Building a custom home is one of the biggest investments you'll ever make. And while most homeowners spend months picking cabinets, tile, and paint colors, the electrical plan often gets treated as an afterthought — something the builder handles behind the scenes.
That's a mistake. The electrical decisions you make during the planning stage affect everything from where you can place furniture to how much your energy bills cost to whether your home can support an EV charger or solar panels ten years from now. At Goodnow Electric, we specialize in new construction electrical across Southern Maine, and we've seen firsthand how early planning prevents expensive change orders later.
Start with the Panel — Size It for the Future
The electrical panel is the heart of your home's electrical system. For new construction, we always recommend a 200-amp panel at minimum, with room for expansion. Here's why:
- EV chargers — Even if you don't drive an electric car today, the next owner might. Running a 50-amp EV circuit during construction costs a few hundred dollars. Retrofitting it later costs several times that.
- Heat pumps — Maine's building codes are increasingly pushing toward electrification. Your panel needs headroom for high-efficiency heating and cooling.
- Solar readiness — If solar panels are even a possibility, your panel needs to be inverter-compatible with space for a solar breaker. We install solar-ready panels in every new home we wire.
- Home additions — Finishing the basement or adding a garage apartment down the road is much easier when the panel has spare capacity.
An undersized panel in a brand-new house is one of the most frustrating problems we see. Getting it right from day one is simple and inexpensive.
Outlet Placement: Think About How You Actually Live
Building code specifies minimum outlet requirements, but code minimums and comfortable living are two different things. Before your electrician starts the rough-in, walk through the floor plan and think about:
- Kitchen islands — Do you want outlets in the island for blenders, stand mixers, or charging stations? Floor-fed outlets need to be planned before the slab is poured.
- Bathroom vanities — Double vanities should have outlets on both sides, not just one.
- Media walls — If you're mounting a TV, plan for a recessed outlet behind it with low-voltage cable for HDMI runs. It looks infinitely better than visible wires.
- Garages and workshops — Dedicated 20-amp circuits for power tools, air compressors, and workbench areas. Homeowners in Gorham and Windham with larger properties often want well-equipped workshop spaces.
- Outdoor living — Deck outlets, landscape lighting circuits, and weatherproof outlets near patio cooking areas. These are easy during construction and painful to add later.
Lighting Design Matters More Than You Think
Good lighting makes a home feel warm and inviting. Bad lighting makes even a beautiful house feel flat. During new construction, you have the luxury of planning lighting properly:
- Layered lighting — Combine recessed cans, pendant fixtures, under-cabinet strips, and accent lighting. Each layer should be on its own switch or dimmer.
- Smart switches everywhere — If you're wiring from scratch, run neutral wires to every switch box so smart switches work throughout the house from day one. This is the kind of detail that separates a well-planned home from one that feels incomplete.
- Exterior lighting zones — Front entry, garage, back deck, landscape, and security lights should each be independently controllable.
We work with homeowners and builders across Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Falmouth, and South Portland to develop lighting plans that match both the architecture and the way people actually use each room.
Low-Voltage and Data Wiring
This is the most commonly overlooked part of new construction electrical. While your home is open-framed, it costs almost nothing to run:
- Cat6 Ethernet to every room — Wi-Fi is great, but hardwired connections are faster and more reliable for home offices, gaming, and streaming.
- Coax to media areas for cable or antenna connections
- Pre-wire for security cameras at exterior corners and entry points
- Structured wiring panel in a utility closet to centralize your network equipment
Once the drywall is up, pulling these cables becomes expensive and disruptive. During rough-in, it's trivial.
Working with Your Builder
The best results happen when the electrician is involved early — ideally during the design phase, not after framing starts. At Goodnow Electric, we coordinate directly with general contractors and builders to review plans, flag potential issues, and ensure the electrical layout supports the homeowner's vision.
We've handled new construction electrical for projects ranging from modest starter homes in Saco and Biddeford to high-end custom builds on the waterfront in Scarborough. Regardless of the budget, the process is the same — plan thoroughly, wire correctly, and leave room for the future.
We also handle commercial new construction for offices, retail spaces, and mixed-use buildings throughout the region.
The Goodnow Electric Difference
When you hire Goodnow Electric for your new build, the owner is on-site for every phase — rough-in, trim-out, and final inspection. You won't be handed off to a crew you've never met. That's the gold standard we've built our reputation on, backed by 80+ five-star Google reviews from homeowners across Southern Maine.
Planning a new home? Contact us early — the earlier we're involved, the better the outcome. Browse our completed projects to see our craftsmanship, or call (207) 318-1022 to talk through your project. Free estimates, no obligation.
We're proud to serve homeowners building across Westbrook, greater Southern Maine, and beyond.