Marina Service Location Question - NEC 555

[Jim_SWFL]

555.7 in the 2017 NEC seemed to be clearly applicable to floating docks and facilities. Makes sense - simple to disconnect from service before a storm, etc.

555.4 in the 2020 NEC now seems a bit less clear, at least to me. The wording has been tweaked, and I still feel it permits a service on a fixed dock or pier, but I'm curious how others with similar experience read it, or how it has been enforced in your area.

I am in SW FL and have put services on fixed docks a few times.

 

[steve66]

I agree with you - services are still permitted on a fixed dock or pier.

The questionable part is the phrase "a floating building, dock, or marina....".

Does that mean " a floating building, a floating dock, or a floating marina..."? That's what I think it means and I wish they would just write it out.

Or does "floating" only apply to the first noun, so it actually means " a floating building, any dock, or any marina..."?

I see this a lot in the code, and it drives me crazy because it's not clear what the intent is. Usually, it seems like the adjective or adverb is meant to apply to each item in the list (like the first example above).

Now I'm thinking that if they intended it to read like the second example above, they would have put "floating building" last. So it would read:

"The service equipment for a dock, marina, or floating building shall be located on land....". That would remove all ambiguity, and it leaves no question that it applies to any dock or marina, not just floating ones.

However, I did look through the NEC Style Manual, and I don't see anything that seems to address this.

FWIW, I think the last sentence "any other floating structure" is also evidence this only applies to floating structures, and not to anything fixed.

 

[augie47]

In Mike's analysis he notes the wording was expanded to show that the service equipment for floating buildings, docks or a marina be located adjacent to the structure, but not on or in the structure itself, or on or in any floating structure.
He added that previous Codes might be interpreted to allow service equipment for one floating structure to be in an adjacent floating structure.

 

[Jim_SWFL]

I agree with you - services are still permitted on a fixed dock or pier.

The questionable part is the phrase "a floating building, dock, or marina....".

Does that mean " a floating building, a floating dock, or a floating marina..."? That's what I think it means and I wish they would just write it out.

Or does "floating" only apply to the first noun, so it actually means " a floating building, any dock, or any marina..."?

I see this a lot in the code, and it drives me crazy because it's not clear what the intent is. Usually, it seems like the adjective or adverb is meant to apply to each item in the list (like the first example above).

Now I'm thinking that if they intended it to read like the second example above, they would have put "floating building" last. So it would read:

"The service equipment for a dock, marina, or floating building shall be located on land....". That would remove all ambiguity, and it leaves no question that it applies to any dock or marina, not just floating ones.

However, I did look through the NEC Style Manual, and I don't see anything that seems to address this.

FWIW, I think the last sentence "any other floating structure" is also evidence this only applies to floating structures, and not to anything fixed.

You've hit the nail on the head - so many easy ways to make this clear.

Because past codes permitted services on fixed docks, and the latest codes did not explicitly prohibit it, I feel it is allowed. But, man I wish it was clearer.

 

[Jim_SWFL]

He added that previous Codes might be interpreted to allow service equipment for one floating structure to be in an adjacent floating structure.

Good point, I could see how that might be misinterpreted if you didn't first consider why the service isn't allowed on the floating structure in the first place.