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Commando Socket Installation — Yorkshire & the M62

16A & 32A blue commando sockets for caravan hook-ups, motorhomes, outbuildings, workshops and hot tubs. Dedicated RCBO-protected circuit, BS 7671:2024 compliant, NAPIT certified.

From £180 (16A, short run on existing consumer unit). Half-day to full day depending on cable run. NAPIT MEIWC issued same day.

What a commando socket install actually involves

A commando socket is the round blue (or red, for 3-phase) industrial-style outdoor socket you see on every UK campsite hook-up post. It's the proper way to run power from a house to a caravan, motorhome, workshop, garage, garden office, hot tub or any outdoor load that needs more than the 13A a standard outdoor socket can give you.

A typical install for us is:

  • Survey: where's the consumer unit, where's the socket going, what's the cable route, what's it powering
  • Drop a dedicated RCBO into your existing 18th-Edition consumer unit (or fit a small outdoor IP-rated sub-board for longer runs)
  • Run 2.5mm² or 4mm² SWA (steel-wired armoured) cable — clipped, ducted or buried as the route demands
  • Fit an IP44-rated commando outlet with weatherproof hinged flap and gasket, mounted on a weather-shielded surface
  • Test for earth continuity, polarity, insulation resistance and RCD trip time
  • Issue your NAPIT MEIWC (or full EIC for a new dedicated circuit) the same day

Almost every install we do is single-phase 16A blue commando — that's the standard caravan / motorhome hook-up across the UK and Europe, and the same socket that suits most domestic outbuildings, workshops and hot tubs. We also fit 32A blue for bigger workshops, larger hot tubs, or where multiple appliances run at once. Red 3-phase commando is a commercial job — see our commercial work if that's what you need.

Common reasons people fit a commando socket

Caravan & motorhome owners

Charge habitation batteries, run the fridge and heater on the driveway between trips. One 16A socket replaces three extension leads dangling out the kitchen window.

Outbuildings, garages, workshops

Detached garages, garden offices and workshops need their own RCBO-protected circuit. A 16A or 32A feed plus a small sub-board for lighting and sockets is the standard answer.

Hot tubs

Most domestic hot tubs draw 13-16A and want a dedicated, RCBO-protected outdoor circuit. Plugging into a kitchen extension lead is how insurance claims start.

Trailers, horseboxes, food vans

If you store a unit on the drive that needs to be plugged in overnight, a 16A hook-up means you stop trailing an extension lead under the garage door.

How commando socket installation works with us

1

Photo quote

Send photos of your consumer unit, the proposed socket location and the cable route — we quote a fixed price within an hour.

2

Book

Most jobs same-week. Half-day or full-day slot depending on cable run length and any sub-board work.

3

Install

Isolate, run SWA cable, fit RCBO at the consumer unit, mount IP44 commando outlet, test live.

4

Certificate

NAPIT MEIWC or EIC issued same day. Paperwork your insurer and any future buyer will want.

What it costs — Yorkshire 2026 rates

  • 16A commando, short run on existing consumer unit: from £180. Surface-mounted on the side of the house, cable clipped along the wall, RCBO added to the existing board.
  • 16A commando, 10-25m cable run to driveway or outbuilding: £280-£420. SWA cable buried or ducted under the path / lawn.
  • 32A commando, dedicated circuit: £350-£520. Heavier cable, larger RCBO, same paperwork.
  • Outbuilding sub-board with one or two commando sockets plus lighting + sockets inside: quoted on survey, usually £550-£950 fully installed and certified.

If your existing consumer unit is an old wire-fuse box or a pre-2018 split-load board, we may flag a fuse-board upgrade first — modern outdoor circuits need RCBO protection per BS 7671:2024, and bolting one onto an old board often isn't the safest answer. We'll explain on survey, written quote, no pressure.

Want a rough number now? Run our cost calculator — pick "outdoor socket / commando" and your postcode.

Why book Dixon for a commando socket

NAPIT Registered (78906)

Notifiable work registered with Building Control automatically. You get the MEIWC or EIC, signed and dated, the same day. Satisfies your insurer and any future house-sale solicitor.

BS 7671:2024 Compliant

Every outdoor circuit we fit is RCBO-protected, properly glanded, IP-rated and tested per the current 18th Edition Amendment 2 wiring regs.

Fixed price in writing

Quote before work starts. Number on the quote = number on the invoice. No surprises after the cable's in the ground.

Local across the M62

Bradford-based, working from Halifax to York and across the M62 corridor into Lancashire & Greater Manchester. We know the housing stock, the rural postcodes and the typical cable runs.

TrustMark Gov-Endorsed

TrustMark licence 3907641. Government-endorsed quality scheme for tradespeople — we're vetted, monitored and accountable.

HM Forces Veteran

26 years in the British Army (Royal Artillery). On time, tidy site, finished. Standards aren't optional. More about Steven →

Commando socket install questions

16A single-phase commando socket on a short cable run from an existing consumer unit: from £180. Longer SWA cable run (10-25m to an outbuilding or driveway): £280-£420. 32A install: £350-£520. New dedicated outdoor sub-board with multiple sockets: quoted on survey.

16A blue commando is the standard for caravan and motorhome hook-up (matches every UK campsite pitch lead) and is fine for most outbuildings, workshops and hot tubs drawing under 3.6kW. 32A blue commando is needed for larger workshops, big hot tubs, or where multiple appliances run at once. Red commando = 3-phase, rare for domestic, used on commercial sites.

Not always. For a single short-run socket near the house we can drop a dedicated RCBO into your existing 18th-Edition consumer unit. For an outbuilding more than ~10m away, or where you want lighting and sockets inside, a small outdoor IP-rated sub-board makes more sense and keeps the wiring tidy and compliant with BS 7671:2024.

Yes — fitted correctly. We use IP44-rated outdoor units with a hinged weatherproof flap and gasket, mounted on a weather-shielded surface, with the cable glanded properly. RCBO protection at the consumer unit is mandatory under the 18th Edition. Done right, a commando socket is one of the safest outdoor electrical fixings on a UK home.

No — and we don't recommend the various adaptor leads either. Caravans, motorhomes and trailer tents are designed for a 16A blue commando hook-up because the chassis earth, polarity and RCD protection are different to a standard 13A socket. Fitting a proper commando socket is cheaper than one insurance claim from a dodgy adaptor.

Short-run 16A on existing consumer unit: 2-3 hours. Cable-run to an outbuilding or far end of driveway: half a day. Full sub-board install with multiple sockets and lighting: 1 day. NAPIT MEIWC issued same day.

Yes — NAPIT Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (MEIWC) for adding a single socket to an existing circuit, or a full Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) for a new dedicated circuit or sub-board. Either way you get paperwork that satisfies your insurer and house-sale solicitor.

You might also need

EV Charger Installation

Same outdoor SWA cable approach as a commando socket but with a smart 7kW charger on the end. EV charger service →

Fuse-Board Upgrade

Old wire-fuse box? We often pair a commando install with an 18th-Edition consumer unit so the new outdoor circuit is properly RCBO-protected. Fuse-board upgrade →

Landlord EICR

If the property is let, your 5-yearly EICR needs to cover any new circuits — we'll add them and re-issue. Landlord EICR →

Book your commando socket install

NAPIT-registered. BS 7671:2024 compliant. Bradford-based, covering Yorkshire, Lancashire & Greater Manchester via the M62 corridor. Free fixed-price quote in writing.

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