Building a new home is an exciting journey filled with endless decisions, from floor plans to countertop finishes. However, one crucial element is often overlooked until the first winter rolls around: exterior holiday lighting.
For homeowners and custom home builders in rapidly expanding markets like Denver, Colorado, and the surrounding Front Range communities, planning for holiday lighting during the construction phase offers incredible advantages. It saves money, eliminates unsightly extension cords, and allows for the seamless integration of modern, permanent lighting systems.
Here is the Holiday Light Professionals guide to planning holiday lighting for new construction.
Why Plan During the Build Phase?
Retrofitting a finished home for elaborate exterior lighting can be challenging. It often involves navigating finished landscaping, drilling through completed stucco or brick, and running long, visible extension cords to limited exterior outlets.
By addressing lighting during the framing and electrical rough-in phases, you can ensure your home is perfectly equipped to handle both temporary seasonal displays and advanced permanent lighting systems.
1. Strategic Exterior Outlets (Soffit Plugs)
The most important step you can take during new construction is installing dedicated exterior outlets in strategic locations.
Traditionally, builders place one or two outlets near the ground by the front and back doors. For holiday lighting, this requires running extension cords up the side of the house to reach the roofline.
The Solution: Request that your builder install switched outlets directly in the eaves or soffits of the home, particularly near the highest peaks and dormers. These outlets should be wired to a dedicated switch inside the home (perhaps in the garage or front entryway) or integrated into a smart home automation system. This allows you to power roofline lights without a single visible cord.
2. Pre-Wiring for Permanent Lighting Systems
The most significant trend in exterior illumination is the installation of permanent, track-based LED lighting systems (such as those from Jellyfish, Trimlight, or EverLights). These systems are installed in the fascia or soffit, color-matched to the home, and provide year-round architectural and holiday lighting controlled via a smartphone app.
If you are building a new home, pre-wiring for these systems is a game-changer.
- Clean Aesthetics: The low-voltage wiring required for the controller and power supply can be run inside the walls before the drywall goes up, keeping the garage or utility room completely free of visible conduit.
- Cost Savings: It is significantly faster (and therefore cheaper) for installers to run wire through open framing than to retrofit it through finished walls and attics.
3. Dedicated Circuits for Elaborate Displays
If you plan on having a massive, Griswold-style holiday display—complete with hundreds of feet of roofline lights, wrapped trees, and animated yard figures—you need the electrical capacity to support it.
Discuss your lighting ambitions with your builder and electrician. Request a dedicated 20-amp exterior circuit specifically for your holiday lights. This prevents the frustrating experience of tripping breakers when the lights turn on, ensuring your display runs safely and reliably all season long.
4. Lighting for Landscape Features
Don’t forget the yard! If your new construction includes significant landscaping, mature trees, or large pillars at the end of the driveway, plan for power access in these areas.
Running underground PVC conduit to key areas of the yard before the sod is laid or the driveway is poured allows you to easily add power for tree wraps or ground-level holiday displays later.
Partner with the Professionals Early
If you are a homeowner building your dream house, or a custom builder looking to offer premium features to your clients, the time to think about exterior lighting is before the drywall is hung.
At Holiday Light Professionals, we frequently consult with homeowners and builders in the Denver metro area during the construction phase. We can provide electrical schematics, recommend outlet placements, and pre-wire homes for state-of-the-art permanent lighting systems. We serve communities throughout the Front Range, including Highlands Ranch, Castle Rock, Parker, Littleton, and Aurora.
Build your home with brilliant lighting in mind.
Contact Holiday Light Professionals today:
🌐 Website: mylightpros.com
📞 Phone: (866) 880-2645
