New Construction Lighting: The Complete Planning Checklist

Building a new home presents a once-in-decades opportunity to design the lighting exactly right from the beginning, at the lowest possible cost. Changes made to lighting rough-in during framing cost essentially nothing; the same changes after drywall, paint, and flooring can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. Yet most new construction lighting plans default to builder-standard: one ceiling fixture per room, standard switch locations, no dimmer provisions, and no thought given to layers, zones, or quality. Here is the checklist that ensures you get it right at the only time it is easy to do so.

Phase 1: Before Framing (Planning)

The decisions to make before any walls go up: Where will furniture be placed in each room? (Fixtures should be positioned over where furniture will live, not over the geometric center of the floor.) Where will the dining table be? (The dining room rough-in should be over the table position, which may not be centered in the room.) Where will people stand to watch television or read in the living room? (Avoid positioning ceiling fixtures that will backlight seating positions.) Do any rooms have artwork, architectural features, or focal points that should be accented? (Provide rough-in for accent lighting at these positions.) Will the kitchen have an island or peninsula? (Provide rough-in for pendants over the island, separate from the overhead general lighting circuit.)

Phase 2: During Framing

The specific rough-in provisions to request: dimmer-capable electrical runs on all residential living spaces (confirm with electrician that wire gauge supports dimmer loads); separate circuits for kitchen island pendants, dining room fixture, and living room statement fixture (allows independent control); under-cabinet rough-in provision in the kitchen (wire end-capped inside upper cabinets for under-cabinet LED strip installation, even if not installed immediately); bathroom sconce rough-in at the correct height flanking the mirror (60-65 inches from floor to box center, not above the mirror); outdoor fixture rough-in at all entry points, garage, and primary patio locations; provision for smart dimmers if smart home infrastructure is being installed.

Phase 3: Switch Locations

Switch placement decisions made during rough-in: three-way switch provision for any room with two entrances; switch location at the entering edge of a room (not requiring crossing the room to turn on the light); master bedroom switch provision at both the door and the bed position (allows turning off overhead from bed); bathroom provision for exhaust fan on separate switch from lighting (different use patterns require independent control).

Phase 4: Fixture Selection (Before Drywall Finish)

The earlier fixtures are selected, the more accurately the rough-in can be positioned. Key information needed from the fixture selection: canopy diameter (affects how tight the rough-in must be to the planned center); pendant drop length (determines whether the box position needs adjustment for ceiling height or beam interference); fixture weight (heavy fixtures require blocking in the ceiling, which should be installed before drywall). Purchasing fixtures before framing is finished is the ideal scenario; purchasing during framing at minimum allows weight and canopy information to be confirmed before blocking decisions are made.

Phase 5: Switch Plate and Dimmer Installation

After drywall: install LED-compatible dimmers on all circuits serving LED fixtures (standard switches everywhere dimmers are not specified). Match dimmer trim to other hardware finishes (white, satin nickel, or black to match switch plates and outlet covers). Test dimmer compatibility before final commissioning with the actual fixtures installed.

Browse our full lighting collection to select fixtures early enough in your construction process to inform all rough-in decisions, ensuring every fixture is positioned perfectly before walls are closed.