ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues romex in small office?

I have been contracted to wire a small free standing office one story wood on slab construction approx 25 x 25.

It looks like a romex job, but I have been told that the inspector wants MC cable. His reasoning that it is a place of assembly.

Bldg has it's own service and will be used a an office to rent self storage units.

With my understanding of the code single story commercial, romex is acceptable. Place of assembly means 100 people or more, and bx would now be accepatble there also.

hi,
first, i would speak to the inspector. then quote the code.

i think building construction dictates wiring methods..

take for instance a three story dormitory..this may be considered a place of assembly..it is built out of wood and wired with romex...i would be shocked if your inspector would require this building to be wired with a/c cable? even motels get romex..

i would use romex if the ahj will go along with it..if not a/c cable is not too bad but it is more expensive, time consuming and whole lot dirtier..

good luck

-regards

frodo

I don't believe it to be a Place of Assembly.
I would like opinions on whether a commercial office complex that employed 300 people is considered a place of assembly.
I don't think so, because more than 100 people are not congregating in one area.(I wonder about a large area that holds more than 100, but has cubicles separating them) However a conference room or cafeteria in the same building that holds in excess of 100 people would be considered a place of assembly.
Please comment on the above situations.

This is one inspector that has been standing out in the sun too long. He needs to take a look at NFPA 101 Life Safety Code.

Areas of assemblyof concentrated use allow for 7 sq ft per person which means only 89 would be allowed in your room (based on my really old copy). Not to mention that he has totally missed the boat on what a place of assembly is.

He could have a point about any wiring above a dropped ceiling though.

Tom

Redsy - "I wonder about a large area that holds more than 100, but has cubicles separating them"

Any room still must 'qualify' under other building code definitions to constitute a place of assembly. The building code and NEC lists those spaces that fall under areas that could qualify as places of assembly. A 12,000 sf room with 120 cubicles (100 sf load factor per code) does not become a place of assembly because there are more than 100 people in the room...it is still an office space.

NEC 518.2(A) gives many examples of places of assembly. NM cable seems perfectly acceptable for "silverbk" application.

Frank

If you use NM cable, be careful of the new rule in 334.12.
Don(resqcpt19)