The electrician’s materials checklist for a house in Cameroon
A house's electrical installation comes in five families: cable (1.5 mm² for lighting, 2.5 mm² for sockets), sockets (2 800 FCFA each), lighting points (4 500 FCFA), the distribution board (85 000 FCFA) and the service/meter. For a 3-bed house, budget about 500 000 FCFA in materials. Never skimp on the residual-current breaker and the earth: that is the safety.
A badly priced electrical installation is either a loss for the tradesperson or a danger for the client. Here is the full checklist, item by item, at 2026 prices from the SangoImmo catalogue.
The checklist, family by family
- 1.5 mm² cable (650 FCFA/m): lighting circuits.
- 2.5 mm² cable (850 FCFA/m): socket circuits.
- Socket outlets (2 800 FCFA): back-box + mechanism, ~2 to 5 per room.
- Lighting points (4 500 FCFA): point + switch, ~1 per room.
- Distribution board (85 000 FCFA): breakers, RCD, circuit split.
- ENEO service / meter (95 000 FCFA): connection to the grid.
- Conduit, back-boxes, earth electrode: small items, non-negotiable safety.
The weight of each item (3-bed house)
Cable and devices (sockets + points) dominate the materials; the board and the meter are significant fixed items not to forget in the quote.
Worked example: a 3-bedroom house (~80 m²)
| Item | Calculation | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Lighting points | 10 × 4 500 FCFA | 45 000 FCFA |
| Socket outlets | 18 × 2 800 FCFA | 50 400 FCFA |
| 1.5 mm² cable (lighting) | 120 ml × 650 FCFA | 78 000 FCFA |
| 2.5 mm² cable (sockets) | 150 ml × 850 FCFA | 127 500 FCFA |
| Distribution board | 1 × 85 000 FCFA | 85 000 FCFA |
| Service / meter (ENEO) | 1 × 95 000 FCFA | 95 000 FCFA |
| Materials total | 480 900 FCFA |
That is about 500 000 FCFA in materials, excluding labour. The quantities (number of sockets, points, metres of cable) depend on the plan — change them and the total recomputes. Laying is added, often per point/socket or as a lump sum.
Safety: the items you never cut
- Residual-current device (30 mA) at the board: protects people. Mandatory, not optional.
- Earth electrode and bonding (kitchen, bathroom): essential.
- Correct cable sizing: 1.5 mm² lighting, 2.5 mm² sockets, dedicated ratings for water heater and air-conditioner.
SangoImmo checks these rules (SANS 10400, NF DTU, CEMAC practice) and flags gaps — see our guide to standards and the permit.
Producing a clean electrical quote
Rather than recounting by hand, SangoImmo auto-equips each room (points + sockets), totals the cable and supplies, applies your prices and produces a readable line-by-line quote — with a Mobile Money deposit. Cross-check your unit prices against the materials prices guide, and compare your overall cost with the 3-bedroom house price.
Calculation assumptions
Frequently asked questions
- What materials do you need for a house's electrics in Cameroon?
- Cable (1.5 mm² for lighting at 650 FCFA/m, 2.5 mm² for sockets at 850 FCFA/m), sockets (2 800 FCFA), lighting points (4 500 FCFA), a distribution board (85 000 FCFA) with a residual-current device, and the service/meter (95 000 FCFA), plus conduit, boxes and an earth electrode.
- How much does the electrics cost for a 3-bedroom house in Cameroon?
- The materials for a 3-bed (~80 m²) electrical installation work out to about 500 000 FCFA at 2026 prices, excluding labour. The total depends on the number of sockets and points, and the metres of cable.
- Which cable size for which circuit?
- 1.5 mm² for lighting, 2.5 mm² for socket outlets, and dedicated ratings (larger section + matched breaker) for the water heater and air-conditioner. An undersized cable overheats and becomes dangerous.
- How do I produce an electrical quote quickly?
- With SangoImmo: the app equips each room (lighting points + sockets), totals the cable and supplies, applies your prices and produces an editable detailed quote in FCFA, with a Mobile Money deposit — free and offline.
Sources and references
- Figures: SangoImmo costing engine, 2026 materials catalogue — see the full methodology. Open data, CC BY 4.0.
- National statistics and price indices for Cameroon: Institut National de la Statistique du Cameroun (INS).
- Housing policy and building permits: Ministère de l'Habitat et du Développement Urbain (MINHDU).
- Compliance rules checked by the app: SANS 10400 (building regulations), French NF DTU codes of practice, CEMAC-region practice.
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