Underground Burial Cover-Depth Lookup (NEC Table 300.5)
Returns the minimum cover for underground wiring by method and location from NEC Table 300.5 (<= 1000 V).
Example
You enter
- Wiring method nonmetallic raceway (PVC etc.)
- Location general earth
You get
- Minimum cover 18 in
Details, formula, and sources
Direct-burial cable 24 in, PVC 18 in, RMC/IMC 6 in in general earth, all methods 24 in under public streets/driveways, and 0 in (in raceway) under a building. Cover is measured to the top of the raceway/cable; the table footnotes modify specific cells and the AHJ governs.
min_cover (in) = Table 300.5 cell for (wiring method, location); cover is measured to the top of the raceway/cable. General earth: direct burial 24, RMC/IMC 6, PVC 18, residential GFCI branch 12, low-voltage 6.
Minimum cover requirements, 0 to 1000 volts, NEC 2023 Table 300.5, by name.
NEC is free to read at nfpa.org/freeaccess. Cover is measured to the top of the raceway/cable; the table footnotes (under buildings, in/under concrete, supplemental protection) modify specific cells.
Estimate. AHJ and licensed electrician govern. Verify against the NEC edition adopted in your jurisdiction.
Field names used by the API: wiring_method, location, min_cover_in
- Column values the <= 1000 V columns: direct burial, RMC/IMC, nonmetallic raceway, residential 120V/20A GFCI branch, and low-voltage irrigation/landscapeNEC Table 300.5
- Footnotes raceways under buildings (0 in), in/under concrete, and supplemental protection modify specific cellsNEC Table 300.5 footnotes