Off-grid living
Live on your own terms, engineered right.
Whether you want a smaller footprint, lower bills or more independence, an off-grid home has to work every day of the year. We help with the engineering, the floor plans and the design, for first-timers and seasoned off-gridders alike.
The engineering
Six things to get right.
A safe, reliable off-grid home comes down to a handful of decisions made together, not one at a time.
Energy sources
Solar, wind, micro-hydro or a generator. Each has its own costs, maintenance and site requirements, and most off-grid homes combine two.
Energy storage
Batteries carry you through nights and cloudy weeks. Sizing the bank to your real daily loads is what makes the system reliable.
Generation & distribution
Inverters, charge controllers and wiring sized for the source and the storage, so the power stays stable and safe.
Water & waste
Collection, storage, treatment and distribution of water, plus a septic or composting solution that meets local rules.
Climate
Sun hours, wind, snow, heat and humidity drive the system size, the materials and how the house is built.
Building & construction
Insulation, ventilation, fire safety and a structure designed for the site’s wind, snow and soil.
Plans & custom design
Pre-engineered, or designed around you.
Start from one of our pre-engineered plan sets, or work with us on a custom design from concept to sealed drawings. Either way, we guide you through the design so the house fits your site, your climate and the way you want to live.
Free tools
Size your system before you build.
Battery bank calculator
Size storage to your daily loads.
Electrical load calculator
Estimate service size and circuits.
Plumbing flow calculator
Estimate water flow for your fixtures.
Manual J load calculator
Size heating and cooling to the house.
Related: Off-grid container homes · Tiny homes · Dome homes · All calculators
Questions
Can an off-grid home be permitted?
In most places, yes. The house is permitted like any other: sealed structural drawings, a foundation, energy compliance and approved water and septic. The power system is reviewed as part of the electrical permit. Rules on rainwater, septic alternatives and minimum home size vary by county, so we check those first.
How big a solar and battery system do I need?
It depends on your daily energy use, your climate and how many days of backup you want. Start with the free battery and electrical calculators above, then we can size the system with the house design.
Do you have pre-designed off-grid plans?
Yes. Our pre-engineered plan sets, including container homes, cabins and tiny homes, are a fast starting point, and we also design custom off-grid homes from scratch.