Electrical Considerations When Building a New Home

New houses are exciting, but they come with a handful of considerations that builders and owners should take into account. Electrical wiring forms a significant concern for a new house. Things like breaker box size, lights, and power outlet locations are all points to consider when the house is still under construction. There are different stages of house wiring, and each one plays a part in the overall development of the house’s wiring scheme.

The Phases of Wiring

Don’t worry. We’re not talking about single-phase or three-phase power here. No, these phases deal with how the wiring within a house moves from the planning stage into the final step where you can flip a switch and turn on a light. In new house construction, there are five distinct phases of wiring:

1. Temporary wiring and underground conduit installation

At a construction site, you’ll no doubt have realized that there are bits of equipment (like drills and impact hammers) that need power, but there’s no wiring on site. The temporary installation provides power for these appliances. Power conduits are also laid down in this phase before the floor is finalized in concrete. If the floor contains receptacles, they are also placed at this stage.

2. Primary Electrical Installation Phase I (Rough-In)

This phase happens when all the walls and floor has been established. The roof goes up at this phase, meaning that can lights and extractor fans are also installed. Supplementary wiring from the electric boxes to the wall studs are done, usually by drilling holes. Finally, the wiring for the entertainment system goes in at the end of this phase.

3. Primary Electrical Installation Phase II (Temporary Wiring)

At this stage, there’s nothing that should impact the layout of the general location of the wires. Receptacles are put into areas to allow easy entry and egress of cables from rooms. A few of the more critical light switches, as well as temperature control systems, are wired up. These fixtures aren’t expected to be permanent, since they might be damaged during the final stage of construction and may need to be replaced.

4. Secondary Electrical Installation

This step can be considered the final installation stage for house wiring. HVAC controls, lights, fans, switchboards, and external electrical devices are put in and wired up. Appliances are wired up to specifications.

5. Testing

To ensure all lights, switches, and wiring are working, the electrical contractor dedicates the final stage to testing and correcting issues that might have occurred during the previous steps. Changes to minor wiring details can also be added at this stage.

What to Consider When Planning Electrical Wiring

The placement of electrical outlets is a crucial planning step that a lot of homeowners aren’t even aware they can have a say in. The most effective way to come up with an outlet plan, as well as the location of switches for lights, is to sit down with a floor plan and your electrician and map out where you’d like them to go. If you’re putting in custom light switches, you’ll need to consider their aesthetics compared to your current planned decor and any additional power requirements they may have.

When to Involve your Electrician

A registered electrician should do all electrical installations for a home. The ideal electrician will be able to give you solid deadlines as well as keep you in the loop while the wiring process is underway. LiveWire prides itself on having teams that are very sensitive to our clients’ needs. If you like to take an active part in your wiring process, let us know. For a professional service that focuses on getting the job done and keeping you informed about what we’re doing, call LiveWire today!