# Roughing-in a basement



## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

Arcflasher said:


> Hi
> Im new to wiring basements and i have a couple questions.
> i was just wondering what the 2015 code says about basements?
> 
> ...


Since when did this become a website for moonlighters wiring basements?

Buy a code book and read it.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

Here's what you need to know about wiring basements: I can't think of he last time I did one for under $4000.00.


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## knomore (Mar 21, 2010)

My advise is that you call an electrician. 

This isn't a hobby we are all serious professionals who dedicate our careers to preventing fires by installing electrical systems that fail in a predictable and controlled manner.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

I don't know what to say here. 

I too was a commercial electrician who broke into residential by doing sidework. And now I do 100% resi. 

I was in the OP's same position, only I did much more of the legwork finding the code myself.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

For the past five years I have made a nice living off renovation work in this guy's back yard. Then the economy went for a chit and I'm fighting off clowns working off of home owner's permits for forty bucks an hour.

This guy is a fourth year apprentice. I'm a Master Electrician. I know what I'm doing. This guy doesn't. I don't ask moronic questions. This guy does.

The inspectors are getting tired of passing out red stickers to clowns. I know this because I see inspectors regularly.

Please, don't give this clown any advice.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

You could at least post in the correct section.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

HackWork said:


> I don't know what to say here.
> 
> I too was a commercial electrician who broke into residential by doing sidework. And now I do 100% resi.
> 
> I was in the OP's same position, only I did much more of the legwork finding the code myself.


.....


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

HackWork said:


> I don't know what to say here.
> 
> I too was a commercial electrician who broke into residential by doing sidework. And now I do 100% resi.
> 
> I was in the OP's same position, only I did much more of the legwork finding the code myself.


You are a legitimate contractor who started small. You were never a clown.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

backstay said:


> You could at least post in the correct section.


How is a question about basement remodel in the resi section not right?


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

99cents you have some nerve telling others not to answer his question, he's a 4th year Apprentice, you're a master, so what. 

Should we then not answer your questions since you are a master


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

360max said:


> 99cents you have some nerve telling others not to answer his question, he's a 4th year Apprentice, you're a master, so what.
> 
> Should we then not answer your questions since you are a master


Not my point.


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## LuckyLuke (Jun 1, 2015)

99 is being harsh but correct, Alberta in particular is full of unqualified people under cutting everyone and poising as legitimate contractors. They are feeding the customers BS stories to get them to pull permits saying I would do it but the wait for contractor permits is far longer then home owners so if you need the work done you have to pull the permit. 

What is funny is that many of them would have jobs for good wages and benefits if they didn't under cut actual contractors that could hire them. We don't do residential but we are getting many calls from people asking if we can come fix this or that as the "contractor" they hired is not returning their calls after it failed inspection under the home owners permit and they already paid them.....


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## B-Nabs (Jun 4, 2014)

Yeah, a 4th year apprentice should know the pertinent sections of the code in which to find these answers. They are all pretty rudimentary imo. 

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Boy oh boy. Back in my day there was no internet. Even before the pay as you go modem charges for those old bulletin board electrical forums. I made the passage from employed to self employed. The only available resource was the engineering section of the book stores and hersay from other sparky's. Finally at one point I discovered a Mike Holt bookstore outlet in West Palm Beach one time while on vacation visiting folks in Florida. That was a game changer, came across this book, which was full of insights and good advise. 










I have been a member here since the start of the place and many times I passed on tips, information, and tried to help out newbie's in ways that were not available to me in my journey. But wiring basements is strictly out of my league since lava rock is not so easy to dig out..............


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## electricguy (Mar 22, 2007)

I see the OP didnt even take the 2015 code upgrade course because he probably wont be allowed to register and he doesn't charge enough even to pay for it.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

Sure, it's only television wiring but there is a very specific way to do it that customers love and I get compliments for the way I do it every time. This is what makes people happy and it's not in the code book.


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## electricguy (Mar 22, 2007)

sbrn33 said:


> How is a question about basement remodel in the resi section not right?



I doubt that he even knows what the laws and legislated regulations are to be even able to contract in Alberta CANADA . 

In BC they can charge you for working unlicensed and an appearance before a provincial court judge. The BCSA can recommend and submit charges for approval.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

LuckyLuke said:


> 99 is being harsh but correct, Alberta in particular is full of unqualified people under cutting everyone and poising as legitimate contractors. They are feeding the customers BS stories to get them to pull permits saying I would do it but the wait for contractor permits is far longer then home owners so if you need the work done you have to pull the permit.
> 
> What is funny is that many of them would have jobs for good wages and benefits if they didn't under cut actual contractors that could hire them. We don't do residential but we are getting many calls from people asking if we can come fix this or that as the "contractor" they hired is not returning their calls after it failed inspection under the home owners permit and they already paid them.....


"My electrician got a job and disappeared".


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## Signal1 (Feb 10, 2016)

These are very basic questions that any apprentice with any training at all should be able to find the answers in the code.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

Here's my advice to the OP: A wall mount TV receptacle has a dedicated purpose. So does the receptacle below for the TV box. I don't care what the code says, install one nearby for general use.

What's the old saying, the code book is not a design manual?


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## Drsparky14 (Oct 22, 2016)

I think that many of the people in this post are being asshats and a little tact can go a long way. 

Do I feel that they should pick up a code book? Yea 

Do I feel they should not do this job if they don't feel qualified? Yes. 

No matter what do not do the job if you will not be pulling the permit yourself. Do not have a homeowner pull the permit. If you don't have the means to pull the permit yourself for the owner then don't do the job. 

I know that many times I have came across things in my life that I didn't know and I depended on hearsay to help me out. Not in electrical mind you but yea. 

I'm in the states not in BC and in my state where we wire by the NEC 2014 standards. 

All 120v residential room circuits (laundry, bedrooms, parlors, kitchen, dining, hallways, etc ) have to be AFCI protected. Garages, bathrooms, exterior circuits are exempt of this requirement. 



The spacing of electrical outlets is only for wall space and an electrical outlet behind a mounted tv is not considered as one of the required outlets. So space the room as if the tv outlets didn't exist. Then add the wall mount tv outlets to that. (I would charge more for that outlet) 
This outlet does not have to be on its own circuit. 

Lights and plugs can be on the same circuit and in residential they generally are. 

12 outlets is not max for a circuit, in residential you just have to have enough circuits spaced out to cover the square footage of the basement. 
This is found in article 220 of the code book. Just make sure that you have enough circuits to cover what you would expect the average home owner to have on these circuits. 

Wire a basement the same you would wire any other floor of a home. 

Beyond the advice I just gave which is based off of the 2014 code and not in consideration of any local codes you have in BC. I recommend you purchase an NEC handbook as they have a lot of good advice in them. 
You will need to know this code in and out if you are going to be testing to be a journeyman electrician. 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## eddy current (Feb 28, 2009)

To the OP.

In Canada, if you are a real apprentice, you would have been to school all ready at least once. The first time you go to school it is all ressi. Second time is commercial and the third is industrial. (some provinces have four)

My point is if you were a real apprentice, you would have a code book by now and would have been to school all ready and learned this stuff. 

I don't think you are an actual apprentice. If you can prove it, I will answer all your questions with Canadian Electrical Code references.


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