Why are doors drawn on electrical plans?

Door swing direction tells the installer which side of the door to place wall switches, alarm panels, and emergency call-points. A switch on the wrong side of a door swing is unusable — you would need to step into the dark room to find it. The architectural door symbol is therefore essential context for the electrical layout. Double doors and emergency exits also influence the placement of access control and fire alarm devices.

What is the north arrow used for?

On solar PV installation drawings, the north arrow is essential — panel orientation determines the annual yield. South-facing arrays in the UK typically produce around 900–1,000 kWh/kWp/year (MCS MIS 3002 guidance); east or west orientation reduces yield noticeably; north-facing arrays are generally considered unviable for most domestic and commercial installations. CCTV plans use the north arrow to ensure cameras are not pointed directly into the rising or setting sun (which causes lens flare and washout).

Are window symbols required on electrical drawings?

They are not always present, but they are useful for several reasons. Windows define the daylit zones that determine daylight-harvesting lighting scheme parameters. They are obstacles to be avoided when planning cable routes through walls. And they affect security camera placement — cameras inside looking out through a window are subject to reflection issues during the day.

How do stairs appear on a switch layout?

Stairs are drawn as a series of parallel lines with an arrow indicating "UP" direction. Two-way switches are then drawn at the top and bottom of the stairs, often labelled with their strapper connections (e.g. "L1" and "L2"). Intermediate switches appear at any mid-landing. The stair symbol orients the installer so the switches go in the right place — and the lighting layout uses this to position the stair lights at landings and treads. When testing a two-way or two-way-plus-intermediate switch circuit (as at a staircase), GN3 Reg 2.21 requires insulation resistance tests to be performed in every switch position: operate each switch one at a time and repeat the insulation resistance test for each configuration to ensure all wiring paths are verified.

Has BS 7671 A4:2026 changed the requirements for drawing notices and diagrams?

Yes. In BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, Section 514 (Identification and notices) was significantly updated: the illustrations of notices that previously appeared within Section 514 have been removed from the body of the standard. Designers and installers seeking example notice layouts should now refer to Appendix 11, which provides the alternative guidance. The underlying requirement — that all diagrams, charts and notices shall comply with applicable standards (Reg 514.9.2) — remains unchanged.

Should I draw architectural features at the same level of detail as electrical?

No — architectural features are drawn as simple outlines for context only. The electrical installer is not building the walls or fitting the doors. The level of architectural detail should be just enough to position electrical accessories unambiguously. Over-detailed architectural drawings on an electrical plan create clutter and make the actual electrical content harder to read.

SYMBOL REFERENCE

Architectural Symbols: Door, window, stairs + north arrow references

The architectural symbols you find alongside electrical accessories on UK installation drawings — door swing, window, stairs, north arrow — drawn to standard convention.

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6 min readUpdated 2026-06-10Andrew Moore, Founder of Elec-Mate

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.

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Key takeaways

01Door swing symbols (left-hinged, right-hinged, double-leaf) tell the installer which side of the door switches and accessories should be placed.
02Window symbols on electrical drawings indicate the position of external walls — important for daylight-harvesting lighting plans and solar PV mounting.
03Stairs symbols show tread direction — the textbook BS 7671 use case for two-way switching at top and bottom of the staircase.
04North arrow symbols are critical on solar PV drawings (orientation determines annual yield), CCTV plans (sun glare avoidance) and external lighting plans.
05Combining architectural context with the electrical symbols enables the installer to position accessories correctly without ambiguity.

01 · Symbol Reference

Architectural Symbols — Complete Symbol Set

Below are every architectural symbols on the Elec-Mate symbol library, drawn to BS EN 60617. Right-click any symbol to save the SVG, or use the AI Diagram Builder to drag them directly into a circuit drawing.

Door left-hinged architectural symbol electrical drawing

Door (Hinged Left)

An architectural door symbol showing a left-hinged swing. Used on electrical layout drawings to show building context — wall switch positions relate to door swing.

Used in: Electrical layout plans, fire alarm zone plans, emergency lighting drawings.

Door right-hinged architectural symbol electrical drawing

Door (Hinged Right)

An architectural door symbol showing a right-hinged swing. Used to indicate the door swing direction relative to electrical accessories on the drawing.

Used in: All electrical layout drawings; tells the installer which side of the door switches go.

Double Door

A double-door symbol — both leaves shown. Used for main entrances, large reception doors, fire exits and accessible-width openings.

Used in: Main entrances, lobbies, fire escapes, accessible refuge points.

Window

A window symbol shown on the wall line. Helps the installer locate fittings relative to natural light, identify external walls, and avoid cabling routes through openings.

Used in: External walls on layout drawings, daylight-harvesting lighting plans.

Stairs

An architectural stairs symbol showing tread direction. Two-way switching at top and bottom of stairs is the textbook BS 7671 use case for the symbol.

Used in: Stairwells; emergency lighting + two-way switching are the obvious requirements.

North Arrow

A compass north indicator. Critical on solar PV drawings (orientation determines yield), CCTV camera plans (sun glare avoidance), and general drawing orientation.

Used in: Solar PV system designs, CCTV / external lighting plans, all professional electrical drawings.

02 · Symbol Reference

About Architectural Symbols

The architectural symbols you find alongside electrical accessories on UK installation drawings — door swing, window, stairs, north arrow — drawn to standard convention.

Each symbol is drawn to IEC 60617 — the UK adoption of the international IEC 60617 standard for graphical symbols on electrical diagrams. The same symbols appear on EICR forms, distribution board schedules, single-line schematics and installation layout drawings.

Regulatory requirement: BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 Reg 514.9.2 requires that all diagrams, charts and notices used in an electrical installation shall comply with the applicable standards specified. For graphical symbols on UK installation drawings, the applicable standard is IEC 60617.

Looking for symbols in a different category? See the full IEC 60617 symbol library covering switches, sockets, lighting, distribution, safety, containment, equipment, mechanical, renewables, controls and architectural symbols.

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FAQ — Architectural Symbols

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