The slab had barely set up when we were already back on site pulling tape for sleeve locations. That’s how commercial new construction tends to go. The wiring plan has to keep moving while the framing crew is still working out their schedule, or you end up cutting into walls later. Nobody wants that conversation with a GC.
A recent Construction Dive piece, “Commercial Build Timelines Tighten as Demand Surges in Florida,” lines up with what a lot of business owners are seeing in their own projects. Permits move faster than they used to, but the trades have to stack tighter and electrical is usually the one expected to flex.
The part most people underestimate is the rough-in window. Conduit runs, panel locations, service entry points — it all gets locked in before drywall. If the load calculations were off, or the service capacity was sized for the old plan instead of the actual tenant build, you find out the hard way. Same goes for anything tied to EV charging or future expansion. Plan for it now or pay double later.
We tell every developer the same thing. Get the electrical contractor in the room during design, not after the slab pour. It saves headaches, change orders and probably a few underground utility reroutes nobody actually budgeted for.
steelcityelectricfl.com/new construction electrical
