Wiring to code detatch vs attached garage

[Raisedonadeere]

I understand AFI breakers are required in certain places in homes but in wiring my newly built 24x36x10 stick built detached garage I need GFCI on just about everything. My DIY wiring must pass inspection.

I am wondering if detached vs attached makes a difference in what is required assuming either way the garage will have its own subpanel. The garage is 8' from the house built with the idea of connecting it some day with a breeze way but I have learned as soon as the breezeway is built the garage is considered attached and is taxed as though it is a part of the square footage of the house. But permitting to do this has twists and turns I had not thought about. One thing I have no idea about is what differences if any exist in the code requirements for a detached vs attached garage. To my limited eye it seems mostly to do with GFCI requirements. And where do AFI breakers fit into any of this?

Any words of wisdom appreciated.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Assuming you're in the United States, the sub panel will need a four wire feed with the neutral and ground isolated, so you may have to buy an additional bus to mount in the panel. You need to have GFCI protection for 120vac circuits.

 

[TRWham]

The only difference worth worrying about is the need for separate grounding electrodes for a detached structure. AFCI will not be an issue either way for a garage. Under the 2020 code, pretty much everything in a garage will need GFCI, including 240 V circuits.

 

[Terry D]

Also you will need a main disconnect, 2 ground rods and at least one 20 amp 120 volt GFCI protected circuit for receptacle outlets, the outside receptacle can be on this circuit. Lighting cannot be on the receptacle circuit(s). The opener has to be GFCI protected, but the protection has to be down low to be able to reset it without a ladder. If the lighting is hardwired, they are not required to be GFCI protected. Only if they plug in to a receptacle.

 

[78SC4X4]

Lighting cannot be on the receptacle circuit(s).

???

210.23 Permissible Loads.
(A) 15- and 20-Ampere Branch Circuits. A 15- or 20-ampere branch circuit shall be permitted to supply lighting units or other utilization equipment, or a combination of both, and shall comply with 210.23(A)(1) and (A)(2).

Granted, if you trip the breaker, you'll also be in the dark.

 

[Terry D]

???

210.23 Permissible Loads.
(A) 15- and 20-Ampere Branch Circuits. A 15- or 20-ampere branch circuit shall be permitted to supply lighting units or other utilization equipment, or a combination of both, and shall comply with 210.23(A)(1) and (A)(2).

Granted, if you trip the breaker, you'll also be in the dark.

210.11(C)4 - In addition to the number of branch circuits required by other parts of this section, at least one 120 volt 20 amp branch circuit shall be installed to supply receptacle outlets in attached and detached garages with electric power. This circuit shall have no other outlets.

Definition of a outlet - A point on the wiring system at which current is taken to supply utilization equipment

I will rephrase what I said, if the lighting is hardwired, then it is not allowed on that receptacle circuit. If the lighting plugs in, I guess it could be on that circuit

Also 210.52(G)1 requires at least one receptacle outlet in each vehicle bay no more than 5.5 ft above floor. I know this has nothing to do with garage lighting on receptacle circuits, I thought I would include it for information.

 

[78SC4X4]

Ok I get what you were saying, he must have at least one dedicated receptacle circuit. I read it that none of his other circuits could contain both.

He could, for example. Have an additional circuit with receptacles for the garage door opener that also feeds outside lights. As long as he has the standalone circuit as well.

 

[Terry D]

Ok I get what you were saying, he must have at least one dedicated receptacle circuit. I read it that none of his other circuits could contain both.

He could, for example. Have an additional circuit with receptacles for the garage door opener that also feeds outside lights. As long as he has the standalone circuit as well.

I know, its a fine line. The way I read it, if the light(s) are hardwired, minimum 2 circuits in a detached garage

 

[jim111]

OP you need to find out what code year cycle you are under first, as it could make a big difference in your requirements.

 

[teamextreme]

Also you will need a main disconnect, 2 ground rods

It's an attached garage, so he doesn't need ground rods or a main disconnect.

 

[Terry D]

It's an attached garage, so he doesn't need ground rods or a main disconnect.

He is thinking about possibly adding a breeze way later. There is no breeze way now. So it is still a detached garage, if Im reading it correctly, he wants to wire it before any thought of a breeze way

 

[TRWham]

He is thinking about possibly adding a breeze way later. There is no breeze way now. So it is still a detached garage, if Im reading it correctly, he wants to wire it before any thought of a breeze way

That’s how I read it.

 

[Raisedonadeere]

He is thinking about possibly adding a breeze way later. There is no breeze way now. So it is still a detached garage, if Im reading it correctly, he wants to wire it before any thought of a breeze way

Yes exactly. It is permitted as a detached garage. When the permit was let the code enforcement officer told me it would be easier to just get the permit to build as an attached garage if I anticipated building the breezeway. There were too many decisions to make that day and I had builder ready to go to work.

He had about a month free before starting a 8 month contract on a large horse barn. I have been two years of futility around here lining up a contractor with a good reputation that could get to me. I got the permit and the garage is done. But now I have to figure out how many hoops my code enforcement officer is gonna have for me to line up on to get the breezeway.

First I want to figure out how much tax hit I will get by making it a attached garage, aka breeze way connected. I was told it be taxed as additional square footage on my house.

If I put all GFCI breakers I am believing now that electrically I will be ok as far as the garage wiring. but all kind of questions pop into my mind. Allowing one utility feed to a structure for one. Once I build the breezeway I will have by definition a single structure with two feeds. The house and the garage currently are being fed separately from a distribution center on a pole near back of house. I am not going to deal with that now unless someone pops up with information I can act on. Someone will probably say I should just have planned this out before starting.

In my world it will not be too big a deal to run a new feed off the house breaker if code requires it but it certainly would not make a lot of sense to me.

 

[Terry D]

Even with the new rules in the 2020 NEC allowing up to 6 feeders to a structure, I don't think it will help you in your case. The disconnects each feeder is feeding has to be grouped together. If worse came to worse, the best thing to do, is like you said, feed the garage sub panel from your house panel.

 

[acer66]

Do you have to change any wiring if a detached garage/building becomes attached?

 

[Terry D]

Do you have to change any wiring if a detached garage/building becomes attached?

As long as it was done right to begin with, not really. And it depends what code cycle you are in. I believe it came out in the 2017 code about having at least one dedicated 120 volt 20 amp circuit for receptacles in detached and attached garages. Unless the lighting plugs in into these receptacles, you would need a separate circuit for those. If your putting a sub panel in there, you know your going to have more than one circuit anyway. All the required GFCI protection is the same. The same rules for a sub panel, fed with a 4-wire feeder and keep neutrals on buss isolated from the can, and grounds on a bar attached to the can, and do not bond the two. There would be no need for a main disconnect or ground rods, but if they are already there, its not going to hurt anything. There are a few more rules for wiring a detached garage. So if it went to a attached garage, I don't think anything would have to be changed. Unless the underground feeder is in the way for any concrete work.

 

[acer66]

As long as it was done right to begin with, not really. And it depends what code cycle you are in. I believe it came out in the 2017 code about having at least one dedicated 120 volt 20 amp circuit for receptacles in detached and attached garages. Unless the lighting plugs in into these receptacles, you would need a separate circuit for those. If your putting a sub panel in there, you know your going to have more than one circuit anyway. All the required GFCI protection is the same. The same rules for a sub panel, fed with a 4-wire feeder and keep neutrals on buss isolated from the can, and grounds on a bar attached to the can, and do not bond the two. There would be no need for a main disconnect or ground rods, but if they are already there, its not going to hurt anything. There are a few more rules for wiring a detached garage. So if it went to a attached garage, I don't think anything would have to be changed. Unless the underground feeder is in the way for any concrete work.

Thank you.

 

[tulenutn2o]

Codes changes never cease to amaze me. Seems the insane asylum is in charge. Is it a wonder we get anything built anymore.

 

[Raisedonadeere]

Thanks Acer, for asking the question so concisely. And thanks Terry D for boring in on what I had asked and providing all those detailes. I am pulling wires today. I have decided to put single pole switches in for the front and rear outside flood lights and the ceiling lights and then convert them to 3 ways using conduit I buried for the purpose to have switches in the utility/mudroom in the house. as a later project just to avoid any possibility of violation of my permit.

Sad to say in my area they seem more concerned about that kind of stuff than they are for the quality of the work. Like is that concrete really 4" all over, or is that sheething really nailed with enough nails etc.

The way my manufactured home is wired, the 200 AMP main panel is actually a sub panel. When I get done I will be the best grounded structure anywhere around. House panel is grounded, meter pole, with power distribution box is grounded, two 8' rods and now my garage 8" away is grounded, Ufer and Ground rods, Electrician would not accept the UFER only because he did not see it before the pour, so garage will also have two driven ground rods. My builder says no one is using UFER's around here.

Six 8' grounds all in a 20 foot circle plus UFER in garage footer . A bit wasteful, but I am way under the cost on my new home over what cost would have been if I had contracted the whole concept under one bid and permit so I have come to enjoy the over laps that occur when doing a project piecemeal.

 

[teamextreme]

He is thinking about possibly adding a breeze way later. There is no breeze way now. So it is still a detached garage, if Im reading it correctly, he wants to wire it before any thought of a breeze way

My bad, I guess me not so good at the reading thing.
I stand corrected. Carry on.

 

[Terry D]

My bad, I guess me not so good at the reading thing.
I stand corrected. Carry on.

I've done the same thing a few times

 

[sparky 1971]

Even with the new rules in the 2020 NEC allowing up to 6 feeders to a structure, I don't think it will help you in your case. The disconnects each feeder is feeding has to be grouped together. If worse came to worse, the best thing to do, is like you said, feed the garage sub panel from your house panel.

Would the fact that what the op is referring to as a distribution center on a pole is more than likely a meter main with breaker slots take care of the grouped disconnects rule if and when the garage becomes attached?
This is a actually a question I was going to ask at my code update class on the 31st. It's been cancelled due to Coronavirus. We won't go into 2020 until Jan. 1 2021 so I have time.

 

[Terry D]

Would the fact that what the op is referring to as a distribution center on a pole is more than likely a meter main with breaker slots take care of the grouped disconnects rule if and when the garage becomes attached?
This is a actually a question I was going to ask at my code update class on the 31st. It's been cancelled due to Coronavirus. We won't go into 2020 until Jan. 1 2021 so I have time.

The disconnects need to be grouped together on the load side of the feeders. So they would need to be together in the garage or house. Also the feeders have to terminate into a main disconnect, the 6 breaker rule cant apply here. I just did my 2020 NEC update class a couple of weeks ago before they start shutting everything down. Check out the thread on 2020 NEC changes, a lot of good discussion on there.


Edit: This only applies if the OPs area is in the 2020 code. Before that two feeders to a structure wasn't allowed

 

[Raisedonadeere]

Would the fact that what the op is referring to as a distribution center on a pole is more than likely a meter main with breaker slots take care of the grouped disconnects rule if and when the garage becomes attached?
. . . . . . . .

Your description is correct. Meter base on pole and within the same enclosure there is a section that is accessible (not locked with one of those lock tags the power company only can legally cut) there is a 200amp main breaker with 8 slots for single pole breakers or total of 4 double pole breakers. It is wired like a main panel and the house panel is wired like a subpanel which it is.

And your question was going to be my question. Back to Terry D

 

[yatg]

Do you have to change any wiring if a detached garage/building becomes attached?

When the building becomes attached, you'll either have to disconnect the ground rods at the formerly detached building (easy), or connect them to the existing grounding system. NEC 2017 250.50.

 

[Zeke]

Not particularly electrical, but a garage connected to a house by a common roof with no walls between the two structures, and that area known as a breezeway, does make the garage part of the conditioned living space and should not be taxed as such. Of course the IBC doesn't deal with real estate and taxes, so that can be a local rule. The garage tax status should remain the same.

This is also known as a "attached detached garage." That is a real estate term more than a IBC term, but it condenses how the definition of connections between and house and a garage are defined.

It would seem then that a detached-attached garage is absolutely a detached garage when it comes to the NEC. Just an opinion here, but the NEC has to know the occupancy of a structure to refer to a section.

I wouldn't be pulling out the ground rods just yet. So I was addressing the NEC after all.