Residential Electrical Wiring Requirements

General Information:

All electrical installations must be inspected by an approved electrical inspector. The electrical inspector is an agent of the local municipality and is inspecting on behalf of the Code Enforcement Officer of that municipality. The electrical installation must comply with the residential Code of New York State, the National Electrical Code (NEC), and any other local or state building code requirements. Any electrical installation involving the service entrance must also comply with the local utility company requirements. Before you do any electrical installations, check with your Code Enforcement Officer to see if a building permit issued by your local municipality is also required. The local utility company must also be notified for a new electrical service or changes to an existing service. There will be a fee for these electrical inspections payable to the electrical inspection agency that the electrical inspector represents.

Inspection Procedure:

1. Obtain a building permit from local municipality if needed.
2. Notify local utility company for any installation involving the electrical service.
3. If you have any specific questions, call the electrical inspector.
4. An on site consultation visit may be desired. Call inspector to set up time. An additional fee may be charged for this visit.

There are three main types of inspections:

1. Service Entrance: Point where electricity enters a building.
2. Rough: Electrical boxes installed, wired pulled, and supported (No concealed wiring).
3. Final: Complete Installation with power on and ready for general public use.

A check list of common code requirements for New York State are provided under each type of inspection. The list only includes common code requirements, and does not include all of the code requirements that are checked or specific code reference numbers.

1.1         Service Inspection

A work request number from the local utility company will usually be required. The utility company will designate the location of the overhead service drop. A sticker will be placed on the meter box indicating that the service installation was okay. The utility company must be notified by the inspector before the service will be turned on.

1. A work request number and riser location designated from utility company.
2. Point of attachment must be proper height with proper service head located above it.
3. Service head must be above or 3' away from any window, door, porch, deck or patios.
4. Proper size and type of cable or raceway with proper support (12", 30" for SE Cable).
5. Proper type and location of meter socket secured properly to wall or pre-defined structure.
6. Waterproof connector with duct seal at top of meter socket.
7. SE conductors terminated properly in meter socket. Meter socket terminals on top are for line connections from utility company, and the bottom terminals are for load connection.
8. Correct size of SE conductors, disconnect, and overcurrent protection device for the service load.
9. SE conductors must go directly to a disconnect (service panel) after entering the building.
10. Underground service must follow all utility company and NEC requirements.
    1. This also means that expansion joints required if conductors are ran in PVC
11. Grounding system must be installed correctly following all utility and NEC requirements. Rebar must be used as a grounding electrode if it is used in the footer.
12. Service panel must be bonded properly and have proper clearances with no plumbing above it.
13. An intersystem bonding terminal is required (for Communications, Radio, TV, and NPBCS systems) to be provided at one of the following locations:
    1. Meter socket enclosure
    2. Service equipment enclosure
    3. Grounding Electrode conductors

1.2         Rough Inspections

All wiring that will be concealed by insulation, wall material, or backfilled underground wiring must be inspected before concealed. Electrical devices and lighting fixtures are not installed at this time. It may be a good idea to terminate the conductors to a receptacle or switch on just one box so the inspector can check your wiring. A sticker will be placed on a window or appropriate location indicating that it is okay to conceal or cover wiring.

1. Proper box size based on the number of conductors, devices, and clamps.
2. Boxes and wires supported properly.
3. Metal boxes grounded properly and no open “Knock Outs/Holes”.
4. Approved boxes for paddle fans or heavy fixtures.
5. NM Cables supported properly, 8", 12", 4.5' with approved staples no closer than 1 1/4" from edge.
6. Holes used for cables must be no closer than 1 1/4" from edge.
7. At least 6" of free conductors in boxes (depends on box depth). General requirement is a minimum of 3” of free conductors hanging outside box.
8. Equipment grounding conductors (bare or green wire) spliced properly and terminated properly.
9. Proper size and type of cable, and also, correct number of circuits. 
10. Receptacles in kitchen are supplied by two 20-ampre (12 AWG) small-appliance branch circuits.
11. Receptacle outlets in breakfast, dinning, and pantry room are (12 AWG cable) part of the 20-ampre small-appliance branch circuit (Kitchen receptacle branch circuits).
12. One circuit (12 AWG) required for bathroom receptacles only.
13. One circuit (12 AWG) required for laundry receptacle with no other outlets on this circuit.
14. Some appliances require a separate circuit sized according to appliance nameplate rating.
15. Proper location of receptacles in rooms, bath sinks, islands, peninsular, and over counter tops.
16. Required receptacles in garage, exterior (front and back), basement, and halls.
17. Required lighting outlets and switching.
18. Closet light restrictions and clearances from shelves (6", 12").
19. Proper cable or raceway used for underground wiring installed at proper depth.
20. No concealed or buried boxes or conduit bodies.
21. Carborn Manoxide (CO) detector must be no more than 15 feet from bedroom. Detectors must be located on every level with a bedroom or a CO source.
22. Required smoke detectors with battery backup (type, location and circuit):
    1. Outside each separate sleeping area or in the immediate area of bedrooms.
    2. In each room used for sleeping purposes.
    3. In each story within a dwelling unit, including basements and cellars but not including crawl spaces and uninhabitable attics.

1.3         Final Inspections

All wiring is complete and power is on. All faceplates and covers shall be installed. Service or feeder panel directories shall be labeled properly with all circuits identified. A sticker will be left on the panel cover indicating that the final wiring is okay. An electrical certificate from the inspection agency will be issued to the applicant and a copy will be sent to the Code  Enforcement Officer of the municipality. Some Code Enforcement Officers will not issue a Certificate of Occupancy until they receive the electrical certificate. This may take 2-3 weeks after the final inspection.

1. No open wiring, all faceplates, covers and fixtures must be installed.
2. Boxes must be flush with finished wall with no gaps around box greater than 1/8".
3. All conductors must be properly spliced and terminated.
4. Receptacles must be correctly wired and secured to boxes.
5. All 15- and 20-Amp receptacle are "listed" Tamper-Resistance (TR) receptacles for new and renovated residential dwelling units.
6. GFCI receptacles must be properly wired to trip when subjected to a ground fault or difference in current flow that exceeds 5 milliamps between the “hot” and “neutral” conductor.
7. GFCI receptacles are required outside, bathrooms, kitchen countertops, garage, basements, and whirlpool baths.
8. AFCI protection for all branch circuits with the exception of kitchens, bathrooms, unfinished basements, garages, and outdoors.
9. Receptacles installed outdoors must have faceplates that are waterproof when in use.
10. Closet light restrictions and clearances from shelves (6", 12").
11. Smoked detectors installed properly and all interconnected with battery backup.
12. All equipment installed must be labeled and listed by a recognized testing agency such as UL.
13. All circuits must have properly sized overcurrent protection (circuit breakers or fuses).
14. All motors and certain appliances (Electric Hot Water Heaters) must have a disconnect within sight.
15. Lighting outlets at required locations with proper switching.
16. Feeder panel properly wired with separate grounded - neutral (white wire) and equipment grounding (bare or green).
17. All circuits labeled correctly in the panel directory. Spare breakers if installed must be labeled as spare. 

1.4         Inspections to correct violations

All violations must be corrected in a timely manner and reinspected. There may be additional fees for this reinspection. If violations are not corrected in a timely manner, the Code Enforcement Officer and the utility company will be notified in writing of the violations.