- Location
- Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- Service Manager
Which do you find more efficient? Poll is based on using NM, fiberglass boxes or equivalent, apartment setting.
Resi Sequence of Tasks
- Thread starter George Stolz
- Start date
- Status
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
Been a while since I did a new house, but I would do a walk thru with owners and mark locations. Home runs were set, then nail boxes and start drilling about the same time. There were usually two of us.
Custom homes. It has been even longer since I did a spec home. Maybe 20 to 25 years. Really hard to compete with guys that only do residential.
Custom homes. It has been even longer since I did a spec home. Maybe 20 to 25 years. Really hard to compete with guys that only do residential.
jxofaltrds
Inspector Mike®
- Location
- Mike P. Columbus Ohio
- Occupation
- ESI, PI, RBO
Wood studs right?
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Box first. Fewer unnecessary holes.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
There is no question in my mind. I put up the boxes so I can tell where the holes will be esp. if you have to drill up and down. Sometimes I lay the boxes out but don't install them, then I drill the holes and install the boxes. This makes it easier to drill down but with my milwaulkee angle adapter it is not necessary unless there is a double plate. I have only seen that rarely.
- Location
- Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- Service Manager
Yep, that's right.
readydave8
re member
- Location
- Clarkesville, Georgia
- Occupation
- electrician
I don't know where to drill the holes until I nail up the boxes. (I didn't claim to be smart).
tryinghard
Senior Member
- Location
- California
I say box first but a good team can drill and box simultaneously, you just get used to where the layout will be.
sd4524
Senior Member
- Location
- Southern California
I would feel like too much of a factory worker to drill holes before I box. I would never intentionally do it. But stuff happens. I get sent to a job too early, parts get delivered late, etc. If you are doing a big job with 100+ apts then it is a different story. You might have a helper/ apprentice who drills holes all day and he gets ahead of box layout guy.
tryinghard
Senior Member
- Location
- California
It really is the wire that holds the place together
al hildenbrand
Senior Member
- Location
- Minnesota
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
Mark the locations, first.
Box or wire first, depending upon location. Some (small percentage) framing / # of required conductors will dictate unusual boxes or extra cable holes to avoid high conductor count. . . . It's a judgement call, on the fly.
I don't like changing out boxes I just installed.
I'd rather figure it out along the way, than to head trip it at the very beginning.
Box or wire first, depending upon location. Some (small percentage) framing / # of required conductors will dictate unusual boxes or extra cable holes to avoid high conductor count. . . . It's a judgement call, on the fly.
I don't like changing out boxes I just installed.
I'd rather figure it out along the way, than to head trip it at the very beginning.
- Location
- Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- Service Manager
Al, you just had to break the goose egg on that second poll option, didn't you. 
growler
Senior Member
- Location
- Atlanta,GA
So it's apartments is it? With an apartment complex it's probably not going to make that much difference. After a crew does a couple they can just about cut the cable before pulling.
It's hard to get more assembly line than apartments so I guess it would just depend on how the crew is set up. You could actually send someone ahead of the roping crew to pre-drill holes.
With a house I always nail boxes first because I have never thought of doing it any other way.
al hildenbrand
Senior Member
- Location
- Minnesota
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
If I wasn't surrounded by miles of old shacks, that is, if I did more cookie cutter new homes, my answer might have been different. But the side of my mind that is the engineer (reluctant to dismiss the small percentage) and the weirdness of remodels kinda worked in chorus.Al, you just had to break the goose egg on that second poll option, didn't you.
I'm actually surprised to be the first to take the "other" choice.
renosteinke
Senior Member
- Location
- NE Arkansas
I find the efficiency depends on first doing some 'inefficient' things.
Step #1 is to plan, plan, plan. Figure out on paper just where the boxes will be and where the circuits will run.
Hang the boxes, then mark, mark, mark. "Mark" as in identify each box as to the circuit that serves it. "Mark" as in run a string line where the holes will be bored. (Wires pull a lot easier when the holes are in line). "Mark" as in ID the wires at both ends. "Mark" as in lines on the floor so you can find them after the drywall goes up.
Keep the wires loose- land in one box, staple to the next box, THEN cut the wire from the spool.
It works best for me to start at the farthest box and work back to the panel.
Once you have the devices and fixtures installed, put a bit of blue tape by each box. At the switches, you will write on this tape just what the switch controls. At the receptacles, you will replace that bit of tape as you check your work- with green if all is well, with red if there's a problem.
Likewise, I find an unused area and put up rows of blue tape, each identifying a task I need to do. As I do the task, I remove the tape. This help keep you on track.
Finally, at the start of the job set up a work area and provide for trash removal. Nothing slows you down like piles of trash everywhere.
Step #1 is to plan, plan, plan. Figure out on paper just where the boxes will be and where the circuits will run.
Hang the boxes, then mark, mark, mark. "Mark" as in identify each box as to the circuit that serves it. "Mark" as in run a string line where the holes will be bored. (Wires pull a lot easier when the holes are in line). "Mark" as in ID the wires at both ends. "Mark" as in lines on the floor so you can find them after the drywall goes up.
Keep the wires loose- land in one box, staple to the next box, THEN cut the wire from the spool.
It works best for me to start at the farthest box and work back to the panel.
Once you have the devices and fixtures installed, put a bit of blue tape by each box. At the switches, you will write on this tape just what the switch controls. At the receptacles, you will replace that bit of tape as you check your work- with green if all is well, with red if there's a problem.
Likewise, I find an unused area and put up rows of blue tape, each identifying a task I need to do. As I do the task, I remove the tape. This help keep you on track.
Finally, at the start of the job set up a work area and provide for trash removal. Nothing slows you down like piles of trash everywhere.
mivey
Senior Member
Yeah. Proper load distribution is the real trick & sometimes requires a few extra runs of romex.
marti smith
Senior Member
There is no question in my mind. I put up the boxes so I can tell where the holes will be esp. if you have to drill up and down. Sometimes I lay the boxes out but don't install them, then I drill the holes and install the boxes. This makes it easier to drill down but with my milwaulkee angle adapter it is not necessary unless there is a double plate. I have only seen that rarely.
Dennis, this is the bomb. No ladder needed in most areas; one of my favorite tools by far!
tryinghard
Senior Member
- Location
- California
You are thorough; in a good way! Can you actually get others working with you to do this as well? I only did a few small tracks and a few apartments and motels but the custom homes were the challenge. Often we?d figure our homeruns on the plans install the panels and get someone pulling these early on, this after a walk-thru with the client and a keel marking layout. This seemed to work out pretty good and like most we?d install any data/comm last.
- Status