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How deep do you bury electrical wire and conduit? (300.5)
Burial depth depends on what you're burying and where. Here are the most common numbers from the table, in plain English.
The breakdown, in plain English
- Direct burial cable (like UF): 24 inches of cover.
- PVC conduit: 18 inches.
- Rigid or intermediate metal conduit: 6 inches.
- Residential 120-volt circuits, 20 amps or less, with GFCI protection: 12 inches.
- Cover is measured from the top of the cable or conduit to the finished grade.
- Where buried wiring comes up out of the ground, protect it up to 8 feet above grade.
- No big rocks or sharp debris in the backfill.
Codes to look up
NEC 300.5(A) / Table 300.5
Minimum cover depends on the wiring method and the location.
NEC 300.5(D)
Protect conductors where they emerge from the ground, and add warning tape over deeper buried service conductors.
NEC 300.5(F)
Backfill can't have large rocks or material that could damage the wiring.
These are plain-English summaries, not the code's exact wording. Always check the full section in the NEC edition your area has adopted, plus local amendments.
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