# Rough Electrical Inspection



## gregt848 (Jul 25, 2006)

What is expected at a rough electrical inspection? Located in Mass. What is the most and least that can be accomplished. I know mainly they want to see it opened before the insulation and walls are installed, but can everything else be completed. Recepticles wired, lights, breakers etc. Basically what is the most I can do? I know the inspection needs to be done and signed off before insulation installed and walls hung but don't want to do more than I am supposed. to. Thanks.


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

No outlets or fixtures installed, this occurs after insulation & sheetrock
I have my breakers in, but hot not connected

Also what area(s) are you wiring ?
.
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## AllanJ (Nov 24, 2007)

So the inspector can see things like:
Wires properly supported, stapled, clamped. (Fished wires in closed spaces don't need to be.) Passing through a hole in a stud counts as a support.
Metal plates on stud edge to protect wires in holes bored too close to edge.
Number of wires entering box within limit for box fill.
Wire ends entering boxes long enough (6 inches).
Mixed 12 and 14 gauge wiring so he can remind you that the maximum breaker rating is 15 amps.
Wires not up against sharp edges or hot pipes.
Dedicated circuits (e.g. for bathroom only) don't serve other parts of the house.


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## baum (Jul 14, 2009)

Mine also wanted to see any pigtail connections made also.


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## gregt848 (Jul 25, 2006)

ok, so Scuba Dave, I am wiring two bedrooms plus hardwiring all smoke dectors. and separately adding an exterior light and some cans in another room. The two bedrooms are part of a rennovation. So no outlets actually be installed? What about switches, can I wire the recessed lights? Smokes?

What exactly do you mean by "Mixed 12 and 14 gauge wiring so he can remind you that the maximum breaker rating is 15 amps." 
Do you just mean that for 15 amps it has to be 14 gauge and for a 20 amp it has to be 12 gauge continuously? No mixing an matching. if it is a 15 amp circuit you can't use 12 gauge and vise versa?


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## gregt848 (Jul 25, 2006)

Also what about telephone/cable?


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

Bedrooms require AFCI, so you will need those breakers
If you are fishing wire then walls are already in place
But outlets are only installed for final Inspection

My smokes have a pigtail connection/plug 
So that could be wired up ready for smokes to plug in

Yes, make sure you do not have any mixed wire on a circuit
12g = 20a........14g = 15a

If any of the wiring is off an existing circuit make sure the breakers are off 
I had wire nuts on a few off my wires so I could turn a circuit on for lights on 2nd floor while working

Recessed lights are wired up...but I'm doing new construction
Not 100% sure when a ceiling already exists....


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## gregt848 (Jul 25, 2006)

Thanks dave, This is all considered new construction. So I can wire the recessed lights, get the Arc fault breakers, i'll wait on the outlets till final inspection. Anything else I should focus on? do's and don'ts? What about the switches (for recessed)? Thanks again for the help and info.


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

Switches also wait until after insulation/sheetorck
I lean towards leaving 7" min wire coming out of the electric boxes
I did 6" on one of my 1st projects & the Inspector thought they were a little short
I leave as much as 8" if its the only wire in the box
I only use the deep (3") boxes...I do 2x6 walls for more insulation

Make sure the wires are not twisted as they run between boxes/devices
It should look clean & neat
My BIL had his wires twisted as they ran..in a crawlspace
Might have been other issues but the Inspector failed him initially


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## gregt848 (Jul 25, 2006)

I love this site,:thumbup:
Couple more questions, Dave, what did you do to temporary use the recessed lights while you where working up there with no switches. I would like to be able to use the lightning to work at night? This is all considered new construction. Everything is opened up. That is the bulk of the project. Two bedrooms. On a side note, While I am on a role,
What about installing an outside light off an existing circuit? I want to run the wires while the walls are opened. Since the switch is in an existing box that is currently in use can I install that for the rough inspection? What about the outside light? 
Just curious, I hear many people say and write that the code is the minimum standard allowed, what makes you go above code or exceed the standard "above code". Installing more outlets?
I will be posting pics soon. Have made a lot of progress. Thanks for any advice and feedback.


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## baum (Jul 14, 2009)

As soon as you have your rough-in you can energize lights. After le left i hooked up the circuits to the panel, put the switches in, and just used the porclin style lights for temp use. Or if its going to recessed i energized those. Recesses were the only lights i actually had hooked up in th cans (no switches though). You are going to want to do this so you can test everything before its covered up incase you have any problems. 

I found its nothing to worry about as long as you did it to your cities code. I went a little above and beyond and stapled the wire about every 12-18". Make sure all box sizes are correct for how many wire are in there. I think my inspector looked into 2 boxes just because he saw like 3 cables going into them. he was there for a total of like 10 minutes. told me for a DIY'er this is one of the best jobs he had seen. He changed from being a "prick" on the phone when he found out it was a DIY'er to asking me to put one more light in and not making him come back out to check a rough in on it. (i have to pay each time he comes out).


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

gregt848 said:


> Couple more questions, Dave, what did you do to temporary use the recessed lights while you where working up there with no switches. I would like to be able to use the lightning to work at night? This is all considered new construction. Everything is opened up. That is the bulk of the project. Two bedrooms. On a side note, While I am on a role,
> What about installing an outside light off an existing circuit? I want to run the wires while the walls are opened. Since the switch is in an existing box that is currently in use can I install that for the rough inspection? What about the outside light?
> Just curious, I hear many people say and write that the code is the minimum standard allowed, what makes you go above code or exceed the standard "above code". Installing more outlets?
> I will be posting pics soon. Have made a lot of progress. Thanks for any advice and feedback.


I ran my wire to the switch box & I have a switch connected -3-ways due to stairs
The lights are actually connected to plugs right now
I have (2) 4' triple T-8 fixtures on top of teh ceiling joists in the attic
I wired them up with plugs & they are connected via extension cords right now
I have an outlet box wired up near the switch where they all plug in
Before the rough I will pull the switch & outlet box

An outside light can be run off any circuit that is not restricted (IE not bathroom, laundry, kitchen etc)

Above code what I do: Outlets every 4-6' instead of 12'
More circuits: kitchen will 3-4 instead of just 2
---sunroom open to kitchen will share one of these & have a 5th circuit
--Dining room open to kitchen has 2 more circuits
Using 12g wire to fridge on a 15a circuit, just in case a fridge ever needs 12g & 20a (I hope not), plus it was a short run
I also ran a 2nd circuit to the Master bedroom... just in case I ever need a space heater or to use some other high power device
---wife's vacuum takes 12a
Each bedroom has its own 20a circuit
Each bathroom has its own 20a circuit
20 outside 20a circuits (that's another story :laughing

Some of this is just common sense given power hungry devices of today
And many electricians will wire a home in a simialr fashion
50 years from now devices may be designed to use very little power
Then they may look at all my wiring & think I was crazy

I have plenty of room for breakers:
200a Main panel
100a sub panel 3' from the Main
200a sub in great room being fed with 100a from Main 
100a sub in pool cabana being fed with 60a from Main


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