[Hillbilly]

How far do y'all go on a rough-in?

A couple places we work,Inspectors don't care if the switches/receps are made up or not on rough. Some guys here don't even set the Breaker panel(s) if they're in an unfinished basement,just leave a bunch of Home runs hanging between the studs.

We always make everything up,set the panel,make it up, install the breakers,and also build the Service if it's possible. Just seems like there's way less to do at trim-out that way,and it goes faster.

Just curious what others do.

 

[JohnJ0906]

We do as much as possible during rough-in. We will set the service before rough if time allows, or we are slow. All unfinished areas are wired and trimed out, execpt light bulbs. Wire furnaces, wells, sumps, etc, with breakers. (saves those extra trips)

 

[rod213]

Hey hillbilly that sounds very much like the same thing we do.

First we get a print drawn up, then nail all boxes up, put up fan boards if there are any, put in fan assemblies, put in recessed fixtures, put up panels and service if possible. Drill holes, pull wire one run at a time, put each run in the boxes an staple as we go. Leave all the homeruns out of the panels till the last one. We wait to install any receps or switches untill the wall covering is in place. We do go ahead and terminate the panel/s though. That's the long and the short of it.

 

[MDShunk]

Here's what I must have done for ruff inspection:

• meter base and associated riser or u/g raceway
• cable or raceway from meter to panel
• all service grounding
• panel installed
• grounds and neutrals made up in panel, hots haning long for later attachment
• all device boxes nailed on, and every possible connection in the box made up, except for the device
• recessed cans installed and wired
• bath fan(s) rough in section installed and wired
• venting ductwork for bath fans
• venting ductwork for dryer
• a/c, furnace, and water heater wiring tailed out
• panel cover installed

There are a few things that I do that are sorta not allowed to be done before the ruff inspection, but I do them anyhow:

• install keyless lampholders in unfinished attic spaces, if any
• install keyless lampholders in unfinished basement spaces, if any
• make up connections at any HVAC or mechanical equipment that already happens to be installed the home.
• install any or all devices, boxes, and associated raceways on unfinished basement walls
• install chime transformer
• install temporary GFI and a breaker for it on one of the dedicated circuits someplace in the house so the workmen can have power. In my area, the ruff inspection is also the service inspection. After the POCO gets the cut-in card, they'll heat up the house at some point in time. This will give the guys there real power and I won't have to stop back to make a circuit hot.

My goal is to do everything possible that I can during the ruff, except put on devices and trims in the finished areas or install branch breakers.

 

[rod213]

I almost forgot. We use metal boxes for our receps, lights and switches. Bond the box with one of the grounds. If they are daisy chained, we splice the other ground to it for about 3" or so from the back of the box and nip the shortest one. We try to never put more than 2 romexes per box, both of which come thorough the top of the box.

 

[MDShunk]

I almost forgot. We use metal boxes for our receps, lights and switches. .

Seriously? That's pretty much a thing of the past in my area for resi work. The only time I still use metal boxes in resi ruffs is when I need an odd number of gangs, like 5, 6, and 7 gang boxes, then I make up gangable boxes and mount them with Kruse straps.

 

[Hillbilly]

I almost forgot. We use metal boxes for our receps, lights and switches. Bond the box with one of the grounds. If they are daisy chained, we splice the other ground to it for about 3" or so from the back of the box and nip the shortest one. We try to never put more than 2 romexes per box, both of which come thorough the top of the box.

Interesting rod,metal switch/recep boxes????? We use the metal fan-rated boxes for ceiling fans,and the metal Oct.boxes for outside wall lites and inside wall sconces.

MDshunk,it's also interesting you mention venting dryers and bath fans. Only the HVAC guys can do that here.

 

[rod213]

Interesting rod,metal switch/recep boxes????? We use the metal fan-rated boxes for ceiling fans,and the metal Oct.boxes for outside wall lites and inside wall sconces.

MDshunk,it's also interesting you mention venting dryers and bath fans. Only the HVAC guys can do that here.

We will vent the bath fans. Not dryers.

We like the clamps on the metal boxes. Plastic 'tabs' that pushdown in the back of those plastic boxes seem to let the wire move to much in the back of the box.

So yeah, we use 'em with the 16 penny nails through the side and everything!

 

[brian john]

I went to a friends house recently, he wanted me to check the rough in prior to inspection. His contractor a local licensed electrician, had all the Romex in the boxes, not stripped, waiting till after drywall to complete. I thought this was different. I would think you have 2" of unstripped Romex in the box making placing devices and splices harder?

We always stripped the Romex and then installed it in the boxes, plastic or steel.

 

[MDShunk]

I went to a friends house recently, he wanted me to check the rough in prior to inspection. His contractor a local licensed electrician, had all the Romex in the boxes, not stripped, waiting till after drywall to complete. I thought this was different. I would think you have 2" of unstripped Romex in the box making placing devices and splices harder?

We always stripped the Romex and then installed it in the boxes, plastic or steel.

I walk through houses and apartment buildings under construction, after hours, in other jurisdictions to nose around. Helps me to see the current trade practices of other crews, and maybe pick up a tip here and there. The south of the border ruff wiring crews wire houses this way. They send in the skilled man after drywall is up to skin out the NM cables and make up the connections. Must be a nightmare for that guy. They drywall guys probably hate them too. It simply wouldn't fly for ruff inspection in my area, but it must be okay for some.

 

[Hillbilly]

Nother question....do Y'all write on each wire when you pull it in a switch box? Or do you use another means of ID?

We use a sharpie and id the wire...."3w foyer lite" for example.

 

[MDShunk]

Nother question....do Y'all write on each wire when you pull it in a switch box? Or do you use another means of ID?

We use a sharpie and id the wire...."3w foyer lite" for example.

I use a Sharpie also. I have it in my shirt pocket all the time, so it only takes a second to jot someting on the cable. I know some guys have some sort of system where they crimp indents on the wire with their nine's to mean certain things. Some guys bring the cable in certain knockouts to mean certain things. I just write with the Sharpie, to aviod any possible confusion.

 

[rod213]

Nother question....do Y'all write on each wire when you pull it in a switch box? Or do you use another means of ID?

We use a sharpie and id the wire...."3w foyer lite" for example.

Yep we go ahead and write the circuit number on the wire. We write the number-then the written number-then the number again. On both sides, just in case.

Like so:

4 four 4

 

[MDShunk]

Yep we go ahead and write the circuit number on the wire.

Are you saying that most of your work already has a panel schedule determined? Nice, if that's what you've got. I only get that on commercial work. For most resi, all I get is just a studded out house, a floorplan, and a kitchen and bath(s) cabinet layout. If I'm lucky, that is. Sometimes most of the house is ruffed while I'm still fighting the GC or owner for the kitchen and bath cabinet layout print.

 

[rod213]

Are you saying that most of your work already has a panel schedule determined? Nice, if that's what you've got. I only get that on commercial work. For most resi, all I get is just a studded out house, a floorplan, and a kitchen and bath(s) cabinet layout. If I'm lucky, that is. Sometimes most of the house is ruffed while I'm still fighting the GC or owner for the kitchen and bath cabinet layout print.

Well, on the first day of the new house or addition, we go ahead and make our own print if we aren't provided with one. We show what is going to daisy chain with what, what lights are hooked with what etc, etc.

Hey, I'm doing a little renovation at my own home right now. So I used the metal boxes here so I just got up and snapped a picture or how we get them ready for drywall. This is the end of the run. Overlook the messy drywall work, that's an ongoing project at present. LOL, I twist the wires, not much on drywalling!

 

[brian john]

I can finish drywall. I built few houses and worked with a finisher, basically self taught with some pointers.

I did side work doing drywall finishing. Surprising relaxing, but the boom box on, mud on mud off, do a little dance (if no one is watching), get down tonight. But after a weekend of that I was ready for electrical work. How they do it 5 or 6 days a week year after year, surprise me. But thank goodness someone does.

 

[MDShunk]

Surprising relaxing, but the boom box on, mud on mud off, do a little dance (if no one is watching), get down tonight.

Oh, thanks a lot. Now, I'll have that song running through my head for hours, along with all the other KC and The Sunshine Band's hits that I thought I forgot. :laughing:


Shake, shake, shake....

 

[Hendrix]

You left the clamp in and wrapped the gnd. around the clamp screw????
That would fail insp. here. You need a "greenie" in the proper hole or you get tagged.

 

[MDShunk]

You left the clamp in and wrapped the gnd. around the clamp screw????
That would fail insp. here. You need a "greenie" in the proper hole or you get tagged.

He removed the clamp, and the pryouts are clearly visable. That is a 100% compliant method. If you get red-tagged for it in your area, the inspector is absolutely overstepping his bounds. There is no foundation in the code that requires a particular ground screw be used for grounding the box in any particular threaded hole. You can throw away an unused clamp and use that clamp screw in the clamp screw hole to secure the equpiment ground. Not my preference either, but compliant just the same. I have a feeling he may have posted that picture just to get comments on the grounding arrangement, as the rest of the box arrangement it typical.

 

[Mountain Electrician]

250.148(C) : Metal Boxes. A connection shall be made between the one or more equipment grounding conductors and a metal box by means of a grounding screw that shall be used for no other purpose or a listed grounding device.

As long as you don't use a sheetmetal screw (250.8), and the clamp is taken out, its all good.