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An Excel cable schedule with a project header block, drop-down lists, an Ib ≤ Iz check and a voltage-drop formula, plus a plain CSV version. No sign-up and no email required.
XLSX · 3 sheets (How to use, Cable Schedule, hidden Lists) · 300 pre-formatted rows · free to use and adapt
What is a cable schedule?
A cable schedule (also called a cable list or cable register) is the table that records every cable on an electrical project: what it connects, what it is made of, how big it is, how it is installed and how it was checked. It sits alongside the single-line diagram and the cable route drawings, and it is often the document that installers, estimators and commissioning teams use most.
A good schedule lets a buyer order cable and glands from one sheet, lets an installer pull and terminate the right cable at both ends, and lets an engineer see quickly whether each circuit has been sized and checked.
What goes in an electrical cable schedule
The template includes these columns. Rename, hide or add columns to match your client’s standard.
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Cable ID | A unique tag for each cable, following the project numbering convention. It is what goes on the cable markers and the drawings. |
| From / To | Equipment tag and location at each end (for example a switchboard outgoing circuit and the motor or distribution board it feeds). |
| Function | Power, control, instrumentation, earthing or communications, which drives segregation and tray allocation. |
| Cable type / construction | Conductor material, insulation, sheath and armour, or the wiring method (for example THHN conductors in conduit). |
| Cores × size | Number of cores and the conductor size in mm², AWG or kcmil, plus the earth or equipment grounding conductor size. |
| Insulation & voltage rating | For example XLPE 0.6/1 kV or THHN/THWN-2 600 V. It must suit the system voltage and the operating temperature used for sizing. |
| Length & route | Route length (used for voltage drop and procurement) and the installation method / tray, conduit or duct IDs. |
| Glands | Gland type and size at each end, which the installer orders from this column. |
| Design current Ib | The circuit’s maximum demand or design current. |
| Derated capacity Iz | Current-carrying capacity after every derating factor (grouping, ambient or soil temperature, installation method). The template flags any row where Ib exceeds Iz. |
| Voltage drop % | Calculated from unit voltage drop (mV/A·m), current, length and system voltage, or entered from your design software. |
| Status / Rev | Proposed, IFC, installed, as-built or deleted, plus the row’s revision, so changes stay traceable. |
Australian and US projects
The template is neutral about standards. The design-basis drop-down and the size-unit column let the same sheet work on either side of the Pacific:
- Australia / New Zealand: cable selection, current-carrying capacity and voltage drop are normally worked out to AS/NZS 3008.1.1, with the voltage-drop limits of AS/NZS 3000. Sizes are in mm², and the unit voltage drop (mV/A·m) column matches how AS/NZS 3008 presents voltage drop.
- United States: conductor ampacity comes from NEC Chapter 3, most often Table 310.16 with its correction and adjustment factors, and terminal temperature ratings must also be checked. Sizes are in AWG or kcmil. Enter lengths in metres (feet × 0.3048), or rename the column and adapt the formula.
The spreadsheet does not reproduce tables from either standard. Look up Iz and voltage-drop values in your own licensed copy or your design software. The example row uses illustrative numbers only.
How to use the template
- Fill in the header block: project, client, document number, revision, date and design basis, plus who prepared, checked and approved it.
- Add one row per cable with a unique Cable ID and both ends identified. Delete the highlighted EXAMPLE row when you start.
- Describe the cable: function, construction, cores, size, earth size, insulation and voltage rating. Most of these columns have drop-downs.
- Record route and length and the gland type and size at each end.
- Enter Ib and the derated Iz. The check column shows OK or CHECK.
- Enter the unit voltage drop to get voltage drop %, or overwrite that cell with your software’s result.
- Control revisions with the Status and Rev columns. Keep deleted cables in the list as “Deleted” so the history stays traceable.
The template is provided as-is. It is not engineering advice, and cable selection must be verified by a competent person against the applicable standard, the manufacturer’s data and the project specification.
Start with a defined scope.
Agree the source information, deliverables and review requirements before the first issue.