I needed to fed HO garage from his basement . It was a attach garage with breeze way between house and garage , maybe 10ft between them. there concrete walkway leading to service door. No way to get under concrete because the whole area between house and garage is concrete . So I came out from basement about 12" above ground ran along house 4ft to corner of house and breeze way ,then up and across breeze way 6' to garage then into garage. I used SE cable because coming out of basement, house corner went back 4" then over to breeze, then across breeze to garage . My question is is it alright to run cable 4" above ground for 4' before going up side of house?
SE cable
- Thread starter guschash
- Start date
- Status
Dsg319
Senior Member
- Location
- West Virginia
- Occupation
- Wv Master “lectrician”
Is it subject to physical damage? If so would need to be in conduit.
- Location
- Tennessee NEC:2017
- Occupation
- Semi-Retired Electrician
And it would be up to the AHJ (inspector) to determine if its subject to physical damage. 4" above ground, most likely would be.
electrofelon
Senior Member
- Location
- Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
- Occupation
- Electrician
That would be totally fine around here. Why would it be subject to physical damage? What on earth would happen to it?
mopowr steve
Senior Member
- Location
- NW Ohio
- Occupation
- Electrical contractor
Hope your running SER
Dsg319
Senior Member
- Location
- West Virginia
- Occupation
- Wv Master “lectrician”
Good point.
Rick 0920
Senior Member
- Location
- Jacksonville, FL
- Occupation
- Electrical Instructor
Why not install conduit and LB's? It would look so much nicer and the physical damage worries would be not exist. Just remember, the inside of a conduit installed on the outside of a building is considered a wet location. Wire accordingly. 
Fred B
Senior Member
- Location
- Upstate, NY
- Occupation
- Electrician
At 12 inches, there are many ways accidental unintentional damage can occur, Lawn mower wheel or frame, snow blowers etc. And as that cable gets older the likelyhood of damage increases because of sheathing flexibility diminishes and becomes brittle. Seen many instances where the simple act of the painter setting up a ladder making contact that wouldn't bother a new cable, now cracks open the older cable. Got one in my dumpster right now that we replaced, because of some cracking that let water into the cable, as it was being pulled down and flexed it shattered as it bent. That cable was only 20yrs old based on inspection sticker and build date.
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