Building Small, part 3: Seeing a cottage project through

This is the final part of a three-part series. Start with Part 1: Assessing your tiny home needs and Part 2: Getting a tiny house build approved.

In part 1 and part 2 of this series, I covered the groundwork for a small cottage build. We went from the first idea all the way to submitting for permits.

Now I’ll pick up where we left off. Making sure your build fits your needs, emotionally, financially, and practically, is far from over. You’re probably wondering, “What do I do after my ADU (accessory dwelling unit) permit has been submitted?”

The work has just begun. Before you pick any finishes, there are other things to take care of.

This is a good time to reach out to your contractor. Find out their schedule and fill them in on where you are in the permit process.

Step 1: Check on gas and electric availability

The gas and electric companies are usually separate from the building permit center. You’ll need to contact them on your own.

Updated 2026: Wolf homes are now all-electric (mini-split heat pump, electric range, electric water heater). The gas notes below only apply if you add gas service separately. On a Wolf project, the electrical capacity check is the one that matters.

If you don’t have gas service available, propane is the logical choice. (See Propane vs. natural gas.)

• If you already have gas service, tapping into the line that feeds the main house is usually fine.
• For modular ADUs that are close enough, less than roughly 50’, you can tap into the line after the meter on the main house.
• For longer runs, you can lose pressure. So you’ll want to tap into the high-pressure side of the meter, and that needs approval from the gas company. Otherwise, the general permit application covers extending the service after you tap into the low-pressure side of the gas meter.

However the gas question plays out, it’s better to get ahead of it so you can plan. For example, you may need a trench, but you might share it with some of the other utilities. Maybe a sleeve (a pipe the line runs through) has to go under a sidewalk.

For electrical, work from the bigger power source down to the smaller one.

• First, see if you have room in the existing panel or panels on site. The ideal setup is a 200-amp panel that’s moderately loaded, maybe with a couple of extra slots. (If you’re not sure of the terms, snap a photo with your phone and send it to a friend who knows this stuff.)
• Next, add up what’s already there and what you want to install. If you don’t have enough service, you’re limited. The fix is to upgrade your panel, which usually costs in the low thousands.

To know what electrical service a new guest house, ADU, or small cottage needs, someone has to do a load calculation. That’s a tally of how much power everything in the home will draw.

Here are the basics:

1. List all the larger appliances that will be electric and on their own circuits. Leave out small appliances that plug into normal wall outlets. The top four power users are the range, the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system, the water heater, and the dryer.
2. If you want all of these appliances to be electric, a 100-amp / 240-volt service is a good rule of thumb. Most people don’t have an extra 100 amps of capacity.
3. If you don’t have the capacity, one fix is to switch some or all of the top four appliances to gas. Then you’re drawing roughly 30 amps / 240 volts, which is often much easier to find.

Either way, it’s good to know this sooner rather than later. You may need to contact the PUD (your public utility district) for a new service, and now is a good time to do that.

Step 2: Reach out to the permit center

Calling the permit center is next on your list. If it’s a small office, reach out in person. If they track things online, log in and see if there’s progress or if it’s stuck on something.

I’ve seen projects get stuck on small things, like water availability forms the health department has to fill out. The biggest effort should go into asking questions. When you think you know everything that needs to be done, ask three more questions. You’ll almost always dig up a few more items to handle.

The day will come when you get a call or email about the permit. Don’t get too excited yet. The permit tech’s job is to find any mistakes in the application, so expect a few.

Jump at the chance to learn what needs fixing. Fix it right away and learn from it. Most of all, don’t make the same mistake twice.

Once construction starts, an inspector will visit the site for every stage of the build.

Step 3: Pick up your permit

Next, the permit office will let you know your permit is ready. Head down there right away, check in hand, to pick it up.

This is a milestone. Congratulations!

Right away, let your contractor know so they can get started. They’ll need to contact their excavator and call in utility locates, which mark where underground lines run. They’ll also install erosion control and handle many other tasks to get the project going. (For what that looks like on a Wolf project, see the setup and delivery checklist.)

From here, if you’ve picked a good contractor, the process should be fun. Here’s a little trade secret. Contractors tend to be so focused on the build, and what needs to happen next and in what order, that communication often suffers.

That doesn’t mean we contractors don’t care. Far from it!

We care so much about your project that we think about it from the time we wake up until we go to bed. Somehow, filling in the customer still gets pushed to “tomorrow.” Everybody knows what happens then.

A small cottage project that starts with good budgeting, planning, and forecasting can turn out well for everyone.

Say you’re a week and a half into the project and the first inspection is called. Expect a correction. Remember the inspector’s priorities. They wouldn’t be doing their job if they didn’t find something to correct. A good contractor knows this and tries to be on site with the inspector. That way they can fix what the inspector finds right away and get the sign-off then and there.

This is common, and it doesn’t say anything about the quality of the contractor you hired. Over time, you’ll find a rhythm that works for both you and your contractor. Pay attention to it. If something feels off track, make a call, send a text, or drop an email about whatever is bothering you.

This is perfectly normal. When was the last time you had a relationship where you could read each other’s minds? It doesn’t happen.

If your contractor needs help communicating and you can take that on, step up and do it. They’ll appreciate it, and it makes the whole thing more fun!

Follow these steps and you’ll be in good shape for a successful small cottage project. Yes, you might have decision fatigue by the end. Flooring color, wood species for the cabinets, stained trim, painted walls, or shiplap accents? And so on.

As I mentioned in part 1, you started with the end in mind. Now the finish line is in sight, and the cottage probably looks a little different from what you first pictured.

That’s no reason to worry. Taking something from your mind to paper to real life is hard, and it always comes with some changes. Small contractors rarely have tools that let you get a feel for the space before it’s built. That technology is on its way to small contractors, though.

You’re well on your way to a successful project, and we look forward to seeing pictures.

To your continued success!

Want Wolf to handle the whole process, from evaluation through permits, production, delivery, and warranty? Start with a free property evaluation or read From dirt to done: How a Wolf home goes from bare lot to move-in.