Everything electricians need to know about wire cable basket (Cablofil type) — advantages over solid tray, sizes and types, support requirements, earthing, data centre and commercial use, and cost comparison.
Free for 7 days · No charge until day 8 · Cancel anytime · Used by 1,000+ UK electricians
Written and reviewed by Andrew Moore, founder of Elec-Mate, against BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, IET Guidance Note 3 and the IET On-Site Guide.
Wire cable basket is a cable management system made from welded steel wire mesh formed into a channel. It is a lighter, faster-to-install alternative to pressed steel cable tray, used to route power and data cables in commercial buildings and data centres. Its open mesh gives excellent airflow, easy cable identification and on-site flexibility. Like all metallic cable management, it must be earthed.
Because the open mesh has more than 30% free area, cables on basket are rated to Reference Method E or F (free air) under BS 7671 — the same basis as a perforated cable tray.
1,000+
UK electricians
“Replaced three separate apps with Elec-Mate. Certs, quotes, and scheduling all in one place.”
Daniel Palmer — DP Electrical
Wire cable basket (commonly referred to as Cablofil, after the leading brand) is a cable management system constructed from galvanised steel wire welded into a rectangular mesh pattern and formed into a channel shape. It is an alternative to pressed steel cable tray, offering a lighter, more flexible, and faster-to-install solution for routing multiple cables in commercial and data centre environments.
The wire mesh construction gives cable basket its key advantages: excellent ventilation around cables, easy visual identification of installed cables, and the ability to cut and shape the basket on site using basic hand tools. Unlike pressed steel tray, which requires factory-made fittings for bends and tees, cable basket can be cut with side cutters and shaped by hand for simple route changes.
Cable basket must be installed in compliance with BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 requirements for cable support, grouping, and earthing of extraneous conductive parts.
Every key change in the 2026 amendment on one page. AFDDs, TN-C-S protection, new schedule columns, model forms. Pinned on your van dash.
Wire cable basket offers several practical advantages over both pressed steel tray and conduit systems that make it the preferred choice for many modern commercial and data centre installations.
Cablofil and equivalent wire basket systems are available in a range of widths, depths, and wire diameters to suit different applications and cable loadings. The table below summarises the typical specification ranges you will encounter on UK commercial projects.
| Dimension | Typical range | Most common |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 50mm – 600mm | 100 / 150 / 200 / 300 / 450mm |
| Depth | 35mm – 105mm | 54mm (standard commercial) |
| Wire diameter | ~3mm – 5mm+ | 2.9mm (Cablofil CF54 series) |
Choose width based on a cable fill calculation. Manufacturers typically recommend a maximum cross-sectional fill of around 40% as a practical guide to preserve ventilation and keep cables in something close to free-air conditions — note that this 40% figure is manufacturer guidance, not a specific BS 7671 threshold. Deeper basket (e.g. the 105mm deep-section profile) and heavier wire allow higher cable volumes and wider support spans.
Pre-galvanised (electro-galvanised)
Indoor, dry use only. The thin zinc coating corrodes rapidly in damp or external conditions.
Hot-dip galvanised (HDG)
Indoor and sheltered outdoor use where not in direct contact with weather.
PVC coated
Humid or mildly corrosive environments; good corrosion resistance for external or wash-down areas.
Stainless steel 316
Fully exposed outdoor, marine and corrosive environments where galvanising will not last.
Wire cable basket must be adequately supported to prevent deflection under cable loading. The flexible nature of wire mesh means it will sag more than rigid pressed steel tray if supports are spaced too widely. The figures below are typical manufacturer guidance — always confirm against the specific load/span table for the basket series and cable load you are installing.
| Location | Typical max support spacing |
|---|---|
| Horizontal straight run (CF54, standard load) | 1500mm centres |
| Heavily loaded or wide basket | 1200mm or 1000mm centres |
| Either side of a bend, tee or direction change | Within 300mm of the fitting |
| Vertical run | 1200mm centres (plus cable ties/cleats for cable weight) |
Wire cable basket is a metallic extraneous conductive part under BS 7671 and must be bonded and connected to earth. The earthing method for wire basket is simpler than for pressed steel tray because clip-on earth bond connectors require no drilling.
16 certificate types, 70+ calculators, RAMS, quoting, invoicing, AI agents, and 46+ training courses — from £6.99/mo.
Start free trial
Wire cable basket has become the dominant cable management system in UK data centres and server rooms, and is widely used in modern commercial office fit-outs. Its combination of speed, flexibility, and excellent airflow makes it ideally suited to these environments.
Wire cable basket is generally more expensive per metre in material cost than equivalent pressed steel perforated cable tray, but this premium must be assessed against the installation labour saving. The figures below are indicative market guidance to frame the trade-off — they are not a quote, and the actual installed cost varies by project, route complexity and supplier.
| Factor | Wire basket vs perforated tray |
|---|---|
| Material cost per metre | Typically ~20–40% higher than equivalent HDG perforated tray |
| Installation labour | Often ~15–30% lower on complex routes (on-site cutting/bending, clip-on earth bonds, faster cable laying) |
| Programme | Faster on fast-track fit-outs — routes adapt on site without waiting for factory fittings |
| Best where tray wins | Long straight runs, cables needing protection from below, fixed routes that won't change |
On a large project with hundreds of metres of basket the material premium is significant, but the labour and programme savings can partially or fully offset it — so always compare on a project-specific installed-cost basis rather than on headline material price. Where routes are long, straight and unlikely to change, pressed steel solid-bottom or perforated tray is often better value. See the cable tray installation guide for a direct comparison.
Selecting the correct cable size for a wire basket installation requires applying the BS 7671 Appendix 4 correction factors to the base current-carrying capacity (Iz). The three factors most relevant to basket installations are:
| Factor | What it corrects for | BS 7671 source |
|---|---|---|
| Ca | Ambient temperature above 30°C (e.g. ceiling voids, plant rooms) | Table 4B1 |
| Cg | Grouping — mutual heating from other circuits sharing the basket | Tables 4C4 / 4C5 (free-air methods E/F) |
| Ci | Contact with thermal insulation elsewhere on the route | Reg 523 / Appendix 4 |
The combined derated capacity is: Iz(derated) = It(tabulated) × Ca × Cg (× Ci where it applies). The selected conductor must satisfy Iz ≥ In (the nominal current of the protective device). Take the base tabulated current-carrying capacity for your cable type from the relevant Appendix 4 current-carrying-capacity table using the Reference Method E or F column for free-air / tray installation.
Commercial installations using wire cable basket must be certified with the appropriate Electrical Installation Certificate, including verification of tray earth continuity, correct grouping factors applied to cable sizing, and cable segregation between power and data circuits.
Use the Elec-Mate EIC app to complete and issue Electrical Installation Certificates for commercial cable basket installations on site. Record test results, earth continuity readings, and circuit details — generate the PDF before you leave.
Elec-Mate's EIC and EICR apps help you certify commercial cable basket installations on site.
Try it free for 7 daysVerified reviews from the UK App Store.
Elec-Mate is my go to app for business and electrical work. It's feature rich without feeling cluttered. A true all in one app for quotes, certs, calculations, RAMS, EICRs, and more. I use it every day without fail, and it makes my workflow much smoother since I'm not jumping between apps anymore. The price-to-feature ratio is excellent. Any issues I've had, the developer responds within the hour and usually fixes them the same day. 100% recommend.
I've used the app and the web based version for a while now and it's well worth the investment. If you're an apprentice or experienced Spark give it a go, you won't be disappointed.
I've been using Elec-Mate for a while now, and honestly, it's one of the best apps I've ever downloaded. Every aspect of it feels thoughtfully designed, from the clean and intuitive interface to the powerful features that make everything so easy to manage. It's clear that a lot of care and attention went into building this app, and it shows in every detail.
Real feedback from real sparks
“Replaced three separate apps with Elec-Mate. Certs, quotes, and scheduling all in one place.”
Daniel Palmer
Sole Trader · DP Electrical
“I've won two contracts this month because I could turn quotes around same-day with the AI cost engineer.”
Nathan Perry
Electrician · NP Electrical Services
“The study centre got me through my AM2. Mock exams and flashcards are brilliant.”
Jake Pizey
3rd Year Apprentice · Apprentice
Join 1,000+ UK electricians using Elec-Mate to certify commercial cable basket installations on site. Record test results and earth continuity — instant PDF export. 7-day free trial.
“Replaced three separate apps with Elec-Mate. Certs, quotes, and scheduling all in one place.”
Daniel Palmer, DP Electrical
From £6.99/mo after trial — less than a coffee a week
We use cookies to improve the app and measure what works. Cookie Policy