Cable runs in new garage

[trying2hard]

Hi there,

First-time-poster. Lots of good information here except the specific question I have, which might be a dumb one, but need to know.

I'm planning the cable runs for a new garage. Drilling through struds and top plates, etc. However, most of the circuits in my garage need to get past an obstacle in the form of a doorway and I have 8-foot walls which means there isn't enough room to drill through the cripple-studs. Better planning in the construction phase might have prevented this issue, but it's too late now.

I will eventually have about 6 or 7 romex cables of various sizes (14-2, 14-3, 12-2) that will need to get around this obstacle.

I can put the cable up through the top-plate when I get to the doorway and then the way I see it, I have these choices:
1) run the cables stapled to the inside of the top plate above the door (these would be exposed wires if/when I ever finish the walls), or
2) run the cables around the outside of the ceiling/truss joists into the overhang area above the soffit (should I use pvc conduit if I do this or just stapled)?
3) run the cables up above the joists to cross the doorway area and then come back down under the top plate.
4) avoid the doorway entirely by going the long way around the garage with all the cable runs.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[Mattlt]

I would vote for 3) with a little modification. If you aren't going to have an attic per-say, why not just run the cables up across the top of the rafters/joists as far as possible? That would eliminate the possiblilty of damage by nailing something into the wall and hitting a wire. You'd still need to staple the Romex to the top of the joist, but it would eliminate a lot of hole drilling.

You could even run a 1x board across the top of the joists to act as kind of a raceway for your cable run.

Caution: Follow manufacturer's recommendation when drilling through joists and trusses.