Renovation plans start with tile samples and paint chips. The wiring behind the walls gets attention much later, often too late. Bring in an Orlando electrician renovation crews trust before demolition day. One hour of looking tells you what the house can really support.
Contractors are good at framing, tile, and cabinets. Very few of them run a load calculation. That gap shows up later as a change order.
What Older Homes Here Hide Behind the Drywall
Houses around College Park and Colonialtown often date to the 1940s and 1950s. We still find cloth-covered wiring, two-prong outlets with no ground, and switch boxes with no neutral wire.
Block homes from the 1970s and 1980s bring other surprises. Small services, aluminum branch wiring, and full panels are all common. None of that stops a remodel. All of it changes the plan.
Age alone does not decide the work. What matters is what the last owner changed, and who did it.
See what a routine Oviedo inspection turned up in a home with patched-together wiring. Finds like that show up at the worst time.
Your Orlando Electrician Renovation Checklist
A walkthrough before demolition should end with a written list. Ours usually covers these items.
- Service size, and how much room is left in the panel
- Grounding and bonding, including the pool and the lanai
- Circuits that have to move, stretch, or go away
- Where code now calls for arc-fault and ground-fault protection
- Room for future EV charging, solar, or a standby generator
- The permit path with your city or county
Load Math Comes Before Layout
Homes here run on electricity for almost everything. Gas service is not offered in many neighborhoods.
So a remodel can stack up big loads fast. A second air handler, a tankless water heater, and a lanai kitchen can swamp a 100-amp service.
Tankless units are the usual shock. Some need two or three double-pole breakers of their own. Our guide to calculating household electrical load shows how that math works.
When the numbers do not fit, a panel upgrade gets scheduled early. Doing it during rough-in costs far less than doing it after the drywall closes. An Orlando electrician renovation budgets include from the start is cheaper than one called in mid-project.
Plan for Storm Season While the Walls Are Open
Open walls are a rare chance. Storm upgrades cost far less now than they will later.
- A generator inlet with an interlock or a transfer switch
- Panel space saved for a surge device
- Conduit run toward the driveway for future charging
- Circuits for hurricane shutters, a well pump, or a lift station
- Linked smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that meet current rules
Our overview of panel upgrades for area homes covers what new gear adds to a remodel.
Kitchens, Baths, and Lanai Additions
Kitchens carry more rules than any other room. You need small-appliance circuits, ground-fault protection at the counters, and a dedicated circuit for the microwave.
An island counts too. If the plan puts a sink or a cooktop out there, the outlets and the protection have to follow.
Baths need their own circuit and a fan that vents outside. In this humidity, a fan that dumps into the attic grows mold instead of comfort.
Lanai kitchens need weather-resistant outlets and in-use covers. A screen cage does not make a space indoors, and inspectors treat it that way.
Smart Switches Need a Neutral Wire
Smart switches and dimmers need a neutral wire in the box. Older homes here often ran switch loops without one.
Adding that wire is simple while the walls are open. After paint, the same job turns into drywall repair.
If There Is a Pool on the Property
Pool areas carry the strictest bonding rules in the code. Touch the deck, the pump, or nearby lights, and the whole system comes into play.
We check the bonding grid, the pump circuit, and every outlet near the water. Finding a gap now beats hearing about it from an inspector later.
Where the Costs Hide
Most remodel surprises are not exotic. They are ordinary items nobody priced.
- A panel that has to move because new cabinets land in front of it
- An old circuit that must meet current code once you touch it
- Trenching out to a lanai, a shed, or a detached garage
- A service upgrade the utility has to schedule around its own crews
- Temporary power while the kitchen is torn apart
Permits, Inspections, and Florida Code
Remodel wiring needs a permit in Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties. The Florida Building Code builds on the National Electrical Code from the NFPA.
A licensed contractor pulls that permit and meets the inspector. Unpermitted work causes trouble at resale and can muddy an insurance claim. The savings are never worth it.
Efficiency Upgrades Are Easier Now
Cooling drives the power bill here. Lighting and controls are easy wins while the framing is still open.
- LED recessed lights paired with a dimmer that matches them
- Under-cabinet lighting on its own switch
- A smart thermostat with a proper common wire
- Ceiling fans in every bedroom and on the lanai
- Occupancy sensors in the laundry, pantry, and garage
The ENERGY STAR program is a good place to compare gear.
Questions Worth Asking Before You Sign
A short talk up front prevents most disputes. Ask who owns each piece of the electrical work.
Find out who pulls the permit, the builder or a sub. Confirm that the licensed electrician, not a helper, does the work.
Ask for the panel directory to be updated at the end. A labeled panel is worth more than most people think.
Where the Electrician Fits in the Schedule
A good schedule has two electrical milestones. Rough-in happens after framing and before insulation. Trim work happens after paint.
Book both visits early and your crew never waits on anyone. It also keeps change orders off the final bill.
Start With the Wiring, Not the Wish List
A remodel is the one time the walls are open and the layout is still loose. The wiring you choose now will outlast the countertops.
Planning a project this year? Call Thomas Edison Electric at (407) 490-0004 for a walkthrough in Winter Park, Lake Mary, or Kissimmee. We are licensed in Florida under EC13015487, and every note comes in writing.