Stapling wire in finished walls

[Cody Jensen]

I don't think I can do anything about, so this is venting more than anything else, but has anyone else come across an inspector that says wires need to be stapled to studs, even when fished into finished walls? I'm no electrician, nor versed on the NEC, but from what I can tell finished cavities are exempt from the requirement to staple wires. I am adding some circuits to a garage and now have to cut and patch two additional holes per outlet. Starting to heavily consider going with surface mounted conduit, but I'll have to convince my wife first.

[John Lanciani]

I don't have my code book in front of me (it's 10 miles away on my desk) but I'm reasonably certain that there is a specific exemption that allows for snaked wires to not be fastened where not accessible. Sounds like the inspector is trying to be the big fish...

[roger wiegand]

For better or worse, the inspector gets the last word no matter what the book says. It's only drywall, and patches are easy. Not worth a fight.

[Robert Delhommer Sr]

I have no idea how you would that in a finished wall except to open up the wall and I seriously doubt any electrician would go through that trouble.

[Frank Pratt]

From a Canadian perspective, there is a specific exemption for cables fished in walls. An ispector can't go around making up rules on his own. He's got to follow the local codes just like everyone else. I'd go over his head on this one, if he won't listen to reason.

[david scheidt]

I have no idea how you would that in a finished wall except to open up the wall and I seriously doubt any electrician would go through that trouble. They do if the inspector says they have to. The NEC code requirement is something to the effect of "and supporting is impractical". If the inspector says it's not impractical, it's not impractical, and the electrician gets to tear up the walls. The finished spaces exemption has limits, if you're doing substantial work, you may be pushing past what the inspector thinks is reasonable.

[Tim Bridge]

See the 2014 NEC article 334.30(B)(1)

(B) Unsupported Cables. Nonmetallic-sheathed cable shall be permitted to be unsupported where the cable:
(1) Is fished between access points through concealed spaces in finished buildings or structures and supporting is impracticable.

[Chris Damm]

I dealt with an inspector like that. He got so many complaints about making his own code book that we got him fired!

[Ole Anderson]

Another reason to not call for an inspection when you know as much as the inspector and you know it is done safe and right.

[Mike Heidrick]

Love these guys like home owners associations. I don't have either beyond what is required. +1 Ole

[Cody Jensen]

I don't think I'm going to do much to complain about it. There are two electrical inspectors in my city (or village as its called), and both told me that I need to staple it to the studs. I'm going to try to price out conduit today or tomorrow and decide which is the better option.

[Curt Harms]

I don't think I'm going to do much to complain about it. There are two electrical inspectors in my city (or village as its called), and both told me that I need to staple it to the studs. I'm going to try to price out conduit today or tomorrow and decide which is the better option.


Not a pro here. Do they require stapling along the entire length or just close to the box? If they require stapling along the entire length do they have relatives in the drywall business specializing in repair & patching?

[Rollie Meyers]

I don't think I'm going to do much to complain about it. There are two electrical inspectors in my city (or village as its called), and both told me that I need to staple it to the studs. I'm going to try to price out conduit today or tomorrow and decide which is the better option.




See the 2014 NEC article 334.30(B)(1)

(B) Unsupported Cables. Nonmetallic-sheathed cable shall be permitted to be unsupported where the cable:
(1) Is fished between access points through concealed spaces in finished buildings or structures and supporting is impracticable.

Those inspectors must be illiterate, and if you were to tell them so they would deny it because their parents were married before they were born. :(

The boxes do need to have cable clamps, Romex® connectors, or other strain relief, used when NM cable is fished in the wall. A code citation from them would required IMHO, then the one quoted above needs to be brought out. The inspectors may be biased against any cable wiring method because the OP is in IL, & Chicago & it's suburbs do not allow NM cable to be used & speculating that they may have come from those areas where EMT is the predominate wiring method.

[Cody Jensen]

I just avoided the situation entirely by coming out of the bottom of the box and running horizontal through the wall. The top plate wasn't as accessible as I had thought, so I didn't want to mess with trying to run up and over. Only got 2 of the 3 planned circuits added, but its still much better than the 1 I had originally.

[Art Mann]

If I were just adding an outlet or a few outlets or switches, it would never even occur to me to tell anyone else I was doing so. That would serve no purpose and would be asking for trouble.

[Cody Jensen]

I am just covering my ass in case there is ever a fire (or when I sell and a curious realtor wanted to know if a 240V line in the garage was permitted). The joys of living in subdivisions.

[Wade Lippman]

The boxes do need to have cable clamps, Romex® connectors, or other strain relief, used when NM cable is fished in the wall. .

How do you get a cable clamp on a box in the wall?

[Jim Becker]

How do you get a cable clamp on a box in the wall?
Probably have to use the plastic friction type clamp/grommets

[Curt Harms]

How do you get a cable clamp on a box in the wall?

Metal boxes have, or at least used to have, clamping mechanisms as part of the box. Kind of a bar with a screw in the center and cable openings on either side.

[roger wiegand]

How do you get a cable clamp on a box in the wall?

Use an old work box, clamp the cable in outside, then insert the box into the wall.