New Construction Wiring in Lakeview, Chicago
Lakeview's housing stock is predominantly pre-1940 walk-up buildings — three-flats, six-flats, and vintage condos. When one of these reaches the end of its useful life and a new building replaces it, the electrical scope is significantly larger than a comparable suburban new build. The Chicago code's metallic wiring requirement means all branch circuit wiring must be in EMT conduit, FMC, or MC cable. Standard Romex is not permitted in Chicago new construction. Developers and builders coming from the suburbs are often caught off-guard by this requirement, which adds labor and material cost relative to a standard suburban build.
For new two-flat and three-flat construction in Lakeview — a common project type given the neighborhood's density and rental market — separate metering is required for each unit. That means individual ComEd meter sockets, a meter bank rated for the total building load, and individual unit panels. The house load (common area lighting, shared mechanical equipment) also needs its own metered circuit in most cases. Planning the metering structure correctly from the design phase avoids costly revisions during rough-in inspection.
Wrigleyville adds its own wrinkle. New mixed-use projects along Clark and Addison need to account for both residential load and commercial ground-floor electrical — potentially including three-phase service for restaurant kitchen equipment. The service entrance and metering must accommodate both uses, and the commercial and residential permits are handled separately through the Chicago Department of Buildings.
Our New Construction Wiring Process in Lakeview
We engage with Lakeview new construction projects during the design phase, reviewing architectural plans, confirming service entrance location and capacity, and identifying metering structure for multi-unit buildings. For a new two-flat on a typical Lakeview lot, we specify a 400-amp building service with two 200-amp unit panels and a house load circuit — a configuration that gives each tenant a full 200 amps while keeping the building within ComEd's standard service capacity.
During rough-in, we install the service entrance conduit, meter bank, main panel, all home runs, and branch circuits. Lakeview's tight urban lots mean service entrance conduit runs often need to be planned carefully to avoid conflicts with the HVAC system's condensing unit location, the adjacent building's existing utility equipment, and the parkway tree. We coordinate these constraints during pre-construction planning, not during rough-in when changes are expensive.
Trim-out follows after drywall, millwork, and cabinet installation. For new construction condo projects in Lakeview — common near Broadway and Belmont — we produce a complete outlet and circuit schedule so the interior designer and property manager know exactly what's installed in each unit. Final inspection and ComEd energization close out the project.
Common New Construction Electrical Needs in Lakeview
- New two-flat and three-flat builds — Separate metering for each unit, 400-amp or 600-amp building service, house-load panel, and per-unit 200-amp panels; standard for new rental investment properties in Lakeview
- Teardown single-family homes — 200-amp or 400-amp service with full smart-home prewire for luxury buyers near the Southport Corridor and east toward the lakefront
- New condo and townhome developments — Individual unit panels, common-area circuits, elevator power where applicable, and structured cabling per the developer's spec
- Mixed-use new builds — Ground-floor commercial service (often three-phase 208V) metered separately from residential units above; common along Clark and Belmont
- EV charger provisions — Dedicated circuits during rough-in to garage or parking pad; for a multi-unit building, shared EV charging infrastructure with individual billing capability
- Rooftop and common-area circuits — Rooftop deck GFCI receptacles, common-area lighting on dedicated circuit breakers, and access-controlled entry circuits for intercom and secure entry systems
Why Lakeview Builders Choose E&P Electric
Lakeview's mix of residential and commercial new construction requires an electrical contractor who can navigate both permit tracks at once. We hold both residential and commercial permits through the Chicago Department of Buildings. Our supervising electrician license covers the full scope — design, permit submission, rough-in inspection, final inspection, and ComEd coordination — without outsourcing any phase.
We've worked with most of the established builders active in Lakeview. Our familiarity with the neighborhood's lot constraints, the Chicago Department of Buildings' process at the Northside permit office, and ComEd's service request timeline means we don't encounter surprises. We coordinate with HVAC, plumbing, and framing contractors to sequence rough-in so inspections don't hold up the project.
For multi-unit buildings — the core of Lakeview's new construction market — we produce detailed electrical plans that satisfy the Chicago Department of Buildings' plan review requirements and survive inspection without resubmission. Getting the permit right the first time saves weeks on the project schedule.
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