Minimum garage wiring for inspection

[75gmck25]

I mounted my sub panel in my detached garage, and breakered it at 60 amps at the main panel. In the next week or two I will trench in the conduit and connect the sub to the main panel. Since I don]t have a final layout, I don't want to completely wire the garage right now, however, I do want to get through inspection and have power. Walls are brick, so all accessible wiring has to go in conduit.

For inspection purposes what is the minimum set of electrical devices I need in a garage? For example, if I only run one lighting circuit with a couple overhead fixtures, and one double receptacle off the new panel, is that sufficient to meet 2011 code minimum for a garage?

For example, do I need these items?
- Light switch next to the man-door for overhead lights (I assume this is needed?)
- Exterior GFCI receptacle next to man-door and/or main door (as required for a house door?)
- Any GFCI receptacles other than one mounted on the board next to the panel
- Any exterior lights by the man door or main door

Also, If I use NM cable, does it require physical protection once I get it up to ceiling joist height if the ceiling is unfinished? Can I run it up the wall in conduit, and then across the garage stapled to the side of the joists and/or drilled through the joists for support?

Thanks,

Bruce

 

[pattenp]

I believe the 2011 requires one inside outlet, inside light, outside man door light and light switches inside at entry point.

NM needs protection running up the face of a wall. Okay to nail to sides of joist with no conduit sleeve. Do not drill holes in bottom cord of truss.

 

[wcp0611]

My shop passed with just inside outlet and one light. He did leave a note on the passing tag to install and outside man door light but didn't mention the overhead light outside.

 

[wcp0611]

Actually, no my shop failed first due to not having two ground rods spaced apart, even though they were there he just failed to see the trail to the other since it was early, early morning when he arrived. He passed me on the phone when I talked to him that night to discuss it.

 

[matt_i]

My garage required 1 outlet per "bay" even though there is only 1 garage door. MI state addendum for -TR receptacles as well as GFI protected.

I hardwired a couple of octagon boxes and put in screw-base plastic fixtures, 3 of these.

I needed an exterior light for each man door, but I placed these in the soffit as I didn't want any carriage-inspired junk on my clean vinyl walls.

Any GFI exterior outlet must be on a different circuit than interior GFIs I think also per MI state addendum. (I could be wrong about whether this is MI or NEC, its been a year) But the exterior outlet was not a requirement.

I placed the outlets on a 20A circuit and lights on a 15A circuit.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

I believe the 2011 requires one inside outlet, inside light, outside man door light and light switches inside at entry point.

NM needs protection running up the face of a wall. Okay to nail to sides of joist with no conduit sleeve. Do not drill holes in bottom cord of truss.

The nm rules very from location.
In omaha no nm is allowed to be exposed anywhere in an unfinished space.

 

[pattenp]

The nm rules very from location.
In omaha no nm is allowed to be exposed anywhere in an unfinished space.

Yes, but the OP is in VA, not Omaha.

 

[ticklechicken]

I passed my inspection without any inside wiring. I just had an outside meter box and an inside 30 space panel. That was all it took to pass and get my power company to hook the building up to the grid.

 

[cory58]

In Union County NC, I needed one exterior light, one interior light, and one outlet per bay. All outlets must be GFI. No exterior outlet required.


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[exranger06]

If you do the minimum and pass inspection, wouldn't you have to have it inspected again when you add additional outlets and circuits?

 

[acer66]

In Union County NC, I needed one exterior light, one interior light, and one outlet per bay. All outlets must be GFI. No exterior outlet required.


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I am in Buncombe County NC and it was the same here except that the inspector did not ask for an exterior light.

 

[larry4406]

If you do the minimum and pass inspection, wouldn't you have to have it inspected again when you add additional outlets and circuits?

I'd wager the nature of the question is do the minimum to get a final then modify at will later with no inspection.

 

[acer66]

I'd wager the nature of the question is do the minimum to get a final then modify at will later with no inspection.

Who would do such a thing?

 

[vfrcapn]

I just passed final yesterday on a new construction, detached garage, with just the 50-amp sub-panel and one outlet, no lights. Inspector looked at me a little sideways but that was what was approved during plan check. He made some comments about needing lights but let it go. This is in Nevada County, CA.

 

[ticklechicken]

I just passed final yesterday on a new construction, detached garage, with just the 50-amp sub-panel and one outlet, no lights. Inspector looked at me a little sideways but that was what was approved during plan check. He made some comments about needing lights but let it go. This is in Nevada County, CA.

As I mentioned earlier, I passed my final with only an outside meter can and an inside panel. Nothing else. That is all I submitted on my plan and it was approved. There's nothing an inspector can do at that point.

 

[75gmck25]

To answer the big question - I want to initially install the minimum devices to pass inspection, and figure out the rest later on. However, it may take me 6-12 months before I determine how to lay out everything in the garage and figure out all of the additional electric that I need. My garage has bare brick walls and an unfinished ceiling, so its a work in progress. In the meantime I will have enough power and lights to make the space workable.

I doubt that I will have them come back to inspect minor additions like a few more lights or 120V receptacles for the workbench area. However, if I need to install wiring for high amperage draw (welder, heat or ac, etc.) I will probably pull another permit just to make sure there are no code issues if I ever sell the house.

Thanks,

Bruce

 

[acer66]

I doubt that I will have them come back to inspect minor additions like a few more lights or 120V receptacles for the workbench area. However, if I need to install wiring for high amperage draw (welder, heat or ac, etc.) I will probably pull another permit just to make sure there are no code issues if I ever sell the house.

Here you would have to have them come back for those minor additions.

They just dropped the need to take a test for a homeowner to do their own electric and I asked them why and he said people complained it was to difficult.

 

[xyster101]

The more you do the more they charge! I had 6 temporary "shop" lights hanging from my ceiling with cheap $1.50 extension cords daisy chained between them. They were hanging from nails on their little chains and plugged into a wall outlet manually when you entered the shop. He counted them on his write up as "light fixtures". I think there was a base price for coming and then additional for each outlet/fixture.

Less is more. I would do 1 outlet GFCI (Maybe tamper resistant), 1 switch to 1 light. I installed an outside motion light on a switch, but no comment was made about that.

 

[acer66]

They charged me a flat fee for the garage, no questions about how much I will install there.

 

[Krzewinskibe]

They just dropped the need to take a test for a homeowner to do their own electric and I asked them why and he said people complained it was to difficult.

Must be nice...in Maryland, only certified electricians are allowed to do electrical under a permit.

 

[ard]

Must be nice...in Maryland, only certified electricians are allowed to do electrical under a permit.

It is all a function of how much political muscle the trades can apply to the corrupt politicians.

I know there are locations where plumbing (plumbing!!!) requires liscensed plumbers...

 

[Krzewinskibe]

It is all a function of how much political muscle the trades can apply to the corrupt politicians.

I know there are locations where plumbing (plumbing!!!) requires liscensed plumbers...

in MD, homeowners can "test" to be allowed to do plumbing...but not electrical. Only invites us to do stuff w/o permit LOL

 

[lakelandcat]

Must be nice...in Maryland, only certified electricians are allowed to do electrical under a permit.

Same here in Tn. I had a electrician do the permit and I did the work to save on cost. I failed the first time for a number of reasons 1- my 100A panel was run from the meter and neutral wasn't bonded to ground, it took a couple days of reserch to figure out why but I makes sense when you think about it. 2-he giggled me for only one ground rod, there needs to be 2 at least 6' apart and they have to be buried 2" below grade(for lightning) 3- I had a window air conditioner. that had to be on a dedicated circuit. 4-one of my breakers wasn't labeled. Things he told me he looked for were 5/8 8' ground rod, in Tn. all SCH40 conduit has to be buried 18" to the frost line, unless you use IMC and then it only has to be 6". There can be no more that 4 90 degree bends, wherever there was a splice there had to be a junction box, I could bore holes for my romex but there couldn't be more than 3 lines per hole, for finish inspection I had to have all my cover plates on. The last thing he looked for was my outside gfci had to be in a waterproof plastic cover(none of that metal spring covers). inside I could run SCH40 conduit to the box outside I used 1.25 IMC. I was glad I did all the rec. and switches first, it saved a lot of time and trouble. I have a ceiling fan and he made sure it was grounded. I know your not in TN. but some of these may apply.

 

[acer66]

I know there are locations where plumbing (plumbing!!!) requires liscensed plumbers...

One would be where I live but they also let you take a test as a home owner.