Free Electrical Rough-In Checklist Template

Build and download a free electrical rough-in checklist — the pre-cover walk you do in the hour before the inspector arrives. It scores the numbers an inspector actually measures: nail-plate setback under NEC 300.4, staple intervals under NEC 334.30, box set-out under NEC 314.20, and the IRC notch and bore limits computed from the member’s measured depth. It returns one verdict — clear to cover, or do not cover. PDF, Excel, or Word export.

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Build your rough-in checklist

One area, one walk, one verdict. Everything here is something that stops the wall closing — so the sheet answers can this be covered, not how far along the job is.

Electrical Rough-In Checklist

Electrical

Walk not finished2023 NEC · 2021 IRC

Not checked

24

1Area, date & jurisdictionOne area on one day — this is a single-event sheet, not a project tracker.
Title
Inspection date
Area walked
Walked byoptional
Projectoptional
Project #optional
JurisdictionNot set — the edition changes some values
Authority having jurisdiction
Code edition
Permit #optional
General contractoroptional
Site addressNothing set
Company detailsNothing set
2The pre-cover walkAuto-scoredWhat must still be visible, still supported and still within limits.
Still exposed & accessibleNot started
Nothing covered, insulated or boarded since the last correction
Every correction from the last visit re-worked and left visible
Permit card posted and approved plans on site
Notching & boringNot started
Every notch and bore measured against the limit for that member
Metal tie fitted where a top plate is cut or bored more than 50% of its width
No hole or notch cut in an I-joist, LVL or truss outside the manufacturer’s chart
Protection from nails & screwsNot started
Steel plate wherever a bored hole leaves the cable near the edge of the wood member
Cable run parallel to a stud, joist or furring strip held back 1-1/4 in, or plated
Any cable laid in a notch covered by a 1/16 in steel plate
Measure it
Closest cable to the edge of the framing member

NEC 300.4(A)(1) and 300.4(D) — at least 1.25 in.

Measured (in)
Securing & supportingNot started
No pipe carrying the weight of another pipe, and no fitting used as a support
NM cable secured within 12 in of every box and at least every 4-1/2 ft along the run
Cable secured to the box, or within 8 in of a single-gang nonmetallic box
Measure it
Longest gap between NM cable supports along a run

NEC 334.30 — no more than 54 in.

Measured (in)
Farthest first support from a box

NEC 334.30 / NEC 314.17(B)(2) — pick which limit applies.

Which limit
Measured (in)
Boxes & set-outNot started
Box set-out matched to the finished surface that is going on
Box volume covers the fill for the conductors, devices and grounds landing in it
At least 6 in of free conductor at every box, 3 in outside the opening
Measure it
Greatest box setback from the finished surface

NEC 314.20 — pick which limit applies.

Which limit
Measured (in)
Shortest free conductor, measured from the sheath

NEC 300.14 — at least 6 in.

Measured (in)
Panel & readinessNot started
Home runs landed or coiled at the panel and tagged to the circuit they serve
Grounds made up in every box so removing a device cannot break continuity
No branch circuit energized ahead of the cover inspection
3Notches & boresAuto-scoredEnter the member’s measured depth — the IRC limit is a fraction of it, not of the nominal size.
4Sign it offOnly tick this once the blocker list above is empty.

Add to your checklist:

Download your checklist:

Free · no signup · fully editable

What's included

  • A single cover verdict — "Clear to cover" or "Do not cover" — computed from every blocked item, failed measurement and out-of-limit notch or bore on the sheet
  • A notch-and-bore table that takes the member’s measured depth and returns the IRC limit: 25% notch in a bearing stud, 40% in a nonbearing one, 60% bore with 5/8 in minimum edge distance, and 1/6 depth notch and 1/3 depth bore in a sawn joist
  • Nail-plate scoring against NEC 300.4(A)(1) and 300.4(D) — under 1-1/4 in from the nearest edge of the framing member and a steel plate, sleeve or equivalent at least 1/16 in thick becomes mandatory
  • NM cable support measured against NEC 334.30 — within 12 in of every box, at intervals not exceeding 4-1/2 ft, with the 8 in figure that applies instead when you take the single-gang nonmetallic box allowance in 314.17(B)(2)
  • Box set-out scored against NEC 314.20 by the surface that is actually going on: up to 1/4 in setback in gypsum, plaster, tile or concrete, and flush or proud in wood or any other combustible material
  • Box fill under NEC 314.16 and free conductor length under NEC 300.14 — 6 in from the sheath, 3 in outside the opening — both checked while an extension ring is still avoidable
  • Every code citation in a tooltip rather than on the page, and in full in every PDF, Excel and Word export

How to use this template

  1. 1

    Set the area, the date and the AHJ

    This is a single-event sheet, so it covers one area on one day — "second floor, north wing", not the whole building. Record the authority having jurisdiction and the code edition it enforces, because the edition changes some of the numbers underneath.

  2. 2

    Walk the exposure checks first

    Before you measure anything, confirm nothing has already been covered — insulation counts. A batt over a run hides the plate, the staple and the joint, and most inspectors will fail the whole wall rather than pull it back.

  3. 3

    Log every notch and bore you had to think about

    The framing table asks for the member’s measured depth, not its nominal size, and computes the IRC limit from it. A 2x10 joist is 9-1/4 inches, so a one-third-depth bore is 3.083 inches — not 3.333. Anything over the limit lands in the blockers list instantly.

  4. 4

    Measure the numbers the inspector will measure

    Setback to the framing edge, support spacing, and the set-out or rough-in dimension that the finish is about to lock in. Each measurement is scored against the code limit and prints the section it was judged against, so nobody has to take a pass on trust.

  5. 5

    Read the verdict, then sign it

    The sheet returns "Clear to cover" or "Do not cover", with every blocker listed under it. Tick ready-to-cover only when the list is empty. Export to PDF, Excel or Word — the disclaimer, the code citations and the full blocker list travel with every format.

The walk before the walls close

An electrical rough-in inspection has an unusual property: almost nothing it looks at can be corrected cheaply afterwards. A missing staple is a two-minute fix while the stud is open and a drywall repair once it is not. A box set 3/8 of an inch too deep is a box extender on every device in the room. A cable an inch from the stud face with no plate is a wall the homeowner will screw a shelf into in five years. That is why this sheet is a single-event pre-cover walk rather than a project tracker — it is worked in the hour before the inspector arrives, and it is organised around the things that must not be covered yet.

The framing section is the part that needs arithmetic rather than a tick box, and it is where most rough-ins actually fail. IRC R602.6 and R502.8.1 express their limits as fractions of the member’s depth, and the depth is the actual dressed dimension, not the nominal name. A 2x4 stud is 3-1/2 inches, so a bearing wall takes a 7/8 inch notch and a 2.1 inch bore. A 2x10 joist is 9-1/4 inches, so a one-third-depth bore is 3.083 inches. Enter the measured depth and the sheet returns the limit for that member, then scores the hole against it — and if a bore in a bearing or exterior wall exceeds 40 percent of the depth, it asks whether the stud was doubled instead of quietly passing.

NEC 300.4 is the rule this document exists for. Both 300.4(A)(1), for bored holes, and 300.4(D), for runs parallel to a framing member or furring strip, set the same 1-1/4 inch clearance from the nearest edge — and where that cannot be maintained, both demand a steel plate, sleeve or equivalent at least 1/16 inch thick, installed before the finish goes on. There is no third option and there is no after. Note the plumbing equivalent, IPC 305.6, calls for 0.0575 inch — No. 16 gage — which is thinner than the NEC minimum, so a plumber’s stud guard on a cable is a failed inspection.

Support gets its own measurement because the two numbers in NEC 334.30 are commonly conflated. Cable is secured at intervals not exceeding 4-1/2 feet along the run and within 12 inches of every cable entry into an enclosure, and separately the cable length between the entry and that first support may not exceed 18 inches — so a generous sweeping loop into a box can pass the 12 inch rule and fail the 18 inch one. Taking the single-gang nonmetallic box allowance in 314.17(B)(2) does not relax anything either; it tightens the first-support distance to 8 inches, because the box is no longer holding the cable.

Set-out is measured against NEC 314.20, and the code splits on what the finished surface is made of. In concrete, tile, gypsum, plaster or other noncombustible material the front edge of the box, plaster ring or listed extender may sit back up to 1/4 inch from the finished surface. In wood or other combustible material it must extend to the finished surface or project from it — no setback at all. Total the finish you are actually getting rather than the one on the plans: 5/8 inch board plus 1/4 inch backer plus tile is not 1/2 inch board, and that difference is the most expensive quarter inch on a residential job.

Values here are from the 2023 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) and the 2021 International Residential Code. Adoption is a state and local decision and editions in force vary widely, so the sheet records the authority having jurisdiction and the edition it enforces, and every measurement prints the section it was judged against.

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Rough-In Checklist FAQs

What does an electrical rough-in inspection cover?

The physical things that are about to become invisible. Whether anything has already been covered — IRC R109.1.2 requires the rough-in be inspected before it is concealed, and insulation counts. Whether every splice is in a box, per NEC 300.15. Whether the notches and bores are within the IRC limits for the members they were cut in. Whether cables held closer than 1-1/4 inches to a framing edge have a 1/16 inch steel plate over them, per NEC 300.4. Whether the cable is secured within 12 inches of every box and at least every 4-1/2 feet, per NEC 334.30. Whether the boxes are set out correctly for the finish going on, per NEC 314.20, and whether their volume covers the fill under NEC 314.16. And whether there are 6 inches of free conductor at each box under NEC 300.14.

NEC 334.30 requires nonmetallic-sheathed cable to be secured at intervals not exceeding 4-1/2 feet and within 12 inches of every cable entry into an enclosure such as an outlet box, junction box, cabinet or fitting. There is a second, separate limit in the same section that gets forgotten: the cable length between the entry and the closest support may not exceed 18 inches. A long loop into a box can therefore satisfy the 12 inch rule and still fail. If you are taking the single-gang nonmetallic box allowance in NEC 314.17(B)(2) — where the box is not larger than a nominal 2-1/4 by 4 inches, the sheath extends at least 1/4 inch into the box through a knockout, and the cable is not clamped to the box — then the cable must be fastened within 8 inches of the box measured along the sheath, which is tighter than 12, not looser.

Whenever the 1-1/4 inch clearance cannot be held. NEC 300.4(A)(1) requires holes in wood members to be bored so the edge of the hole is not less than 1-1/4 inches from the nearest edge of the member; NEC 300.4(D) requires a cable or raceway running parallel to a framing member or furring strip to keep its nearest outside surface at least 1-1/4 inches back from the nearest edge. Where either distance cannot be maintained, the wiring must be protected from nails and screws by a steel plate, sleeve or equivalent at least 1/16 inch thick, of a length and width that covers the wiring. Cables laid in notches get the same treatment under 300.4(A)(2), and the plate goes on before the building finish is applied. RMC, IMC, PVC and EMT are exempt from 300.4(D).

NEC 314.20 gives two different answers depending on the material of the finished surface. Where the box is installed in or behind concrete, tile, gypsum, plaster or other noncombustible material, the front edge of the box, plaster ring, extension ring or listed extender may be set back from the finished surface by not more than 1/4 inch. Where the box is installed in wood or other combustible material, it must extend to the finished surface or project from it — there is no permitted setback at all. The practical failure is not the code, it is the arithmetic: crews set boxes for the drywall thickness on the plans and then a backer board and tile arrive, and every device in the room needs an extender.

IRC R502.8.1 governs sawn lumber, and expresses the limits as fractions of the member’s actual depth. Bored holes may not exceed one-third of the depth of the member and must not be closer than 2 inches to the top or bottom of the member, or to any other hole in it. Notches may not exceed one-sixth of the depth, may not be longer than one-third of the depth, and may never be located in the middle third of the span; end notches may not exceed one-fourth of the depth. For a 2x10, which measures 9-1/4 inches, that is a 3.083 inch bore and a 1.542 inch notch. Engineered members — I-joists, LVL, trusses — are not covered by R502.8.1 at all; they follow the manufacturer’s hole chart, and the inspector will ask to see it.

No — insulation is concealment, and IRC R109.1.2 requires the rough-in be inspected before it is covered or concealed. It is also self-defeating: a batt hides the staple, the plate and the box set-out, which are exactly the three things the inspector came to look at, and most will fail the wall rather than pull the insulation back. This checklist puts the exposure questions first for that reason, ahead of anything technical.

Catch it while the wall is still open

We will run your numbers on the call and tell you if the maths does not work for a shop your size. That happens, and it is a cheaper conversation than finding out three months in.

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