First off, I've been reading this thread over the past few nights and actually got to the end of all 135 pages. Do I get some kind of prize?
I have to say Obed, you are very brave for attempting this project under all the conditions you have swirling around your lives. But it sounds like you and your wife have the right mindset to handle it, and that is about the most important thing to have... I'm impressed!
I'm way too late to contribute on foundations or drainage, but I see you are up to electrical, and this is an area I know pretty well.
obed ..just a note on the electrical ..if you are not used to the new GFCI outlets...they are a pain to deal with, at least in my experience. Try to have as few of them as possible. You will be working with a power tool or hair dryer and all of a suden ..no power and then you go around pushing reset buttons...What a pain..I say only in the bathroom and kitchen near a sink ..anywhere else you can eliminate them after you get your final inspection you will find desirable.
They are required by code for countertops near sinks, in bathrooms, outdoors, and in garages and basements (of the unfinished type, not living space). Anywhere there is water. There is a good reason for this. Don't try to skirt it. Since you are having the work done by an electrician, you should get GFCIs where you need them automatically.
Instead of GFCI outlets consider instead GFCI breakers --- little more up front but they last longer and I don't like the look of the GFCI outlets
Also I've seen sparkies be dinged for not using 20 amp breakers for the bath fans.
Kitchens around here are required to have GFCI protected outlets on either side of sink -- each on a different circuit.
GFCI breakers sound like a good idea...until you realize that GFCI nuisance trips can be far more common than breaker trips, and any GFCI nuisance trip will now require a run to the panel instead of just resetting the button on the outlet. Your call, but keep that in mind.
Bath fans draw about the same energy as a light bulb, they do not require anything close to a dedicated 20A circuit. Wire them in with bathroom lights. On the other hand, many microwave ovens take up all of a 15A circuit, and so is best put on a dedicated 20A circuit. Check your Fridge also, as some require their own circuit. Don't let them connect your fridge to the kitchen counter outlets.
One thing I really like to do is run 20A circuits for ALL outlets (they are required for some). Plug-in loads have gone up and up over the years, so having the extra headroom is wise for the future and any high-draw items you may have now. I saw someone else mention that splitting lights from outlets is smart and I agree. The second reason I like that is that while it is good to run 20A circuits for outlets, that 12ga wire can be very difficult to work with on light fixtures that have teeny tiny pigtail wires in them. That plus the fact that lights really don't draw all that much, means I put lights on separate 15A circuits (that use 14ga wire). If you stop and figure it out the actual load, you can put a lot of lights on one 15A circuit, typically (max connected load of 80% of the circuit rating is the standard to allow for minor surges and future expansion).
I could go on for hours here....:laughing: Pre-wiring for a generator is another excellent move several have suggested. I've done that by making several key circuits in a subpanel right away so the generator panel would just replace that directly to run the key circuits in the house. Pulling Cat5e or 6 wire after the electrician is done is a very smart thing to do. Wait until the other trades are done and then pull that, plus RG6 coax, if you can. Sooo much easier before insulation and drywall are up. Just make sure not to run LV wires in the same holes or boxes as power wiring, and try not to run them parallel or you will pick up interferences from the 60 Hz powerlines.
Not sure the requirements in your area, but AFCIs are now required in the NEC in all sleeping areas (bedrooms). These are special breakers that look like GFCI breakers but are different in how they operate. Your electrician should know all this.
Any electrical questions, fire away!
Good luck!
-Dave
