does NEC require you to install electrical power in detached garage?

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ron v

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I am building a detached garage. I planned to have no electrical or plumbing to keep the cost down.

When I applied for my permit, they approved my building plans, but then I got a call from the building dept. They said I did not list an electrician on the permit declaration form. I told them I do not have any plans to install electircal wiring in the garage.

The guy told me that the 2017 NEC requires detached garage to have at least one branch circuit.
he said section 210.11 C.4 states this so I have to run a branch wire out to the garage.

here it is:
(4) Garage Branch Circuits. In addition to the number of
branch circuits required by other parts of this section, at least
one 120-volt, 20-ampere branch circuit shall be installed to
supply receptacle outlets in attached garages and in detached
garages with electric power. This circuit shall have no other
outlets.

The way I read that section you must have a branch circuit to the garage IF it has electical power.

Does anyone know, is the code saying you don't have a choice and detched garage must have electical power.

or as I see it, you must use a branch circuit if you install electrical power in the garage. .
 
I can see you in mid-February, stumbling in the dark searching for a snow shovel. Wouldn't it be nice....
 
ron v said:
The way I read that section you must have a branch circuit to the garage IF it has electical power.
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I agree with you as to what the code section says.

" . . . at least one 120-volt, 20-ampere branch circuit shall be installed to supply receptacle outlets in attached garages and in detached garages with electric power."
 
Agree that it should not be required based on that IF clause. But a detached garage, if used as a garage or even a storage area that you'll ever access at night, is awful without power. If it is easy to run power to it in the future (no concrete or pavement to go under or break through, then you could add it later. But I'd at least put in provisions for power now (e.g. buried conduit) if adding power in the future will be harder than it is now.
 
suemarkp said:
But I'd at least put in provisions for power now (e.g. buried conduit) if adding power in the future will be harder than it is now.
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Agreed, even if it's just an elbow and a stub-up into a wall, so you don't need an LB on the outside.
 
PaulMmn said:
I can see you in mid-February, stumbling in the dark searching for a snow shovel. Wouldn't it be nice....
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well if it starts snowing in Hawaii , then I will worry about it.....;)

solar powered light is much cheaper than running power 100ft from the panel on the house.
 
I wouldn’t consider installing self-powered solar lights as making the garage “served with electric power.” This could certainly get into some gray areas, though.
 
Buck Parrish said:
But if you had solar power that would mean you have electric out there. So the way it is written a circuit would be required.
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I'm not plnning to dothat now.. just saying it would be easier in the future than running a conduit 100ft under ground, in lava rock....
 
here it is:
(4) Garage Branch Circuits. In addition to the number of
branch circuits required by other parts of this section, at least
one 120-volt, 20-ampere branch circuit shall be installed to
supply receptacle outlets in attached garages and in detached
garages with electric power.

No electric power, circuit not required.
 
ron v said:
I'm not plnning to dothat now.. just saying it would be easier in the future than running a conduit 100ft under ground, in lava rock....
Click to expand...
I was being a bit facetious.
Since I live amongst the Amish communiities in Indiana. They all have solar pannels on their garage or horse barn. They're not supposed to keep their cell phones in the house. So they charge them in the out building along with the battery for the flashers on their buggies.
 
so what are my options if the local building dept says they don't read the NEC that way?

Is there a way to get a letter or something from some Official NEC dept that says what a section of the code reallly means?
 
Tulsa Electrician said:
here it is:
(4) Garage Branch Circuits. In addition to the number of
branch circuits required by other parts of this section, at least
one 120-volt, 20-ampere branch circuit shall be installed to
supply receptacle outlets in attached garages and in detached
garages with electric power.

No electric power, circuit not required.
Click to expand...
I heard some years back that upper NY was requiring that Amish wire their new built houses. I'm not sure what ever came of it.
 
Buck Parrish said:
I heard some years back that upper NY was requiring that Amish wire their new built houses. I'm not sure what ever came of it.
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You can wire as much as you like.... but never call the power company to plug in!
I can see requiring new houses built with chases where wires could be pulled should the house be sold to a non-Amish household.
 
PaulMmn said:
You can wire as much as you like.... but never call the power company to plug in!
I can see requiring new houses built with chases where wires could be pulled should the house be sold to a non-Amish household.
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Yes, I agree. I have heard the local jurisdiction in upstate NY or Eastern NY state were requiring the Amish to wire it as per code.
I know here locally in Indiana some Amish have built homes for them selves and sold them to non Amish only a couple of years later with no power and no chases .
 
ron v said:
I am building a detached garage. I planned to have no electrical or plumbing to keep the cost down.

When I applied for my permit, they approved my building plans, but then I got a call from the building dept. They said I did not list an electrician on the permit declaration form. I told them I do not have any plans to install electircal wiring in the garage.

The guy told me that the 2017 NEC requires detached garage to have at least one branch circuit.
he said section 210.11 C.4 states this so I have to run a branch wire out to the garage.

here it is:
(4) Garage Branch Circuits. In addition to the number of
branch circuits required by other parts of this section, at least
one 120-volt, 20-ampere branch circuit shall be installed to
supply receptacle outlets in attached garages and in detached
garages with electric power. This circuit shall have no other
outlets.

The way I read that section you must have a branch circuit to the garage IF it has electical power.

Does anyone know, is the code saying you don't have a choice and detched garage must have electical power.

or as I see it, you must use a branch circuit if you install electrical power in the garage. .
Click to expand...
What if you don't call it a garage?
Perhaps a storage building?
 
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