Top Five Expert Tips: Electrical wiring

(1) Planning – More outlet and even more outlets. I have NEVER EVER heard of a person say that they installed too many outlets. NEVER. Take note. Also plan for any, be it a small chance, additional electrical needs in the future.
(2) Subcontracting vs. DIY – This is the one DIY project that can actually harm you if decide to do it yourself and do something wrong. I chose to rough-in the whole house to the electrical panel and then have a professional come out to do the final hookup. Some electricians do not like to just do the hook up to the panel but keep searching and you will find one.
(3) Bidding – Electricians bid jobs in total or by “opening”. By “opening” means that an electrician my charge $25 per opening which means a light switch and the corresponding light wired to it would be two openings. The electrician in this example would supple labor and parts (basic switches, not dimmers included) for the entire job with the exception of the light fixtures.
(4) Future Proof – As mentioned above, try to plan for additional electrical needs for the future. For example, if you have a basement and plan to finish it in the future then you may want to switch from 300Amp service to a 400 Amp service so you are ready to go.
(5) Testing – This is from experience. Once the drywall is up make sure and test (using a volt meter) each electrical wire that home runs to the electrical panel. Sure enough I had one wire that had a short in it (from a drywall screw in it) and detected it only after the drywall had been finished in that room and therefore had to cut it out and replace it.