WS10 Electrical, Revision B

Revision B, 2026-10-04. Supersedes Revision A dated 2026-10-03.

Detached garage, 40'-0" W x 30'-0" D framing out-to-out, 1,200 sf, unincorporated Bartow County, Georgia. Owner-builder, solo. Shell plus electrical. No insulation, no drywall, framing stays exposed above the 96" interior OSB line.

TL;DR

Panel: 125 A bus loadcenter, 100 A main breaker, 30 spaces, surface NEMA 1, isolated neutral bar, separate bolted ground bar, bonding screw NOT installed. The 125 A bus costs about the same as a 100 A bus and removes the bus as the future limit.
Feeder: 100 A, four wire, two ungrounded plus one grounded plus one equipment grounding conductor, in 2" PVC Schedule 40 at 24" cover. Conductor size is a function of the trench length, which is not measured yet. Section 6 gives the size at 50, 75, 100, 150, and 200 ft for copper and aluminum at both 60 A and 100 A.
Computed Article 220 demand is 98.8 A at 240 V with the EVSE held to 32 A. A 100 A main covers it with about 1 A to spare, which is not headroom, it is a tie. Section 5 lists four ways to buy real margin, and the cheapest is the EVSE commissioning setting.
The 96" datum now does three jobs. Exterior sheathing horizontal joint, shear blocking centerline, and the top edge of the interior OSB wiring protection all land at EL 96.00". Everything below 96" is concealed cable in bored holes. Everything above 96" is exposed cable on running boards and open framing. Section 11 is the whole rough-in sequence consequence.
The garage door bay is an electrical keep-out below EL 120.00". The 24" clear headroom between the door head at 96" and the bearing at 120" carries the torsion assembly with 9" to 10" of margin. No luminaire, no box face, no strap projects into it inside the envelope X 68" to 196", Y 0" to 144". Boxes in that envelope mount to the SIDE of a bottom chord with the lower edge at or above 120.00".
Do not drill a truss. IRC R802.10.4 prohibits cutting, notching, or drilling a truss member without the approval of a registered design professional. Every ceiling cable run crosses the bottom chords on running boards, not through them.
Every cost line in Section 16 is a counted quantity marked "verify locally." No dollar figure appears in this document. None is recalled from memory.

1. What changed from Revision A ws10

Revision A ws10 was written against a 9'-0" garage door, a 124-1/2" wall, 12" of door headroom, and an "8'-0" OSB" wainscot described without a shared datum. All four moved. The table below is the complete delta. Where Revision A is unchanged the row is omitted.

Item	Revision A ws10	Revision B ws10	Why it moved
Garage door	9'-0" W x 7'-0" assumed, centered about 6'-6" from left	10'-0" W x 8'-0" H, RO head at 96", opening spans X 72" to 192"	Door schedule changed in Rev B
Wall height, ceiling	124-1/2" complete, 10'-4-1/2" bottom chord	120" complete (1.5 PT + 115.5 stud + 1.5 top + 1.5 cap), current state 118-1/2" with the cap plate not yet installed. Truss bearing at EL 120.00", bottom chord occupies 120.0" to 123.5", clear ceiling 120"	Wall framing revised
Door headroom	12" clear	24" clear, 96" to 120", standard-lift torsion at 12" radius fits with 9" to 10" margin	Door and wall both changed
OSB wiring protection	"8'-0"", no datum stated, 34 sheets at 1,018 sf net	Top edge EL 96.00", coordinated with the exterior sheathing joint and the shear blocking centerline. 31 sheets at 991 sf net, order 33	Three-way coordination from Rev B ws07. Quantity recomputed on the 137.67 lf interior face perimeter
Man door	34'-0" to 36'-8" from left	X 390" to 422", 2'-8" x 8'-0", near edge 58" from the right outside corner	Door schedule changed in Rev B
Window	"centered at 15'-0"" on the right wall	3'-0" x 3'-0" set high, right (30') gable wall, horizontal extent Y 162" to 198" assumed centered. See A-E7	Rev B fixes size and wall, not the elevation
Bracing at the front wall	Portal frame	Portal frame RETIRED. CS-WSP standard panel. Segments 0-72, 192-390, 422-480	Rev B bracing change. Affects where cable can cross a braced panel
Fixture and yoke counts	20 fixtures at 50 W, 17 yokes	18 fixtures at 50 W max (14 general, 2 task, 2 exterior), 19 general-purpose yokes plus EV, compressor, and opener	Re-laid out around the door bay keep-out and on the Rev B segment map
Computed demand	98 A	98.8 A	Yoke count and fixture count both changed
EV outlet	Left wall, 8'-0" from front corner	Left wall X 0", Y 96", EL 48"	Same intent, restated in the Rev B coordinate system
Opener outlet	One ceiling duplex, trolley assumed	Two provisions. Jackshaft wall box at X 200", EL 108", and a ceiling box at X 204", Y 144", side-mounted to a chord. Opener type is an open owner decision	Rev B states the jackshaft is optional, not forced
Siding interface	Fiber cement assumed	LP SmartSide 38 Series lap. Affects exterior device trim blocks only	Fiber cement rejected in Rev B over the OSHA 1926.1153 silica program for a solo owner-builder
Code edition note	Correction appended inline	Carried forward as a standing advisory in Section 3	DCA sources still conflict on the effective date

Values in Revision A that are dead and must not be carried: the 9'-0" door, the 124-1/2" wall, the 12" headroom, the portal frame, fiber cement, any storage deck in the truss space, and the 2018 IRC. The trusses carry BCLL 10 psf non-concurrent and there is no storage deck, so nothing in this workstream may be designed around a floored attic.

2. Coordinate system used throughout

Everything in this document is stated in this frame. No "approximately." No "TBD" where a number exists.

ORIGIN  Left front OUTSIDE corner of the 40'-0" x 30'-0" framing box.
X       0" to 480", increasing right along the 40'-0" front wall.
Y       0" to 360", increasing toward the rear along the 30'-0" depth.
EL      0.00" at the top of the slab, increasing up.

FRONT WALL SEGMENTS (Y = 0), from left:
  X   0" to  72"   SOLID, 6'-0"            CS-WSP braced panel
  X  72" to 192"   GARAGE DOOR, 10'-0"     RO head EL 96.00"
  X 192" to 390"   SOLID, 16'-6"           CS-WSP braced panel
  X 390" to 422"   MAN DOOR, 2'-8"         RO head EL 96.00"
  X 422" to 480"   SOLID, 4'-10"           CS-WSP braced panel
RIGHT WALL (X=480) 30'-0" gable, window Y 162"-198" (assumed, A-E7)
REAR WALL  (Y=360) 40'-0", no openings.  LEFT WALL (X=0) 30'-0", none.

KEY ELEVATIONS
  EL   0.00"  slab top.  EL 1.50" top of PT bottom plate.
  EL  48.00"  standard device box centerline, this project
  EL  96.00"  THE DATUM. Garage door head, man door head, exterior
              sheathing joint, shear blocking centerline, top edge of
              interior OSB wiring protection. All four.
  EL 117.00"  top of wall studs.  EL 118.50" current top, no cap plate.
  EL 120.00"  wall complete, truss bearing, clear ceiling
  EL 123.50"  top of the truss bottom chord (2x4 on edge)
  EL 226.00"  ridge, 18'-10" above pad

ELECTRICAL KEEP-OUT, GARAGE DOOR BAY
  X 68" to 196",  Y 0" to 144",  below EL 120.00".  Nothing projects in.

3. Code basis

Code	Edition in force	Applies to
National Electrical Code	2023 NEC with the 2026 Georgia Amendments	All of this document
Residential building code	2024 IRC with Georgia Amendments	Framing interfaces, R602.6 boring and notching, R802.10.4 trusses, R304 and R317
Energy code	2015 IECC	Not triggered. The building is unconditioned. IRC Chapter 11 is DELETED by Georgia Amendment

Georgia adopts the NEC through the Department of Community Affairs under the state minimum standard codes program. The 2023 NEC was adopted by the Georgia Board of Community Affairs effective 2025-01-01, and the 2026 Georgia Amendments to the 2023 NEC took effect 2026-01-01. Bartow County publishes the same list on its Building Inspections page under "Codes Used." Source for the county list: Bartow County Community Development, Building Inspections, "Codes Used," https://www.bartowcountyga.gov/departments/community_development/building_inspections/index.php, accessed 2026-10-04 by the Rev B code and permit workstream.

Standing code-edition advisory, carried from Rev B ws01. DCA source documents conflict on whether the current cycle took effect 2026-01-01 or 2027-01-01. Bartow County is the authority having jurisdiction and its published list governs what the inspector enforces. The substantive requirements in this document are materially unchanged between the candidate editions: the 2023 NEC section numbering used here is stable across both, and nothing in Sections 4 through 15 turns on which date is correct. Confirm the edition at the preconstruction call and write the answer on the permit application.

A separate electrical permit is required if the garage is powered. The building permit is $240.00 ($0.20/sf, $75.00 minimum, 1,200 sf). The electrical permit fee is a separate line and is verify locally.

Every code claim in this document carries its section number. Section 17 is the citation index. Where a requirement is an informational note and not an enforceable rule, the text says so explicitly, per NEC 90.5(C), which states that informational notes are explanatory and are not enforceable as requirements.

3.1 Three 2023-edition changes that drive this design

210.8(A) now reaches receptacles rated 125 V through 250 V on single-phase branch circuits of 150 V or less to ground. The 2020 edition stopped at 125 V. Consequence: the 240 V compressor receptacle and the 14-50R both need GFCI protection. Nothing in this building escapes it.
334.15(B) now requires a bushing or adapter where NM cable enters and exits a protective raceway sleeve. That is a fitting on every EMT sleeve in Section 11, both ends.
Article 220 was reorganized in the 2023 edition. The receptacle load rule is at 220.14(I), the dwelling general lighting load is at 220.14(J), and the floor-area rule that excludes garages is at 220.11. Section 4 explains why none of the dwelling VA/sf shortcuts land on this building.

4. Load calculation, NEC Article 220

4.1 Why there is no VA per square foot number for this building

220.12 assigns general lighting unit loads to the occupancies listed in Table 220.12, and a private detached garage serving a one-family dwelling is not one of them. The 3 VA/ft² dwelling figure lives at 220.14(J), and the floor-area rule at 220.11 explicitly omits open porches, garages, and unused or unfinished spaces from dwelling floor area. Neither path produces a number here.

The method used, labeled as an interpretation and not as settled fact. Compute the actual connected lighting load per 220.14, and assign 180 VA per receptacle outlet yoke per 220.14(I), which is the non-dwelling receptacle rule. Motors are computed from Table 430.248 full-load current per 430.6(A)(1), with the 430.24 largest-motor adder. The EVSE is computed per 220.57. No Article 220 Part IV demand factors are applied, because none of them fit a shop.

This is an interpretation. Confirm it with the Bartow County electrical inspector before the permit set goes in. Cross-check for sanity: 3 VA/ft² x 1,200 sf = 3,600 VA for lighting and general use, against 4,545 VA by the method below for the same scope. The method used is the more conservative of the two, which is the direction you want to be wrong in.

4.2 Assumptions, stated as assumptions

ID	Assumption	Basis	What breaks if it is wrong
A-E1	Air compressor is 5 HP, 240 V, single phase, 60 gal vertical, FLA 28 A	Table 430.248, 5 HP at 230 V single phase	3 HP is 17 A and frees 2,640 VA. 7.5 HP is 40 A and breaks the 100 A panel outright. Rerun this line the day the compressor is bought
A-E2	EVSE output is commissioned to 32 A continuous, 7.68 kW	Owner setting at commissioning, every common Level 2 unit supports it	At an unrestricted 40 A the Article 220 sum is 108.8 A and a 100 A main does not cover it
A-E3	18 luminaires at 50 W maximum each. 14 general plus 2 task plus 2 exterior	Section 9 layout	More fixtures, more VA, and the two lighting circuits start to fill
A-E4	19 general-purpose receptacle yokes. 17 interior plus 2 exterior	Section 10 layout	Each added yoke is 180 VA, which is 0.75 A at 240 V
A-E5	Overhead door opener is 1/2 HP, 120 V, FLA 9.8 A	Table 430.248, 1/2 HP at 115 V	A larger opener is a rounding error against the compressor
A-E6	No heating, no cooling, no water heater, no welder. The building is unconditioned and no welder circuit is in scope	Rev B project scope, 2015 IECC not triggered	Any one of these is a new load calculation, not an addition to this one
A-E7	The 3'-0" x 3'-0" right-wall window is centered on the 30' wall, occupying Y 162" to 198"	Electrical needs the horizontal extent only. The framing workstream governs the actual position and the head elevation	One right-wall receptacle shifts. Nothing else
A-E8	Soil resistivity is not measured, so two driven rods are installed under the 250.53(A)(2) default	Red clay, no resistance test planned	A single rod is legal only if measured at 25 ohms or less. Nobody is renting a fall-of-potential tester for one rod

4.3 The calculation

Line	Load	Code basis	Arithmetic	VA
1	Interior and exterior lighting, continuous	220.14, 215.2(A)(1)	18 fixtures x 50 W = 900 VA, x 1.25	1,125
2	General-purpose receptacle yokes	220.14(I)	19 yokes x 180 VA	3,420
3	Air compressor, A-E1	430.6(A)(1), Table 430.248	28 A x 240 V	6,720
4	Largest motor, additional 25%	430.24	28 A x 0.25 x 240 V	1,680
5	Overhead door opener, A-E5	Table 430.248	9.8 A x 120 V	1,176
6	EV supply equipment, A-E2	220.57, 625.41, 625.42	32 A x 240 V x 1.25	9,600
	Calculated load			23,721

23,721 VA / 240 V = 98.84 A. Call it 98.8 A.

Lines 1 and 2 together are 4,545 VA, which is the figure cross-checked against 3,600 VA in Section 4.1.

4.4 The EVSE double-count question, stated honestly

There is a defensible reading in which line 6 is 7,680 VA instead of 9,600 VA. 220.57 sets the EVSE calculated load at the larger of 7,200 VA or the nameplate rating, and a 32 A unit nameplates at 7,680 VA. The 125% multiplier at 625.41 is a branch-circuit sizing rule. Applying it again to the feeder calculation is arguably counting the same continuous-load allowance twice, although 215.2(A)(1) independently requires the feeder to carry 125% of the continuous load.

Reading	Line 6 VA	Total VA	Amps at 240 V	Fits a 100 A main?
Conservative, 125% applied at the feeder (used as the design basis)	9,600	23,721	98.8	Yes, by 1.2 A
220.57 nameplate only, no second 125%	7,680	21,801	90.8	Yes, by 9.2 A
Unrestricted 40 A EVSE, 125% applied	12,000	26,121	108.8	No

I am designing to the conservative 98.8 A. It is the number I would hand an inspector. The middle row is the number I expect the building actually draws against, and it is the reason the panel is not in real trouble. The bottom row is the reason A-E2 is a hard constraint and not a suggestion.

4.5 Realistic simultaneous demand, context only, no code weight

Lights plus one corded tool is 11.3 A. Lights plus the compressor cycling plus a tool is 39.3 A. All of that plus the car charging at 32 A is 71.3 A. The gap between 71.3 and the 98.8 A calculated load is the Article 220 margin doing its job. Do not spend it.

5. Panel recommendation

Specify: 120/240 V single phase 3-wire, surface-mount NEMA 1 loadcenter, 125 A bus rating, 100 A main breaker, 30 full-size spaces, isolated neutral bar, separate bolted equipment ground bar, main bonding jumper screw NOT installed.

5.1 Justification from the load calculation

Is 100 A enough? Yes, at 98.8 A calculated, with A-E2 enforced. Is 60 A enough? No, 98.8 A is 165% of 60 A. Why a 125 A bus behind a 100 A main? 408.36 requires the panelboard be protected by an OCPD not exceeding the panelboard rating, which a 125 A bus with a 100 A main satisfies, and later you swap the main and the feeder without buying a panel. Why not main-lug-only? An MLO panel has no disconnecting means and forces a separate fused disconnect or breaker enclosure ahead of it to satisfy 225.31: more boxes, more money, more to inspect. 225.33 permits up to six disconnects, so one main breaker is the simple compliant answer. Why 30 spaces? 13 poles are used at completion and 2 are held for a future mini-split, leaving 15 open, and spaces are the cheapest thing in the panel. What limits future load? The main breaker and the feeder, not the bus and not the spaces.

5.2 Panel location and working space

Mount the panel on the interior face of the REAR wall (Y = 360), at X = 36", panel centerline EL 60", top of the enclosure no higher than EL 78".

Reasons, in order. The feeder enters through the rear wall near the left corner, the short side of the building away from the door bay and away from the vehicle. 225.32 requires the disconnecting means to be at a readily accessible location outside the building or inside nearest the point of entrance of the conductors, and a panel directly inside the penetration satisfies that with no long interior feeder run ahead of it. The compressor is on the same wall at X = 72", so the 8 AWG run is short. The rear left corner is the part of a 1,200 sf shop least likely to end up behind a bench.

110.26(A) working space, which this project will violate within a month if it is not marked. Width 30" minimum or the equipment width if greater per 110.26(A)(2), landing at X 21" to 51". Depth 36" minimum at 0 to 150 V to ground per 110.26(A)(1), landing at Y 324" to 360". Height 78" minimum per 110.26(A)(3), landing at EL 0" to 78". The panel door must open 90 degrees, so hinge it left and swing it toward X = 0.

Paint a 30" x 36" rectangle on the slab in front of the panel before anything gets stored in the building. Floor paint is the cheapest code-compliance tool on this job.

408.4(A) requires a legible circuit directory at the panel. A blank directory is a rejected final, every time. 408.4(B) requires the panelboard to be field-marked with the supply source, so the label reads FED FROM HOUSE PANEL, 100A 2-POLE BREAKER, [house panel location].

Verify the bus rating, the main breaker rating, and the termination temperature rating on the UL label when the panel is delivered. Do not rely on a catalog number or a shelf tag. 110.14(C)(1) limits the conductor ampacity to the lowest temperature rating in the termination path, which for residential-grade equipment is normally 75°C for 100 A terminations, and the label is the only place that is stated.

5.3 Four ways to buy real headroom, cheapest first

At 98.8 A against a 100 A main there is 1.2 A of calculated margin. That is a tie, not headroom.

#	Move	Headroom gained	Cost	When to do it
1	Set the EVSE to 24 A instead of 32 A at commissioning	9.6 A	Zero. A menu setting	Any time. 24 A is 5.76 kW, still an overnight full charge
2	Get the inspector's acceptance of 220.60 noncoincident loads, arguing the compressor and the EVSE do not run together	Up to 8,400 VA, 35 A	Zero, if accepted. It is an AHJ call and I would not count on it	At the permit review, in writing
3	Install an EVEMS per 625.42(A) or 625.42(B)	Sets the EVSE calculated load to the system maximum instead of the circuit rating. 220.57 recognizes it explicitly	Hardware plus configuration. Verify locally	If the owner wants a 48 A charger later
4	Upgrade to a 125 A feeder and a 125 A main	26.2 A	New feeder conductors through the same 2" conduit, new main, new house-end breaker. No new trench, no new panel	Only if the house service can support it. See O-2

Move 4 is why the conduit is 2" and the bus is 125 A. The expensive, irreversible part of this installation is the trench. Size the trench for the building you might have, and the conductors for the building you have.

6. Feeder from the house, separate structure rules

This building is a separate structure, not an attached garage. That single fact pulls in all of Article 225 and 250.32, none of which would apply if the garage shared a wall with the house. Section 7 is the full attached-versus-detached table.

6.1 One feeder, and only one

225.30 permits a building or structure to be supplied by only one feeder or branch circuit, with narrow exceptions at 225.30(A) through (F) for special conditions, special occupancies, capacity requirements, different characteristics, documented switchboard arrangements, and common supply equipment. None of them apply to a one-family accessory garage.

Consequence: one trench, one raceway, one feeder. Do not run a second circuit out to the garage later for a well pump, a gate opener, or yard lights. Everything in and around this building lands in the garage panel. If a future gate or yard-light circuit is wanted, it originates at the garage panel, which is legal, and not as a second run from the house, which is not.

6.2 Feeder versus single branch circuit

225.30 allows a single branch circuit as the alternative to a feeder. That path is tempting because 250.32(A) Exception waives the grounding electrode requirement when the structure is supplied by a single branch circuit including an equipment grounding conductor. It does not survive the load calculation.

A single 20 A branch circuit would buy no panel, no grounding electrode, and two wires plus an EGC, and it fails against 98.8 A calculated because a 20 A circuit is 2.4 kVA. A single 60 A feeder would buy smaller conductors and a cheaper trench, and it also fails against 98.8 A, and 210.11(C)(4) requires a dedicated 20 A garage receptacle circuit with no other outlets, so a panel is needed regardless. A 100 A four-wire feeder to a 100 A panel covers the calculation, supports the circuit schedule, and satisfies 225.31 with the panel main. That is the design.

6.3 Disconnecting means at the separate structure

225.31 requires a means to disconnect all ungrounded conductors supplying or passing through the building or structure.

225.32 requires that disconnecting means to be installed at a readily accessible location either outside the building or structure, or inside nearest the point of entrance of the conductors.

The 100 A main breaker in the garage panel satisfies both, on two conditions that are easy to break and expensive to fix:

The panel sits on the interior face of the wall where the feeder comes out of the ground, with no long horizontal feeder run inside the building ahead of the main breaker. A feeder that travels 20 ft inside the building before reaching a disconnect is unprotected conductor inside a structure and is not "nearest the point of entrance."
It stays readily accessible per the 110.26(A) working space in Section 5.2, permanently. A readily accessible disconnect behind a lumber rack is not readily accessible.

225.33 limits you to six disconnects at the structure. One main breaker is one disconnect. 225.37 requires a permanent plaque or directory at each building supplied by more than one feeder or branch circuit, which does not apply here because 225.30 permits exactly one, but the 408.4(B) supply-source marking in Section 5.2 does apply and covers the same ground in practice.

6.4 Grounding at the separate building, 250.32

Four requirements, in the order they get forgotten.

a. A grounding electrode system is required at this building, 250.32(A). A building or structure supplied by a feeder gets a grounding electrode system installed per Article 250 Part III, connected to the disconnecting means. The 250.32(A) Exception waives it only for a structure supplied by a single branch circuit that includes an EGC. This building gets a feeder, so the exception does not apply.

b. The electrode is two driven rods, because the Ufer was never stubbed out. 250.52(A)(3) describes the concrete-encased electrode: at least 20 ft of 1/2" or larger rebar, or 20 ft of 4 AWG or larger bare copper, encased in at least 2" of concrete in a footing in direct contact with earth. The 24"x24" continuous perimeter footing has rebar in it and would have made an ideal Ufer. The slab is poured and cured and nobody stubbed out a tail. The 250.50 Exception covers exactly this case, stating that a concrete-encased electrode in an existing building or structure need not be part of the grounding electrode system where the reinforcing steel is not accessible without disturbing the concrete. Do not break the slab to chase a Ufer.

250.50 requires that all electrodes described in 250.52(A)(1) through (A)(7) that are present at the building be bonded together. Running that list: no metal underground water pipe at 250.52(A)(1), because there is no water service. No metal in-ground support structure at (A)(2). A concrete-encased electrode at (A)(3) that is present but not accessible, so the 250.50 Exception applies. No ground ring at (A)(4). No other listed or plate electrodes at (A)(6) or (A)(7). The list reduces to rod electrodes at 250.52(A)(5), installed as part of this work.

c. Two rods, per 250.53(A)(2). A single rod, pipe, or plate electrode must be supplemented unless it has a resistance to earth of 25 ohms or less. Nobody is renting a fall-of-potential tester for one rod, so drive two per A-E8. 250.53(A)(3) requires at least 6 ft of separation and the informational note recommends a separation equal to the rod length. Drive them 10 ft apart and stop thinking about it. 250.53(G) requires at least 8 ft of rod length in contact with soil, driven vertically where practicable, upper end flush with or below grade unless the connection is protected.

d. The grounding electrode conductor is 6 AWG bare copper, and that is a ceiling not a floor. 250.66(A) states that where the grounding electrode conductor is connected solely to rod, pipe, or plate electrodes, it is not required to be larger than 6 AWG copper or 4 AWG aluminum, regardless of the feeder size. Use 6 AWG bare copper with listed direct-burial rated clamps at each rod. Leave the clamps accessible or bury them per the listing. A clamp not listed for direct burial, buried, is a failed inspection.

If water is ever run to this building, 250.104(A)(2) will require bonding the interior metal water piping to the garage panel's equipment ground bar. Leave one ground-bar terminal free.

6.5 Four wires, not three, 250.32(B)(1)

This is the single most common detached-garage wiring error and it is worth stating at length.

250.32(B)(1) requires that where a building or structure is supplied by a feeder, an equipment grounding conductor shall be run with the supply conductors, and the equipment grounding conductor shall be connected to the building disconnecting means and to the grounding electrode system. The grounded conductor (neutral) shall not be connected to the equipment grounding conductor or to the enclosure at the separate building.

Before the 2008 NEC, the code permitted a three-wire feeder to a separate building with the neutral bonded at the remote panel, treating the neutral as the fault-current return path. That allowance was removed. The 250.32(B)(1) Exception preserves it only for existing premises wiring systems that meet specific conditions, and only where there is no continuous metallic path between the buildings and no equipment grounding conductor run with the circuit. This is new work. The exception does not apply. Run four wires.

Conductor	Role	At the house panel	At the garage panel
Ungrounded A	Line 1	100 A 2-pole breaker, pole 1	Main breaker, line side
Ungrounded B	Line 2	100 A 2-pole breaker, pole 2	Main breaker, line side
Grounded (neutral)	Unbalanced 120 V return	Neutral bar	Isolated neutral bar. NOT bonded
Equipment grounding conductor	Fault-current return	Ground bar or bonded neutral bar	Bolted equipment ground bar, bonded to the enclosure and to the GEC

Four physical things have to be right at the garage panel, and three of them are the ones people forget. One, the main bonding jumper screw stays in the bag. Most residential loadcenters ship with a green bonding screw or strap, installed at a service and not at a sub-panel fed from another structure. Tape it to the inside of the door and write DO NOT INSTALL on it. Two, the neutral bar must be isolated from the can. Many panels ship factory-bonded, or with one bar serving as both. Buy a panel with a listed isolated neutral bar plus a separately purchased bolted ground bar kit; a bar that clips on is not the same thing. Three, the EGC and the GEC both land on the ground bar, which bonds to the enclosure, and the neutrals never touch it. Four, one conductor per neutral terminal. Doubled neutrals are a common rejection and a real problem once a GFCI breaker is in the circuit.

Why this matters physically, not just legally. With a three-wire feeder and a bonded neutral, normal return current flows on the neutral and on any parallel metallic path between the buildings. There is no metallic path here today. There will be one the moment water, gas, a network cable, or a metal fence post with a bonded gate operator connects the two structures. At that point the garage neutral current divides, part of it returns on whatever that path is, and you have energized something you did not intend to. Four wires with an isolated neutral removes the mechanism.

7. Detached versus attached, which rules are actually triggered

The task of being precise here matters because the garage receptacle and lighting rules in 210.52 and 210.70 live in Article 210 Part III, Required Outlets, which applies to dwelling units. A detached garage is not a dwelling unit. The 2023 NEC resolves this by naming detached garages explicitly in the rule text where it means to reach them, and by staying silent where it does not.

Code section	What it says	Attached garage	This detached garage	Triggered here?
210.52(G)(1)	At least one 125 V, 15 or 20 A receptacle outlet in each vehicle bay, not more than 5-1/2 ft (66") above the floor	Yes	Text reads "in each attached garage and in each detached garage with electric power"	YES. This garage has electric power
210.11(C)(4)	At least one 120 V, 20 A branch circuit to supply receptacle outlets in attached garages and detached garages with electric power. This circuit shall have no other outlets	Yes	Same explicit language	YES. Section 8 circuit 11 is that circuit, and nothing else shares it
210.70(A)(2)	At least one exterior lighting outlet with a listed wall-mounted control device at outdoor grade-level entrances or exits, for attached garages and detached garages with electric power. A vehicle door is explicitly not an outdoor entrance or exit	Yes	Same explicit language	YES, and the man door is the entrance it attaches to, not the garage door
210.8(A)(2)	GFCI for all 125 V through 250 V receptacles, single phase, 150 V or less to ground, in garages and accessory buildings at or below grade not intended as habitable rooms and limited to storage, work, and similar areas	Yes	"accessory buildings" reaches a detached garage directly	YES. Every receptacle in this building
210.8(A)(3)	GFCI for outdoor receptacles	Yes	Yes	YES. Both exterior WR devices
210.8(F)	GFCI for outdoor outlets at dwellings not covered by 210.8(A)(3), single phase, 150 V or less to ground, 50 A or less. "Outlet" includes hardwired equipment	Yes	Yes	Conditionally. Nothing hardwired outdoors today. It lands on a future mini-split condenser. See 8.4
210.63	A 125 V, 15 or 20 A service receptacle within 25 ft of and on the same level as heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration equipment, not on the load side of the equipment disconnect	Yes	Yes	NOT today. No HVAC equipment exists. It triggers the day a mini-split goes in. See 12.2
Article 225 entire	Outside branch circuits and feeders, including 225.30, 225.31, 225.32, 225.33	NO. An attached garage is part of the dwelling	YES. Separate structure	YES. Section 6
250.32(A)	Grounding electrode system at a building supplied by a feeder	NO	YES	YES. Section 6.4
250.32(B)(1)	Four-wire feeder, isolated neutral, separate EGC	NO	YES	YES. Section 6.5
210.52(A)	Dwelling-unit 6 ft / 12 ft receptacle spacing rule in habitable rooms	Not in the garage	Not applicable	NO. A garage is not a habitable room. The spacing in Section 10 is a design choice, not a code minimum
210.12	AFCI protection for dwelling-unit branch circuits in the listed rooms	Not in the garage	Not applicable	NO. Section 8.5 explains why, with the citation

The short version. Being detached adds Article 225 and 250.32 and removes nothing, because the 2023 NEC wrote "detached garage with electric power" into every garage outlet rule it meant to reach. The attached-versus-detached distinction buys you no relief on receptacles, lighting, or GFCI. It costs you a disconnect, a grounding electrode system, and a fourth wire.

8. Branch circuit schedule

Panel: 120/240 V single phase 3-wire, 125 A bus, 100 A main, 30 spaces, isolated neutral, bolted ground bar, no bonding screw. Rear wall, X = 36", centerline EL 60".

8.1 Schedule

Ckt	Breaker	Conductor	Load served	GFCI	AFCI	VA	Notes
1,3	50 A 2P GFCI	6/3 Cu NM-B w/ gnd	EV supply, NEMA 14-50R, left wall X 0" Y 96" EL 48"	Yes, 2P GFCI breaker	No	9,600	GFCI required twice over: 210.8(A)(2) and 625.54. 6 AWG NM is 55 A at the 60°C column of Table 310.16, which covers a 50 A circuit per 334.80. Label the plate `EV CHARGING, 50A CKT, LIMIT EVSE TO 32A`
2,4	40 A 2P GFCI	8/2 Cu NM-B w/ gnd	Air compressor, NEMA 6-20R single receptacle, rear wall X 72" EL 48"	Yes, 2P GFCI breaker	No	6,720	Branch conductor at 125% of 28 A FLA = 35 A per 430.22, so 8 AWG. 430.52 and Table 430.52 permit an inverse-time breaker to 250% of FLA (70 A); 40 A is conservative and still starts the motor. A-E1
5	20 A 1P	12/2 Cu NM-B	Interior lighting A, rows A and B, 6 fixtures	No	No	300	Switched at the man door bank, Section 9.4
7	20 A 1P	12/2 Cu NM-B	Interior lighting B, rows C and D, 8 fixtures, plus 2 bench task fixtures	No	No	500	Two lighting circuits so one tripped breaker never puts the shop in the dark
9	20 A 1P GFCI	12/2 Cu NM-B	Exterior lighting, 2 wall packs, plus 2 exterior WR receptacles	Yes, 1P GFCI breaker	No	460	210.8(A)(3) for the receptacles. The wall packs go on the same GFCI breaker on purpose, see 8.4
11	20 A 1P GFCI	12/2 Cu NM-B	DEDICATED 210.11(C)(4) GARAGE RECEPTACLE CIRCUIT. Front wall receptacles, 5 yokes	Yes	No	900	This circuit shall have no other outlets per 210.11(C)(4). No lighting, no opener, nothing. It carries the 210.52(G)(1) vehicle-bay receptacle at X 36"
13	20 A 1P GFCI	12/2 Cu NM-B	Rear wall receptacles, 5 yokes	Yes	No	900
15	20 A 1P GFCI	12/2 Cu NM-B	Left (30') wall receptacles, 3 yokes	Yes	No	540	Does not include the 14-50R, which is its own circuit
17	20 A 1P GFCI	12/2 Cu NM-B	Right (30') wall receptacles, 4 yokes	Yes	No	720	Bench wall. Expect this to be the busiest 20 A in the building
19	20 A 1P GFCI	12/2 Cu NM-B	Overhead door opener, both provision boxes	Yes	No	1,176	OPTIONAL per the Rev B scope. The jackshaft opener is not forced. Install the circuit and both boxes now. Retrofitting a ceiling circuit once the truss space is full of stored lumber is a bad afternoon
6,8	RESERVED, no breaker	none	Future mini-split condenser	n/a	n/a	0	Two spaces held. Spare raceway stubbed per 12.1
10 to 30 even, 21 to 29 odd	SPARE	none	none	n/a	n/a	0	15 open spaces

Poles used: 13 of 30. Reserved: 2. Open: 15.

8.2 Circuit load check against the calculation

The EV circuit at 9,600 VA draws 40.0 A at 240 V on a 50 A 2-pole breaker, which is 80% loading, correct for a continuous load. The compressor at 6,720 VA draws 28.0 A on a 40 A 2-pole breaker, 70% at FLA, with the gap left deliberately for motor inrush. Lighting A at 300 VA is 2.5 A, lighting B at 500 VA is 4.2 A, and the exterior circuit at 460 VA is 3.8 A, all on 20 A single-pole breakers at 13% to 21%. The four receptacle circuits total 3,060 VA calculated, 25.5 A spread across four 20 A breakers and never simultaneous. The opener at 1,176 VA is 9.8 A, 49% of its 20 A breaker.

240.4(D)(5) limits 12 AWG copper to a 20 A overcurrent device, which every 20 A circuit above respects. The 8 AWG compressor conductor and the 6 AWG EV conductor are sized by 430.22 and 210.19(A)(1), not by the 240.4(D) small-conductor rule.

8.3 Balancing across the two legs

Leg A carries circuits 5, 9, 13, and 17 plus half of the two 240 V circuits: 300 + 460 + 900 + 720 + 4,800 + 3,360 = 10,540 VA. Leg B carries circuits 7, 11, 15, and 19 plus the other half: 500 + 900 + 540 + 1,176 + 4,800 + 3,360 = 11,276 VA. Within 7%, which is good enough.

The maximum unbalanced 120 V load for the 220.61 neutral calculation is the larger single-leg 120 V total, 3,116 VA on leg B, or 26.0 A. That is well under the minimum neutral size required by 250.102(C)(1) for any feeder in Section 14, so the neutral is sized by the 250.102(C)(1) minimum and not by 220.61.

8.4 GFCI scope, every receptacle in the building

210.8(A)(2) in the 2023 edition covers all 125 V through 250 V receptacles supplied by single-phase branch circuits rated 150 V or less to ground, installed in garages and accessory buildings that have a floor located at or below grade level, are not intended as habitable rooms, and are limited to storage areas, work areas, and areas of similar use. A 240 V single-phase circuit derived from a 120/240 V system is 120 V to ground, so it is inside the 150 V limit.

Consequence, stated plainly: every receptacle in this building is GFCI protected. All of them.

All 17 interior duplex and the opener receptacle are in under 210.8(A)(2). Both exterior WR duplex are in under 210.8(A)(3) and independently under 210.8(A)(2). The 250 V compressor 6-20R is in under the 2023 expansion of 210.8(A)(2) to 250 V, which is new relative to the 2020 edition. The 14-50R is in twice over, under 210.8(A)(2) and under 625.54, which requires GFCI for receptacles rated 125 V through 250 V, 50 A or less, that supply EV charging.

No distance exception and no dedicated-appliance exception remain in the 2023 edition for a garage. Anyone remembering a "dedicated appliance receptacle" exemption is remembering an older cycle.

GFCI at the breaker, not at the device, on every circuit. Three reasons. Hunting for a reset button behind a shelf on an OSB wall is miserable, and this building will have shelves. A 2-pole GFCI is the only practical option for the 240 V circuits anyway. One reset location at the panel is one place to look.

The cost of that choice, stated up front: expect occasional nuisance tripping on the 2-pole GFCI breakers from motor inrush on the compressor and from EVSE internal CCID20 ground-fault monitoring interacting with an upstream GFCI. Some EVSE units are documented by their manufacturers as incompatible with an upstream GFCI. Verify the selected EVSE's installation manual on this point before buying it. The 2023 NEC offers no exception for either device, so the only lever is product selection.

210.8(F), outdoor outlets, and the expired exception. 210.8(F) requires GFCI for outdoor outlets at dwellings not already covered by 210.8(A)(3), on single-phase circuits of 150 V or less to ground and 50 A or less. "Outlet" includes hardwired equipment, so this is the rule that lands on a future mini-split condenser. The 2023 edition carries an exception for listed HVAC equipment with a stated expiration of 2026-09-01. As of this document's date, 2026-10-04, that exception has expired. A condenser installed now needs GFCI protection. Expect the equipment manufacturer to have a position on it and get that in writing before buying. The 2023 edition also added an exception covering lighting outlets, and I have not read the exact exception text in the printed code, so I am not relying on it: circuit 9 carries the two exterior wall packs on a GFCI breaker regardless. One breaker removes the argument from the inspection.

8.5 AFCI scope, and why it is zero

No AFCI is required on any circuit in this building, and none is specified.

210.12(A) requires arc-fault protection for 120 V single-phase 15 and 20 A branch circuits supplying outlets or devices installed in dwelling unit kitchens, family rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms, sunrooms, recreation rooms, closets, hallways, laundry areas, and similar rooms or areas. A detached garage is not on that list and is not a dwelling unit. Compare this with 210.8(A)(2) and 210.52(G)(1), which both reach out and name garages and accessory buildings explicitly. 210.12 does not.

Two notes. 210.12(D) addresses branch-circuit extensions and modifications in those same listed areas, which does not apply here. And if an inspector asks for AFCI anyway, the combination AFCI/GFCI dual-function breaker exists and is not expensive, but ask for the section number first, because paying for 9 dual-function breakers on a reading the code does not support is money spent on nothing.

9. Lighting layout in coordinates

9.1 Fixture specification, written as performance criteria not as a product

I am not naming a product because I have not verified a current catalog number and a current price on the same day. The specification below is a performance spec the owner can match at the counter.

Parameter	Interior general and task	Exterior
Form, mounting	4'-0" linear LED strip, surface screwed to the truss bottom chord or chain hung where noted	Wall pack, full cutoff, surface to the wall over a trim block
Delivered lumens	5,000 lm minimum per fixture	2,500 lm minimum per fixture
Input power	50 W maximum per fixture. This is the load-calculation ceiling in A-E3, not a target	Included in the 50 W ceiling
CCT, CRI	4000K, CRI 80 minimum	4000K or 5000K, CRI not critical
Listing	Damp location minimum. Wet location if any fixture is within the garage door drip line	Wet location, listed
Control	Wall switch	Integral motion sensor plus photocell

Do not buy a fixture over 50 W. A-E3 and line 1 of the load calculation depend on it. If the owner buys 80 W fixtures the lighting line goes from 1,125 VA to 1,800 VA, the calculated load goes from 98.8 A to 101.6 A, and a 100 A main no longer covers the calculation. That is the whole story of how a 100 A panel quietly becomes non-compliant at the lighting aisle.

9.2 Illuminance check

14 interior general fixtures at the 5,000 lm minimum spec gives 70,000 delivered lumens over 1,200 sf, or 58.3 raw lumens per square foot. Applying an assumed light loss factor of 0.70 for dirt, no reflective ceiling, and an open truss space gives approximately 41 maintained footcandles.

41 fc across a shop floor is a working level, and the 2 bench task fixtures put the bench well above it. This is a design estimate from a performance spec, not a photometric calculation. No IES file was run. Label it an estimate on any drawing it appears on.

9.3 Interior layout, exact coordinates

Four rows running in the X direction, mounted across the truss bottom chords at EL 120.00" with the fixture body projecting down to approximately EL 117.5" (fixture depth is product dependent, verify). Rows A and B are short by one fixture each because the garage door bay keep-out, X 68" to 196" and Y 0" to 144", forbids a fixture below EL 120.00" in that volume.

Row	Y	Fixtures	X centers	Circuit	Note
A	45"	3	36", 264", 420"	5	The X 36" fixture sits in the 0-72 segment, clear of the keep-out
B	135"	3	36", 264", 420"	5	Y 135" is still inside the keep-out depth, so no fixture between X 68" and 196"
C	225"	4	60", 180", 300", 420"	7	Clear of the keep-out. The X 180" fixture lights the hood of the parked vehicle
D	315"	4	60", 180", 300", 420"	7	45" off the rear wall
Task	468", on the right wall	2	Y 120" and Y 216"	7	Chain or bracket mounted at EL 84", directly over the bench. Below the 96" datum, so the drop is concealed behind the OSB

Row spacing in Y is 45 / 135 / 225 / 315, which is 90" between rows and 45" off each of the front and rear walls, symmetric. Fixture spacing in X in rows C and D is 120", with 60" off each end wall, symmetric.

The lighting deficit under the door bay, stated and not hidden. The volume X 68" to 196", Y 0" to 144" receives no direct downlight from rows A and B. It is lit obliquely from the X 36" and X 264" fixtures in those rows and from the X 180" fixture in row C at Y 225". That is the part of the floor where a car hood sits, and it will be the dimmest part of the shop. The fix, if the owner wants one, is a magnetic or clamp-mount task light, not a permanent fixture, because the 24" headroom belongs to the door hardware.

9.4 Switching

Switch bank	Location	Devices	Controls
Main, at the man door	X 430", Y 0", EL 48"	2-gang: single-pole 20 A, single-pole 20 A	Circuit 5 (rows A and B), circuit 7 (rows C, D, task)
Rear, at the panel	X 72", Y 360", EL 48"	2-gang: 3-way 20 A, 3-way 20 A	Same two circuits, three-way from the rear of the shop
Exterior	X 430", Y 0", EL 48", third gang	Single-pole 20 A	Circuit 9 wall packs, in series with their integral motion and photocell control

Three-way switching between the man door and the panel wall means you never cross a dark 40 ft shop to reach a switch. The 3-way travelers run inside the wall below 96", bored through studs, concealed behind the OSB.

The man-door switch bank position depends on which way the door is hung. X 430" assumes the door is hinged left, latch right, putting the switches on the latch side where your hand lands. If the door is hinged right, the bank moves to X 382", Y 0", EL 48", which is in the 192-390 solid segment. Decide the door handing before rough-in. See F-4.

210.70(A)(2) requires at least one exterior lighting outlet controlled by a listed wall-mounted control device at outdoor grade-level entrances or exits, for attached garages and detached garages with electric power, and it explicitly states that vehicle doors are not considered outdoor entrances or exits. The man door is the entrance that triggers it, and the wall pack at X 456" satisfies it. A motion sensor and photocell integral to the fixture do not replace the wall-mounted control device, which is why the third gang at X 430" exists.

9.5 Exterior lighting

Fixture	Location	EL	Circuit
Wall pack 1, man door	X 456", Y 0" (exterior face)	EL 90", below the 96" sheathing joint and below the door head	9
Wall pack 2, garage door	X 204", Y 0" (exterior face)	EL 90"	9

Both at EL 90" so the box, the trim block, and the cable penetration all sit below the 96" exterior sheathing horizontal joint. A box penetration landing on a sheathing panel joint is a flashing problem and a shear-panel edge-nailing problem at the same time. Keep it 6" low and both problems go away.

Each exterior fixture and each exterior receptacle gets a trim block sized for the LP SmartSide 38 Series lap profile, installed over the water-resistive barrier with the WRB lapped correctly at the penetration. Fiber cement was rejected in Rev B, so the trim detail is the LP system detail. Verify the LP installation instructions for the required block thickness and fastener schedule at https://lpcorp.com, and record the date you checked on the submittal.

10. Receptacle layout in coordinates

10.1 General rules used

Rule	Value	Basis
Standard device box centerline	EL 48.00"	Design choice. Clears a 36" bench by 12". Well under the 66" maximum in 210.52(G)(1)
Spacing target, general walls	72" to 96" between yokes	Design choice. 210.52(A) dwelling spacing does not apply to a garage
Keep-out, garage door bay	X 68" to 196", Y 0" to 144", below EL 120.00"	Door hardware clearance, Section 2
Keep-out, door and window rough openings	No device inside an RO, no device within 4" of a jamb king stud	Framing. Also leaves room for the trimmer and the header hanger
Keep-out, CS-WSP braced panel edges	No bored hole within 4" of a braced-panel end post, no notch anywhere in a braced-panel stud	Braced wall integrity. See 11.5
Box type	Adjustable-depth or mud-ring boxes set flush to the 96" OSB plane	Section 11.2. Free now, 19 individual repairs later

10.2 Front wall, Y = 0

X	EL	Device	Circuit	Note
36"	48"	Duplex, 20 A	11	This is the 210.52(G)(1) vehicle-bay receptacle. 48" is under the 66" ceiling in that rule
72" to 192"		GARAGE DOOR. NO DEVICES, NO CABLE CROSSING, NO STAPLES		The 2x12 header occupies EL 96.00" to 107.25". Cripples above
200"	108"	Duplex, jackshaft opener provision	19	Just right of the opening, outside the keep-out, above the door head. See 10.6
216"	48"	Duplex, 20 A	11
288"	48"	Duplex, 20 A	11
360"	48"	Duplex, 20 A	11
390" to 422"		MAN DOOR. NO DEVICES
430"	48"	3-gang switch bank	5, 7, 9	Moves to X 382" if the door is hinged right. F-4
462"	48"	Duplex, 20 A	11	18" off the right corner

Front wall general-purpose yokes: 5 (X 36, 216, 288, 360, 462). All on circuit 11, the 210.11(C)(4) dedicated circuit, which carries nothing else.

10.3 Right wall, X = 480, the bench wall

Window assumed at Y 162" to 198", A-E7.

Y	EL	Device	Circuit	Note
48"	48"	Duplex, 20 A	17
120"	48"	Duplex, 20 A	17	Over the bench
240"	48"	Duplex, 20 A	17	Over the bench
324"	48"	Duplex, 20 A	17

Right wall yokes: 4. Nothing lands between Y 162" and 198" because of the window. If the framing workstream moves the window off center, shift the Y 120" and Y 240" devices to stay 12" clear of the jambs, and update A-E7.

Assumed bench footprint, for coordination only: right wall, Y 96" to 240", 30" deep, top at EL 36". The 2 task fixtures at EL 84" and the 2 receptacles at EL 48" are laid out against it. This bench is not in the construction scope and the owner has not specified it. If the bench moves, the two devices move with it, at no cost before rough-in and at real cost after.

10.4 Rear wall, Y = 360

X	EL	Device	Circuit	Note
21" to 51", EL 0" to 78"		PANEL WORKING SPACE. NO DEVICES, NO STORAGE		110.26(A)
36"	60" ctr	PANELBOARD		125 A bus, 100 A main
72"	48"	NEMA 6-20R, 250 V 20 A, SINGLE receptacle	2,4	Air compressor. Single, not duplex, so a 120 V cord never finds it
144"	48"	Duplex, 20 A	13
240"	48"	Duplex, 20 A	13
312"	48"	Duplex, 20 A	13
384"	48"	Duplex, 20 A	13
444"	48"	Duplex, 20 A	13

Rear wall general-purpose yokes: 5. The 6-20R is a separate yoke on its own circuit and is not in the 220.14(I) count.

Compressor position rationale. Rear left puts the loudest machine in the building in the corner farthest from the man door and the bench, keeps it off the bench wall, and puts it 8 ft from the panel so the 8 AWG run is short. A 25 ft air line from X 72", Y 360" reaches every corner of a 40 x 30 box except the far right front, and a 50 ft line reaches everything. 430.102(B) requires a disconnecting means in sight from the motor; a cord-and-plug connection of the correct rating satisfies 430.109(F) as the disconnecting means for a motor of 1/3 HP or more up to the horsepower rating of the receptacle, and the 6-20R at 250 V 20 A is rated for the 5 HP assumed unit through the plug. Confirm the receptacle and plug horsepower rating against the compressor nameplate at purchase. If the compressor is hardwired instead of cord-connected, a separate in-sight disconnect switch is required by 430.102(B) and the 6-20R comes out of the schedule.

10.5 Left wall, X = 0

Y	EL	Device	Circuit	Note
96"	48"	NEMA 14-50R, 250 V 50 A, SINGLE receptacle	1,3	EV. See 10.7
168"	48"	Duplex, 20 A	15
252"	48"	Duplex, 20 A	15
324"	48"	Duplex, 20 A	15

Left wall general-purpose yokes: 3.

10.6 Overhead door opener, two provisions, one circuit

The opener type is an open owner decision. Rev B states the jackshaft opener is optional, not forced. Both provisions get installed now on circuit 19. The unused one gets a blank cover and stays in the directory as a spare.

Provision	Location	EL	Detail
Jackshaft	X 200", Y 0", front wall	108"	Outside the opening width, above the door head, outside the X 68-196 keep-out. A jackshaft unit mounts at the end of the torsion shaft at the right jamb. Verify the opener's cord length against the manufacturer's installation manual before rough-in. Residential jackshaft units typically ship with a short cord and the receptacle has to be within reach. I have not verified a specific model's cord length and am not quoting one. If the selected unit cannot reach X 200", the box moves and the circuit does not
Trolley / ceiling	X 204", Y 144"	120.00", box lower edge	4" square box screwed to the vertical face of a truss bottom chord, lower edge flush at EL 120.00", box body occupying EL 120.00" to 124.00" between chords. Nothing projects below 120"

Both boxes are side-mounted to framing, not bottom-mounted. The bottom chord occupies EL 120.00" to 123.50" and the clear space between chords at 24" o.c. is 22.5", which swallows a 4" square box with room to spare. This is the detail that lets the ceiling provision exist at all inside a 24" headroom constraint.

The honest caveat. If the owner picks a trolley opener, the opener's own rail and head unit occupy the EL 96" to 120" band inside the door bay. That is a door-hardware clearance question and it belongs to the door workstream, not to this one. This document commits only that no ELECTRICAL component projects below EL 120.00" in the keep-out. A trolley opener's compatibility with 24" of headroom on a standard-lift 8'-0" door is not verified here. The jackshaft is the type that fits the headroom budget without argument, which is why it is provisioned first.

10.7 EV receptacle, position and reasoning

NEMA 14-50R, single receptacle, 2-gang box, flush in the 96" OSB plane. Left wall, X = 0", Y = 96", EL 48".

Geometry. The door opening spans X 72" to 192", centered at X = 132". A vehicle pulls in centered on that opening. A typical passenger vehicle is about 78" wide, putting its left flank near X = 93". With the nose at roughly Y = 180", a left-front-quarter charge port sits near (X 93", Y 180"). Straight-line distance from the receptacle at (0", 96") to that port is about 125", or 10'-5". A left-rear-quarter port near (X 93", Y 60") is about 100", or 8'-4". 625.17(C) limits an EVSE cord to 25 ft for a cord-connected unit, so proximity is a code constraint and not a convenience. Both reach comfortably, from either common port position, without the cord crossing the walking path at the front of the vehicle.

Receptacle, not hardwired, and here is the trade. A receptacle lets the owner buy any plug-in EVSE later, take it to a different house, or swap it when the car changes. 625.44(B) permits cord-and-plug-connected EVSE up to 250 V and 50 A, covering every common Level 2 unit at this power. A hardwired 48 A unit needs a 60 A circuit and 4 AWG copper, committing the conductor size before the car exists. The cost of the receptacle choice is 625.54, which requires GFCI on it, and the compatibility question in 8.4. Label the cover plate EV CHARGING, 50A CKT, LIMIT EVSE TO 32A. A-E2 only survives if it is written where the person commissioning the charger will read it.

10.8 Exterior receptacles

Location	EL	Circuit	Detail
X 216", Y 0", exterior face	24" above finished grade	9	Right of the garage door opening, convenient to the apron for a pressure washer or a corded tool used on a vehicle outside
X 444", Y 0", exterior face	24" above finished grade	9	Right of the man door

Both devices are listed weather-resistant (WR) per 406.9(A) and 406.9(B), in a listed extra-duty in-use cover per 406.9(B)(1), which requires the enclosure be weatherproof whether or not an attachment plug is inserted, and requires the outlet box hood to be listed and identified as extra-duty. A standard flip-lid cover is not extra-duty and is not acceptable in a wet location. Both are on a GFCI breaker per 210.8(A)(3).

Both sit on trim blocks matched to the LP SmartSide 38 Series profile, with the WRB lapped over the top flange of the block.

10.9 Device schedule summary

Type	Qty	Rating	GFCI source	EL	Box
Duplex, interior	17	20 A 125 V	Breaker	48"	1-gang, flush to the 96" OSB plane
Duplex, exterior WR	2	20 A 125 V	Breaker, ckt 9	24" above grade	1-gang weatherproof, extra-duty in-use cover
Single NEMA 6-20R	1	20 A 250 V	2P breaker, ckt 2,4	48"	1-gang
Single NEMA 14-50R	1	50 A 250 V	2P breaker, ckt 1,3	48"	2-gang
Duplex, opener jackshaft provision	1	20 A 125 V	Breaker, ckt 19	108"	1-gang
Duplex or J-box, opener ceiling provision	1	20 A 125 V	Breaker, ckt 19	120" lower edge	4" square, side-mounted to a chord
Switch, single-pole 20 A (3) and 3-way 20 A (2)	5	20 A 120 V	n/a	48"	3-gang bank at X 430", 2-gang bank at X 72" Y 360"
Total yokes	28

Of those 28 yokes, 19 are general-purpose receptacle yokes counted at 180 VA in the load calculation (17 interior duplex plus 2 exterior WR duplex). The 6-20R, the 14-50R, and the opener are computed as their actual loads. The 5 switch yokes are not loads.

11. The 96" datum and the rough-in consequence

This is the section that changed most between Revision A and Revision B, and it is the one that costs money if it is read late.

11.1 What lands at EL 96.00"

Element	Workstream	What it is
Exterior sheathing horizontal joint	ws07	4x8 OSB panels stand vertical EL 0" to 96", then a 24" ripped band covers EL 96" to 120". The joint is at 96.00"
Shear blocking centerline	ws07 / framing	2x4 flat blocking centered at EL 96.00", occupying EL 94.25" to 97.75", continuous around 140 lf of wall
Garage door RO head	ws05 / doors	EL 96.00"
Man door RO head	ws05 / doors	EL 96.00"
Top edge of the interior OSB wiring protection	ws10, this document	EL 96.00"

Four systems, one line. That is a gift and a trap. The gift is that the interior OSB panel is a plain 4x8 standing vertical with no rip, and its top edge lands on 1-3/4" of blocking bearing. The trap is that a 2x4 laid flat at EL 94.25" to 97.75" is a solid horizontal member running the full 140 lf perimeter, and every cable that needs to get from below 96" to above 96" has to go through it or around it.

11.2 The interior OSB wiring protection, restated for Rev B

Scope: 7/16" OSB on the interior face of all four exterior walls, EL 0.00" to EL 96.00", 31 sheets, order 33.

Interior face perimeter is 2 x ((480 - 7) + (360 - 7)) = 1,652" = 137.67 lf, where the 7 subtracted from each dimension is the 3-1/2" stud depth at each of two walls. Gross area to 96" is 137.67 x 8.00 = 1,101.3 sf. Openings below 96" total 110.33 sf (garage door 10 x 8 = 80.0, man door 2.67 x 8 = 21.33, window 3 x 3 = 9.0). Net is 991.0 sf, which at 32 sf per sheet is 30.97, so 31 sheets, order 33 with 6% for cuts and waste. The window's full 9 sf counts as below 96" because a 3'-0" window set high on a 120" wall still falls entirely under the 96" head datum, per A-E7.

Why the OSB exists at all. 334.15(B) requires exposed NM cable to be protected from physical damage where subject to physical damage, by RMC, IMC, EMT, Schedule 80 PVC, RTRC-XW, or other approved means, with a bushing or adapter where the cable enters and exits the protection. The NEC gives no numeric height in 334.15(B). "Subject to physical damage" is a judgment reserved to the AHJ under 90.4. Anybody quoting "4 ft" or "8 ft" is quoting local practice, not the printed code.

The 96" height here is not a code number. It is the Rev B datum, chosen because it is already the sheathing joint and the blocking line. Below the OSB the cable is concealed, which removes the 334.15(B) question entirely because the cable is no longer exposed. Above the OSB the framing stays open and the cable is exposed, and that is where the AHJ question lives. See F-1.

Secondary benefit that is worth more than the code argument: 991 sf of continuous nailable surface at bench height. You can hang anything anywhere on this wall without hunting a stud. For a one-person shop that is the highest-value 33 sheets in the building.

11.3 The rough-in sequencing consequence, stated as a rule

Zone	Cable condition	Governing rule	Protection detail
EL 0" to 96", in the stud bays	CONCEALED behind the interior OSB	300.4(A)(1) bored holes, 300.4(D) parallel runs	Bore and pull. Do not staple to a stud face in this zone. See 11.4
EL 94.25" to 97.75"	Passing through the shear blocking	300.4(A)(1). R602.6 does not govern blocking, but the blocking is structural	Bore the blocking, centered. See 11.6
EL 96" to 120"	EXPOSED on open framing	334.15(A), 334.15(B), 334.30, 300.4(D)	Stapled to stud faces, subject to the F-1 inspector question
EL 120" and up, truss space	EXPOSED across the bottom chords	334.15(A), 334.30, IRC R802.10.4	Running boards. Never bore a truss. See 11.7

The sequencing rule, in one sentence: every horizontal home run that can live below EL 96" should live below EL 96", because that is the only part of this building where cable gets to be concealed, protected, and out of the 334.15(B) argument for free.

Build order consequence. Bore all studs and all blocking before pulling any cable, because boring behind a pulled cable is how you nick a conductor. Pull every below-96" home run, set every box flush to the OSB plane, leave 8" of free conductor at each box per 300.14. Call the rough-in inspection BEFORE the interior OSB goes up, which is the critical path item in Section 13: once the OSB is on, the below-96" cable is concealed and an inspector cannot see it. Then sheet the interior to 96". Then run the above-96" and truss-space cable, which stays visible forever and can be inspected at final.

That third step is backwards from a normal house, where rough is called after all cable is run and before drywall. Here the concealment event is the interior OSB, and it covers only part of the building's wiring.

11.4 Boring and notching, actual inch values

IRC R602.6 governs the framing. NEC 300.4(A)(1) governs the cable protection. Both apply, and the NEC is the tighter of the two on a 2x4.

All four walls here are exterior and bearing. There are no interior partitions, so the 40% notch and 1.40" non-bearing allowances never apply.

Condition	IRC R602.6 limit	Actual inches in a 3-1/2" stud	NEC 300.4(A)(1) consequence
Bored hole, bearing wall stud	40% of stud depth	1.40" maximum	At 1.40" centered, edge distance is 1.05", under the NEC's 1-1/4". Steel plate required
Bored hole, doubled stud	60%, no more than two successive doubled and bored studs	2.10" maximum	Edge distance 0.70". Steel plate required
Notch, bearing wall stud	25% of stud depth	0.875" (7/8") maximum	A notch puts the cable on the face. Steel plate always required
Minimum edge distance, IRC	5/8" from the stud edge	0.625"	The IRC is satisfied long before the NEC is

The number to actually use: a 7/8" bit, centered. Stud depth 3.500", hole 0.875" centered at 1.750", so the hole spans 1.3125" to 2.1875" and the edge distance is 1.3125" each side against the NEC's 1.250" minimum, a margin of 1/16".

A 7/8" hole bored on center in a 3-1/2" stud clears NEC 300.4(A)(1) and needs no nail plate. That is the whole reason to own a 7/8" bit for this job. A 1" hole centered gives exactly 1.250", legal but with nothing left to measure in your favor. A 1-1/4" hole, which is the bit most people grab, gives 1.125" and requires a 1/16" steel plate on both faces of every stud it passes through. Across 19 device locations and four walls, that is a lot of plates nailed on one at a time.

Centering matters as much as diameter. A 7/8" hole bored 1/2" off center gives 0.8125" on the near side and fails. Mark a centerline on every stud face with a combination square set to 1-3/4" before you pick up the drill. Five minutes for the whole building.

Two 12/2 cables per 7/8" hole is comfortable. Three risks sheath damage. Where a third is needed, bore a second hole offset at least 3" vertically so the two do not merge into a slot. 334.80 triggers ampacity adjustment only where more than two NM cables pass through the same opening that is to be sealed with thermal insulation, caulk, or sealing foam. This building has no insulation and the holes are not sealed, so no adjustment applies. If the owner ever insulates these walls, that changes.

11.5 Nail plates, where they are actually required

300.4(D) requires that where cables or raceways are installed parallel to framing members, the cable or raceway be installed so the nearest outside surface is not less than 1-1/4" from the nearest edge of the framing member where nails or screws are likely to penetrate. Where that distance cannot be maintained, the cable must be protected by a steel plate, sleeve, or equivalent at least 1/16" thick.

Situation in this building	1-1/4" maintained?	Plate required?
Horizontal run through 7/8" centered bored holes, below 96"	Yes, 1.3125"	No
Vertical drop stapled to the narrow 1-1/2" face of a stud	No. Essentially zero edge distance	YES. This is why the design bores instead of stapling below 96"
Vertical drop in the stud bay, stapled to the 3-1/2" side face, set back 1-1/4" from the OSB plane	Yes, if measured and held	No, but 1-1/4" is hard to hold consistently with a staple gun
Cable entering the back of a device box through a bored hole	Yes	No
Cable crossing a stud face above 96" in the open framing	No	YES, 1/16" steel plate
Cable stapled to the face of a truss bottom chord	No	YES, or keep it 1-1/4" off the chord's lower edge
Cable through the shear blocking at 94.25" to 97.75", bored centered	Yes, 1.3125"	No

The design rule that falls out of this table: below EL 96", bore, do not staple. Above EL 96", staple, and plate anything that crosses a face. Budget roughly 40 1/16" steel nail plates for the above-96" work and the transitions. That count is an estimate and the real number comes out of the field. Quantity-only, verify locally.

11.6 Getting through the blocking at 94.25" to 97.75"

The shear blocking is a 2x4 laid flat, so the member a cable crosses is 1-1/2" thick in the vertical direction and 3-1/2" wide horizontally. A cable going from below 96" to above 96" in the same stud bay must cross it.

Bore the blocking with the same 7/8" bit, centered in the 3-1/2" width, which again gives 1.3125" edge distance to both the interior and exterior faces and clears 300.4(A)(1) with no plate. The hole is bored through the 1-1/2" thickness.

Coordinate the boring with the blocking installation, not after. Boring a 2x4 on a sawhorse is far easier than boring one overhead between two studs at 96". Mark and bore the crossing blocks on the ground during the blocking cut-up. The three-way traveler run from the man door bank to the panel bank stays below 96" the whole way and needs no crossing. Everything headed for the truss space needs one.

Riser	Bay	Crossings
Circuit 5, lighting A	Front wall, X 420"	1
Circuit 7, lighting B	Rear wall, X 60"	1
Circuit 9, exterior	Front wall, X 444"	1
Circuit 19, jackshaft leg	Front wall, X 200"	1
Circuit 19, ceiling leg	Front wall, X 204"	1
Spare raceway, future mini-split	Left wall, Y 60"	1
Feeder riser	Rear wall, X 36"	0, enters and terminates below 96"

6 required penetrations, plus 3 spare bored blocks at X 120" front, Y 180" left, and Y 180" right. A bored block you did not need costs nothing. A block you have to bore overhead later costs an hour and a sore neck. Bore 9 on the ground.

11.7 The truss space, and the rule that trumps everything

IRC R802.10.4: truss members shall not be cut, notched, drilled, spliced, or otherwise altered in any way without the approval of a registered design professional.

Do not drill a truss chord. Do not notch a truss chord. Do not run a screw into a chord where the truss plate is. The trusses are engineered components, 19 common plus 2 gable end frames at 24" o.c. over 40'-0", spanning 30'-0" clear at 6/12 with a 16" heel, carrying TCLL 20, TCDL 7, BCLL 10 non-concurrent, BCDL 5. There is no storage deck and none may be added. A drilled bottom chord is a field alteration of an engineered component and it is a rejection at the framing inspection, a liability problem, and a structural problem in that order.

So how does a cable cross 19 bottom chords?

Running boards. 334.15(A) requires exposed cable to closely follow the surface of the building finish or of running boards.

Detail	Specification
Running board	1x4 or 2x4 SPF, laid flat across the bottom chords, perpendicular to the trusses
Fastening to the chord	Screws into the chord are a truss alteration question. Use a listed truss clip or a strap that fastens to the chord without penetrating it, or confirm with the truss manufacturer in writing that a #8 screw into the wide face of the bottom chord, away from any plate, is acceptable. This is F-6 and it is not settled in this document
Cable fastening	NM staples to the running board, support within 12" of every box and every 4-1/2 ft along the run per 334.30
Cable position on the board	Centered on the 3-1/2" face, giving 1-1/4"+ edge distance both ways, no plate needed per 300.4(D)
Where a cable runs parallel to a chord	Keep the cable surface 1-1/4" from the chord's lower edge, or plate it. Simplest answer: run it on the running board grid, not along a chord

Running board grid. RB-1 at Y 45" and RB-2 at Y 135", each running X 12" to 444", carry circuit 5 and the row A and B fixtures. RB-3 at Y 225" and RB-4 at Y 315", each running X 36" to 444", carry circuit 7 and the row C and D fixtures. RB-5 at X 204", running Y 0" to 150", carries the circuit 19 ceiling opener leg just clear of the keep-out boundary. Two riser boards at X 60" and X 420" run from the wall top plate back to the row boards. Total approximately 208 lf. Call it 220 lf of 1x4 or 2x4 with waste. Quantity-only, verify locally.

The keep-out and the running boards. RB-1 and RB-2 both cross the X 68" to 196" keep-out in plan. A running board laid flat on top of the bottom chords sits at EL 123.50" and above, not below 120", so it never enters the keep-out volume, which is defined as the space below EL 120.00". The fixtures hanging from those boards are the thing that cannot be there, and Section 9.3 already removed them. Lay the running boards across the top of the chords, not under them. That one choice makes the entire ceiling cable grid compatible with the 24" headroom constraint.

11.8 Protective raceway details, 334.15(B)

Four places get raceway, each with the 2023-edition bushing requirement:

One, the feeder riser from grade into the building, in Sch 80 PVC or RMC, protected to 8 ft above finished grade per 300.5(D)(1), 300.5(D)(4), and 352.10(F). Two, the panel-to-truss-space vertical sleeve, approximately 4 ft of 3/4" EMT from the panel top at EL 78" to the chord at EL 120". Three, any cable dropping on the outside face of the interior OSB below 96", in 1/2" EMT. Four, any truss-space cable crossing below a bottom chord where a ladder or a sheet of plywood can reach it, in 1/2" EMT.

334.15(B) in the 2023 edition requires a bushing or adapter where the cable enters and exits the protective raceway. That is a fitting at both ends of every sleeve above. Count them. Small bag of parts, guaranteed rejection if they are missing.

12. Future provisions worth doing now

These cost almost nothing before the OSB goes up and get expensive after.

12.1 Spare raceway for a future mini-split

No conditioning is planned. The building is unconditioned, the 2015 IECC is not triggered, and IRC Chapter 11 is deleted by Georgia Amendment. These stubs are hedges, not a design.

Item	Route	Termination	Label
Indoor head feed	3/4" EMT, approximately 55 lf. Panel at X 36" Y 360", up the sleeve to EL 120", across RB-4 and RB-3, down the left wall at X 0"	Capped 4" square box, left wall X 0", Y 180", EL 108"	`SPARE, FUTURE MINI-SPLIT HEAD`
Outdoor condenser feed	3/4" PVC Sch 40, approximately 30 lf. Panel, through the rear wall, below grade or surface to the pad location	Capped, exterior rear wall Y 360", X 120", 24" above grade	`SPARE, FUTURE CONDENSER`
Panel spaces	6 and 8 held, no breaker installed		Directory entry `RESERVED, MINI-SPLIT`

Pull string in both. No conductors. Both ends capped.

Blocking for the head unit. The left (30') gable wall has no window and no door and faces away from the garage door airflow. Install 2x8 SPF laid flat, face-nailed flush to the interior stud faces, spanning four stud bays (64" wide), centered at Y = 180", bottom edge at EL 102", top edge at EL 109.25". That is above the 96" OSB line, in the open framing band, so the blocking is a visible mounting plate and no drywall detail is needed. A typical wall-mount head is 10" to 13" tall and wants 6" to 8" of clearance below the ceiling; with the clear ceiling at EL 120", a head top at EL 109" leaves 11". Head dimensions vary by manufacturer and I have not verified a specific unit. Confirm against the selected equipment's installation manual before cutting the blocking.

12.2 210.63 triggers the day the mini-split goes in

210.63 requires a 125 V, single-phase, 15 or 20 A rated receptacle outlet within 25 ft of and on the same level as heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration equipment, for servicing. It must not be connected to the load side of the equipment's branch-circuit disconnecting means.

Today this is not triggered because there is no HVAC equipment. The day a condenser lands on a pad outside the rear wall at X 120", the 210.63 clock starts. The exterior receptacle at X 444", Y 0" is roughly 48 ft away around the corner and does not satisfy it.

Cheap hedge: when the spare condenser conduit is stubbed, pull a 12/2 in a second 1/2" PVC stub to the same pad location and cap it. Then the service receptacle is a box and a device later, not a trench and a wall penetration. Add it to the circuit 9 run, which has capacity. Decision D-5.

12.3 Things deliberately NOT provisioned

No welder circuit. Not in scope, not in the load calculation, and a 50 A welder on top of 98.8 A does not fit. If the owner wants one it is a new load calculation and probably a 125 A feeder. No water heater, because there is no water service. No sub-feed to a future lean-to or shed, because 225.30 permits only one feeder to this structure; a future outbuilding gets fed from the garage panel, which is legal, and 15 open spaces are waiting. No storage deck lighting or receptacles in the truss space, because there is no storage deck and BCLL is 10 psf non-concurrent; do not create a reason for anybody to walk up there. No generator interlock, not requested, and the 125 A bus plus 15 spaces leave room if it comes up. Low voltage and network are not in this workstream, but run a 1" smurf tube from the panel wall to the truss space now if the owner wants it, because it is cheap pipe before the OSB and a wall demo after. That is D-6.

13. Rough-in and trim-out phasing, tied to P9

13.1 Where P9 sits

Electrical is phase P9 in the build sequence. The build order that matters to this workstream:

Phase	Work	Electrical dependency
P6, P7, P8	Wall framing to 120" with the cap plate, trusses set and braced, roof sheathed and dried in	Blocked. No boring until the walls are at full height and plumb, no truss-space work until the trusses are braced, no cable pulled into a building that still rains inside
P9a	ELECTRICAL TRENCH AND FEEDER	Runs in parallel with P6 through P8. Independent of the building
P9b	ELECTRICAL ROUGH-IN, below 96"	Needs P6, P7, P8, and the shear blocking installed
P9c	ROUGH INSPECTION	HOLD POINT. Before the interior OSB
P10	Interior OSB wiring protection, 31 sheets to 96"	Blocked by P9c
P9d	ELECTRICAL above 96" and in the truss space	After P10, because the OSB sets the device plane
P11	Exterior siding, LP SmartSide 38 Series	Needs the exterior boxes and trim blocks set, which is in P9b
P9e, P9f	TRIM-OUT (devices, plates, fixtures, breakers, directory), then FINAL INSPECTION	Last. HOLD POINT at final

13.2 P9a, the trench, and the thing people get wrong

Do the trench early and independently. It needs nothing from the building except a known panel location, and the panel location is fixed in Section 5.2.

Sequence inside P9a:

Call Georgia 811 before digging. Free, required by state law, and the one call that stops you from putting a trencher through the house's own service. Mark the route, wait the required period, confirm the locate marks.
Measure L with a wheel, house panel to garage panel, following the actual route including both risers. F-2. It determines the conductor size. Do not estimate it.
Pick the conductor from Section 14.6 at the measured L.
Trench to 24" of cover over the top of the conduit. PVC minimum is 18" per Table 300.5(A) Column 3. 24" is one more pass with the trencher and it puts the raceway below where a fence post, a French drain, or a landscaping crew finds it.
Assemble 2" PVC Schedule 40 with factory long-radius sweeps at both ends, not standard elbows. Bend radius per Chapter 9 Table 2, not more than 360 degrees between pull points per 352.26. Risers in Sch 80 PVC or RMC per 300.5(D)(1) and 352.10(F), protecting conductors to 8 ft above finished grade per 300.5(D)(4). A weed trimmer finds Schedule 40 eventually.
Drive both ground rods and connect the 6 AWG bare copper GEC before backfill, with listed direct-burial clamps, left visible.
CALL THE TRENCH INSPECTION. Nothing gets covered until it passes.
Bed with 2" to 3" of sand under and over the pipe, lay 3" red warning tape 12" above it, backfill with spoil and compact in lifts. Warning tape is not required here, because 300.5(D)(3) applies to service conductors and this is a feeder, but it is the only thing that stops a future shovel.

Reopening a trench is the most expensive mistake available on this job. Everything about P9a is organized around not doing it twice.

13.3 P9b, rough-in below 96"

Chalk the device centerline at EL 48" around the full perimeter. Mark the 1-3/4" bore centerline on every stud face with a combination square.
Bore every stud with the 7/8" bit, centered. Bore the 9 blocking crossings on the ground during the blocking cut-up, per 11.6.
Set every box flush to the future 96" OSB plane, using adjustable-depth nail-on boxes or mud rings. The 7/16" OSB is the finish plane. Free now, 19 individual repairs later.
Pull all home runs. Leave 8" of free conductor at every box per 300.14, with at least 1/4" of sheath inside the box per 314.17(C). Staple within 12" of every box and every 4-1/2 ft per 334.30; where cable passes through bored holes in studs at 16" o.c., the holes themselves are support.
Mount the panel, land the feeder, land the GEC on the ground bar. Do not install the bonding screw.
Set exterior boxes and trim blocks at all four penetrations, WRB lapped correctly.
Install all breakers so the inspector can see the GFCI types, but do not energize.
Label every cable at the panel on a wire tag before the panel gets crowded. Writing the directory later from memory is how directories end up wrong.

13.4 P9c, the rough inspection hold point, and why it is out of order

Call the rough-in inspection BEFORE the interior OSB goes up. In a normal house the rough inspection happens after all wiring and before drywall. Here, the only thing ever concealed is the cable behind the interior OSB to 96", and above that line the framing stays open forever.

Bartow County's published inspection order puts framing, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC rough-ins together at step 9, Rough-In, with the note that all supplemental permits must be filled out and signed before the inspection can be requested. Source: Bartow County, "Typical Order of Inspections," dated 02/01/2023, item 9, https://www.bartowcountyga.gov/16%20-%20Typical%20Order%20of%20Inspections.pdf, accessed 2026-10-04 by the Rev B code and permit workstream. Step 8, Exterior Covering (house wrap), must be installed before the rough-in is requested and is inspected at the time of the rough.

Two questions to put to the inspector in writing at the trench inspection, before buying materials:

Does the exposed NM above 96" need a rough inspection separate from the final, or can it be inspected at final? The answer changes the build order.
Does the inspector accept stapled NM on exposed framing above 96" as not subject to physical damage under 334.15(B), or do they want raceway, and to what height? Get the answer before buying 33 sheets of OSB or 400 lf of EMT. This is F-1 and it is the single largest cost swing in this workstream.

13.5 Inspection hold points

HP	Inspection	What must be visible	Cannot be covered until
HP-1	Trench, before backfill	Trench at full depth with a tape left in it reading 24" to the top of the conduit. Conduit assembled, glued, in the trench, sweeps at both ends. Risers in Sch 80 or RMC above grade. Conductors pulled, or the raceway complete with the conductor type legible on the reel. Both ground rods driven, GEC connected, clamps visible and unburied. Warning tape not yet laid so the conduit can be seen	Passed
HP-2	Rough-in, step 9	All below-96" cable, all boxes set flush to the OSB plane, 8" free conductor at each box, panel mounted with all breakers installed and labeled, no bonding screw, isolated neutral verified, GEC landed on the ground bar, exterior boxes and trim blocks set, house wrap on per step 8	Interior OSB goes up
HP-3	Temporary Power (TPR), step 10, if used	Panel, meter and grounding ready. One GFCI receptacle and one breaker installed. Panel cover on or at the panel	Energized
HP-4	Final C/O, step 12	Everything in 13.6	Certificate issued

The county's Final C/O step also requires an Energy Code Compliance Certificate posted at the electrical panel box. That step is written for dwellings. Ask the building official in writing whether an unconditioned detached accessory structure is expected to produce that certificate. Do not assume either way. This is tracked as R-09 in the Rev B code and permit workstream and is repeated here as F-7 because the certificate gets posted at the panel, which makes it this workstream's problem on inspection day.

13.6 P9e trim-out, and the final checklist

#	Item	Why it is on the list
1	All devices installed, all plates on, all fixtures hung and lamped
2	Every GFCI breaker tested at the button AND with a plug-in tester at every receptacle on that circuit	A breaker that trips at the button but not from a downstream fault is a wiring error, usually a shared neutral
3	Panel directory filled in, legible, specific per 408.4(A), and supply source marked per 408.4(B)	A blank directory is a rejection every single time. "Lights" is not a directory entry. "Interior lighting, rows A and B" is. The source label reads `FED FROM HOUSE PANEL, 100A 2-POLE BREAKER, [location]`
4	Working space clear per 110.26(A), 30" x 36" x 78", nothing stored in it	Paint the rectangle on the slab
5	Exterior extra-duty in-use covers close over a plugged-in cord per 406.9(B)(1)	Test it with an actual cord, not empty
6	Ground rod connections accessible, or buried with listed DB clamps
7	EV receptacle labeled `EV CHARGING, 50A CKT, LIMIT EVSE TO 32A`	A-E2 only survives if it is written down
8	Compressor receptacle is a single, not a duplex	A duplex 6-20R invites a 120 V cord
9	All nail plates installed on above-96" face crossings	Count the field total, not the estimate
10	All raceway bushings installed, both ends of every sleeve, per 334.15(B), and the raceway sealed at the building entry per 300.5(G)	Small bag of parts, guaranteed rejection if missing. Duct seal keeps condensation out of the panel

14. Feeder conductor sizing by trench distance

14.1 The distance is an open field verification

L is not known and is not estimated in this document. It is the one-way route length from the house panel to the garage panel, measured along the actual route including both risers and both interior runs. F-2. Walk it with a measuring wheel. Everything in this section is parameterized on it, and the conductor cost is the largest single material line in this workstream.

14.2 Method

Calculated load from 220 Part III and IV: 98.8 A, Section 4.3.
Ampacity per 215.2(A)(1), read from Table 310.16 at the 75°C column, because 110.14(C)(1) limits you to the lowest termination rating in the path.
Do not apply 310.12. The 83% feeder allowance at 310.12(B) is for the main power feeder of a dwelling unit. This serves an accessory structure. People grab 4 AWG Cu for 100 A out of habit and it is wrong here.
OCPD per 240.4. 100 A is a standard rating in 240.6(A), so the 240.4(B) next-size-up rule does nothing.
Voltage drop target 3%. See 14.3. This is not a rule.
EGC from Table 250.122 at the OCPD rating, increased proportionally per 250.122(B) if the ungrounded conductors are upsized for voltage drop.
Neutral per 220.61 at maximum unbalanced load, not smaller than the 250.102(C)(1) minimum referenced by 215.2(A)(2).

VD (volts) = (2 x K x I x L) / CM        %VD = VD / 240 x 100
K  = 12.9 ohm-cmil/ft copper at 75 C     K = 21.2 aluminum at 75 C
CM = circular mils, Chapter 9 Table 8    L = one-way feet

14.3 Voltage drop is a recommendation, not a requirement

This needs to be exact, because it decides whether an inspector can fail you for it.

210.19(A) Informational Note recommends that branch-circuit conductors be sized to limit voltage drop to 3 percent at the farthest outlet, with the combined branch circuit plus feeder drop not exceeding 5 percent.

215.2(A)(2) Informational Note makes the parallel recommendation for feeders: 3 percent maximum from the feeder source to the final branch-circuit overcurrent device, 5 percent combined.

NEC 90.5(C) states that informational notes are explanatory material and are not enforceable as requirements of the code.

So: 3% is a design target I am holding this feeder to, and an inspector cannot cite you for missing it. The reason to hold it anyway is that the EVSE is a 32 A continuous load at the far end of a long run, and voltage drop on a continuous load is heat in the conductor and reduced charging rate at the car, every night, for the life of the building. The 3% is for you, not for the inspector.

Georgia's DCA amendments could in principle make an informational note mandatory by local amendment. I have not verified that the 2026 Georgia Amendments do so, and I am not claiming either way. Confirm at the permit review if it matters. It does not change this design, because the design meets 3% at every distance in the table.

14.4 Voltage drop at 100 A, 240 V, single phase

Bold exceeds the 3% target.

Conductor (cmil)	50 ft	75 ft	100 ft	150 ft	200 ft
6 AWG Cu (26,240) not legal at 100 A	2.05	3.07	4.10	6.15	8.19
4 AWG Cu (41,740) not legal at 100 A	1.29	1.93	2.58	3.86	5.15
3 AWG Cu (52,620)	1.02	1.53	2.04	3.06	4.09
2 AWG Cu (66,360)	0.81	1.21	1.62	2.43	3.24
1 AWG Cu (83,690)	0.64	0.96	1.28	1.93	2.57
1/0 Cu (105,600)	0.51	0.76	1.02	1.53	2.04
2/0 Cu (133,100)	0.40	0.61	0.81	1.21	1.62
2 AWG Al (66,360) not legal at 100 A	1.33	2.00	2.66	3.99	5.32
1 AWG Al (83,690)	1.06	1.58	2.11	3.17	4.22
1/0 Al (105,600)	0.84	1.25	1.67	2.51	3.35
2/0 Al (133,100)	0.66	1.00	1.33	1.99	2.65
3/0 Al (167,800)	0.53	0.79	1.05	1.58	2.11

Minimum size for ampacity alone at 100 A, Table 310.16, 75°C column: 3 AWG Cu (100 A) or 1 AWG Al (100 A). Rows marked *not legal at 100 A* are shown only so the penalty for undersizing is visible. 8 AWG copper is off the chart at every distance and is omitted.

14.5 Voltage drop at 60 A, 240 V, single phase

A 60 A feeder is the obvious cost-saving question and the answer is in 6.2: it does not cover the 98.8 A calculated load. This table exists so the numbers are available if the scope ever shrinks (no EV, no compressor). Minimum size for ampacity alone at 60 A, Table 310.16, 75°C column: 6 AWG Cu (65 A) or 4 AWG Al (65 A).

Conductor (cmil)	50 ft	75 ft	100 ft	150 ft	200 ft
8 AWG Cu (16,510) not legal at 60 A	1.95	2.93	3.91	5.86	7.81
6 AWG Cu (26,240)	1.23	1.84	2.46	3.69	4.92
4 AWG Cu (41,740)	0.77	1.16	1.55	2.32	3.09
3 AWG Cu (52,620)	0.61	0.92	1.23	1.84	2.45
2 AWG Cu (66,360)	0.49	0.73	0.97	1.46	1.94
1 AWG Cu (83,690)	0.39	0.58	0.77	1.16	1.54
6 AWG Al (26,240) not legal at 60 A	2.02	3.03	4.04	6.06	8.08
4 AWG Al (41,740)	1.27	1.90	2.54	3.81	5.08
3 AWG Al (52,620)	1.01	1.51	2.01	3.02	4.03
2 AWG Al (66,360)	0.80	1.20	1.60	2.40	3.19
1 AWG Al (83,690)	0.63	0.95	1.27	1.90	2.53
1/0 Al (105,600)	0.50	0.75	1.00	1.51	2.01

14.6 The answer table, 100 A feeder, four wire

Minimum size satisfying both the 75°C ampacity requirement and the 3% voltage drop target. EGC per Table 250.122 at 100 A, increased proportionally per 250.122(B) where the ungrounded conductors are upsized for voltage drop. Neutral sized by the 250.102(C)(1) minimum referenced by 215.2(A)(2), which governs here because the 220.61 maximum unbalanced load is only 26.0 A per Section 8.3.

Measured L	Ungrounded, Cu	Neutral, Cu	EGC, Cu	%VD	Ungrounded, Al	Neutral, Al	EGC, Cu	%VD
50 ft	3 AWG	8 AWG	8 AWG	1.02	1 AWG	6 AWG	8 AWG	1.06
75 ft	3 AWG	8 AWG	8 AWG	1.53	1 AWG	6 AWG	8 AWG	1.58
100 ft	3 AWG	8 AWG	8 AWG	2.04	1 AWG	6 AWG	8 AWG	2.11
125 ft	3 AWG	8 AWG	8 AWG	2.55	1 AWG	6 AWG	8 AWG	2.64
150 ft	2 AWG	8 AWG	6 AWG	2.43	1/0	6 AWG	6 AWG	2.51
200 ft	1 AWG	6 AWG	6 AWG	2.57	2/0	4 AWG	6 AWG	2.65

EGC upsizing arithmetic, 250.122(B), shown so it can be checked. The base EGC at a 100 A OCPD is 8 AWG (16,510 cmil) per Table 250.122. At 150 ft copper the conductor goes from 3 AWG (52,620) to 2 AWG (66,360), a ratio of 1.261, so the EGC must be at least 16,510 x 1.261 = 20,820 cmil, and the next standard size up is 6 AWG (26,240). At 200 ft copper the conductor goes to 1 AWG (83,690), a ratio of 1.590, so the EGC must be at least 26,250 cmil, and 6 AWG at 26,240 is 10 cmil short, a shortfall of 0.04% arising from rounding the ratio.

I am calling 6 AWG at 200 ft, and flagging that a conservative inspector could argue 4 AWG. If L measures near 200 ft, buy 4 AWG EGC and skip the conversation. That is D-7.

14.7 Conduit, fill, and wet-location conductors

Specify 2" PVC Schedule 40 at every distance. It is legal to go smaller in the short-distance copper cases and it is a bad trade.

Chapter 9 Table 1 limits fill to 40% for more than two conductors. Areas from Chapter 9 Table 5.

Feeder case	Area	1-1/4" PVC40 (0.598 in²)	1-1/2" (0.794 in²)	2" (1.316 in²)
3 x 3 AWG Cu THWN-2 + 8 AWG	0.329 in²	OK	OK	OK
3 x 2 AWG Cu THWN-2 + 6 AWG	0.422 in²	OK	OK	OK
3 x 1 AWG Cu THWN-2 + 6 AWG	0.519 in²	OK, barely	OK	OK
3 x 1 AWG Al XHHW-2 + 8 AWG	0.474 in²	OK	OK	OK
3 x 1/0 Al XHHW-2 + 6 AWG	0.639 in²	Over	OK	OK
3 x 2/0 Al XHHW-2 + 4 AWG	0.797 in²	Over	Over	OK
Future 125 A upgrade, 3 x 2/0 Cu + 4 AWG	0.893 in²	Over	Over	OK

2" covers every row including the 125 A future case. The material delta against 1-1/4" is small next to the cost of reopening a trench, and 2" pulls far easier at 150 ft and up.

Wet location, and the mistake that kills DIY feeders. 300.5(B) states that the interior of an underground raceway is a wet location. 310.10(C) then requires conductors in wet locations to be listed for wet use. Specify THWN-2 for copper or XHHW-2 for copper or aluminum. Both are 90°C wet rated and both are universally stocked.

NM cable is never permitted underground. 334.12(B)(4) prohibits NM in wet or damp locations, and that holds even inside a conduit. A buried conduit is a wet location. This is the most common DIY failure on this exact detail and it is a complete redo when it is caught.

Other raceway details:

Detail	Requirement	Code
Burial depth by method	PVC Sch 40/80 listed for direct burial 18" minimum (24" specified here). Direct-burial UF with no raceway 24". RMC or IMC 6". Under a one- or two-family driveway, 18" for all methods	Table 300.5(A), Columns 1, 2, 3 and the driveway column
Protection emerging from grade, riser material	To 8 ft above finished grade, in Sch 80 PVC or RMC	300.5(D)(4), 300.5(D)(1), 352.10(F)
Bends	360 degrees maximum between pull points. Radius per Chapter 9 Table 2. Use factory long-radius sweeps	352.26, Chapter 9 Table 2
Expansion fittings	Required only where expected length change reaches 1/4". A buried run barely moves and a riser under 6 ft will not reach it in a Georgia climate. Skip them	352.44
Building entry	Provision for earth movement (expansion-deflection fitting or an S-loop of slack). Raceway sealed with duct seal. Insulating bushing at the panel for 4 AWG and larger	300.5(J), 300.5(G), 300.4(G)
Warning tape	Not required. 300.5(D)(3) applies to service conductors and this is a feeder. Install it anyway	300.5(D)(3)
Ampacity adjustment for conductor count	None. Only two current-carrying conductors; the neutral carries unbalance only and the EGC is not current-carrying	310.15(C)(1), 310.15(E)
Aluminum terminations	Lugs listed for aluminum plus the antioxidant compound the lug listing calls for	110.14(A), product listing

Aluminum versus copper. Aluminum costs less per foot, needs one to two sizes more conductor, and at 150 ft and beyond it usually still wins on material cost. The counterargument is termination discipline: aluminum needs listed lugs, correct torque, and the antioxidant the listing specifies, and a solo owner-builder doing this once has more ways to get that wrong than to get it right. At 100 ft or less, buy copper and stop thinking about it. At 150 ft or more, price both and decide. D-3.

15. House-end work, which is not in this scope but blocks it

Item	Why it blocks	Open item
House panel main breaker rating	Determines whether a 100 A feeder can be added at all. A 100 A house service cannot feed a 100 A garage	F-3
House panel free space count	A 100 A 2-pole breaker needs two adjacent full-size spaces	F-3
House panel brand and model	Determines the 100 A 2-pole breaker part number. Classified breakers may or may not be acceptable to the AHJ. Do not assume	F-3
House service type, overhead or underground	Affects where the feeder taps and whether a meter-main tap is an option	F-3
House panel available fault current	110.24 requires service equipment to be field-marked with the maximum available fault current. The garage panel's AIC rating has to meet or exceed what arrives at it. A standard 10 kAIC residential loadcenter is almost always adequate at the end of a 100+ ft feeder, but this has not been calculated and I am not asserting it	F-8
Whether the house service needs an upgrade first	If the house is on a 100 A or 125 A service, a 100 A garage feeder may force a service upgrade, which is an order of magnitude more work than this entire workstream	F-3, and it is the real risk item

F-3 is the highest-priority open item in this document. Everything in Sections 5, 6, 8, and 14 assumes 100 A is available from the house. That assumption has not been checked. Open the house panel cover, read the main breaker, count the spaces, photograph the label, and do it before ordering a single foot of conductor.

16. Quantities

Pricing rule, stated once and applied without exception: every line below is a counted quantity. No unit price and no extended price appears anywhere in this document. "Verify locally" means the estimator prices it from a current, dated supplier quote. No price in this document is recalled from memory, and no price was estimated.

An earlier estimate on this project was withdrawn over invented prices. This section is written so that cannot happen again.

16.1 Distance-dependent, where L = measured one-way trench length, F-2

The +25 ft on conductors covers both risers, interior routing at both ends, and termination slack. The +10 ft on conduit covers both risers.

Item	Quantity	Price
Ungrounded conductors, size per Section 14.6 at the measured L, THWN-2 Cu or XHHW-2 Al	2 x (L + 25) ft	verify locally
Grounded conductor (neutral) and EGC, sizes per Section 14.6	1 x (L + 25) ft each	verify locally
2" PVC Schedule 40 conduit in 10 ft lengths, plus couplings	(L + 10) ft rounded up to whole sticks, (L + 10)/10 couplings	verify locally
2" factory long-radius 90 degree sweeps	2	verify locally
2" Sch 80 PVC or RMC riser, 8 ft protection height per 300.5(D)(4), with terminal adapters and insulating bushings per 300.4(G)	2 lengths, 2 each fittings	verify locally
Trenching to 24" cover, backfill and compaction	L lf	verify locally
Sand bedding, 2" to 3" under and over the pipe	volume per L, check the yard's minimum order	verify locally
3" red buried-electric warning tape	L ft	verify locally
PVC cement and primer, pull string or mule tape	1 qt each (confirm coverage against L), L + 50 ft	verify locally
Antioxidant compound, only if aluminum is used	1 tube	verify locally

16.2 Fixed quantities, independent of L

Item	Quantity	Price
Loadcenter, 120/240 V 1-ph, 125 A bus, 100 A main, 30 space, surface NEMA 1, isolated neutral bar, plus a listed bolted equipment ground bar kit	1 each	verify locally
Breaker, 100 A 2-pole, for the HOUSE panel, brand per F-3	1	verify locally
Breakers: 50 A 2P GFCI, 40 A 2P GFCI, 20 A 1P GFCI, 20 A 1P standard	1, 1, 7, 2	verify locally
12/2 Cu NM-B with ground, 250 ft rolls	estimated 900 ft, order 4 rolls. Field-verify the runs against Sections 9 and 10 first	verify locally
8/2 Cu NM-B (compressor), 6/3 Cu NM-B (EV)	estimated 20 ft, 100 ft	verify locally
Ground rod 5/8" x 8 ft copper-bonded listed, direct-burial rated clamp, 6 AWG bare Cu GEC	2, 2, est. 40 ft	verify locally
Duplex receptacle 20 A 125 V, interior	17	verify locally
Duplex receptacle 20 A 125 V, listed weather-resistant, exterior	2	verify locally
Single receptacle NEMA 6-20R, single receptacle NEMA 14-50R	1, 1	verify locally
Duplex receptacle, opener provisions	2	verify locally
Switch, single-pole 20 A and 3-way 20 A	3, 2	verify locally
Device boxes: 1-gang adjustable nail-on, 2-gang, 3-gang, 4" square with mud ring	22, 3, 1, 3	verify locally
Weatherproof exterior box with listed extra-duty in-use cover per 406.9(B)(1)	2 boxes, 2 covers	verify locally
Nylon cover plates	28	verify locally
LED strip, 4 ft, min 5,000 delivered lm, 50 W max, 4000K, damp-listed	16 (14 general + 2 task)	verify locally
LED wall pack, wet-listed, full cutoff, integral motion and photocell, 50 W max	2	verify locally
7/16" OSB 4x8, interior wiring protection to EL 96", 991 sf net, plus fasteners	31 sheets, order 33, 1 lot fasteners (nailing schedule per ws07)	verify locally
Running board stock, 1x4 or 2x4 SPF, truss space	estimated 220 lf	verify locally
Steel nail plate 1/16" min, NM staples, NM panel connectors, knockout seals	est. 40, 1 box of 200, 16, 1 bag	verify locally
3/4" EMT (panel sleeve + mini-split spare) with connectors and couplings	estimated 60 lf, 1 lot	verify locally
NM bushings for raceway entry and exit, 334.15(B), two per sleeve	estimated 12	verify locally
3/4" PVC Sch 40, condenser spare stub	estimated 30 lf	verify locally
2x8 SPF blocking, mini-split head mount	2 pieces at 6 ft	verify locally
Exterior trim blocks sized for LP SmartSide 38 Series lap	4 (2 fixtures, 2 receptacles)	verify locally
Duct seal per 300.5(G), wire tags and labels, 7/8" auger or spade bits	1, 1 lot, 2	verify locally
Bartow County electrical permit and inspection fees	1	verify locally

16.3 Why the cable footage is an estimate and what to do about it

The 900 ft of 12/2 is a routing estimate, not a measured takeoff, and it is labeled as one. Before ordering, walk the Section 9 and Section 10 coordinates with a tape and add up the actual runs, remembering that each run goes from the panel at (X 36", Y 360") out along the wall, and that stud-to-stud boring adds no length but vertical risers do. Buy one roll more than the measured total. Returning a sealed roll of 12/2 is easy. Running 40 ft short on a Sunday is not.

17. Open owner decisions and field verifications

17.1 Field verifications

ID	What must be verified	Who	Blocks	Consequence if wrong
F-1	Inspector's position on exposed NM above EL 96". Does stapled NM on open framing above 96" count as "subject to physical damage" under 334.15(B), and if so to what height? Get it in writing at the trench inspection	Owner, to the Bartow County electrical inspector	Buying the 33 sheets of OSB and any EMT	Largest cost swing in this workstream. If the AHJ wants raceway to full wall height, the takeoff shifts to roughly 400 lf of EMT and the OSB line becomes optional
F-2	Measured one-way trench length L, house panel to garage panel, along the actual route including both risers. Walk it with a wheel	Owner	Everything in Section 14. Conductor size, conduit length, trench cost	Conductor size is wrong in both directions. Oversized wastes the largest material line; undersized fails ampacity or blows past 3%
F-3	House panel: main breaker rating, free space count, brand and model, service type overhead or underground. Photograph the label	Owner	Ordering any conductor, ordering the house-end breaker	Highest-priority item. If the house service cannot support a 100 A garage feeder, the entire design changes and a service upgrade enters scope
F-4	Man door handing, left or right. Latch side determines the switch bank position	Owner, from the door order	Rough-in box placement at X 430" or X 382"	Switch bank on the hinge side, reachable only by walking past the door
F-5	Jackshaft opener cord length, from the selected unit's installation manual	Owner, at opener purchase	The X 200", EL 108" box position	Receptacle out of reach of the opener cord. I have not verified any specific model's cord length
F-6	Whether a screw into the wide face of a truss bottom chord, clear of the plates, is an alteration under IRC R802.10.4. Get the truss manufacturer's written position, or use non-penetrating clips	Owner, to the truss supplier	All running board installation	A field alteration of an engineered component. Rejection at inspection, and a real structural question
F-7	Whether an unconditioned detached accessory structure must produce an Energy Code Compliance Certificate for the step 12 Final C/O, posted at the panel	Owner, to the Bartow County building official, in writing	Final C/O	A final inspection failed on paperwork. The certificate posts at the panel, which makes it this workstream's problem
F-8	Available fault current at the house panel, and the AIC rating on the garage loadcenter label	Owner, from the utility or the house panel's 110.24 field marking	Panel selection	A standard 10 kAIC loadcenter is almost always adequate at the end of a long feeder. This has not been calculated here and is not asserted
F-9	Compressor horsepower and nameplate FLA, and the plug horsepower rating	Owner, at compressor purchase	The 8 AWG conductor and the 40 A 2-pole breaker	A-E1 assumes 5 HP at 28 A. A 7.5 HP unit at 40 A breaks the 100 A panel. Rerun Section 4.3
F-10	Selected EVSE's compatibility with an upstream GFCI, from the manufacturer's installation manual	Owner, at EVSE purchase	Nothing in the install. Prevents a nuisance-tripping surprise	A charger that trips the 2-pole GFCI every night and cannot be fixed without replacing the charger
F-11	Window position on the right wall, actual Y centerline and head elevation. A-E7 assumes centered at Y 180"	Framing workstream	Right-wall device layout at Y 120" and Y 240"	Two receptacles land in a rough opening
F-12	LP SmartSide 38 Series trim block thickness and fastener schedule at the four exterior penetrations, from the current LP installation instructions at `https://lpcorp.com`. Record the date checked	Owner	Exterior box and trim block install, before siding	Flashing detail wrong at four wall penetrations
F-13	Bench footprint, if there is going to be one. Section 10.3 assumes right wall, Y 96" to 240", 30" deep, top at EL 36"	Owner	Task fixture and right-wall device positions	Two receptacles and two fixtures in the wrong place. Free to move before rough-in
F-14	Whether the 2026 Georgia Amendments make the 3% voltage drop informational note mandatory by local amendment. I have not verified this either way	Owner, at permit review	Nothing. The design meets 3% at every distance	None, the design already complies. Verify only if someone argues about it

17.2 Owner decisions

ID	Decision	Options	Default if the owner does not decide	Deadline
D-1	EVSE current setting	32 A (A-E2, the design basis), 24 A (frees 9.6 A), 40 A (breaks the 100 A main at 108.8 A calculated)	32 A. Labeled on the cover plate	At EVSE commissioning, but the label goes on at trim-out
D-2	Overhead door opener type	Jackshaft (fits the 24" headroom budget without argument), trolley (headroom compatibility not verified in this document), none	Install both provision boxes on circuit 19. Decide the opener later	Both boxes go in at rough-in regardless. Opener purchase can wait
D-3	Feeder conductor material	Copper (simpler terminations, more money), aluminum (less money, needs listed lugs, correct torque, and the specified antioxidant)	Copper at L of 100 ft or less. Price both at 150 ft or more	Before ordering conductor, after F-2
D-4	Interior OSB wiring protection, build it or not	Build it to 96" (31 sheets, 991 sf of nailable wall, removes the 334.15(B) question below 96"), skip it and run exposed NM the full height, or run EMT the full height	Build it, pending F-1	After F-1
D-5	Pull a 12/2 service-receptacle stub to the future condenser pad now	Yes (a box and a device later), no (a trench and a wall penetration later)	Yes. It is one stub and 40 ft of cable on a circuit that has capacity	At P9b, with the spare conduit
D-6	Low-voltage pathway, 1" smurf tube from the panel wall to the truss space	Yes, no	Yes. It is cheap pipe before the OSB and a wall demo after	At P9b
D-7	EGC size if L measures near 200 ft copper	6 AWG (the calculation lands within 0.04% of it), 4 AWG (removes the argument)	4 AWG if L is 190 ft or more	Before ordering conductor
D-8	Who pulls the electrical permit and who does the work	Owner-builder under the Georgia owner-builder provision, or a licensed electrical contractor	Not decided. Georgia's electrical contractor licensing rules are separate from the O.C.G.A. 43-4-14(b)(1) design-professional exemption that covers the structural drawings, and the two are frequently confused. Verify the owner-builder electrical permit rules with Bartow County directly	Before the permit application
D-9	Fixture wattage ceiling	50 W max per fixture (A-E3, the load-calculation basis), higher	50 W max. Above it, the lighting line grows and a 100 A main stops covering the calculation. See 9.1	At fixture purchase
D-10	Whether to future-proof to 125 A now	Install 100 A now with the 125 A bus and 2" conduit already in place (the design), or go to 125 A at the outset	100 A now. The bus and the conduit already support the upgrade with no trench and no new panel	Only revisit if F-3 shows the house has real capacity and the owner wants a 48 A charger

17.3 Standing risks carried from the project level

Risk	Status in this workstream
Code edition advisory. DCA sources conflict on 2026-01-01 versus 2027-01-01. Bartow County is the authority	Nothing in this document turns on the answer. The 2023 NEC section numbering is stable across both candidate editions. Section 3
Exposure Category B is an assumption. Under Exposure C a corner stud reaches 0.953	No electrical consequence. Carried here only so this document does not read as if the structural assumptions are settled
The 10'-0" header span is outside IRC Table R602.7(1) and is a PE-stamp candidate	No electrical consequence, but it affects whether a stamped drawing set is produced, which affects how much detail the electrical sheets need. Watch it
No PE stamp is required by statute, O.C.G.A. 43-4-14(b)(1). Only the header span is an open stamp question	Does not reach the electrical scope. D-8 is a separate licensing question and must not be conflated with it
Field assumptions A1, A2, A3 from the project level: the 24"x24" footing is a continuous perimeter footing, the 6'-0" garage door dimension is to the near edge, the 58" man door dimension is to the near edge	A2 and A3 are load-bearing on this document. Every X coordinate in Sections 9 and 10 is derived from them. If either is actually a centerline dimension, the entire front wall device layout shifts and has to be redrawn

18. Code citation index

18.1 National Electrical Code, 2023 edition with 2026 Georgia Amendments

Section	What it governs	Where it is used here
90.4	AHJ authority to interpret, including "subject to physical damage"	11.2, F-1
90.5(C)	Informational notes are explanatory and not enforceable	14.3
110.14(A), 110.14(C)(1)	Terminations and listed lugs. Conductor ampacity limited to the lowest termination temperature rating	5.2, 14.2, 14.7
110.24	Field marking of available fault current at service equipment	F-8
110.26(A)(1), (A)(2), (A)(3)	Working space, 36" deep, 30" wide, 78" high	5.2, 6.3, 10.4, 13.6
210.8(A)(2), 210.8(A)(3)	GFCI for 125 V through 250 V receptacles in garages and accessory buildings, and for outdoor receptacles	3.1, 7, 8.1, 8.4, 10.8
210.8(F)	GFCI for outdoor outlets including hardwired equipment. HVAC exception expired 2026-09-01	7, 8.4
210.11(C)(4)	Dedicated 20 A garage receptacle circuit, no other outlets	6.2, 7, 8.1
210.12(A), (D)	AFCI, dwelling-unit listed areas. Not triggered here	7, 8.5
210.19(A) Informational Note	3% branch-circuit voltage drop recommendation	14.3
210.52(A)	Dwelling-unit 6 ft / 12 ft spacing. Not triggered in a garage	7, 10.1
210.52(G)(1)	At least one receptacle per vehicle bay, 66" maximum height, attached and detached garages with electric power	7, 8.1, 10.1, 10.2
210.63	HVAC service receptacle within 25 ft. Not triggered until a mini-split exists	7, 12.2
210.70(A)(2)	Exterior lighting outlet at grade-level entrances. Vehicle doors do not count	7, 9.4
215.2(A)(1)	Feeder ampacity, non-continuous plus 125% of continuous	4.3, 14.2
215.2(A)(2) Informational Note	3% feeder voltage drop recommendation, 5% combined	14.2, 14.3
220.11, 220.12, Table 220.12, 220.14(J)	Dwelling floor area excludes garages. General lighting unit loads by occupancy, which do not list a private garage. The dwelling 3 VA/ft² figure	3.1, 4.1
220.14, 220.14(I)	Other loads at actual connected value. 180 VA per receptacle yoke, non-dwelling	3.1, 4.1, 4.3, 10.9
220.57, 220.60, 220.61	EVSE calculated load at the larger of 7,200 VA or nameplate. Noncoincident loads. Neutral at maximum unbalanced load	4.3, 4.4, 5.3, 8.3, 14.6
225.30	One feeder or branch circuit per structure	6.1, 6.2, 12.3
225.31, 225.32, 225.33, 225.37	Disconnecting means for all ungrounded conductors at the structure, at a readily accessible location outside or inside nearest the entrance. Six disconnects maximum. Plaque where a structure has more than one supply, not applicable here	5.1, 5.2, 6.3
240.4, 240.4(B), 240.6(A)	Conductor overcurrent protection. Next-size-up does nothing at 100 A because 100 A is a standard rating	14.2
240.4(D)(5), 240.4(D)(7)	12 AWG Cu limited to 20 A, 10 AWG Cu to 30 A	8.2
250.32(A) and its Exception	Grounding electrode system at a feeder-supplied structure. Exception only for a single branch circuit	6.2, 6.4, 7
250.32(B)(1) and its Exception	Four-wire feeder, EGC run with the supply, neutral not bonded. Exception only for existing premises wiring	6.5, 7
250.50 and its Exception	All present electrodes bonded. Exception for inaccessible concrete-encased electrode in an existing structure	6.4
250.52(A)(1) through (A)(7)	Permitted grounding electrodes	6.4
250.52(A)(3)	Concrete-encased electrode, 20 ft of 1/2" rebar or 4 AWG bare Cu in 2" of concrete	6.4
250.52(A)(5)	Rod and pipe electrodes	6.4
250.53(A)(2), (A)(3), (G)	Supplemental electrode unless a single rod measures 25 ohms or less. Rod separation 6 ft minimum. 8 ft of rod in contact with soil	6.4, A-E8
250.66(A)	GEC to rod electrodes need not exceed 6 AWG Cu	6.4
250.102(C)(1)	Minimum size of the grounded conductor	8.3, 14.2, 14.6
250.104(A)(2)	Bonding of interior metal water piping, if water is ever run	6.4
Table 250.122	EGC sizing by OCPD rating	14.2, 14.6
250.122(B)	EGC increased proportionally when conductors are upsized	14.2, 14.6
300.4(A)(1)	Bored holes, 1-1/4" edge distance, else a 1/16" steel plate	11.3, 11.4, 11.5, 11.6
300.4(D)	Cables parallel to framing, 1-1/4" from the edge, else a 1/16" steel plate	11.3, 11.4, 11.5, 11.7
300.4(G)	Insulating bushing at the panel for 4 AWG and larger	14.7
300.5(B), Table 300.5(A)	The interior of an underground raceway is a wet location. Minimum burial cover by wiring method	13.2, 14.7
300.5(D)(1), (D)(3), (D)(4)	Sch 80 or RMC riser protection to 8 ft above grade. Warning ribbon applies to service conductors only, not to this feeder	11.8, 13.2, 14.7
300.5(G), 300.5(J)	Raceway sealed at the building entry. Provision for earth movement	13.6, 14.7
300.14	8" of free conductor at each box	13.3, 13.6
310.10(C), 310.15(C)(1), (E), Table 310.16	Wet-location conductors must be listed for wet use. Ampacity adjustment for current-carrying conductor count. Allowable ampacity, 75°C column used	8.1, 14.2, 14.4, 14.5, 14.7
310.12(B)	83% dwelling-unit main power feeder allowance. Does not apply to an accessory structure	14.2
314.17(C)	Sheath inside the box, 1/4" minimum	13.3
334.12(B)(4)	NM is never permitted in a wet location, including inside a buried conduit	14.7
334.15(A)	Exposed cable follows the building finish or running boards	11.2, 11.3, 11.7
334.15(B)	Protection from physical damage where subject to it, with bushings at entry and exit	3.1, 11.2, 11.3, 11.8, F-1
334.30	Support within 12" of a box, every 4-1/2 ft	11.3, 11.7, 13.3
334.80	NM ampacity, 60°C column. Adjustment only where cables share a sealed opening	8.1, 11.4
352.10(F), 352.26, 352.44	Sch 80 PVC where exposed to physical damage. 360 degrees maximum bend between pull points. Expansion fittings where length change reaches 1/4"	13.2, 14.7
406.9(A), (B), 406.9(B)(1)	Weather-resistant receptacles. Listed extra-duty in-use cover, weatherproof with a plug inserted	10.8, 13.6
408.4(A), 408.4(B)	Legible circuit directory. Field marking of the supply source	5.2, 6.3, 13.6
408.36	Panelboard protected by an OCPD not exceeding its rating	5.1
430.6(A)(1), Table 430.248, 430.24	Motor loads from the table values, not the nameplate FLA. Single-phase full-load currents. Additional 25% for the largest motor	4.2, 4.3
430.22, Table 430.52	Branch-circuit conductor at 125% of motor FLA. Maximum protective device rating by motor type	8.1, 10.4
430.102(B), 430.109(F)	Disconnecting means in sight from the motor. Cord-and-plug connection as that means	10.4
625.17(C), 625.44(B)	EVSE cord length 25 ft maximum. Cord-and-plug EVSE permitted to 250 V, 50 A	10.7
625.41, 625.42(A), (B)	EVSE branch circuit as a continuous load. EVSE load and EVEMS	4.3, 4.4, 5.3
625.54	GFCI for EV charging receptacles, 125 V through 250 V, 50 A or less	8.1, 8.4, 10.7
Chapter 9 Tables 1, 2, 5, 8	Raceway fill at 40% for more than two conductors. Bend radius. Conductor dimensions. Conductor properties in circular mils	13.2, 14.2, 14.4, 14.5, 14.7

18.2 2024 IRC with Georgia Amendments, 2021 numbering in parentheses on first use

Section	What it governs	Where it is used here
R304 (R304), protection against decay	Clearance at R304.1 item 5, fasteners in preservative-treated wood at R304.3 / R304.3.1. Electrical straps, staples, and hangers in contact with the PT bottom plate must be hot-dip galvanized or stainless	10.x device boxes near the PT plate, 16.2 fastener line
R317 (R317), garages and carports	Garage construction requirements, including separation where applicable. A detached garage with no dwelling above and no common wall carries no separation requirement, but confirm	Context only
R602.6	Boring and notching of studs. 40% bore, 60% bore in doubled studs, 25% notch in bearing walls, 5/8" edge distance	11.4
R602.7(1)	Header spans. The 10'-0" span is outside the table and is a PE-stamp candidate	17.3, context only
R802.10.4	Trusses shall not be cut, notched, drilled, spliced or otherwise altered without the approval of a registered design professional	11.7, F-6

Georgia has DELETED IRC Chapter 11, Energy Efficiency. The building is unconditioned and the 2015 IECC is not triggered. The only residual energy-code touchpoint is the county's step 12 Energy Code Compliance Certificate, which is F-7.

18.3 Georgia statutes and county documents

Reference	What it governs	Where it is used here
O.C.G.A. 43-4-14(b)(1)	Design-professional exemption. No PE stamp is required by statute for this structure. Only the header span is an open stamp question. This is not an electrical licensing provision and must not be read as one	17.3, D-8
Georgia DCA, state minimum standard codes	Adoption of the 2023 NEC effective 2025-01-01 and the 2026 Georgia Amendments effective 2026-01-01, subject to the standing advisory	3
Bartow County Community Development, Building Inspections, "Codes Used," `https://www.bartowcountyga.gov/departments/community_development/building_inspections/index.php`, accessed 2026-10-04	The county's adopted code list, which is what the inspector enforces	3
Bartow County, "Typical Order of Inspections," dated 02/01/2023, `https://www.bartowcountyga.gov/16%20-%20Typical%20Order%20of%20Inspections.pdf`, accessed 2026-10-04	12-step inspection order. Steps 4, 8, 9, 10, and 12 touch this workstream	13.4, 13.5
Bartow County accessory structure permit fee, $0.20/sf with a $75.00 minimum	$240.00 for 1,200 sf. The electrical permit is a separate fee and is verify locally	3
Georgia 811, call before you dig	Required before trenching	13.2

End of WS10 Electrical, Revision B, 2026-10-04.

Every cost line in this document is a counted quantity marked "verify locally." No price appears anywhere in it. Every code claim carries its section number and is indexed in Section 18. Every assumption is labeled A-E1 through A-E8, every field verification F-1 through F-14, and every owner decision D-1 through D-10.