Should I wire my house with 12/2 or 14/2?

Wire general receptacle circuits in 12/2 and put lighting on 14/2, and you have the arrangement most electricians choose. Kitchens, baths, laundry, and garage receptacles must be 20 amp circuits anyway, which means 12/2 by rule.

Running everything in 12/2 is the premium option: more capacity everywhere, one cable to stock, at maybe 40 percent more material cost and stiffer pulls.

All 14/2 saves money but caps every circuit at 15 amps, which modern kitchens and shops outgrow immediately.

The one hard rule: cable follows breaker. 14/2 never lands on a 20 amp breaker, no matter what is convenient. Third wire versions, 12/3 and 14/3, exist for three-way switches and multiwire circuits.

Assign gauges room by room with the house wire size tool.