Electrical Outlet Code New Construction Homes

[Stevatchis]

New Construction homes, is it a code requirement for all walls to have an outlet every 12 feet?

The entrance foyer to this home is large and the building supervisor claims they do not have to install one in the foyer?

Loudoun County Virginia

Your repponse is appreciated.

Thank you,

Stephen

[hausdok]

Hi,

Well, ultimately it is going to boil down to what the municipality, or county if the county has jurisdiction, requires because they might have adopted only portions of the model code may have extra requirements unique only to that jurisdiction.

According to my CodeCheck Electrical:

Receptacles

• 6ft. cord can be plugged in anywhere along wall (210-52a)
• Any wall >2ft. wide requires a receptacle (210.52a)
• Hallway >10ft. requires a receptacle. (210.52h)[*]

A wall space is a wall unbroken along the floor line by doors, fireplaces and similar openings

A wall space can include 2 or more walls and can be measured around corners

The requirements for receptacles in wall space do not apply to bathrooms, laundry or garages

There's nothing in there about it not applying to a foyer.

Don't quote these code cites exactly because they may have changed since my version of CodeCheck Electrical was published. You need to contact the City or County Inspectors office and pose the question to them and ask them to cite you the source and direct you to it so you can read it yourself and be certain the code bubba isn't talking through his hat.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Richard Moore]

The 2002 NEC states that the requirements Mike quoted apply to...

"every kitchen, family room, dining room, living room, parlor, library, den, sunroom, bedroom, recreation room, or similar area of dwelling units..."

Foyers are not mentioned. I can't tell you if he's right or wrong but I can see the super's argument.

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by Stevatchis

New Construction homes, is it a code requirement for all walls to have an outlet every 12 feet?

Nope, it isn't. That's a gross oversimplification. 210.52(A) spells out which rooms are subject to the within-6-foot rule. (Richard posted them.) It's not "all walls".

The entrance foyer to this home is large and the building supervisor claims they do not have to install one in the foyer?

Personally, I'd interpret the foyer as a hall. As such, if it's more than 10 feet long, it would require one receptacle per 210.52(H)

You might also check the plans.

- Jim Katen, Oregon