

3

Stantec, Inc.

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

$487.3

13.0%

4

4

Tetra Tech, Inc.

Pasadena, Calif.

$412.0

19.4%

5

5

Mott MacDonald

Iselin, N.J.

$271.1

0.7%

6

6

Salas O'Brien

Irvine, Calif.

$259.8

26.9%

7

7

Mesa Associates, Inc.

Madison, Ala.

$219.0

9.8%

8

9

M.C. Dean

Tysons, Va.

$170.0

73.1%

9

8

IMEG

Rock Island, Ill.

$138.3

12.0%

10

10

Carollo Engineers

Walnut Creek, Calif.

$138.26

43.3%

11

11

Stanley Consultants

Muscatine, Iowa

$100.1

11.0%

12

14

Affiliated Engineers, Inc.

Madison, Wis.

$95.1

24.3%

13

13

Hazen and Sawyer

New York

$87.6

12.0%

14

17

Faith Technologies Incorporated (FTI)

Menasha, Wis.

$72.3

31.2%

15

15

NEI Electric Power Engineering

Lakewood, Colo.

$71.2

8.0%

16

19

Syska Hennessy Group

New York

$69.5

31.9%

17

18

Burns Engineering

18

21

GFT

19

16

CHA Consulting, Inc.

20

22

Commonwealth Associates, Inc.

21

20

Brown and Caldwell Engineering

Walnut Creek, Calif.

$50.4

-3.1%

22

23

TLC Engineering Solutions

Orlando, Fla.

$48.9

38.5%

23

24

CDM Smith, Inc.

Boston

$40.7

22.6% 41.5%

Philadelphia

$65.3

21.4%

Mechanicsburg, Pa.

$63.3

26.6%

Albany, N.Y.

$62.2

7.2%

Jackson, Mich.

$52.0

13.0%

24

28

Jaros, Baum & Bolles

New York

$36.8

25

NL

Power Design

St. Petersburg, Fla.

$34.8

NA

26

26

Toth & Associates, Inc.

Springfield, Mo.

$31.1

14.8%

27

27

RMF Engineering

Baltimore, Md.

$31.0

14.8%

28

25

P2S Inc.

Long Beach, Calif.

$30.3

4.8%

29

31

Smith Seckman Reid

Nashville, Tenn.

$30.0

50.0%

30

34

DLB Associates Consulting Engineers, PC

Neptune, N.J.

$29.9

83.5%

31

29

Interstates, Inc.

Sioux Center, Iowa

$24.9

2.5%

32

NL

MMR

Baton Rouge, La.

$22.14

NA

33

30

CannonDesign

New York

$22.0

4.8%

34

NL

HED

Royal Oak, Mich.

$18.90

NA

35

NL

R.E. Warner

North Olmsted, Ohio

$18.60

NA

36

38

Mazzetti

San Francisco

$18.0

20.0%

37

35

DLR Group

Minneapolis

$17.1

5.6%

38 (tie)

37

The Engineering Enterprise

Alameda, Calif.

$17.0

9.7%

38 (tie)

38

PBS Engineers, Inc.

San Dimas, Calif.

$17.0

13.3%

40

NL

Core States Group

West Chester, Pa.

$16.90

NA

Notes: List based on proprietary survey. To get on the list to receive the survey for next year, please contact Editor-in-Chief Ellen Parson at eparson@ endeavorb2b.com or call (816) 560-6448.

NL - Not listed. This company did not appear in last year’s electrical design services revenue listing.

NA - Not available.

26

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

2606ECM_24-55_Cover_Story.indd 26

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THE 2026 TOP 40 ELECTRICAL DESIGN FIRMS

T

Core States Group supported the first publicly accessible medium- and heavy-duty truck charging station with a microgrid solution designed to advance freight electrification. The project, located in Ontario, Calif., includes four 400kW chargers, two 750kW chargers, a 250kW solar canopy, 1MWh of battery energy storage, and distributed generation infrastructure.

a market, design firms found a lot that was working in 2025, as solid revenue growth attests. Data centers clearly grabbed the limelight, padding many firms’ bottom lines, but others found a rough equivalent in other dynamic markets, some closely linked.

Wade Leipold, executive vice president of Faith Technologies Incorporated (FTI), (No. 14), Menasha, Wis., is quick to attribute much of the firm’s 31% design revenue boost to data center work.

More projects with more complexity and more compressed timelines are

Hottest market segments 1. Data Centers 2. Power (Utilities/T&D) 3. Health Care 4. Transportation 5. Education/Institution (tie) 5. Government (tie) 5. Manufacturing (tie) 5. Water/Wastewater (tie) Table 1. Similar to last year’s results, data centers ranked as the hottest market sector for electrical design firms in 2025, followed by power/utilities and health care.

Which electrification segment is currently generating the most design activity for your firm?

Data centers Building electrification (all-electric buildings) EV charging infrastructure Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) Utility/grid modernization Distributed generation Microgrids Other

(N=34)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Percentage of respondents

Fig. 1. Data centers dominate electrification-related electrical design work for Top 40 firms, far surpassing all-electric buildings, EV charging infrastructure, and other project types.

28

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

2606ECM_24-55_Cover_Story.indd 28

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Courtesy of P2S

THE 2026 TOP 40 ELECTRICAL DESIGN FIRMS

An automotive training classroom in Saddleback College’s New Advanced Technology & Education Park (ATEP) Building features flexible workstations supporting hands-on instruction. This project, located in Tustin, Calif., was completed in August 2025 by PS2 on a total budget of $53.5 million.

Are data center or high-density power projects representing a growing share of your firm’s design work in 2026?

(N=33) Yes, significantly 46%

Coolest market segments 1. Private Office (tie) 1. Hospitality (tie) 3. Education/Institution (tie) 3. Residential (tie) 3. Retail (tie) 6. Manufacturing (tie) 6. Water/Wastewater (tie) Table 2. Mirroring last year’s results, hospitality, private office, retail, and residential markets ranked among the coolest sectors for electrical design activity in 2025.

Yes, moderately 39%

No change 15%

Fig. 2. Nearly half of Top 40 respondents expect data centers to represent a significantly larger share of their 2026 electrical design workload than in years past.

keeping FTI humming, with no end in sight. It may have the feel of a “bubble,” he says, but “there’s a lot of money behind this data center activity now, which is a major difference from other phases” of past manias like the 30

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

2606ECM_24-55_Cover_Story.indd 30

infamous dot-com boom and bust.

“Even with a backlog, we don’t see anything tapering off at this point.”

Water-market specialist Carollo Engineers, (No. 10), Walnut Creek, Calif., capitalized on continued demand not only for electrical work in rehabbing and building traditional treatment and delivery projects, but also on surging demand for water cooling systems in the data center market.

The former is growing, Ron Burdick, SVP and discipline engineering director says, because “all of the infrastructure is dated” and feeling the strain of growing populations and industry, requiring enhancements and

“upgraded facilities to meet demands for higher-quality discharge.”

Meanwhile, adds Joe Karl, business development manager for electrical programming, instrumentation and controls, more data centers, as well as chip plants, are turning to water for essential cooling, requiring complex EPIC designs for pre- and posttreatment systems to deliver, circulate, and expel it safely and cleanly.

“Data centers used to be tiny with no need for big water-cooling systems,” he says. “Now, as they’ve grown in size, these servers are generating much more heat (and water has become the more effective cooling solution).”

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THE 2026 TOP 40 ELECTRICAL DESIGN FIRMS

The system on Salas O’Brien’s Quinnipiac University South Quad project, located in Hamden, Conn., includes energy-saving condensing boilers, magnetic-electric chillers, variable-frequency drive pumps, and efficient cooling towers to reduce energy use and improve water efficiency.

Rapid data center expansion has put more demand on power resources, supporting electrical design and consulting business for electric utility specialists like Toth & Associates, Inc., (No. 26), Springfield, Mo. That market was “extremely strong” for the company last year, says president Adam Toth, supercharged by surging data center demand for ample, reliable power. But utilities had other pressing needs, too.

“A lot of reserve generation capacity that needs to be connected to the grid is being built, and there are ongoing projects to retire, rebuild, and replace older electrical infrastructure,” Toth says.

2025: It was complicated

While almost all Top 40 companies saw revenue growth in 2025 — the top 10 averaging about 20% — assessments of the past year were somewhat muted.

Most rated the prior year business climate strong (Fig. 3), but that share dipped to 70%; the number was 78% for last year’s Top 40.

Also, more firms said they only met or did not meet revenue expectations (Fig. 4). Again, though, a slim majority said revenues exceeded expectations.

32

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

2606ECM_24-55_Cover_Story.indd 32

The 2025 business climate (N=37)

Revenue expectations in 2025 (N=37) Exceeded 54%

Strong 70%

Fair 30%

Did not meet 14%

Met 32%

Fig. 3. Most Top 40 electrical design firms (70%) rated the 2025 business climate as strong, though sentiment softened slightly compared to the previous year (78%).

Fig. 4. More firms reported “falling short” of revenue expectations in 2025 (13.5%) than 2024 (5%), despite continued overall growth.

On another measure, the share saying backlog increased dipped 13 points to 73% (Fig. 5 on page 34). A majority of those reporting a change — up or down — put it at 9% or less. More this year reported no change (Fig. 6 on page 34).

More tepid assessments of the year might be linked to complications design

firms and their clients encountered. The year of the tariff imposed rising prices, supply chain backups, and uncertainty on project developers. That, plus the data center build-out bulge that upset a delicate supply and demand picture for essential electrical products, made life harder for many design firms and their clients.

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THE 2026 TOP 40 ELECTRICAL DESIGN FIRMS

Did your firm’s backlog change in 2025?

(N=37)

By what percentage did your backlog change?

(N=35)

6% to 9% decrease

Increased 73%

5% or less decrease Stayed the same 5% or less increase 6% to 9% increase 10% to 14% increase

Decreased 8%

More than a 15% increase

No change 19%

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Percentage of respondents

Fig. 5. Backlog growth remained positive for most firms in 2025 (73%), although the percentage reporting increases declined from the prior year (86%).

U c

Fig. 6. Last year, nearly 75% of respondents reported an increase in backlog of 6% or more. In 2025, that shifted a little with more firms commonly experiencing increases or decreases of less than 10%.

Prior to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Feb. 20, 2026, regarding federal authority to impose certain import tariffs, how were trade policies and import tariffs affecting your firm’s business in the electrical design and construction market?

(N=30)

Moderate negative impact Minor negative impact No measurable impact 0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Percentage of respondents

Fig. 7. Survey respondents overwhelmingly viewed tariffs and shifting trade policies over the past year as negative influences on their businesses.

Broadly speaking, tariffs and shifting trade policies took their toll, Top 40 firms say. All said nothing positive came out of that for their firms, only negatives (Fig. 7). They weren’t crippling — most called the impact “minor” — but they amounted to something new to deal with. One byproduct (longer lead times on equipment and general availability issues) directly impacted their work, many said (Fig. 8 on page 36). Half agreed they “occasionally” had to modify electrical designs, while another third termed project changes as “frequent.”

HED, (No. 34), Royal Oak, Mich., called the business climate 34

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

2606ECM_24-55_Cover_Story.indd 34

only fair, largely because of “a lack of predictability and confidence in the market,” which led to more clients growing “gun shy about spending money than in the past,” says Nicki Sparks, principal and electrical engineering leader. Tariffs and uncertain timelines for product availability contributed to a higher level of projects put on hold, leading to backlog growth. Others, she says, demanded more frequent monitoring and project team coordination to lock down products, identify alternate suppliers, and minimize final design impact.

For Smith Seckman Reid (No. 29), Nashville, Tenn., last year was called

strong, a continuation of a growth spurt that took hold in 2021, says Patrik Harden, director of electrical engineering. It ended the year with a two-year, $230-million backlog, setting SSR up for another year of 10% growth.

SSR’s top markets were all clicking last year, most notably health care, specifically continuation of a massive pediatric hospital project.

“We’ve seen incredible growth from that project; you could clearly see its impact in our financials,” he says. “It’s the single largest in our history, still ongoing, with 15 electrical designers on it.”

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5/4/26 3:53 9:47 PM AM 6/9/26

Courtesy of Toth & Associates

Courtesy of Stantec

THE 2026 TOP 40 ELECTRICAL DESIGN FIRMS

Photo #8

Railroad Avenue Substation Rebuild in Pasco, Wash. is a 140-mVA 115/12.5kV ring bus and distribution substation rebuild project of Toth & Associate’s.

humming for CDM Smith, Inc. (No. 23), Boston.

“Out of the gate in 2025, we were going crazy,” says Matt Goss, MEP practice leader, who attributed the firm’s “very strong” showing in part to growth in microgrid projects, which present a “hot opportunity.” Interest in them ramped up last year, he says, as the need for reliable sources of power more independent of a stressed electrical grid became more evident.

“Some projects were paused based on legislation (targeting renewable energy), but with changes in climate and the need for resilience in power sources, we continue to see the need,” he says. “Clients are much more attuned to that, seeing what’s going on around them and the need to be more proactive.”

A resilient market

Microgrids and other similar resiliency/green power-inspired projects are growing out of a broad push to cement electricity as the nation’s dominant power source, a trend clearly benefiting — and challenging — design firms. Nearly 20% of Top 40 firms said demand for resiliency-focused system 36

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

2606ECM_24-55_Cover_Story.indd 36

The DV Trading New York project in New York, N.Y., features cutting-edge workspace solutions tailored for financial professionals. This workplace, designed by Stantec, enhances collaboration and productivity.

Did your firm have to modify electrical designs in 2025 due to equipment availability or long lead-time constraints?

(N=22) Occasionally 50%

Frequently 31%

Rarely 19%

Did demand for resiliencyfocused electrical system design increase in 2025?

(N=33) Increased moderately 70%

Increased significantly 18%

No change 12%

Fig. 8. Electrical equipment shortages and long lead times frequently forced firms to modify project designs and specifications — 31% reported they had to do this frequently while 50% indicated occasionally.

Fig. 9. Demand for resiliency-focused electrical system design continued to rise in 2025, driven by grid reliability and backup power concerns. Nearly 70% reported a moderate increase in demand while 18% saw the shift as “significant.”

design increased significantly last year (Fig. 9), while most of the rest called demand growth “moderate.”

Relatedly, close to 20% attributed more than 25% of their 2025 revenue

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6/9/26 3:53 PM

THE 2026 TOP 40 ELECTRICAL DESIGN FIRMS

L P What percentage of your firm’s 2025 electrical design revenue was directly tied to electrification-related projects?

B

0% to 10% 11% to 25% 26% to 50% 51% to 75% More than 75%

(N=32)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Percentage of respondents

most; nearly half put it at no more than 10%.

Entrenched in the mission-critical space, HED dealt with more resiliency concerns in 2025, Sparks says. Such facilities require robust backup and alternative power features that must be designed with a flexible and creative engineering approach. “‘How does the building function from an interconnection standpoint?’ is a question designers face,” she says.

“Energy nodes will become more critical, and that means staff must be open to different perspectives and ways of thinking. You can’t be black or white on electrical design anymore, except when it comes to safety.”

Power redundancy was a growing component of the complexity that Salas O’Brien (No. 6), Irvine, Calif., faced in its work in key markets like pharma and health care. President Darin Anderson says nearly all its clients are moving toward an “absolute-cannot-fail” stance when it comes to power. The question then becomes: “How much redundancy do you want to factor in,” he says.

While redundancy may depend on electric alternatives, including strictly to the grid via on-site generation employing renewables, microgrids, or generators, Anderson says interest in electrification among clients is moving ahead. It’s an especially high priority in California health care projects, he says, noting that “seven new hospitals in progress are all electric.” And, he 38

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

2606ECM_24-55_Cover_Story.indd 38

Courtesy of Smith Seckman Reid

Fig. 10. Electrification-related projects, such as EV charging, grid modernization, and microgrids, contributed a growing share of firm revenues with data centers leading the pack at 44% followed by all-electric buildings at 18% and BESS at 9%.

SSR’s Texas Children's Hospital North Austin Campus project comprises a 365,000-square-foot main hospital. The completed facility enhances existing primary, specialty, and urgent care services already provided by Texas Children’s Hospital throughout the community, while enabling patients to receive specialty care at a more localized level.

adds, more higher education clients are embracing the concept.

Seeing growth amid obstacles Electrification is certain to help drive the fortunes of design firms

in 2026, a year top firms expect will deliver more growth. Optimism about current-year revenue growth is at a three-year high, with 83% expecting an increase (Fig. 11 on page 40), a six-percentage-point boost. Most Sponsored by Champion Fiberglass

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Courtesy of Faith Technologies Incorporated (FTI)

Courtesy of CDM Smith

THE 2026 TOP 40 ELECTRICAL DESIGN FIRMS

Faith Technologies Incorporated (FTI) headquarters in Menasha, Wis. FTI delivers comprehensive energy solutions and world-class opportunities for its partners and team members.

CDM Smith is the primary engineering firm responsible for the engineering design and process analysis behind the OUC (Orlando Utilities Commission) Conway Water Treatment Plant upgrade project in Orlando, Fla. This image shows a 4,160V medium-voltage switchgear front facing a 480V, 1,600A motor control center (MCC) and three 125-hp GAC pump variable-frequency drives.

What kind of change in revenue is your firm forecasting for 2026?

(N=35)

More than a 10% decrease

Does your firm expect a change in backlog in 2026?

(N=36)

Increase 69%

6% to 9% decrease 5% or less decrease Stay the same 5% or less increase 6% to 9% increase More than a 10% increase 0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Percentage of respondents

Fig. 11. Revenue optimism for 2026 reached a three-year high, with most firms expecting continued growth. Last year, nearly 40% of Top 40 firms expected an increase in revenue of 10% or more. This year, that number jumped to 46%.

notably, nearly half see it rising more than 10%, a nine-point increase.

Slightly fewer firms, though, see their backlog increasing in 2026. Sixtynine percent see an increase, down six points (Fig. 12). The biggest shift is in those expecting a decrease: 14%, up from 3% a year ago. More than half 40

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

2606ECM_24-55_Cover_Story.indd 40

expecting a decline put it at five percent or less, while half expecting an increase see one of more than 10% (Fig. 13 on page 42).

But business growth, maybe nearterm at least, could be endangered by a broader mix of obstacles. In a noteworthy shift, more Top 40

No change 17%

Decrease 14%

Fig. 12. Slightly fewer firms anticipate backlog growth in 2026, reflecting caution amid broader economic uncertainty. Last year, the number of firms forecasting an increase in backlog for the current year held steady at 75% from 74% the year before. This year, that number dropped to 69%.

firms identified factors other than labor challenges as the single most impactful growth threat — the share picking labor as the top negative Sponsored by Champion Fiberglass

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2606ECM_24-55_Cover_Story.indd 2604ECM_Arlington_1029735-0426_121D.indd 41 1

3/18/26 6/9/26 3:53 3:04 PM PM

THE 2026 TOP 40 ELECTRICAL DESIGN FIRMS

By what percentage do you expect your backlog to change?

(N=35)

More than a 10% decrease 6% to 9% decrease 5% or less decrease Stay the same 5% or less increase 6% to 9% increase 10% to 14% increase More than a 15% increase 0

5

10

15

20

30

25

Percentage of respondents

Fig. 13. Firms expecting backlog growth in 2026 generally projected increases exceeding 10%, while anticipated declines were modest.

plunged from 62% to 35% (Fig. 14). Drawing more mentions were supply chain disruptions, tariffs, stagnant/retracting markets, planning challenges, and project cancellations — each reflective of a year that elevated a menu of more pressing concerns for businesses. Second to labor, “economic conditions” stayed mostly steady at 21%.

Carollo Engineers expects more steady growth in 2026, fueled by relentless demand in the water systems business it dominates plus continued build-out of a growing instrumentation, programming and controls specialty whose leaders are “noticing more opportunity and chasing it” as it matures from “a side hustle” for the firm, says Karl.

The firm’s single biggest growth threat may come from an underappreciated, but growing concern.

It’s an inability to plan effectively, Burdick says, a problem exacerbated by the digitally enabled planning environment that “at times” has “everyone moving so fast,” creating “a lack of overarching strategic thought.”

Wasted time, misaligned objectives, “everyone jumping through hoops,” and chronic “multi-tasking” can hamper productivity and steal the time needed to pursue business growth.

Tempered growth is the 2026 forecast for CDM Smith, Goss says.

He sees a continued lift from electrical infrastructure upgrades and resiliency projects, but also sees emerging opportunity in data centers, a “logical next step” the firm has been staffing up to take. He also has his eye on the manufacturing sector — one he expects will ramp up as the onshoring trend continues.

A lingering concern this year for CDM Smith and other firms is tariffs and the impact of other federal policies.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty,” Goss says. “They could negatively impact projects, causing them to be stopped or delayed, but the biggest thing is the angst and uncertainty (around them).”

Factors having the most negative impact on the growth of your business Difficulty finding and retaining quality employees Economic conditions Supply chain disruptions Tariffs or uncertainty with tariffs Stagnant or retracting market segments Inability to plan effectively Project cancellations Material prices

(N=34)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Percentage of respondents

Fig. 14. Labor shortages remained a major growth concern, but firms increasingly cited tariffs, supply chain disruptions, and economic uncertainty as threats.

42

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

2606ECM_24-55_Cover_Story.indd 42

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2606ECM_24-55_Cover_Story.indd 43

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7/18/25 9:51 AM

6/9/26 3:53 PM

THE 2026 TOP 40 ELECTRICAL DESIGN FIRMS

Since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Feb. 20, 2026, regarding federal authority to impose certain import tariffs, how do you expect trade policies to affect electrical equipment and material pricing for your projects?

(N=30)

Significant price increases Moderate price increases Minor price increases No measurable impact Significant price decreases Unsure or too early to tell 5

0

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Percentage of respondents

Fig. 15. Most firms expect trade policies and tariffs to drive at least moderate increases in electrical equipment and material costs.

Which equipment categories are currently presenting the greatest design challenges due to long lead times or availability constraints?

Transformers Switchgear Generators Breakers Motor control centers Battery energy storage systems No significant supply changes Other

(N=30)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Percentage of responses

Fig. 16. Transformers (87%), switchgear (67%), and generators (63%) remained the electrical equipment categories causing the greatest availability concerns.

Maybe the plug is pulled or a design project is put on the shelf, so the client is wanting to wait it out a bit.”

Assessing federal policy impacts

While there’s growing clarity around tariffs, due partly to a February Supreme Court ruling limiting their application, top firms remain wary. Seventy percent expect trade policies generally to impose 44

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

2606ECM_24-55_Cover_Story.indd 44

minor to moderate price increases on electrical equipment and materials used in their projects (Fig. 15).

The flip side of that problem is availability, which has impacted electrical design activities. While a mix of electrical equipment has been harder to secure in the last year, firms’ biggest worry remains concentrated in the critical categories of transformers, switchgear, and generators (Fig. 16).

Another possible growth-related concern for design firms is the fate of federally supported infrastructure improvements. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) contained billions for a range of projects when implemented under President Biden. The IIJA’s fate now is uncertain under a Trump administration that is more circumspect about some of its elements. That could most affect design Sponsored by Champion Fiberglass

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2606ECM_24-55_Cover_Story.indd 2509ECM_Arlington_988028-0925_132B.indd 45 1

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8/27/25 6/9/26 11:35 3:53 PM AM

THE 2026 TOP 40 ELECTRICAL DESIGN FIRMS

Given ongoing policy shifts and legal actions around federal infrastructure funding, do you believe the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) will be fully implemented through 2026 as currently authorized by Congress?

(N=30)

Yes — fully implemented Partially implemented with delays or changes No — major programs will be reduced or repealed Unsure or too early to tell 0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Percentage of respondents

Fig. 17. Similar to last year, firms remain uncertain about how changes to federal infrastructure funding programs could affect future project activity.

How do you expect recent federal policy actions and legal challenges affecting IIJA and IRA infrastructure funding to impact infrastructure-related electrical design and engineering work in 2026?

(N=29)

Moderate positive economic impact Minor positive economic impact No impact Minor negative economic impact Moderate negative economic impact Significant negative economic impact 0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Percentage of respondents

Fig. 18. Despite this uncertainty, most respondents expect modifications to federal infrastructure and clean-energy programs to have limited impact on their electrical infrastructure work.

firms working in areas tied to renewable energy, but four in 10 firms say how that plays out is anyone’s guess (Fig. 17). Another 40% expect some changes resulting in partial IIJA implementation or funding delays.

That, along with a similar scaling back of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which also included money for infrastructure, would be mostly a negative for business, firms say. But maybe given the comparatively limited electrical profile of many funded projects, most firms expect changes to have either no impact or limited negative impact on their infrastructurerelated work (Fig. 18).

46

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

2606ECM_24-55_Cover_Story.indd 46

EV charging infrastructure is one area where firms could feel some pain. If federal support wanes, says FTI’s Leipold, progress on building a nationwide charging network could stall. An early warning sign is car companies scaling back EV plans, Leipold says, but FTI, which is partnering in launching the privately funded Zero 60 charging network using both its design and construction business units, sees long-term opportunity.

The president of Toth & Associates sees risk to renewable energy in any scaling back of IIJA and IRA. That market has hit a speed bump already,

possibly changing the calculations of utilities (the firm’s primary market), trying to gauge future electricity demand and plan for renewables integration.

“Five years ago, there were a ton of them (wind and solar farms) on the horizon, but almost overnight they seemed to go away,” Toth says. “If that’s all you did, now you’re hurting.”

Labor pressures cool

Infrastructure funding disruptions are one of several sources of growth risk for design firms. But one that’s persisted — labor — might be moderating. Finding and keeping employees was heavily Sponsored by Champion Fiberglass

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7/17/25 2:49 PM

6/9/26 3:53 PM

THE 2026 TOP 40 ELECTRICAL DESIGN FIRMS

Is your firm having difficulty filling open job positions?

(N=35) Yes 74%

No 26% Fig. 19. Hiring challenges eased somewhat in 2025, with fewer firms reporting difficulty filling open positions (89% in 2024 compared to 74% in 2025).

marked down as a growth challenge this year amidst other pressing concerns.

Also, the share of firms saying they were having trouble filling open positions dropped 15 points from last year, to 74% (Fig. 19), the lowest number in several years.

That’s good news because firms are still in hiring mode. Similar to previous years, 89% said they added employees in the prior year (Fig. 20), the same percentage that expect to add staff in the current year (Fig. 21), also in line with prior surveys. And, again, the most pressing needs in design staffing are clearly project engineer and supervising engineer, dwarfing others and both rising 10 percentage points (Fig. 22).

Like most other firms, SSR has an ongoing challenge of finding the fiveto-10-year design talent but is willing to wait for the right fit. Experience applicable to the firm’s work is prized to maximize opportunity and help cultivate staff, so “we can wait for a year sometimes to find someone,” Harden says since “one out of 100 is what we’re looking for” in certain situations.

Newly minted talent is easier to find, Harden says, so the firm staffs career fairs and sometimes gets directly involved in helping college seniors with design projects. Internships are key, but half typically move on. For example, “one guy was here eight months and then decided to go build rockets.”

48

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

2606ECM_24-55_Cover_Story.indd 48

Did your firm add or lay off employees in 2025?

(N=37)

Does your firm expect to add or lay off employees in 2026?

(N=37)

Added 89.2%

Add 89%

No change 11%

Laid off 5.4%

No change 5.4%

Fig. 20. Nearly nine in 10 firms added employees in 2025 as demand for electrical design services remained strong.

Fig. 21. Most firms expect to continue expanding staff in 2026 to support ongoing project growth.

Most difficult positions to fill Supervising engineer Project engineer Design engineer Project manager Other

(N=25)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Percentage of respondents

Fig. 22. Mirroring last year’s results, project engineers and supervising engineers remained the most difficult and highest-priority positions to fill.

HED continues to hire, Sparks says, but the challenge to recruit and retain continues. The work can be a tough sell to younger talent when other engineering fields, other electrical disciplines and sometimes jobs “on the owner’s side” beckon, often with higher pay and more stimulation, she says.

“For the length of my career, it’s always been a challenge to find designers, and that’s partly because power is not taught as much in schools,” she says. “Most don’t know much about this industry so we have to woo them over.”

Training is one way firms can fight the staffing battle, providing a path to career growth for employees and a productivity boost alongside keeping the firm competitive in evolving markets.

From a list of a dozen technical training areas, firms chose three needing the most attention and support. Four stood out: AI, energy storage, National Electrical Code, and electrical design software — each highly ranked last year.

Last year’s top choice, power systems analysis, named by half, was named by only 28%, while AI advanced 10 points to 41% (Table 3).

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THE 2026 TOP 40 ELECTRICAL DESIGN FIRMS

Dedicated training time and dollars can be harder to find when business is booming, Carollo’s Burdick says. So the solution often is to deliver it on the job.

Critical areas for the firm are electrical systems studies and codes.

“Everything is changing across the country with codes and mandates, and it’s just hard to stay on top of it all,” he says.

At FTI, growth in data center work is prompting the firm to look at building broader expertise it can market to clients.

“We’re standing up a data center operations course to meet that demand,” Leipold says. “There’s a lot of emphasis on design and build, but there’s also the element of what it looks like to maintain these sites in perpetuity. That will take some specialized training.”

“Top-notch technical excellence” remains an essential training priority for Salas O’Brien, delivered through a library of resources and subject matter experts, Anderson says. A

Areas in which employees need the most training Ranking

Number of votes

1

12

Artificial intelligence (AI)

2

10

Energy storage

3 (tie)

9

National Electrical Code

Sector

3 (tie)

9

Electrical design software

5

8

Power systems analysis

6 (tie)

7

Building management/building automation systems

6 (tie)

7

DC power distribution systems

8

5

Bonding & grounding

9 (tie)

3

Arc flash/hazard analysis

9 (tie)

3

Selective coordination

9 (tie)

3

NFPA 70B

12 (tie)

1

Other

12 (tie)

1

NFPA 70E

Table 3. AI, energy storage, NEC training, and electrical design software topped firms’ technical training priorities for 2026. This was a shift from last year’s results in which “power system analysis” came in as the top area of emphasis.

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2606ECM_24-55_Cover_Story.indd 2606ECM_Arlington_1033155-0626_155.indd 51 1

5/20/26 6/9/26 3:53 2:10 PM PM

THE 2026 TOP 40 ELECTRICAL DESIGN FIRMS

Courtesy of Carollo Engineers

softer skill, project management, is getting more attention as annual volume reaches 25,000.

“We just finished a 12-module education series on that, focused on tailoring skills for three levels, from rising to senior leader,” he says. “The growing speed and complexity of the work makes it all the more important to be well trained in the critical points.”

AI usage spreads

An answer to that and a host of other challenges firms face may lie in AI. Two-thirds say they’re already using it to some degree in their electrical design work — a 12-point increase over last year and 25 points higher than two years ago (Fig. 23 on page 54). In addition to generating and optimizing designs, cited by 38%, AI’s utilization in other areas is expanding.

Common applications that have grown notably over last year include diagnostics/troubleshooting, efficiency improvement, marketing, and human

Two generators at Coffee Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Edmond, Okla., which are associated with the automatic transfer, closed transition, standby power system, were specified by Carollo Engineers on this project.

resources (Fig. 24 on page 54).

Salas O’Brien is successfully leaning into AI to help smooth out common bumps in the design process, Anderson says, but a sharp eye is kept on the end game.

“It’s been a helpful tool to automate some repetitive functions

and deliver more sophisticated projects in a more coordinated way, but the quality of deliverables still must be proven,” he says.

A technology council at SSR is spearheading customized AI design applications, building off a ChatGPT base.

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THE 2026 TOP 40 ELECTRICAL DESIGN FIRMS

“We’ll get a design request for a floorplan, say, and we’ll load it in there and let AI take a first pass at it,” Harden says. “We’re constantly feeding it new knowledge from parts of our server system.”

AI holds promise for his firm, Toth says, but “we’ve not yet seen it making monumental changes in actual design.” The concern is that it can’t yet be trusted like it can be for coding, spreadsheets, reports, and email writing, he says.

“It’s not there yet for the nuts and bolts of electrical design,” Toth adds. “There’s no acceptance yet of an AI-stamped drawing.”

Tom Zind is a freelance writer based in Lee’s Summit, Mo. He can be reached at tomzind@att.net

How Long Will It Take for AI to Become a Viable Component of Design Work?

Already using it One year Two years Three years Four years Five years or more

(N=34)

0

10

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40

50

60

70

Percentage of respondents

Fig. 23. AI adoption in electrical design work expanded significantly, with nearly two-thirds of firms now using AI in some capacity compared to 53% in last year’s results.

Ways Firms Plan to Incorporate AI into Their Business Optimize processes/improve efficiency Marketing/promotions Human resources/employee recruitment Generate, analyze and optimize electrical designs/BIM Diagnostics and troubleshooting Gather intelligence data on electrical equipment Finance/accounting Improve profitability/cost estimating Energy management Creating multiple outcome scenarios/solutions for clients on the same project Predictive maintenance Autonomous systems/robots/drones Labor management Other

(N=32)

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20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Percentage of responses

Fig. 24. Not surprisingly, firms increasingly use AI for design generation, troubleshooting, efficiency improvements, marketing, and administrative tasks.

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FEATURE

Risk vs. Reward

How electrical contractors can evaluate spatial AI without increasing project risk

BY AARON SZYMANSKI, AUGMENTA

ID 73030359 | Architecture © Rawpixelimages | Dreamstime.com

T

he construction industry is currently navigating a highstakes transition. We are operating in an era where technical expertise is being stretched to its breaking point by compressed project timelines, increasingly complex projects like data centers, and a historic, systemic labor shortage. AI is broadly touted as the quick fix to productivity woes but due to skepticism and misunderstandings about the technology, integrating AI is not an easy “yes” for electrical contractors.

A fundamental, high-consequence question remains: When does AI actually reduce operational risk, and when does it introduce time-wasting and potentially dangerous liabilities?

Construction is, at its core, an exercise in risk management. In the electrical trade specifically, where precision is tied to building codes and 56

operational efficiency, there is no margin for error regardless of whether that error originates from a human or a machine.

A single design oversight could lead to costly rework, schedule spirals, or worse — unsafe installations that jeopardize a contractor’s reputation.

Closing the productivity gap cannot come at the cost of margins.

So, contractors must learn to ruthlessly distinguish between AI that serves as a tool for progress and AI that could be a potential risk.

The liability of generic AI

A wave of “AI-for-construction” software and agentic use cases has recently emerged, much of which was built on large language models (LLMs). These tools play a key role in the modern contractor’s workflow.

For example, they are exceptionally powerful for analyzing massive volumes of contract specifications or coding

effective project-specific automations.

Forward-thinking contractors should be exploring these use cases today.

However, the industry faces an automation gap when it comes to the 3D environment.

LLM-based tools are not suited for reasoning through the complex, multidimensional physics of a building. This is because these tools are based on probability — they guess the next most likely word or pattern. In the 3D world, guessing can be a liability. For instance, if a conduit run is accidentally designed to go through a structural beam or code compliance is misinterpreted, there can be serious consequences like costly rework and project delays.

For most of the potential construction applications, AI must go beyond LLMs and the agentic tools built on top of them. Instead, the industry requires AI built specifically for the high-stakes certainty of the 3D physical environment.

A framework for evaluating AI built for the physical reality of construction

To mitigate risk and meaningfully improve productivity, electrical contractors should evaluate potential AI technologies through a rigorous threepart framework: 1. Trade intelligence vs. generic data. A generic AI might suggest a plausible electrical route, but it doesn’t know the specific clearance requirements for a transformer or the fill capacity of a conduit. Look for technology built specifically on the rules and codes of the industry. The right AI handles these compliance checks automatically, acting as a digital guardrail that prevents violations before they ever reach fabrication. By prioritizing trade-specific logic over generic algorithms, you ensure that

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Augmenta

For most of the potential construction applications, AI must go beyond LLMs and the agentic tools built on top of them. Instead, the industry requires AI built specifically for the high-stakes certainty of the 3D physical environment.

every output is a constructible reality that meets the highest standards of precision.

2. Physics vs. probability. Once building code is satisfied, the output must be physically possible to install.

Many tools act as visualizers that predict a path based on patterns, which often results in clashes with other trades or structural elements. AI for design automation must be rooted in physics. It treats the building model as a rigid 3D environment with hard physical boundaries. It shouldn’t guess a route; it should validate a solution that accounts for every inch of available space. This ensures that what is modeled is exactly what can be built, eliminating the fabrication friction that traditionally drains profit.

3. The expert-in-the-loop. The ultimate test for any AI is the validation by industry veterans who have spent decades honing the craft. Does the tool leave room for their high-level intent and final validation? A reliable AI workflow is one where VDC teams provide the intent, the goals and constraints, and the 3D AI engine handles the heavy lifting, the routing and spatial calculations. Crucially, preconstruction teams must be able to review and steer the logic. Contractors and VDC managers should be able to verify the technology’s decision-making process at any step.

Evolving workflows to create a competitive advantage with AI

Now that spatial AI has evolved to a state where it can take a significant load off of electrical teams, it’s time to shift the cultural perception of technology in the trades. A construction firm would not hesitate to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in a high-end scissor lift because the ROI is tangible. AI tooling should be evaluated through the same lens. It’s not an administrative budget line item or an innovation box to check; it’s a piece of valuable equipment.

Think of it as another tool in your toolbox like a wrench or screwdriver that ensures teams are being as productive as possible.

Tomorrow’s construction leaders will be those who evolve their workflows to be rooted in intentional, meaningful, applications of new technologies. By choosing tools that elevate human expertise and prioritize trade logic and physics

over generic probability, electrical contractors can help eliminate the inefficiencies that create technology risks in the first place. With the right commercially validated spatial AI tools, electrical contractors can scale operations, protect the bottom line, and grow their business.

Aaron Szymanski is a co-founder and head of product at Augmenta.

He holds a bachelor of industrial design from OCAD University in Toronto. He can be reached at aaron@augmenta.ai.

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PRODUCT NEWS

Conduit Bodies

O-Z/Gedney, an Emerson brand, offers its Spec 5 conduit bodies, covers, and gaskets.

Whether connecting straight runs, executing directional changes, or enabling branch connections, these products are used to connect and change the direction of conduit runs. Accurately tapped tapered threads ensure tight, rigid joints with full ground continuity. A smooth, rounded integral bushing in each hub safeguards conductor insulation from abrasion during pull-through operations, according to the company.

Spec 5 blank covers in 1/2- to 3-in. sizes feature a domed design that maximizes interior wiring space and gives installers the room they need for neat, code-compliant conductor management. Select models offer a flat-back design for direct surface mounting, enabling flexible deployment across panel boards, junction applications, and tight wall installations. Available through authorized electrical distributors nationwide, the products are UL listed and CSA certified for use in ordinary (unclassified) locations, and fully suitable for hazardous (classified) Class I, Division 2 locations.

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Hospital-Grade GFCI Receptacle

The Wiring Devices family has expanded its offering of health care receptacle solutions with the launch of its EZ Link Slim hospital-grade GFCI receptacles, engineered to deliver enhanced safety, simplified installation, and dependable performance in critical care environments. At the core of the product’s design is an arrow-shaped connector that slides and locks securely into place at the back of the device. Integrated guide rails ensure precise alignment, minimizing installation errors, while convenient release wings enable quick, one-handed removal. Available in both standard and tamper-resistant configurations, the hospital-grade receptacles feature a wide TEST/RESET button and a prominent reset indicator light, enabling quick identification and response to trip events. An integrated end-of-life indicator flashes red to clearly signal device failure, helping facilities proactively address maintenance needs and avoid unnecessary service calls.

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The company has introduced the Omni-Cob LED high-performance multiwattage and CCT-selectable lamps, a 9-in-1 retrofit solution designed to simplify installation and reduce inventory requirements for lighting contractors. Each lamp combines selectable wattage settings and adjustable 3,000K, 4,000K, and 5,000K color temperatures in a single unit, allowing installers to fine-tune output and light appearance on site for a variety of applications, including post-tops, bollards, high bays, and decorative street lighting. Delivering up to 165 lm/W, omni-directional 360° illumination, universal voltage compatibility, and rated life up to 60,000 hr, the Omni-Cob series is engineered for energy-efficient performance while supporting ballast-bypass “plug-and-play” retrofit installations that can help streamline upgrades and reduce labor time.

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BOA-Equipped Work Boots

The company’s new BOA-equipped styles are designed to deliver a more secure, personalized fit with quick micro-adjustments throughout the day. The new Carbon Flex Wedge features the BOA Fit System for a secure fit, along with waterproof full-grain leather and a comfort-focused AMP insole. It also offers an ASTM protective toe and is electric hazard rated. The BOA Durablend Edge waterproof work boot features the BOA Fit System, premium cushioning, and rugged safety features built for all-day protection and comfort.

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N AT I O N A L E L E CT R I C A L CO D E

CODE BASICS

NEC Requirements for Receptacles

Do you understand the NEC installation requirements that make receptacles safe for users?

BY MIKE HOLT, NEC CONSULTANT

controlled receptacles used for lighting in a dwelling as permitted by Sec. 210.70(A) (1) Exception No. 2.

General installation requirements

Fig. 1. Article 406 contains the requirements for the rating, type, and installation of receptacles, cord connectors, attachment plugs, and flanged inlets.

A “receptacle” is a contact device installed at an outlet for the connection of an attachment plug [Art. 100].

Article 406 contains the requirements for the rating, type, and installation of receptacles, cord connectors, attachment plugs, and flanged inlets (Fig. 1).

Receptacles: • Must be listed and marked with the manufacturer’s name or identification, voltage rating, and ampere rating [Sec. 406.3(A)].

• Rated 20A or less and connected to aluminum conductors must be marked CO/ALR [Sec. 406.3(C)].

• Rated 15A and 20A with terminals not marked CO/ALR can be used with copper and copper-clad aluminum conductors [Sec. 406.3(D)].

• With terminals marked CO/ ALR can be used with aluminum, copper, and copper-clad aluminum conductors.

• Of the isolated ground type must be identified by an orange triangle on the face of the receptacle [Sec. 406.3(E)]. Their grounding terminals must connect to an insulated equipment grounding conductor per Sec. 250.146(D).

• Rated 15A and 20A, 125V and nonlocking-type that are automatically controlled to remove power for energy management or building automation must be permanently marked with the word “controlled” [Sec. 406.3(F)].

Exception: The controlled receptacle marking is not required for wall switch-

Receptacles installed on 15A and 20A branch circuits must be of the grounding type, except as permitted for 2-wire receptacle replacements in Sec. 406.4(D)(2). The receptacle grounding terminal must be connected to the circuit equipment grounding conductor per Sec. 250.146 [406.4(C)].

The cord connectors grounding terminal must be connected to the circuit equipment grounding conductor.

Note 1: For acceptable types of equipment grounding conductors, see Sec. 250.118(A).

Note 2: See Sec. 250.130 for extensions of existing branch circuits.

The grounding terminal of receptacles must be connected to an equipment grounding conductor per Sec. 250.146 [Sec. 406.11].

Receptacles that are replaced must comply with the eight requirements of Sec. 406.4(D)(1) through (8). For example, if an EGC exists in an outlet box, replacement receptacles must be of the grounding type and the receptacle grounding terminal must connect to the circuit equipment grounding conductor per Sec. 406.11.

If there’s no equipment grounding conductor in the outlet box, replacement receptacles can be any of the three types listed in Sec. 406.4(D)(2)(a) through (c).

You can use a non-grounding receptacle, GFCI, or grounding type receptacle protected by a GFCI. An equipment grounding conductor is not required www.ecmweb.com • June 2026

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CODE BASICS

damaging the receptacles [Sec. 406(G) (1)]. All 125V, single-phase, 15A and 20A floor receptacles in food courts and passenger transportation facilities waiting spaces must be GFCI protected [Sec. 406(G)(2)].

Receptacle mounting

Fig. 2. When receptacles in outlet boxes are set back from finished surfaces, they must be held rigidly to the finished surface.

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weather resistant per Sec. 406.9(A) and (B) [Sec. 406(D)(6)].

Automatically controlled receptacles must be replaced with an equivalently controlled receptacle. If automatic control of the receptacle is no longer required, the replacement receptacle must not be marked per Sec. 406.3(F) [Sec. 406(D)(7)].

Receptacles must be provided with GFPE where replacements are made at receptacle outlets that are required to be GFPE protected (e.g., Sec. 555.35(B)(1)) [Sec. 406(E)(8)].

Physical protection of floor receptacles must allow floor-cleaning equipment to be operated without

Damp or wet locations

Receptacles in a damp location must be installed in an enclosure that is “weatherproof ” when an attachment ID 202940902 © Stevendalewhite | Dreamstime.com

from the GFCI-protected groundingtype receptacle to any receptacle outlets downstream.

You can provide protection by a GFCI circuit breaker, GFCI receptacle, or downstream from a feed-through type GFCI receptacle.

When you replace existing receptacles in locations where: • GFCI protection is required, the replacements must be GFCI protected [Sec. 406.4(D)(3)]. Exception: Where the outlet box size will not permit installing a GFCI receptacle, a GFCI-protected grounding-type receptacle marked “GFCI Protected” and “No Equipment Ground” per Sec. 406.4(D) is permitted [Sec. 406(D)(3)].

• AFCI protection is required, the replacement receptacle(s) must be one of those listed in Sec. 406.4(D) (4). For example, a listed AFCI receptacle [Sec. 406(D)(4].

• Tamper resistance is required, the replacement receptacle(s) must be listed tamper resistant, except if a non-grounding receptacle is replaced with another non-grounding receptacle or a receptacle connected to aluminum conductors is replaced with a CO/ ALR receptacle [Sec. 406(D)(5)].

• Weather resistance is required, replacement receptacles must be

Outlet boxes for receptacles must be securely fastened per Sec. 314.23 [Sec. 406.5]. Receptacles mounted in boxes that are: • Set back from the finished surface must be installed so the receptacle yoke is held rigidly to the surface [Sec. 406.5(A)] (Fig. 2).

• Flush with the finished surface must have the receptacle yoke held rigidly to the outlet box [Sec. 406.5(B)].

Receptacles must be flush with (or project from) the faceplates [Sec. 406.5(D)]. Don’t install receptacles in a face-up position in: • Or on countertop surfaces or work surfaces unless listed for countertop surface or work surface applications [Sec. 406.5(G)(1)].

• The area below a sink [Sec. 406.5(G)(2)].

Don’t install them in enclosures with other switches or receptacles if the voltage between the devices exceeds 300V, unless the devices are separated by barriers identified for the purpose [Sec. 406.5(J)].

Hinged covers of outlet box hoods must be able to open at least 90° (or fully open if the cover is not designed to open 90° from the closed to open position) after installation.

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Tamper-resistant receptacles Nonlocking-type 15A and 20A, 125V and 250V receptacles must be tamper

N AT I O N A L E L E CT R I C A L CO D E

plug is not inserted (damp location rated) or the attachment plug is inserted when the cover is closed (wet location rated) [Sec. 406.9(A)].

15A and 20A receptacles installed in a wet location must be within an enclosure that is weatherproof when an attachment plug is inserted using an outlet box hood identified as “extra duty” [Sec. 406.9(B)].

Hinged covers of outlet box hoods must be able to open at least 90° (or fully open if the cover is not designed to open 90° from the closed to open position) after installation.

Nonlocking-type 15A and 20A receptacles in a wet location must be listed as weather-resistant (WR) type (Fig. 3).

Receptacles rated 30A or more installed in a wet location must be listed as the weather-resistant (WR) type and comply with Sec. 406.9(B)(2)(a) or (b). (a) Unattended while in use. It must be in an enclosure that is weatherproof when an attachment plug is inserted. (b) Attended while in use. It can use an enclosure that is weatherproof when the cover is closed.

Receptacles are not permitted inside a bathtub or shower or within 3 ft horizontally from any outside edge of a bathtub or shower stall. This includes the space measured vertically from the floor to 8 ft vertically above the top of the bathtub rim or shower stall threshold [Sec. 406.9(C)].

Exception No. 1: Receptacles for hydromassage bathtubs installed per Sec. 680.73 can be installed in the prohibited receptacle zone.

Exception No. 2: In dwelling unit bathrooms with less than the required zone, the bathroom sink receptacle, required by Sec. 210.52(D), can be located on the farthest wall opposite the bathtub rim or shower stall threshold.

Exception No. 4: In dwelling unit bathrooms, a single receptacle for an electronic toilet or electronic bidet seat is permitted in the prohibited receptacle zone if the receptacle is not in the space between the toilet and the bathtub or shower.

Fig. 3. Section 406.9(B)(1) requires nonlocking-type 15A and 20A receptacles in a wet location to be listed as weather-resistant (WR) type.

resistant, if installed in any of the areas listed in Sec. 406.12(1) through (10): (1) Dwelling units, boathouses, mobile homes, and manufactured homes, including their attached or detached garages and accessory buildings, and common areas of multifamily dwellings.

(2) Hotel and motel guest rooms and guest suites, and their common areas.

(3) Childcare facilities.

(4) Preschools and education facilities.

(5) Clinics, medical and dental offices, outpatient facilities, and spaces of nursing homes and limited care facilities used exclusively as patient sleeping rooms. Also within the associated business offices accessible to the general public, lobbies and waiting spaces.

(6) Places of awaiting transportation, gymnasiums, skating rinks, fitness centers, and auditoriums.

(7) Dormitory units.

(8) Residential care/assisted living facilities, social and substance abuse rehabilitation facilities, and group homes.

(9) Foster care facilities, nursing homes, and psychiatric hospitals.

(10) Areas and common areas of agricultural buildings accessible to the public.

Exception to (1) through (10): Receptacles in the following locations do not have to be tamper resistant: (1) Receptacles more than 51/2 ft above the floor.

(2) Receptacles that are part of a luminaire or appliance.

(3) A receptacle within dedicated space for an appliance that in normal use is not easily moved.

(4) Nongrounding receptacles installed as permitted in Sec. 406.4(D)(2)(a).

Avoiding violations

Receptacles exist so that people can plug power cords into them.

This fact is the basis for nearly every requirement in Art. 406. If, for example, the box is not firmly attached, the person pushing the plug into the receptacle is going to move the receptacle. If a non-weatherproof receptacle is used in a wet location, the simple act of approaching it to plug something in could result in lethal shock. If you think of the user, the requirements in Art. 406 will be fairly easy to recall and correctly apply.

These materials are provided

by Mike Holt Enterprises. To view Code training materials offered by this company, visit www.mikeholt.com/code. www.ecmweb.com • June 2026

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N AT I O N A L E L E CT R I C A L CO D E

ILLUSTRATED CATASTROPHES All references are based on the 2026 edition of the NEC

BY RUSS LEBLANC, NEC CONSULTANT

Rogue Receptacle Installation This receptacle outlet may have been installed for temporary power, but it certainly provides us with some Code rules to discuss. The most important requirement in Art. 590 may be Sec. 590.4(A), which states, “Except as specifically modified in this article, all other requirements of this code for permanent wiring shall apply to temporary wiring installations.” This means installers must follow all of the requirements for supporting boxes as specified in Art. 314 unless Art. 590 modifies those requirements.

It’s my interpretation that there is no language in Art. 590 that modifies the box support requirements in Sec. 314.23. Using NM cable to support a box is not one of the methods specified in Sec. 314.23(A) through Sec. 314.23(H). I suppose the rule that most closely applies to this installation would be Sec. 314.23(H), which covers pendant boxes. However, according to the requirements in Sec. 314.23(H), pendant boxes are only permitted to be supported by either flexible cords, flexible cables, or rigid metal conduits or intermediate metal conduits.

One other problem that is visible here is the flexible cord dangling out of the bottom of the enclosure. If this was installed for temporary purposes, it does not comply with Sec. 590.6(H), which requires flexible cords to be secured to the enclosure.

Cable Protection Came Up A Little Short While the installers did make an attempt to provide some protection for the UF cables coming up out of the ground and into the box, their efforts came up a little short both literally and figuratively. The straight PVC conduit sleeve is too short. The UF cables are visible where they leave the conduit sleeve and enter the ground. Being exposed like this puts those cables in harm’s way from weed trimmers and lawn mowers.

Section 340.12(10) prohibits installing UF cables where subject to physical damage. Section 300.7(F) requires direct-buried cables to be protected by raceways or enclosures where they emerge from grade. This protection is required to extend from the minimum cover distance below grade required by Table 300.7(A), which in this case would be 24 in., to a height of at least 8 ft above grade. However, Sec. 300.7(D) also requires the protection to extend below grade to a maximum of only 18 in. Either way, this protective sleeve does not extend below grade at all! As for the rigid PVC conduit itself, Sec. 352.10(K) requires Schedule 80 PVC conduit to be used where subject to physical damage. Schedule 40 PVC conduit should not be used here.

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N AT I O N A L E L E CT R I C A L CO D E

CODE QUIZ OF THE MONTH All questions and answers are based on the 2023 NEC.

Test Your Code IQ How much do you know about the National Electrical Code?

ID 36382860 © Tyler Olson | Dreamstime.com

BY MIKE HOLT, NEC CONSULTANT

Q1. Table 220.56 may be applied to determine the load for thermostatically controlled or intermittently used and other kitchen equipment in a commercial kitchen. a. commercial electric cooking equipment b. dishwasher booster heaters c. water heaters d. all of these Q2. If the grounding electrode conductor to a concrete-encased electrode does not extend on to other types of electrodes, the grounding electrode conductor shall not be required to be larger than copper wire. a. 10 AWG c. 6 AWG b. 8 AWG d. 4 AWG

Q3. Where RMC enters a box, fitting, or other enclosure, shall be provided to protect the wire from abrasion, unless the design of the box, fitting, or enclosure affords equivalent protection. a. a bushing c. electrical tape b. duct seal d. seal fittings Q4. If conductors are installed in multiple raceways and are connected in , a wire-type equipment grounding conductor, if used, shall be installed in each raceway and shall be connected in parallel. The equipment grounding conductor installed in each raceway shall be sized in accordance with Sec. 250.122 based on the rating of the overcurrent protective device for the feeder or branch circuit.

a. parallel b. series

c. combination d. none of these

Q5. An individual motor-compressor protective device having a rating or setting not exceeding of the motor-compressor rated-load current or branch-circuit selection current, whichever is greater, is permitted. a. 115% c. 175% b. 125% d. 225% Q6. Where ENT enters a box, fitting, or other enclosure, a bushing or shall be provided to protect the wire from abrasion unless the box, fitting, or enclosure design provides equivalent protection. a. adapter c. connector b. coupling d. insulator

See the answers to these Code questions online at ecmweb.com/55379595.. www.ecmweb.com • June 2026

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N AT I O N A L E L E CT R I C A L CO D E

PRACTICALLY SPEAKING

AL-CU Versus CO/ALR Markings With the restructuring of Art. 406 in the 2026 NEC, the rules for wiring devices have become more complex.

BY RUSS LEBLANC, NEC CONSULTANT

In 2023 and prior editions of the Code, I found it fairly easy to figure out if it would be a Code violation to terminate aluminum conductors directly on the terminals of the receptacle shown in the Photo and others like it. But, for the 2026 Code, it is a little more difficult. In fact, it may not be Code compliant to do so.

Section 406.3(D)(1) in the 2023 Code stated, “Terminals of 15A and 20A receptacles not marked CO/ALR shall be used with copper and copper-clad aluminum conductors only.” But this marking did not apply to receptacles rated 30A and higher, such as the 30A receptacle in the photo. For a receptacle rated 30A and higher, the last sentence in Sec. 110.14(A) stated “Terminals for more than one conductor and terminals used to connect aluminum shall be so identified.”

For 2026, Art. 406 now applies to all wiring devices, including snap switches and receptacles. The device termination requirements in Sec. 406.10 apply to all wiring devices.

This receptacle complies with Sec. 110.14(A). The same language is used for the 2026 Code. However, during the restructuring and reorganization of Art. 404 and 406 for the 2026 64

Code, some information may have been lost. For 2026, Art. 406 now applies to all wiring devices, including snap switches and receptacles. The device termination requirements in Sec. 406.10 apply to all wiring devices. Section 406.10(2) applies to all wiring devices not marked CO/ ALR regardless of the amp rating of the wiring device and (a) states “They shall not be permitted to directly terminate aluminum conductors.”

Where does that leave installers when it comes to using aluminum conductors with receptacles like the one shown in the picture? Well, it certainly would not comply with Sec. 406.10(2)(a) to terminate aluminum conductors on this receptacle even though it is designed and listed for the connection of aluminum conductors. It does still comply with Sec. 110.14(A). According to the product standard information for attachment plugs and receptacles, UL 498 (RTRT.Guidelnfo - Receptacles

for Plugs and Attachment Plugs), “Terminals of receptacles rated 30A are intended for use with copper conductors only unless marked “ALCU.” Terminals marked “AL-CU” are intended for use with aluminum, copper and copper-clad aluminum conductors. Personally, I would have no problem with terminating aluminum conductors on the receptacle in the photo, since it complies with product standards and Sec. 110.14(A). However, you may want to have a discussion with your AHJ about this, considering that it would not comply with Sec. 406.10(2).

Unfortunately, the same type of conundrum happens with snap switches rated greater than 20A too.

Perhaps this will all be clarified for 2029 or with a T.I.A. before that.

Russ LeBlanc is an instructor and IAEI certified Electrical Inspector. He can be reached at russ@ russleblanc.com.

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

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N AT I O N A L E L E CT R I C A L CO D E

WHAT’S WRONG HERE? All references are based on the 2023 edition of the NEC

How Well Do You Know the Code?

BY RUSS LEBLANC, NEC CONSULTANT Think you can spot violations the original installer either ignored or couldn’t identify?

Here’s your chance to moonlight as an electrical inspector and second-guess someone else’s work from the safety of your living room or office. Can you identify the specific Code violation(s) in this photo? Note: Submitted comments must include specific references from the 2023 NEC. Hint: A not-soweatherproof cover.

‘Tell Them What They’ve Won...’

Using the 2026 NEC, correctly identify the Code violation(s) in this month’s photo — in 200 words or less — and you could win a 40-oz. insulated tumbler valued at $39.99, courtesy of ABB. Email your response, including your name and mailing address, to russ@russleblanc.net, and Russ will select two winners (excluding manufacturers and prior winners) at random from the correct submissions. Note that submissions without an address will not be eligible to win.

April Winner Our two winners this month were Bruce Paul, a retired electrical inspector from Howard County, Md.; and Chris Adams, Building Inspector Development Services, Oak Brook, Ill. They both knew that this box was set back too far from the finished surface.

For boxes installed in walls constructed of noncombustible materials such as concrete, tile, gypsum, and plaster, Sec. 314.20(A) permits boxes, plaster rings, extension rings, and listed extenders to be set back from the finished surface a maximum of 1/4 in. However, for installations in combustible materials such as wood, Sec. 314.20(B) requires boxes, plaster rings, extension rings, and listed extenders to extend all the way to the finished surface or project there from. One easy solution here may be to install a listed extender in the box so the wood paneling will not be exposed to any arcing or sparking from loose connections, short circuits, or ground faults that may occur inside the box.

66

June 2026 • www.ecmweb.com

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