Today we are wiring up the entire garage ceiling for all kinds of lighting. For some reason he thinks he will be ‘working’ in the garage at the workshop area. So, we have to install 8 pin swiveling led recessed lights that will highlight both sides of the garage for the work areas with a new separate switch. OK… not sure this guy is ever going to be in his garage building things, I can barely get him to sit still for 5 minutes to make decisions on the project details. Doesn’t strike me as a detail oriented individual. But the garage lighting alone (add 4 large 6" LED cans to those 8 pin lights) is probably going to take up one whole circuit in the panel!
CB, he has to identify a total budget! Otherwise he’ll spend and spend to get lots of great wiring but then, when he realizes all the money is gone, he’ll wind up with everything else being garbage.
Also, if he can’t do what he wants for what he thinks is reasonable, he needs to rethink what he wants!
Dang. He is cheaping out on the bathroom fan. He can have this badass one for a mere $300!
The issue is that he doesn’t need a light in the fan because he is getting the LED mirror recessed medicine cabinets (need more storage in the bathroom, so need a medicine cabinet). And we have installed a LED recessed can above the bathtub and shower in the bathrooms. So plenty of light for the small 8ft x 5ft space. Not sure I would want to get up and try to clean that glass on that ceiling fan all the time???
Every time I mention that X is harder to keep clean he says the housekeeper will be doing it.
We are installing this cool bathtub with a unique rectangular overflow drain style
https://www.build.com/kohler-k-20201-la/s1313990?uid=3120305
How many amp is his panel? 200? Have a heart to heart basic algebra discussion with him. The code requires (plunk down the code in front of him) for the fridge, micro, etc. to be on a separate circuit rated 15 amps… and so on. Divvy that 200 by his wish list. Sheesh. Lawyers (unless they are IP or tax attorneys or have a B-degree) are notoriously bad at math!
CB - I was just kidding about that fan. Found something more expensive than what he picked. 
jeez. what is wrong with a $50 fan?
I need to figure out the amp in his panel. I can guarantee it is less than 200amp because it was built in the 70s. Probably only a 100amp panel!! And it needs to be brought up to current code since we are re wiring the kitchen, which means separate circuits for the kitchen appliances, as you mentioned. Even if it is 200amp, it is a small sub panel with limited slots for circuits.
When we toyed with the idea of a townhome, we discovered that they come with either 125 or 200.
Is a 200 no longer enough??
200 is plenty for someone who does not need a bunch of separate circuits for a jazzed up oven tower and an electric dryer and a Tesla charger. 125 is really pushing it. Our house has 400. We just killed a bunch of stuff that was eating up about 100 (powering a giant waterfall pumphouse which was already turned off). The problem is that the code requires you to allocate x and not less than x to a dedicated circuit for a given appliance even if that appliance “eats” less. Those 15 amp circuits add up! There are apparently switches that allow you to flip between the dryer and EV charger… so you can either dry your clothes or charge your Model 3, but not both simultaneously.
My husband does electrical design as an engineer. He says…the minimum for a year round house is 200. The minimum.
Some examples of swanky builds and remodels…
https://www.chown.com/projects.HTML
I bet the guy would drool over some of these. 
I think we can live with less than 200 because there is no possibility of a pool, outdoor jacuzzi or sauna in this house. And, we are installing LED lighting everywhere. However, it doesn’t matter if you install LED lighting (which draws a lot less juuice) because building code requires a circuit for X number of things, even if they draw a lot less with new energy efficient stuff.
@BunsenBurner I love the way they did the windows in the first project. Everything is very interesting in all the projects that they have linked. I don’t think my crew could attempt some of those exotic things, like the full live edge piece of wood for the island with a dropped in sink.
Those are gorgeous projects. That hardware store is the place where we got directed to by the makers of the infamous Mirror TV (we are getting another one yay). Shhh… don’t tell your condo owner that there is a waterproof tv with a waterproof remote that can be watched while sitting in the tub or he will ask for one.
One thought for you… remind him that if things get too exotic, and he wants to sell, new buyers may not like it. A live edge on a countertop or desk is very current right now, but it probably will be “oh so 2017” in about 3-5 years.
Using the word “bulletproof” and “easy to clean” and “lots of organizers/shelving” sound very appealing to most parents when it comes to the kids’ rooms, bathrooms, and living areas.
Balcony
When we first started working on the project I realized that the balcony was in bad shape. So, we have spent 2 days times a lot of guys trying to get the railing off and all the plywood off to inspect the structural areas of the balcony. The railing is one solid piece and it’s a mother to get off and into the living room. It’s now in the living room and we have built a painting booth around it. It needs to be ground down through the rust to the bare metal and then we will start priming and painting it back up. Even though we put plastic everywhere around where the grinding is going on we all have to wear masks and fine black dust is everywhere!! Including all over the brand new white bathtub that is getting plumbed upstairs.
I loaded some photos of the balcony issues. My estimate is that it will cost about $2,850 by the time we demolish balcony, haul stuff away, rebuild the plywood and exterior box end, paint up railing and get the railing re-installed. That’s before we even tile or coat the actual deck!
I thought you would go with a modern-looking arrangement of metal vertical posts and heavy horizontal wire…
OMG that railing must weigh a fortune and is sooo awkward to handle!
@Consolation - I doubt the HOA will approve.
We are not allowed to change the railing on the front balcony. But boy oh boy, you should see what this guy wants for a new interior staircase. full floating staircase with a single metal beam down the middle. That is going to be a monster to install! And add weeks to the schedule… he thinks it takes only a couple of days Mostly because it takes 3 weeks to get it measured and engineered, six weeks to build it, another week to ship it and then we get to stare at it and figure out how to install it.