Building a new home in Aiken is exciting, and the electrical system is one of the most important decisions you will make during the process. Unlike remodeling, new construction gives you a blank slate to design the perfect electrical system from the ground up. The choices you make during the pre-wire phase are permanent and expensive to change after the drywall goes up. This checklist covers everything you should plan for before your electrician starts pulling wire.
Start with the Right Panel Size
Your electrical panel is the heart of your home's electrical system. For new construction in 2026, we strongly recommend a minimum 200-amp panel for any home, with serious consideration for a 400-amp service or dual 200-amp panels for larger homes or homes with significant electrical loads.
Why go bigger? Modern homes consume far more electricity than homes built even a decade ago. Between electric vehicle chargers, heat pumps, tankless water heaters, induction cooktops, and home battery systems, a 200-amp panel can fill up fast. Adding capacity after construction means replacing the panel, the meter base, and potentially the service entrance cable, which costs thousands more than doing it right the first time.
For a typical 2,000 to 3,000 square-foot Aiken home, plan for a 200-amp panel with at least 40 circuit spaces. If your home will have an EV charger, a workshop, a pool, or electric heating, discuss upgrading to 320 or 400 amps with your electrician.
Outlet Placement: Think Beyond Code Minimums
The NEC requires receptacles every 12 feet along walls and within 6 feet of doorways. These are minimums, not recommendations. In new construction, adding extra outlets during the rough-in phase costs very little compared to adding them after the walls are finished.
Areas where extra outlets pay off:
- Kitchen: Plan for outlets every 2 feet along countertops. Include outlets inside the pantry for charging devices and inside cabinets for under-cabinet lighting and appliance charging stations
- Home office: Install at least 4 duplex outlets plus dedicated circuits for computers and monitors. Add floor outlets if the desk will not be against a wall
- Master bedroom: Outlets on both sides of the bed location, plus USB outlets at nightstand height. Add an outlet in the closet for iron or steamer
- Garage: Outlets every 6 feet at workbench height (48 inches) plus 240V outlets for future equipment
- Exterior: Weatherproof outlets on every side of the house, at the patio, near the driveway, and at any future outbuilding location
- Hallways: Outlets for vacuum cleaners, night lights, and holiday decorations
Circuit Planning: Dedicated Circuits You Will Need
Every major appliance and high-draw device needs its own dedicated circuit. Here is a comprehensive list for new construction:
- Kitchen: Two 20A small appliance circuits (code required), dishwasher, garbage disposal, refrigerator, microwave, and range or cooktop (240V)
- Laundry: Washer (20A), dryer (30A 240V)
- HVAC: Each air handler, heat pump, or AC condenser on its own circuit
- Water heater: Dedicated 30A circuit for electric or 20A for gas (electronic ignition)
- Bathroom: Each bathroom on its own 20A GFCI circuit
- Garage: Garage door opener, plus separate circuits for tools and future EV charger
- Outdoor: Pool equipment, landscape lighting, irrigation controller
A modern Aiken home typically needs 30 to 50 circuits. This is why panel space matters. Do not let your builder talk you into a smaller panel to save a few hundred dollars.
Lighting Plan: Layer Your Light
New construction is your chance to create a professional lighting plan with multiple layers. Plan for three types of lighting in each major room:
- Ambient lighting: Recessed cans or flush mounts that provide general illumination. Plan spacing at roughly one recessed light per 25 square feet of floor space
- Task lighting: Under-cabinet lights in the kitchen, vanity lights in bathrooms, reading lights in bedrooms. Pre-wire for these even if you install the fixtures later
- Accent lighting: Wall sconces, cove lighting, or track lighting for artwork and architectural features. Run wire to locations even if you do not install fixtures immediately
Install dimmer switches in every room where you have overhead lighting. The cost difference between a standard switch and a dimmer-rated switch during new construction is minimal, and dimmers dramatically improve comfort and energy efficiency.
For exterior lighting, plan for soffit lights, porch lights, garage lights, pathway lighting connections, and landscape lighting circuits. Pre-wire low-voltage landscape lighting runs from the garage or a utility area to key locations around the yard.
Smart Home Pre-Wire
Even if you are not ready for a full smart home system today, pre-wiring during construction is cheap insurance. Running cable through open walls costs a fraction of what it costs to retrofit later.
Essential smart home pre-wiring:
- Neutral wires at every switch box: Smart switches require neutral wires. Current code already requires this, but verify your electrician includes them
- Cat6 ethernet to every room: Wi-Fi is great, but hardwired connections are more reliable for smart home hubs, security cameras, streaming devices, and home offices
- Conduit for future runs: Install 1-inch conduit from the attic to the basement or utility room. This allows you to pull new cables in the future without opening walls
- Doorbell transformer: Install a 24V transformer for a video doorbell, with Cat6 run to the front door location
- Security camera locations: Run power and Cat6 to exterior camera mounting points at corners of the house, above the garage, and at the front door
- Central wiring closet: Designate a closet or cabinet area with power, ventilation, and structured wiring panel for your network equipment
EV Charger Preparation
Even if you do not own an electric vehicle today, prepare for one. Running a 50-amp 240V circuit to the garage during construction costs $200 to $400. Retrofitting the same circuit after construction can cost $1,500 to $3,000 or more depending on the distance from the panel.
Install a NEMA 14-50 outlet or, better yet, have your electrician run the wire and install a junction box so a hardwired Level 2 charger can be connected later. Make sure the circuit is on its own breaker in the main panel.
Inspections: What to Expect in Aiken County
New construction electrical work in Aiken County requires multiple inspections:
- Rough-in inspection: After all wiring is run but before drywall. The inspector verifies wire routing, box placement, circuit sizing, grounding, and code compliance. This is the most critical inspection because everything is visible and accessible
- Service inspection: When the meter base, service entrance, and main panel are installed. The utility (Dominion Energy) must also approve the service before energizing
- Final inspection: After all fixtures, devices, and cover plates are installed. The inspector tests outlets, GFCIs, AFCIs, and verifies the completed installation
Failing an inspection means delays and additional costs. Working with a licensed electrician who understands current NEC requirements and Aiken County amendments ensures your project passes every inspection the first time.
Plan Now, Save Later
The most expensive electrical work is the work you wish you had done during construction. Take the time to walk through your floor plan with your electrician before the first wire is pulled. Think about how you will actually use each room, where your furniture will go, and what technology you might want in 5 to 10 years.
Unity Power & Light works with builders and homeowners throughout the Aiken area on new construction electrical. We can review your plans, suggest improvements, and ensure your new home's electrical system is built to last. Contact us to schedule a plan review and quote.