Detached Garage

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John 9999

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Cumberland County
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Electrician
I have a new two car garage/living quarters above connected by a new breezeway to the existing house. Can the garage be considered a detached garage so I can install a 200 amp service to serve the garage. The electrical service (400 amp) for the existing house is maxed out.
 
Not a direct NEC issue, you would need to contact your local building/permitting office to see how the might interpret it.
 
Not a separate structure if it's attached to the main house unless the construction methods allow it (fire wall, etc). (Contact your building officials)
(Be careful what you wish for..often separate structures encounter zoning restrictions, ect.)

opps... sorry roger
 
IMO no since the two structures are physically connected together. You can ask for special permission to install a new service at the garage as long as the POCO and AHJ agree.
 
The garage has its own footing and foundation and the 20 ft. breezeway has a firewall on the garage side and the existing house side and is supported indecently.
 
Again, the final decision will be up to your local building department and/or AHJ.
The NEC simply says "separate building" and that will be determined buy the structural details.
(It's unusual to see a true building separation fire wall in these instances)
 
John 9999 said:
The garage has its own footing and foundation and the 20 ft. breezeway has a firewall on the garage side and the existing house side and is supported indecently.
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When describing garage requirements the NEC uses attached and detached. All garages will have some sort of foundation regardless of whether they are attached or detached so that has no bearing on the definitions. If it's physically connected by a breezeway it's attached.
 
In my experience if there is a roof or breezeway attaching the buildings then it is not a separate structure
 
Apartments are part of the same building and are clearly attached, but get independent electric services.

Why don't you just ask your local electrical inspector if you can do what you want to do, without ever raising the question of "attached" vs. "separate".
 
A lot of places are really relaxing requirements for creation of ADU's....you may be in one of those jurisdictions.
 
Make it ADU and you are home free. You will then have options, like (a) separate service (b) separate address.
 
A separate service will often result in a separate meter, a separate bill, with a separate 'service charge' for the privilege...
 
I had an inspector in Pittsboro NC wanting me to install a separate grounding electrodes to the metal beams(s) for a garage sub panel in a metal house. It had a brezzway. I won the argument because it was attached.

On a lot where a dupex is allowed but two homes are not. I've seen a contractor build a very luxurious duplex only attached by a breezway. They used it as a utility area. But it was considered a duplex.
 
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