New Construction & Remodel Electrical in Tampa Bay, FL

Wiring the Homes Tampa Bay Is Building

Tampa Bay has been one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country for a decade, and the evidence is everywhere: new subdivisions in Riverview, Lithia, Wimauma and Parrish, infill custom homes in South Tampa and St. Petersburg, additions and second stories in Brandon and Valrico, and accessory dwelling units going up behind houses in Seminole Heights. Every one of them needs an electrical contractor who can take a set of plans from temporary power through final inspection without holding up the schedule. That is what Lightning Bay Electric does for builders, remodelers and owner-builders across Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Manatee counties.

We are family owned and operated, licensed statewide by the Florida DBPR under EC13013571, and our crews are Tampa Bay locals who know the inspectors, the utility processes and the Florida Building Code requirements that trip up out-of-town contractors. The rough-in wiring through a framed home in Riverview pictured above and the temporary power pole in Lithia in our gallery are real projects, and the kitchen remodel lighting in our gallery shows the remodel side of the same work.

Temporary Power: The First Step on Every Site

Before framing can start on a lot without existing service, the site needs power for saws, compressors and the construction trailer. We set temporary power poles with a metered panel, GFCI-protected 120 volt outlets and a 240 volt outlet for larger tools, built to TECO's or Duke Energy's temporary service specifications and pulled under a temporary electrical permit. Once the pole passes inspection, the utility sets the meter and the crews have power. When the permanent service is ready, we coordinate the transfer and the removal of the pole. For remodels and additions on occupied homes, we work from the existing service and add a subpanel when the new load requires it.

Temporary power is also a good example of why permitting matters on a job site. An inspector will not sign off on a rough-in for a home fed by an unpermitted temporary pole, and the utility will not energize one. Getting this step right on day one keeps the whole schedule intact.

Rough-In: Everything Behind the Drywall

Rough-in is the phase that determines how well the house works for the next fifty years, and it is the phase nobody sees once the drywall goes up. Working from the plans and the Florida Building Code's adoption of the NEC, we set every box for outlets, switches, lights and fans; run the home runs from the panel; install the panel and any subpanels; and build the grounding electrode system. Kitchens get their dedicated 20 amp countertop circuits and appliance circuits, bathrooms and garages get GFCI-protected circuits, bedrooms and living areas get arc-fault protection, and the air conditioner, water heater, range and dryer get properly sized feeders. We run low-voltage conduit for data, and we stub out for anything you might add later.

We recommend every new home in Tampa Bay include an EV charger circuit or at least conduit to the garage, a generator transfer switch or inlet, and a surge protective device, which the 2023 NEC requires on new services anyway. A 200 amp service is the minimum we suggest for a modern home, and 400 amp makes sense for large custom homes with pools, workshops and multiple HVAC systems. We pass the rough inspection before insulation and drywall, and we document it for the builder. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm locations, bathroom exhaust fans, the doorbell transformer and the low-voltage prewire for data, security and audio are laid out in the same pass, because adding any of them after drywall costs a great deal more.

Remodels and Additions Without Tearing Up the Whole House

Remodel electrical is a different discipline from new construction because the house is occupied and the existing wiring has to be understood before it is extended. Kitchen remodels are our most common: we pull new dedicated circuits for the range, cooktop, wall oven, microwave, dishwasher, disposal and refrigerator, add the countertop circuits and GFCI protection current code requires, relocate boxes for the new island and pendant layout, and install recessed and under-cabinet lighting. We sequence the work with the cabinet installer and drywall trade so nothing is opened twice. Bathroom remodels follow the same pattern with exhaust fans, heated floors and vanity lighting.

Additions, garage conversions, enclosed lanais and second stories typically need a subpanel fed from the main service, and sometimes a service upgrade if the existing panel is 100 amps or a problem brand; our panel upgrade page explains when that is required. We evaluate the existing service first so there are no surprises after the framing is up. Detached workshops, pool houses and ADUs get their own feeders, disconnects and in many cases their own subpanel.

Trim-Out, Final Inspection and What It Costs

After paint, we return for trim-out: devices and plates, fixtures, fans, the panel is finished and every breaker labeled, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms interconnected, and everything tested. Then the final inspection. Our goal on every project is to pass rough and final the first time, because a failed inspection costs the builder days. Complete electrical for a new single-family home in Tampa Bay typically runs $8 to $14 per square foot for a production-level spec, and more for custom homes with extensive recessed lighting, smart controls, a large service or a detached structure. Kitchen remodel electrical usually runs $2,500 to $7,000 depending on how many circuits and fixtures are involved, and additions are priced per plan.

We price from plans with an itemized proposal that separates service, rough-in, trim-out and any allowances, so builders and owners can see exactly where the money goes. Changes during construction are priced and approved before they are performed.

Detached Garages, Workshops, Barns and Accessory Dwelling Units

Tampa Bay's larger lots in Lithia, Plant City, Odessa, Land O' Lakes, Parrish and Myakka City mean detached structures are a big part of our new construction and remodel work. A detached garage or workshop needs a feeder from the main service sized for its real load, a subpanel with its own main disconnect inside the building, a grounding electrode system of its own, and the feeder run underground in conduit at the required depth. Workshops with welders, compressors, lifts and dust collection need 240 volt circuits and often a 100 amp or larger subpanel. We size it for what you will do in the building, not just what you are starting with.

Accessory dwelling units, which Tampa and several surrounding jurisdictions now permit more freely, are a full second electrical installation: their own panel, kitchen and bath circuits to code, interconnected smoke alarms, and either a subfeed from the main house or, where the owner wants separate billing, a second meter coordinated with TECO or Duke Energy. Pool houses and outdoor kitchens sit between the two, and anything near a pool brings in the clearance and bonding rules of NEC 680. Barns and agricultural buildings have their own article of the code, with wet-location wiring methods, corrosion-resistant equipment and GFCI requirements that reflect animals, water and washdown.

The common thread is planning the trench once. A single trench from the house to the structure can carry the power feeder, a conduit for data, a conduit for future solar or EV charging, and low-voltage for landscape lighting and cameras, and the cost difference between one conduit and four is small compared to digging twice. We walk the site with you or your builder, lay out the route around septic, irrigation and future plans, and call in utility locates before any digging starts. For the broader question of whether your existing service can support a new structure, see our panel upgrade page.

Send Us Your Plans

Builders, remodelers and owner-builders can send plans through our contact form or call (813) 897-2665 to talk through a project. Lightning Bay Electric works throughout Tampa Bay; see our service areas page for coverage and our reviews for what customers say about working with us.