Tiny Home Electrical: Wiring Your Space Safely
Electrical work demands precision and respect for code. While many aspects of tiny home building are forgiving, wiring mistakes can be deadly. This guide covers the fundamentals — but have a licensed electrician inspect your work before energizing.
Planning Your Electrical System
Power Source Options
- Grid-connected (shore power): 30-amp or 50-amp RV-style connection
- Solar + battery: Off-grid independence with 12V/24V/48V battery bank
- Hybrid: Grid connection with solar backup
For most DIY builders, a 30-amp shore power connection is the simplest starting point.
Load Calculation
List every device you'll run and its wattage:
| Appliance | Watts |
|---|---|
| LED lighting (total) | 100-200 |
| Refrigerator | 150-400 |
| Microwave | 800-1200 |
| Water heater (electric) | 1500-4500 |
| Mini-split HVAC | 500-1500 |
| Laptop/phone charging | 50-100 |
| Water pump | 50-100 |
Add up your maximum simultaneous load to determine panel size.
Rough-In Wiring
Circuit Layout
A typical tiny home needs 4-8 circuits:
- Kitchen (20A) — Dedicated circuit for countertop outlets
- Refrigerator (20A) — Dedicated circuit
- Bathroom (20A GFCI) — All bathroom outlets
- General outlets (15A) — Living area and bedroom
- Lighting (15A) — All lighting on one or two circuits
- HVAC (20A or 30A) — Dedicated for heating/cooling
- Water heater (20A or 30A) — If electric
Running Wire
- Use 14-gauge (15A circuits) or 12-gauge (20A circuits) NM-B (Romex) cable
- Drill holes in the center of studs — never closer than 1.25" from the edge
- Install nail plates where wire passes within 1.25" of the stud face
- Staple cable within 12" of every box and every 4.5 feet along runs
- Leave 8-10" of wire extending from each box
Outlet Placement
- Kitchen: Every 4 feet along counter, GFCI protected
- Bathroom: At least one GFCI outlet within 3 feet of the sink
- General: Every 12 feet along walls, within 6 feet of any doorway
- Outdoor: At least one GFCI outlet if you have exterior access
Panel Installation
- Mount the panel at eye level in an accessible location
- Connect the main breaker to your shore power or solar input
- Install individual circuit breakers
- Land each circuit's hot wire on its breaker, neutral on the neutral bar, ground on the ground bar
- Label every breaker clearly
Safety Essentials
- GFCI protection in kitchens, bathrooms, outdoors, and within 6 feet of any water source
- AFCI protection in bedrooms and living areas (required by 2020+ NEC)
- Smoke detectors in sleeping areas and hallways
- CO detector if you have any gas appliances
- Fire extinguisher mounted in the kitchen
Inspection
Before covering walls with interior finish, have your rough-in inspected. Most jurisdictions require:
- Rough-in inspection (before insulation)
- Final inspection (after all devices are installed)
Even if your area doesn't require inspection for tiny homes, get one anyway. It's cheap insurance.