Unfinished basement

[bpk]

I recently (yesterday) wired a basement for a home owner. The home already had a 100 amp subpanel installed in the basement. The owners wanted all the electrical complete (deviced, plated, keyless lights) because they are going to eventually finish it in there spare time. When I gave them the estimate I never even thought about haveing GFCI protection for the unfinished portions to pass inspection. Currently it is all just stud walls and bare concrete floors. What is the official determination between finished and unfinished, and if all the receptacles need to be gfci protected do you guys think it would be easier to put a gfci breaker in to feed the subpanel ? There are approx. 9 general branch circuits in the subpanel now. Thanks in advance.

 

[iwire]

Currently it is all just stud walls and bare concrete floors. What is the official determination between finished and unfinished,

In my opinion bare studs, bare floors are not by any means finished and would require GFCI protection. However only your local inspector can make that call.

and if all the receptacles need to be gfci protected do you guys think it would be easier to put a gfci breaker in to feed the subpanel ?

I think that using a GFCI main is never a good idea, when it trips you lose everything.

It is also much more likely to trip as the GFCI trip point of a single pole 15 and 2 pole 100 is the same, about 6 mA. Each appliance connected to the panel will have some leakage current and as that current adds up at the main it will end up tripping.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I agree. I can't imagine that an inspector would call open studs finished space. I would install a GFCI receptacle at the first receptacle on all circuits. Lighting would not have to be GFCI protected.