Most park model tiny homes plug in with a standard 50 amp RV cord. Pick an electric dryer or an electric range, though, and the home's electrical load goes over 50 amps. At that point the factory sets the home up for 100 amp service, hardwired by an electrician. Depending on your property, that one appliance choice can add nothing to your site electrical cost, or around $11,000. The best time to decide it is when you configure your home, before you order.
Gas range and gas or no dryer: your home most likely stays at 50 amps and connects with a standard 50 amp RV cord. Electric range or electric dryer prep: your home needs 100 amp hardwired service. Before you order, get your electrician's estimate for whichever one your build needs.
50 amp vs 100 amp at a glance
Standard50 amp service
- Which homes
- Homes whose load calculation stays at or under 50 amps. Typically a gas range, with a gas dryer prep or no dryer prep.
- How it connects
- A 4-prong 50 amp cord connects to a 50 amp RV outlet or pedestal. If you order the Maple, Willow, Hemlock, or Alder with the 50 amp configuration, it ships with the cord attached, about 23 feet long. On the Ponderosa, Lofted Ponderosa, Aspen Bunkhouse, and Magnolia, your licensed electrician installs the included 50 amp cord through the conduit that runs from the panel down to the underside of the home.
- Ask your electrician for
- A 50 amp, 120/240 volt, 4-prong RV outlet or pedestal near the home.
- Cost
- The baseline. Simplest and usually least expensive hookup.
Required when the load is over 50 amps100 amp service
- Which homes
- Homes that calculate over 50 amps. An electric range or electric dryer prep puts a home here.
- How it connects
- No cord. Your electrician supplies the cable and hardwires the home to a 100 amp feed.
- Ask your electrician for
- A hardwired 100 amp feed with a disconnect near the home, plus any permit your county or city requires.
- Cost
- From $0 to about $11,000 more than 50 amp, depending mostly on your main panel.
Your home's rating is set by the manufacturer's load calculation and printed on a label near where power enters the home.
What decides it: the load calculation
Cavco and Champion run an electrical load calculation on every home they build, based on the exact options on your order. If the total stays at 50 amps or under, the home is built for 50 amp service. If it goes over, the home is built for 100 amp service. The same floor plan can land on either side of that line depending on the appliances you pick.
Our Design & Price tool flags this when you select an electric range or electric dryer prep, with a notice that the home will need 100 amp service hardwired by a licensed electrician. If you want to stay at 50 amps, the usual move is a gas range and gas dryer prep, running on propane or natural gas.
Why 100 amps means hardwired
This part isn't a dealer policy, and it isn't really a factory preference either. Park model RVs are built to the ANSI A119.5 standard, which uses Article 552 of the National Electrical Code for the electrical system. Washington's Department of Labor & Industries adopts both.
Article 552 allows a park model to connect through one listed 30 or 50 amp power cord, or through permanently installed wiring. When the calculated load is over 50 amps, the code calls for permanent wiring. A 50 amp cord is the largest a park model can use, so a home that calculates higher can't plug in. It gets hardwired.
That means the requirement follows the home, not the dealer. Any dealer selling the same model with the same options gets the same 100 amp spec from the factory.
"My neighbor runs everything on 50 amps"
You'll hear this from other owners, and it's often true for their homes. A home with a gas range and no electric dryer can run its electric water heater, heat, a stackable gas dryer, and a mini-split on 50 amps without trouble, because that's what its load calculation was built around.
Add an electric dryer or an electric range to the same floor plan and the calculation changes. Both statements can be true at once, for two different homes. The only number that applies to your home is the one on your home's label.
What 100 amp service costs
The 100 amp work happens at your property, so the cost depends on what's already there. Across our buyers, the difference between a 50 amp and a 100 amp hookup has ranged from nothing to about $11,000.
Distance from the panel matters too, since a long underground run adds trenching and wire. For the full picture of site costs, see our park model cost breakdown, where electrical runs from about $2,000 to $12,000 all in. Every number here is an estimate. Your electrician's written estimate is the one to plan around.
How to plan it before you order
- Pick your appliances first. Build your home in Design & Price and watch for the 100 amp notice when you choose an electric range or electric dryer prep.
- Tell your electrician which service the home needs. 50 amp RV outlet, or 100 amp hardwired feed. Have them check your main panel's capacity and the distance to the home.
- Get a written estimate before you order. If the 100 amp number is high, you can switch to a gas range and gas dryer prep while the order is still open. Changing appliances after the factory builds the home isn't an easy fix.
- Ask about permits and inspection. Your electrician knows what your county or city requires for the hookup.
Need an electrician who has done these hookups? We list the ones we use in Portland and Snohomish in our site prep guide. To see where power comes into your model, check where the utility connections are.
If your electrician suggests 50 amps on a 100 amp home
This comes up, and here's where we stand. We go by the manufacturer's spec, and we always recommend you do too. The site connection itself is between you and your licensed electrician, who sees your panel and your actual setup, and it has to pass whatever inspection your jurisdiction requires. Before you go that way, know what you're signing up for:
- Breakers may trip when several big loads run at once, like the dryer, heat, water heater, and cooking. That's the safety system doing its job.
- Inspection. The home's rating is on its label, and some inspectors check the hookup against it. Have your electrician confirm with your inspector first.
- Warranty. The 1-year manufacturer warranty covers defects in how the home was built. Both Cavco and Champion exclude problems caused by improper or inadequate utility connections, so an electrical issue on a home fed below its rating could be harder to get covered.
- It can be fixed later. An electrician can upgrade the feed to 100 amps if tripping becomes a problem, though doing it twice usually costs more than doing it once.
- Never install a bigger breaker to stop the tripping. Cavco's own manual warns against it, and it's the one version of this that turns a nuisance into a real hazard.
Common questions
Does a combo washer/dryer use less power than a stackable?
Not by default. What matters is how much power the specific dryer pulls, not its shape. Some all-in-one units run on a standard 120 volt outlet, while a full-size electric dryer needs a 240 volt circuit. Talk it through with your sales rep and your electrician before you choose a dryer prep.
Does an electric water heater or a mini-split push me to 100 amps?
Not on their own. The standard 20 gallon electric water heater and the mini-split prep both fit in a 50 amp home. The electric range and electric dryer prep are the options that cross the line.
Is the 100 amp requirement an NW Tiny Homes rule?
No. The manufacturer's load calculation sets it, and the electrical code decides how a home over 50 amps has to connect. Any dealer selling the same home with the same options gets the same spec.
Can I switch from electric to gas after I order?
Ask your rep right away, because once the factory schedules your build, changes get harder and may cost more. The easiest time to decide is before the order goes in.
Where can I see which service my home has?
On your order summary, and on the label near where power enters the home.
Does a 50 amp home come with the cord attached?
On the Maple, Willow, Hemlock, and Alder ordered with the 50 amp configuration, yes: about 23 feet of 4-prong cord comes attached. On the Ponderosa, Lofted Ponderosa, Aspen Bunkhouse, and Magnolia, it does not. Your licensed electrician installs the included 50 amp cord through the conduit that runs from the panel down to the underside of the home. Cord length depends on the model. Our team can check that it went in right, and on some jobs we can help with the install. A 100 amp home has no cord on any model.
Price your build with the hookup in mind
Choose your appliances in Design & Price, see whether your home is 50 or 100 amp, then take that to your electrician before you order.
Questions about your site? Call Portland at 503-455-4447 or Snohomish at 360-217-4214. We can tell you what your build needs. Your licensed electrician confirms what your property needs.
- NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, Article 552 (Park Trailers), Power Supply.
- RV Industry Association: Adopted Standards (ANSI A119.5 Park Model RV Standard)
- Washington L&I: Park Model RV Manufacturer Information Packet
- Cavco Industries Park Model Owner's and Set-Up Manual, Electrical System and Limited Warranty.
- Champion Home Builders Park Model RV Owner's Guide, Electric Power Supply and Manufacturer's Limited Warranty.
