Electric-Ready Wiring Is Code: What CEC 422.3 Means for New Homes

Going gas this time? The California Electrical Code still makes you wire the house as if it'll go all-electric tomorrow. That's the quiet reality of Section 422.3 — and it's one of the most common things crews under-build at rough-in.

Here's the thing: 422.3 isn't lifted from the model National Electrical Code. It's a California amendment, flagged with the [CEC] marker — the California Energy Commission's tag for added state language. The section ties the Electrical Code to the electric-ready provisions that live in the California Energy Code, so one article tells an electrician what every new dwelling has to carry.

What 422.3 actually requires

The rule splits by building type.

Single-family (one or two dwelling units) — 422.3(A). Each dwelling unit must be provided with:

• designated spaces, receptacles, branch circuits, and circuit identifications for a heat pump water heater, per Energy Code §150.0(n);
• dedicated circuits and circuit identifications for an electric cooktop, per Energy Code §150.0(u); and
• dedicated circuits and circuit identifications for an electric clothes dryer, per Energy Code §150.0(v).

Multifamily — 422.3(B). Each dwelling unit must be provided with dedicated circuits and circuit identifications for two appliances:

• an electric cooktop, per Energy Code §160.9(c); and
• an electric clothes dryer, per Energy Code §160.9(d).

Notice the asymmetry: water-heater readiness is spelled out for single-family in 422.3(A), but 422.3(B) names only the cooktop and the dryer for multifamily. Don't assume the two lists match.

Where the Energy Code pins each appliance

422.3 is the pointer; the Energy Code is where the actual hardware lives. Read against the real text:

• §150.0(n) wires a gas or propane water-heater location so a heat pump water heater can drop in later. It calls for a designated space at least 2.5 ft by 2.5 ft wide and 7 ft tall. When that space sits within 3 feet of the water heater, it also needs a dedicated 125-volt, 20-amp receptacle on a 120/240-volt, 3-conductor branch circuit rated at 30 amps minimum, a reserved breaker space labeled "Future 240V Use," and a gravity condensate drain — the code sets a separate path when the space is farther away.
• §150.0(u) (cooktop) wants a dedicated 240-volt branch circuit within 3 feet of the cooktop, conductors rated at 50 amps minimum, the blank cover identified as "240V ready," and a reserved double-pole breaker space marked "For Future 240V use."
• §150.0(v) (dryer) wants the same arrangement at the dryer location — a dedicated 240-volt circuit within 3 feet — but conductors rated at 30 amps minimum.

The multifamily pointers (§160.9(c) and (d)) carry the same cooktop-50A and dryer-30A requirements for each dwelling unit.

The trigger is the fuel-burning appliance. These provisions apply precisely when the build runs the cooktop, dryer, or water heater on gas or propane — the code makes you pre-wire the all-electric future even when this house ships with a gas range.

Verified against the live 2025 California Electrical Code buff text (Article 422, p. 70-377) and the California Energy Code §§150.0(n)/(u)/(v) and 160.9(c)/(d). The [CEC] marker is defined in the code's own State Agency Contact List as the California Energy Commission.

What the January 2026 errata changed

The errata that put 422.3 back on the radar is small — and that's the point. The January 1, 2026 erratum, issued by the California Building Standards Commission, corrected errors in the section titles and the references to the California Energy Code in 422.3(A) and (B), and fixed the matching Index listing for 422.3(A).

Translation: before the fix, a cross-reference could send you to the wrong Energy Code subsection. Now the pointers — 150.0(n)/(u)/(v) for single-family and 160.9(c)/(d) for multifamily — are the ones to design and plan-check against.

It's a typo cleanup. But the requirement it points to is the one crews miss, and a missing dedicated circuit found after drywall is do-over money. Verify scope with your local jurisdiction before you finalize a panel schedule — cities can amend, and occupancy details change which list applies. None of this is legal advice; it's a nudge to read the section before the inspection, not after.

What CrossBeam does with it

CrossBeam reads the electric-ready requirement the way an inspector does and surfaces it where it matters: which dedicated circuits, receptacles, and reserved breaker spaces a new single-family or multifamily permit needs, and the exact Energy Code subsection behind each one. When an errata quietly re-points a cross-reference, the answer you get stays current — so the rough-in is right the first time.