# Deck Receptacle



## Rick18071 (Mar 28, 2011)

2009 IRC 3901.7 requires a receptacle for a deck and a receptacle that is accessible from grade. I would like to know how other inspectors interpret this section:

1. For a new attached deck on a existing house wound you make them install a receptacle if none for the deck are there?

2. If the new deck makes the existing rec. not accessible from grade would you make them put a new rec. that is?

3. For a new deck 20' away from a house would you make them put a rec. on it?  What distance would you not require a rec.?

4. If a new deck but no house?

6. If a new attached deck has the rec. on it close to the guard where it might be reachable who has to be able to reach it from grade?  a. the inspector  b. the home owner c. a NBA player d. a little person. e. a kid f. a weightlifter that can't fit his arm through the barrier g. all the above.

7. If is a new 15'x6' deck for a above ground pool and it only comes out 6' from the pool does it need a rec.?

     or do you go by E4203.1.1 no rec. within 6' of pool?


----------



## jar546 (Mar 28, 2011)

1) Yes

2) Yes

3) Not attached, no

4) Not attached, no

5) You skipped 5 by the way

6) Not sure I understand what you are asking

7) If it is detached then not required anyway.  Is it attached to the house and accessible from the house?


----------



## mtlogcabin (Mar 28, 2011)

E3901.7 Outdoor outlets.

At least one receptacle outlet that is accessible while standing at grade level and located not more than 6 feet, 6 inches (1981 mm) above grade, shall be installed outdoors at the front and back of each dwelling unit having direct access to grade.

One receptacle in the front of the house and one in the back of the house and additional receptacles when you install the following on the front or back JMHO

Balconies, decks, and porches that are accessible from inside of the dwelling unit and that have a usable area of 20 square feet (1.86 m2) or greater shall have at least one receptacle outlet installed within the perimeter of the balcony, deck, or porch. The receptacle shall be located not more than 6 feet, 6 inches (1981 mm) above the balcony, deck, or porch surface.


----------



## Rick18071 (Mar 29, 2011)

On question 6 what I mean is if there is a rec. on the deck and you can reach it from the ground can it also serve as the required rec. that you need for the outside rear of the house that is reachable from grade?


----------



## GHRoberts (Mar 29, 2011)

How about this:

The deck is free standing but is within a few inches of the house. (A lot of decks are built this way to avoid water infiltration issues.)

jar546 appears to have indicated that no receptacle  is needed. But ...


----------



## peach (Mar 29, 2011)

it's not attached.. even if it's close.. probably not.


----------



## TimNY (Mar 29, 2011)

If you can step out onto the deck, I would say it's accessible from the house and therefore receptacle is required.

Just how far you have to be from the house to not be "accessible from inside of the dwelling" I don't know.  I suppose I would know it when I saw it.


----------



## JBI (Mar 29, 2011)

I think somebody's overthinking this... and No, I haven't forgotten about the attic stair thread!


----------



## Glenn (Sep 28, 2013)

Here is a video that provides some explanation to this provisions for both the 2009 IRC (2008 NEC) and the 2012 IRC (2011 NEC)





BUT WAIT!!!  There's FINALLY some good news for the decking industry...some "deregulation" of sorts.  It's time to update this video to the 2015 IRC now that the 2014 NEC is published!

This section has been modified to no longer require the outlet to be "within the perimeter" of the deck.  It merely has to be "accessible from" the deck.  It turns out that when they removed the 20 square foot threshold in the 2011 NEC, folks finally realized the unintended consequence of the decision.  Sometimes the door assembly on a small balcony takes up all the wall space.

Ahhh...but of course no new code language can come without new issues.  There's another little change to this section, and I can't say it was worded very well.

For reasons not explained in the "Analysis of Changes" document, this provision not only requires the deck to be "accessible" from the dwelling, but now it must also "attached".  Very dumb idea...

While I think they are intending to address a deck that is out in the middle of the yard and not "adjacent" the house, they've now connected the convenience of having a receptacle with the structural design of the deck.  Senseless....

I think "accessible from the house" took care of it just fine.  Little do electrical professionals realize (I presume) that two decks can be built to function identically, serve a door that is not the egress door, and one may be "attached" while the other is not.  That should have no bearing on the requirement for a receptacle...


----------

