Wiring a house is a sequence, not a pile of tasks. This guide lays out that sequence the way a licensed electrician runs it: service sizing and load calculation, the circuit map, rough-in, device trim, and inspection prep — with the NEC articles that actually govern each step.
Most house-wiring content online is either a beginner video that skips the planning or a forum thread that assumes you already know it. This guide is the middle ground: the full job in the order a pro does it, written so each step makes sense before you start it.
Read it end to end before buying a single roll of wire. The planning steps at the top prevent the expensive mistakes — undersized services, failed inspections, and circuits that cannot carry the loads they serve.
Electrical work is licensed-pro work in most jurisdictions, and this guide does not replace training, apprenticeship, or a license. Service equipment, panel work, and anything involving the utility connection require a licensed electrician and usually a permit. Work to code; hire a licensed pro where required.
Key NEC articles for house wiring: 220 (load calculations), 210 (branch circuits, including 210.8 GFCI and 210.12 AFCI), 250 (grounding and bonding), 300 (wiring methods), 314 (boxes and fill), 334 (NM cable), 408 (panelboards). References are to the 2023 NEC — check your local amendments, since some jurisdictions have moved to the 2026 edition and local rules always win.
Start with NEC Article 220: calculate the general lighting load (3 VA per square foot), add small-appliance and laundry circuits, then major appliances at nameplate. Most modern homes land on a 200-amp service, but the calculation — not habit — decides. Undersizing the service is the most expensive mistake in residential wiring because fixing it means doing the service twice.
Lay out every circuit on paper: lighting per room, receptacle circuits, dedicated runs for the fridge, microwave, dishwasher, disposal, washer, dryer, range, water heater, and HVAC. Note breaker size and wire gauge for each. A complete map lets you buy wire once, pull in a logical order, and hand the inspector a panel schedule that matches reality.
Mount every box before pulling a single cable: receptacles 12 to 16 inches off the floor, switches 48 inches, all at consistent heights. Keep boxes flush with the finished wall surface — boxes set too deep fail inspection and make device trim miserable. Size each box for fill per NEC 314.16: count conductors, devices, and clamps, and use the volume allowances in the table.
Pull home runs back to the panel first, then daisy-chain devices. Drill holes through the center of studs and keep cable at least 1-1/4 inches from the stud edge — closer than that requires a steel nail plate (NEC 300.4). Staple NM cable within 12 inches of every box and at least every 4-1/2 feet along the run (NEC 334.30). Leave 8 inches of conductor at each box for device connections.
The rough-in inspection happens before drywall, and the inspector is checking the details: proper stapling, nail plates where required, cable protected through bored holes, boxes set correctly, and grounding conductors made up. Neat, consistent work passes; sloppy work gets flagged circuit by circuit. Label every home run at the panel end as you pull it.
Land the grounding electrode conductors first, then neutrals on the neutral bar and grounds on the ground bar (bonded together only in the main service panel — NEC 250.24). Route conductors neatly, leave service loops, and torque every terminal to the manufacturer's specification — NEC 110.14(D) made torque a code requirement because loose connections start fires. Label every breaker on the panel directory (NEC 408.4).
Install receptacles, switches, and fixtures only after drywall and paint are done. Wrap device screws with the conductor clockwise so tightening pulls the wire in, not out. Test every device with a receptacle tester: correct wiring, proper ground, and GFCI/AFCI function where required. Fix anything the tester flags before the final inspection.
Before the inspector arrives, walk every room with your circuit map: test each receptacle, flip each switch, trip and reset each GFCI and AFCI. Confirm the panel directory matches the breakers, all cover plates are on, and smoke and CO detectors are in place per local code. A house that is pre-walked passes the first time; a house that is not gets a correction list.
Every one of these has cost someone a callback. Learn them here instead of on the job.
Guessing the service size instead of running NEC 220. A 100-amp service on a modern all-electric house is a callback waiting to happen.
Every splice must be in an accessible box (NEC 300.15). Hidden splices in walls are a code violation and a fire risk — no exceptions.
14 AWG on a 20-amp breaker is one of the most common violations. NEC 240.4(D) is explicit: 14 AWG gets 15 amps max, 12 AWG gets 20.
Cable run too close to the stud face without protection gets hit by drywall screws. The 1-1/4-inch rule in NEC 300.4 exists because this happens constantly.
Hand-tightening lugs instead of torquing to spec. Loose terminations overheat — NEC 110.14(D) requires the torque wrench for a reason.
A full house rough-in or rewire leaves 50 to 100 pounds of Romex and THHN cutoffs: the tails trimmed at every box, the home-run ends at the panel, the mis-pulls and re-routes. It is clean insulated copper, and it adds up fast when you are pulling hundreds of feet a day.
Most crews split the cutoff bucket at the end of the job — ask your foreman who gets it on your crew. Keep the copper separate from the trash as you work, and when the bucket is full, call Sonny at 312-880-8174. One call turns a day of trimmings into cash.
No minimums — every bucket counts. On bigger lots, we handle the freight so you don't lift a finger.
Work to code. Hire a licensed pro where required. This guide explains how the work is done — it does not replace training, apprenticeship, or a license.