DIN 18015 / VDE 0100
Germany’s residential electrical standard, and the closest available match for any IEC‑aligned country. Here’s what it actually covers, where it applies, and what WireSketch does and doesn’t model from it.
What DIN 18015 is
DIN 18015 (“Elektrische Anlagen in Wohngebäuden”) is the German residential installation standard. It defines where things go: cable routing zones, minimum number of circuits per room, socket density per wall length, switch and socket mounting heights. It’s not the safety code — that’s VDE 0100, the German implementation of IEC 60364. The two work as a pair: DIN 18015 says “you need at least N sockets per kitchen counter wall”; VDE 0100 says “each circuit must be protected by a Type A RCD with 30 mA tripping current.”
The most-referenced parts:
- DIN 18015-1 — planning principles (zones, heights, minimum equipment per room)
- DIN 18015-2 — design and execution
- DIN 18015-3 — cable routing zones — the strips along walls where cables may run, so that anyone drilling later knows where not to drill
- VDE 0100-410 — protection against electric shock (RCD requirements)
- VDE 0100-701 — bathrooms (Zones 0/1/2, IP ratings)
Who DIN 18015 applies to
Germany, in full. It’s also a reasonable starting point for:
- Austria — ÖVE/ÖNORM E 8001 mirrors IEC 60364 and shares most installation conventions with DIN. German residential defaults are usually fit.
- German-speaking Switzerland — the Swiss NIN (Niederspannungs-Installations-Norm) is the official code, but DIN-aligned defaults work as a planning baseline for IEC-harmonized aspects.
- Netherlands — NEN 1010 is IEC-harmonized; many DIN installation conventions translate directly.
It is not a good fit for France (NF C 15-100), Spain (REBT), Italy (CEI 64-8), Belgium (AREI/RGIE), or the French-/Italian-speaking parts of Switzerland. Those countries share the IEC 60364 skeleton but flesh out installation zones, mandatory circuit counts, socket density, and bathroom volume definitions differently. The differences matter at the inspector level.
Key requirements
A short rundown of what a DIN 18015 + VDE 0100 installation actually needs in a typical dwelling:
- Installation zones — vertical and horizontal cable strips along walls, 15 cm and 30 cm respectively from corners, ceiling, and floor. Sockets and switches must be inside these zones.
- Standard heights — switches at ~110 cm above finished floor, sockets at ~30 cm (living rooms), 105 cm (kitchen counters).
- Minimum circuits — one lighting + one socket circuit per ~20 m²; kitchens and bathrooms get more.
- RCD protection — all socket circuits and bathroom circuits via 30 mA Type A RCDs.
- Bathroom Zones 0/1/2 — per VDE 0100-701, no switches in Zone 1, IPX4 minimum in Zone 1, dedicated equipotential bonding for metallic fixtures.
- Kitchen rule — each heavy appliance (oven, dishwasher, fridge, hood) on its own dedicated circuit.
- Cable type — NYM-J (sheathed copper) is the default residential cable; NYY for outdoor/underground runs.
What WireSketch models from DIN 18015
When you pick the DIN 18015 / VDE 0100 (Germany) region in WireSketch, the app applies:
- Vertical 15 cm + horizontal 30 cm installation zones as visual overlays on every wall
- Standard switch (110 cm) and socket (30 cm dry / 105 cm kitchen counter) snap heights
- IEC 60364 Zone 0/1/2 in bathroom wet-room mode — identical to VDE 0100-701 zones
- Kitchen rule — each kitchen appliance fixture gets a dedicated circuit when the panel is auto-filled
- NYM-J cable recommendations with appropriate cross-sections per circuit type
- Type A RCD as the default main protection in the panel template
WireSketch is a planning tool, not a stamped electrical design. A licensed electrician must verify and approve the layout before any installation work — that’s the law everywhere DIN 18015 applies. The app accelerates the conversation; it does not replace the design responsibility.
What WireSketch doesn’t model
Honesty matters: not everything in DIN 18015 / VDE 0100 is encoded in the app.
- Selectivity and main protection coordination — you can set breaker amperages, but WireSketch doesn’t simulate cascading trip behavior or grading.
- Loop impedance + earth fault loop calculations — required for compliance verification, not modelled.
- Conduit fill ratios — the app shows where conduits run, not whether you’ve overfilled them.
- Local water-utility equipotential bonding details — the app shows the bathroom is a wet room, not whether your specific metallic pipework needs additional bonding.
- DIN 18015-2 detailed execution specs — cable termination, junction-box wiring methods, sealing — all electrician’s scope.
- Austrian ÖVE/ÖNORM, Dutch NEN 1010, Swiss NIN deltas — DIN defaults are a starting point in those countries, not a substitute for the national code.
Practical tip
If you’re a German homeowner planning a remodel: use WireSketch to capture what you want, hand the Renovation Brief PDF to your Elektrofachkraft, and let them turn it into a compliant design. The brief is faster than a 30-minute walkthrough and far less ambiguous than a hand drawing on a kitchen napkin.
If you’re a contractor in Austria, German-speaking Switzerland, or the Netherlands: use WireSketch for layout and as a client-communication tool, but treat its outputs as DIN-flavored sketches that you adapt to your national code (ÖVE/NIN/NEN respectively) when producing the actual design package.