Finally, it was time for the electrical rough-in. My electrician, Dave showed up on time (which seems to be rare these days!) with two apprentices to help. It took a few minutes for them to bring in all the equipment and wiring they would need, then they were ready to get started.
Electrical walk-through
The first step of the electrical rough-in required me to be there. Using my original basement plan, and the electrical diagram Dave created, we walked through the basement. Dave marked the location of every switch, outlet, and light fixture.
He confirmed details such as which way a door would open (which dictates location of the wall switch), where the main bank of switches would be, and how they would function. I also explained which lights should be on three-way switches and the location of those as well.
I was impressed by Dave's willingness to explain and confirm everything. When we couldn't decide (still!) whether or not we wanted wall sconces, Dave took the time to explain our options, and the advantages/disadvantages or each. He also took the time to explain the importance of pulling permits for the work. This will certainly avoid any problems later.
With everything marked off, I got out of the way and let Dave and his team get to work!
Pulling the wire, and installing the electrical boxes
It took about six hours to drill all the holes, pull the wire, and add all the boxes. He taped off the four new breakers to make sure I didn't turn them on accidentally. (Once the breakers are on, the circuits are live.) Although they did a pretty good job of cleaning up, they did leave quite a bit of sawdust around the basement from all the holes they drilled. I mentioned this to Dave, and he offered to stop by with a shop vac. Since it wasn't a big deal, I went ahead and vacuumed up myself.
The basement looks pretty strange now with wires coming from everywhere, but the electrical rough-in is complete!
Additional electrical resources
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Check out this simple electrician's estimator to get an idea of how much you'll spend to wire your basement.
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