Why offices commission a lighting survey
Office lighting problems are rarely dramatic. They show up as staff moving desks to the window, complaints of tired eyes and headaches, glare on screens, or a quiet "it feels dim since the LED upgrade". An office lux survey replaces those impressions with numbers: the maintained illuminance at each workstation, how evenly it is spread, and whether it meets the values in BS EN 12464-1:2021.
The legal duty comes from regulation 8 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, and for screen users the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, which require the workstation assessment to cover lighting and glare. HSE guidance HSG38 and the CIBSE SLL Code for Lighting and LG7 (Lighting for offices) give the practical detail. Our office lighting standards guide explains how they fit together.
Target lux levels in offices
| Office area or task | Em (lux) | Uo |
|---|---|---|
| Writing, typing, reading, data processing | 500 | 0.60 |
| CAD workstations | 500 | 0.60 |
| Technical drawing | 750 | 0.70 |
| Conference and meeting rooms | 500 | 0.60 |
| Filing, copying | 300 | 0.40 |
| Reception desk | 300 | 0.60 |
| Archives | 200 | 0.40 |
| Corridors | 100 | 0.40 |
BS EN 12464-1:2021 also expects the area immediately surrounding a task to be lit to a sensible proportion of the task value, and introduces higher "modified" values where work is visually demanding or occupants are older. Lux is only half of the story in an office; we also look at glare, screen reflections and how bright walls and ceilings appear, because CIBSE LG7 places real weight on these for comfort.
What we measure in an office lighting survey
- Open-plan desk areas, measured on a grid at the working plane (around 0.75 m), with individual readings at desks that staff have flagged.
- Meeting rooms and boardrooms, including whether dimming scenes leave the table adequately lit for note-taking.
- Breakout areas, kitchens and tea points, where lower values apply but uniformity often fails.
- Reception, lift lobbies, corridors and stairs, measured at floor level for safe movement.
- Print and copy rooms, comms rooms and stores.
- Screen glare, noting luminaires or windows that reflect in monitors from normal seated positions.
Who asks for an office lux report
Requests usually come from facilities managers responding to staff complaints, health and safety leads completing DSE lighting assessments, HR teams handling a reasonable adjustment request, and occupiers or landlords checking that a CAT A or CAT B fit-out, or an LED retrofit, was delivered to specification. Tenants sometimes need independent figures before raising a service charge dispute about common-area lighting. Our article on why employees complain about lighting covers the usual causes.
How the survey runs on site
- We confirm floors, rooms and any specific complaints in advance, and ask for a floor plan if you have one.
- The engineer measures with a calibrated lux meter, recording grid readings for each area and spot readings at named desks.
- Daylight is controlled by closing blinds, surveying after dark or recording it separately, so the electric lighting is assessed fairly.
- We note lamp failures, flicker, sensor and dimming settings, dirty or discoloured diffusers and furniture layouts that block light.
Most single-floor offices up to 250 m² are surveyed in a morning. We can work out of hours if your floor is busy.
Your office lux survey report
- Room-by-room table of average, minimum and uniformity against the BS EN 12464-1:2021 value.
- Clear pass, marginal or fail flags and a one-page summary for management.
- Plans showing measurement points, so results can be re-checked after any changes.
- Targeted recommendations, such as re-commissioning daylight sensors, adjusting dimming levels, relamping or repositioning desks, before suggesting new fittings.
Report turnaround is confirmed when you book. If you are preparing for a fit-out sign-off or a staff consultation, tell us the date and we will confirm turnaround when you book.
Office lux surveys across London and the South East
We carry out office lighting surveys across central and outer London and the commuter belt in Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent, Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire, plus Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk. Multi-floor headquarters and small serviced suites are both covered, and occupiers with several offices can have every site reported in the same format.
Office survey pricing
An office survey of a single floor up to 250 m² starts from £175. If you only need a few desks checked following a complaint, a spot check starts from £90. Larger floors and multiple sites are quoted individually, and the price is always confirmed before you book. Try the cost calculator for an estimate.
Book your office lighting survey
Send us the address, floor area and what prompted the survey and we will confirm a price and date. Book an office lux survey.
Frequently asked questions
How many lux should an office desk have?
BS EN 12464-1:2021 recommends 500 lux maintained illuminance for writing, typing, reading and data processing, with a uniformity of at least 0.60 across the task area.
Does an office lux survey cover screen glare for DSE assessments?
Yes. Alongside lux readings we note luminaires and windows that reflect in screens from normal seated positions, which supports your display screen equipment workstation assessments.
Can you check whether our LED upgrade made the office darker?
Yes. We measure the new installation against BS EN 12464-1:2021 and look at dimming settings, sensors and optics, which are common reasons an LED retrofit under-delivers.
How long does an office lighting survey take?
A single floor up to 250 m² is usually measured in a morning, and the turnaround for the written report is confirmed when you book.