Permanent Lights on a New Build: Why Installing Early Makes Sense

Building a new home means hundreds of decisions, and exterior lighting usually lands near the bottom of the list. That is a missed chance. Permanent lights on new construction go in more cleanly when the roofline is fresh, the power plan is still open and nothing has been landscaped yet. A few conversations with your builder now save a retrofit later, and the house looks finished from the first night you move in. Here is why installing early makes sense, and how to plan it.

• Why the New-Build Stage Suits Permanent Lights
• Plan the Power Before the Walls Close
• Choosing Rooflines on a House You Have Not Lived In Yet
• Fitting the Install Into the Build Schedule
• Paying for Lights Alongside a New Home
• Frequently Asked Questions

Why the New-Build Stage Suits Permanent Lights

On an existing home, we work around what is already there: the outlet the previous owner chose, gutters that were hung years ago and shrubs planted right under the eaves. On a new build, most of that is still being decided. That gives you three advantages.

• Power goes where it should: an outdoor outlet can be placed for the lights instead of borrowed from the patio.
• Clear access: with no beds or trees in the way, the crew reaches every roofline easily.
• A finished look on day one: the home has its evening lighting before the first holiday, the first game day or the first visit from family.

The system we install is made by Gemstone Lights, a track with LEDs set into it that runs along the roofline and is controlled from an app. Gemstone describes the track as designed to blend into the home’s exterior, which matters on a house you have just spent months choosing finishes for. Our permanent outdoor lighting page shows what the finished system looks like.

Plan the Power Before the Walls Close

Permanent lights on a new build need power at one point: the compact power kit and controller that feed the runs of lights. On a finished home, we find the best spot among outlets that already exist. On a new build, you can choose the spot.

The simple step is to tell your builder, early, that permanent roofline lights are planned. Then ask your builder’s electrician about an outlet in a sensible place for the power kit, such as inside the garage near the front roofline, while the walls are still open. Adding it at this stage is usually far less disruptive than cutting into finished drywall later.

We can give you the details to pass on before rough-in, including which roofline the first run starts from. Any electrical work and permits in the house itself stay with your builder and their licensed electrician, who know what applies to your address.

Skipping the electrical check is one of the errors covered in our post on mistakes to avoid, and a new build is the easiest place to get it right.

Choosing Rooflines on a House You Have Not Lived In Yet

The hardest part of planning lights on a new home is picturing it at night. You have seen the elevation drawings, but not how the house reads from the street after dark. We help by walking the site with you, or working from the plans, and pointing out the lines that carry the look.

• The front-facing roofline and gables, which most passers-by see first
• The garage roofline, often the longest straight run on a new home
• Peaks over the entry, which frame the front door
• Side and back rooflines facing a patio or deck you plan to use in summer

Some owners light the front only at first and add the rest later. Others want the full wrap from the start. Both work, and planning the power for the full wrap now keeps the second phase simple. Where the eaves are deep, soffit lighting installation is another option worth discussing at this stage.

Fitting the Install Into the Build Schedule

The track mounts to the finished edge of the roof, so timing matters. The right window is after the roof, fascia, soffits and gutters are complete, and ideally before final grading and landscaping go in under the eaves.

A typical order looks like this:

• Tell the builder lights are planned, before electrical rough-in
• Confirm the outlet location for the power kit with the electrician
• Book the install once exterior trim and gutters are done
• Set up the app and your first schedules once you have the keys

Most homes are done in one day, and full wraps can take up to two. Our installation will not damage your roof or shingles, which matters on a roof that is brand new. Our own crew does the work, and we are licensed and insured.

Paying for Lights Alongside a New Home

Moving into a new house brings a long list of costs at once, from window coverings to a lawn mower. Financing helps spread the lights out. We offer 4 months of 0% financing through our company, and up to 21 months 0% interest free through a third party company.

What shapes the quote on a new home is mostly the same as on any home: the total length of roofline, how many peaks and corners it has, the roof height and pitch, and where the power kit sits. A new build sometimes makes the job simpler because access is open and the power point is planned. Every quote is free, and it starts with a call.

The lights are built to last on a house you plan to live in for years. Gemstone Lights publishes these specs: up to 50,000 hours of life, under 1 watt per light, waterproof to IP67, and working from -22°F to 113°F.

Building in Grimes, Waukee, Ankeny, Bondurant or elsewhere in the Des Moines metro? We serve new homes across the area from our base in Grimes. Call us at (515) 219-7494 or send a message through our site, and our team will get back to you within 24 hours to talk through permanent lights for your new construction. You can also read more about our residential lighting installation work.

Frequently Asked Questions