I don't see why you need exterior lights when you only have 1 window. :) jk

It largely depends on what you are lighting. If your concern is pathways, then low voltage path lights are fairly inexpensive. Area lights are also inexpensive and easy to wire during framing.

It only gets expensive if you wait to try to add it after the house is already framed and insulated.

We allowed accommodation for exterior lighting with extra switches by the doors, pipes for chases under sidewalks or steps where we thought appropriate and ways to get access. We also located some electrical outlets on the exterior...probably could've added a couple more.

We worried about the actual lighting outside a year later...after the landscaping was done.

Here's one source that I have used before: http://www.nightscaping.com/

Good luck on your project!

Annie,
I like that thinking.....basically prewire for it during the whole house electrical and tackle the actual lights themselves later with the landscaping. Is that the gist?

Virgil,
I will check out your link, thanks!

PS The windows are just still covered with the tyvek.

Yes. We did add the porch light and the one by the garage right away, but the exterior lights needed the landscaping first. We used LEDs as uplights on plants, highlights on the building and wall grazers. Then we finished under our deck and added more lighting down there.

You can run alot of lights off of one circuit, especially LED. Sounds to me like you are setup fine.

You won't need any conduit run for low voltage, there is not depth requirement for low voltage wire. You can basically run it under your mulch.

You can run alot of lights off of one circuit, especially LED. Sounds to me like you are setup fine.

You won't need any conduit run for low voltage, there is not depth requirement for low voltage wire. You can basically run it under your mulch.

Make sure you wire in a few security flood lights around the house. These can then be switch activated and motion sensor activated.

If I hear a noise I can light up every side of my house with floodlights. Some are on motions and some aren't. If I had built my house I would have done individual switches on each side of house and then one central switch. I have to go to 3 different sides of the house to light it all up.

I also install wired in timers on all my outside front lights. Garage and gate lights go on at dusk and off around 11:30pm. Front door light goes on at dusk and off at dawn. You can buy the timers at HD and wire yourself, if you are handy, or have electrician do during construction.

One thing to think of is adding a photocell on the north side of your house. You can still have your lights switch controlled but the photocell will make sure that your lights are off when there is enough light outside. If you go this route, make sure you use a photocell which doesn't gradually bring the lights up to full brightness but rather one which instantly comes on to 100%. That way you won't have any issues with various lighting types.

Also, you can use a photocell and a timer but make sure the timer feeds the photocell and not the other way around. Otherwise, your timer will lose power during the day and it won't keep proper time.

I also like to place a few floodlights around the exterior of a house, usually in the corners. You won't have to use them all of the time but it is nice if you think someone is on your property who shouldn't be or, if for whatever reason, you have to do something in the yard at night and need more intense light.