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The Off-Grid Build Book
A Real Build, Start to Finish: Solar, Batteries, Propane, Septic, and the Lessons Nobody Tells You
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Join the List – It's FreeThe book is being written as the house gets built. Join the list for the free worksheet, and follow the build on X for updates as chapters come together.
Why this book
I wanted the book I couldn't find, so I'm writing it as I build.
I'm building a two-story, 1,368-square-foot off-grid home in Central Oregon. Solar with a battery bank is the primary power. Propane handles the furnace, cooking, and hot water. Mini-splits cover the cooling. Wastewater goes to a gravity septic system, with a pump to lift it from the house up to the tank.
Most of what I found online was DIY cabins, RV setups, or vendor marketing. Almost nobody documents a full-size, contractor-built house with real numbers. So that's what this is: one real build, with the actual costs from my receipts, the decisions still open, and the mistakes, including the expensive ones from my first "start small" setup.
I also used an AI assistant as a build co-pilot, almost every week, usually right before something I couldn't undo. It caught mistakes that would have cost me real money. It also got things confidently wrong. I'll show you both, and how to use it safely.
I'm not a builder, and this isn't a rulebook. It's a worked example you can use to plan, ask better questions, and avoid paying twice.
— J.R. Graham
- 2 stories1,368 sq ft, new construction
- Solar + batteryprimary power, no grid
- Propanefurnace, cooking, tankless hot water
- Septic + pumpgravity system, hauled water to a cistern
What's inside
Ten chapters, a 16-tool Toolkit, and a who-to-call appendix
- 00
Before You Start
What this book is (one real, worked example) and what it isn't (a rulebook or legal advice).
- 01
Why Off-Grid
Independence, resilience, cost, and lifestyle, plus who off-grid isn't for, and how AI fits in as a co-pilot.
- 02
The Small-Start Trap
Why "start small and upgrade later" usually means buying your power system twice, and what my setup really cost.
- 03
Live On-Site or Somewhere Else While You Build
Trailers, park models, temporary cabins, renting, or commuting: the real trade-offs, with rough 2026 prices.
- 04
Sizing Your Power
Start with loads, then the worst solar month, then battery days of autonomy. The gear comes last.
- 05
Land, Water, Septic, and Access
The things that get poured, buried, and permitted: access, wells vs. hauled water, cisterns, perc tests, and septic.
- 06
Working with a General Contractor and a Solar Installer
From a stock plan to a permit set, what to ask, how to propose a change, and the clocks that start with the paperwork.
- 07
Loads People Forget
The furnace blower, the pumps, standby draws, and the few-second surges that decide whether your inverter holds or trips.
- 08
The Small Parts List
The cheap parts that stop a build cold, organized by when you need them, starting before the concrete truck shows up.
- 09
Real Costs: The Build Cost Tracker
Every line I have a document for: what's paid, what's quoted, and which big blanks are still blank.
- 10
After Move-In: Production, Usage, and Propane Logs
What I'll measure, how a part-time house changes the numbers, and where the estimates get checked against reality.
Plus: the Toolkit (16 tools) and Appendix: Who to Call, one place to keep every office, contact, and answer for your land.
The Toolkit
16 tools you can use on your own build
Power Sizing Spreadsheet
Working formulas for daily kWh, peak load, solar, and battery days, pre-filled with an example house.
Code Pinch-Point Worksheet
Eight steps, from land use to insurance, to find the deal-breakers before you buy plans.
12 AI Build Prompts
The AI prompts I actually used, cleaned up so they work for any build, plus the House Facts card.
Before-the-Pour Checklist
Grounding, sleeves, conduit, and stubs: everything you get exactly one chance to get right.
Forgotten-Loads Checklist
The always-on and hidden electric loads that wreck a battery estimate.
Build Cost Tracker
The columns I use and a blank tracker, so you can start on the day you start looking at land.
Monthly Off-Grid Log
Track production, usage, and propane after move-in, and compare against the plan.
And more
Temporary-living, land/water/septic, team and timeline, small-parts, and first-visit and leaving checklists, plus the Pinch-Point Interviewer prompt.
Coming soon
The book is being written as the house gets built.
The house is going up in real time, so the book is too. The planning, land, septic, sizing, and cost chapters are taking shape now. As construction moves, I'll fill in what actually happened: the install, the first winter, the real production and propane numbers, and what I got wrong.
- Join the list and get the worksheet. Free Code Pinch-Point Worksheet plus honest build updates.
- Follow the build on X. Updates as chapters come together at @JRGrahamBuilds.
- Be first to know when the Early Build Edition opens.
FAQ
Questions
Who is this book for?
People planning or building a full-size off-grid or grid-optional home, not a tiny house or RV, especially if you're working with a general contractor and a solar installer instead of doing everything yourself. It's most useful before you buy land or plans, and before you spend real money on solar and batteries.
Is this legal, permitting, or code advice?
No. The book is for education and planning only. It isn't legal, permitting, water-rights, engineering, electrical, or tax advice. Rules from my build are a labeled worked example, and every chapter ends with a "Check your jurisdiction" box. Confirm every rule with the offices that cover your land, and use licensed professionals for electrical, plumbing, propane, well, and septic work.
What format is it?
The Early Build Edition will be a PDF, with the sizing spreadsheet and Toolkit, when it’s ready. A paperback is planned for later.
When will the book be available?
There's no date yet. The book is being written as the house gets built. Join the list for the free worksheet and updates, or follow the build on X at @JRGrahamBuilds.
Which battery and solar gear are you using?
Still deciding, on purpose. The book's method is to commit early to what gets poured, buried, and permitted, and to buy fast-changing electronics close to move-in. When I pick, I'll explain what and why in an update.
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