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Although there are many ways to power a getaway “off the grid”, many of you will elect to power your getaway with “line voltage”, by bringing a circuit from your home into the getaway.  (This is best not done with an extension cord!)

Merle Henkenius has written a thorough and easy-to-read piece for Popular Mechanics entitled “Bringing Power to An Outbuilding”, with illustrations by George Retseck, on just how to introduce line power to your personal outdoor structure.  The article takes you step-by-step, including digging an underground trench, handling conduit, and even introducing a new circuit breaker.

If you are not very familiar with home electrical wiring, it’s best to hire a professional to do some or all of the work.  Even so, this article will give you an understanding of what’s involved, so that you can make decisions which will guide your electrician. Some things to consider are where you’d like the power to enter, how it may affect the appearance of your getaway, where to put a cutoff box (important safety feature) what you intend to power up (heat? light? audio?), how many amps it will take to do the job, and where you will need outlets.