Power to a planned shed

[ben1000]

I'm in the process of planning for a 12'x14' shed.

It will need one 15A circuit to supply overhead lighting and an outdoor light.

There is a detached garage about 30' away from the planned shed site with a subpanel from the house which is about 30' from both. (triangle of buildings)

The question is.... can I get away with running one circuit from the detached garage to the shed? Or will a subpanel in the shed from the house be required? Or maybe something else? what's normal?

I'm in High Point NC, and I know everywhere is different; just looking for the rule-of-thumb.

Thanks,

 

[mrb]

you can run one circuit to the shed. more than that and you would need a subpanel in the shed.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

mrb is correct, you are allowed to run one circuit to another structure (otherwise unpowered), any more and you have to run a sub feed and panel, etc.

The single circuit is allowed to be a multi-wire, ie. one neutral, and two opposing phase hots on a common trip double pole breaker (ie, a 240v breaker).

Charles

 

[Gary S]

If you are running a wire, make it #12 and use a 20 amp breaker instead of a 15 amp. The first time you plug in a big power tool out there, you will thank yourself.
Do it the easy way. Dig the trench and put in conduit. Then fill back in the dirt and pull your wire through it later when you have the building finished and ready for power. This way, if something ever goes wrong with the wire, you pull it out and pull in a new wire and never have to dig the trench again.

 

[dugger10]

Amen on GaryS suggestion to use conduit, its cheap.

 

[Motofixxer]

Yep and oversize the conduit maybe even add a second small conduit for some low voltage. Maybe not for a small shed but at least upsize the conduit so if you wanna add a second floor for a MIL suite you will be ready.

 

[WVBrady]

If you are running a wire, make it #12 and use a 20 amp breaker instead of a 15 amp. The first time you plug in a big power tool out there, you will thank yourself.
Do it the easy way. Dig the trench and put in conduit. Then fill back in the dirt and pull your wire through it later when you have the building finished and ready for power. This way, if something ever goes wrong with the wire, you pull it out and pull in a new wire and never have to dig the trench again.

If you don't put the conductor in when you put in the conduit, I would be sure and put in a heavy cord so that you can pull the conductor later.

 

[Random Guy]

If you are running a wire, make it #12 and use a 20 amp breaker instead of a 15 amp. The first time you plug in a big power tool out there, you will thank yourself.
Do it the easy way. Dig the trench and put in conduit. Then fill back in the dirt and pull your wire through it later when you have the building finished and ready for power. This way, if something ever goes wrong with the wire, you pull it out and pull in a new wire and never have to dig the trench again.

I would also use conduit big enough so that if you ever decided to pull a bigger service to a subpanel (i.e. you decide to put some power tools in the shop and want to put a 60 amp subpanel in there) all you would have to do is pull the new feeder through the pipe. You might could also use the wire you would be taking out of the conduit to pull the new conductors!

 

[Gary S]

I've tried string, ropes, and wire for pulling wire into conduit. They are all inferior to using an electrical snake which does the job so easy you will wonder how you lived without it.

Cheap at Harbor Freight and they work!
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93379
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=3891
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38156

 

[ben1000]

Excellent,

The subpanel in the garage is on the opposite side from where the shed will be. I should be able to run romex from the subpanel along the rafters in the garage then down the wall and out into conduit. Then, at the shed, from the conduit to the rest of the circuit as 'normal'*.

*Normal is a relative term, I've done a fair bit of interior wiring but have never really dealt with underground or the transition from inside to outside. The way the planning department works here I only get 2 questions/strikes as a 'homeowner without contractor' before they require a contractor to finish the project or it be torn down; so I don't want to waste those on anything simple.