300.5 - UFB burial depth at dwelling

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bclumen

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I searched a bunch of posts but came up empty handed. I would love to get some opinions...

What would you intrepret the burial depth of a 6-3 UF cable installed at a dwelling for a 120/240V, 50A circuit to power a sub panel in a detached shed.

Does column 1, row 1 apply?
Or, since its for dwelling related purposes, does column 1, row 6 apply (it's run through the middle of the yard and not under a driveway or parking area).

There seems to be some confusion here with an old timer at work who says 24" is it unless its under the drive/parking area...which at this house is dirt and some gravel but clearly identifiable from the yard.

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Start with column 1, row 1 which the default is 24", "All locations not specified below". Go down the Locations at the left an you will see that it does not fall under any of those locations so you're stuck at 24".
 
Well, if it were me, and I own my property and I want to park my car in the back yard, driveway or not, I could always say my back yard is intended for an outdoor parking area and use the lesser 18" burial depth per column 1 row 6 whether there's a driveway to it or not.

But I can see the confusion just in the way it is worded.

I've always been the type if I got to dig it by hand, I'll find a way to interpret it to the lesser burial depth.
If I have to rend a trencher or trackhoe, generally that extra 6" doesn't make much difference and I bury it 24" anyway.


JAP>
 
jap said:
Well, if it were me, and I own my property and I want to park my car in the back yard, driveway or not, I could always say my back yard is intended for an outdoor parking area and use the lesser 18" burial depth per column 1 row 6 whether there's a driveway to it or not.
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The 6" reduction in depth would only be for the area under the driveway or parking area. The rest of the run would still need to be at 24" deep. :)
 
jap said:
Well, if it were me, and I own my property and I want to park my car in the back yard, driveway or not, I could always say my back yard is intended for an outdoor parking area and use the lesser 18" burial depth per column 1 row 6 whether there's a driveway to it or not.

But I can see the confusion just in the way it is worded.

I've always been the type if I got to dig it by hand, I'll find a way to interpret it to the lesser burial depth.
If I have to rend a trencher or trackhoe, generally that extra 6" doesn't make much difference and I bury it 24" anyway.


JAP>
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infinity said:
The 6" reduction in depth would only be for the area under the driveway or parking area. The rest of the run would still need to be at 24" deep. :)
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Now that I'm asking, I'm finding a lot of different opinions.

Row 6 does not say UNDER driveways or parking areas as it does in the rows above and below.

It's seems pretty unclear to me but it is for dwelling related purposes as included in that row.

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The location of the wiring method or circuit is not at or under a driveway or parking area but it is for dwelling related purposes.

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infinity said:
The 6" reduction in depth would only be for the area under the driveway or parking area. The rest of the run would still need to be at 24" deep. :)
Click to expand...

Yea, but I choose not to park in the same spot every day so my whole back yard could be considered my "parking area" .
I'm sure they didn't mean just the 8' wide by 19' long area my truck was parked at the time I wanted to install the underground to my shed, did they?

JAP>
 
bclumen said:
The location of the wiring method or circuit is not at or under a driveway or parking area but it is for dwelling related purposes.

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The problem is if they are considering this a driveway or parking area for dwelling related purposes, which they might be, in which case we're back to the 24" depth.

JAP>
 
bclumen said:
The location of the wiring method or circuit is not at or under a driveway or parking area but it is for dwelling related purposes.
Click to expand...

The use the 18" depth it also needs to be under the driveway or parking area.

All locations not specified below

One- and two-family dwelling driveways and outdoor parking areas, and used onlyfor dwelling-related purposes
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jap said:
The problem is if they are considering this a driveway or parking area for dwelling related purposes, which they might be, in which case we're back to the 24" depth.

JAP>
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How is that?
Column 1 row 6 says
"One- and two-family dwelling driveways and outdoor parking areas, and used for dwelling- related purposes"


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Seems like the intent for 18 inches under dwelling driveway/parking would mean under a paved surface, though it isn't all that clearly stated.
 
kwired said:
Seems like the intent for 18 inches under dwelling driveway/parking would mean under a paved surface, though it isn't all that clearly stated.
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I agree.

It doesn't make sense.

Sometimes its better for a rule to be vague so you can hammer it out on a case by case basis with the AHJ rather than try and list every possible scenario.

The reduced burial depth under a driveway or parking area would not make sense unless they are figuring that area would have a beefier fill such as gravel, pavement or the like.

JAP>
 
Nope, I thought the same thing.
It's not clear.
The youngster brought up the fact that it doesn't say "under" like it does in other rows and that really has me thinking

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bclumen said:
Nope, I thought the same thing.
It's not clear.
The youngster brought up the fact that it doesn't say "under" like it does in other rows and that really has me thinking

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Sorry JAP, that was a reply to kwireds post, not yours

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bclumen said:
Nope, I thought the same thing.
It's not clear.
The youngster brought up the fact that it doesn't say "under" like it does in other rows and that really has me thinking

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Click to expand...

Well, if we aren't talking about "under" a driveway or "under" a parking area, considering we are talking about "under ground" wiring and looking at a "burial depth" chart, then we really are getting confusing. :)


JAP>
 
jap said:
I agree.

It doesn't make sense.

Sometimes its better for a rule to be vague so you can hammer it out on a case by case basis with the AHJ rather than try and list every possible scenario.

The reduced burial depth under a driveway or parking area would not make sense unless they are figuring that area would have a beefier fill such as gravel, pavement or the like.

JAP>
Click to expand...
It's hard to include estimate cost and time for hammering out codes.

IMO it would be better for all if it were clear.

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