Shoutout to a random FCC rule I stumbled on for coax burial depth

I was looking up code requirements for a job last week and found out the FCC actually mandates 18 inches minimum for direct burial coax in most cases. I always thought it was just a common sense thing, not a federal rule. Found it in Part 76 of their rules while digging for something totally different. It surprised me because most electricians I know just eyeball it around here. Has anyone else actually had an inspector cite this on a job?

3 comments

3 Comments

davis.dakota4d ago

miabennett said she buries everything at 18 inches now to cover her butt, and honestly I feel that hard. The problem is the FCC rule is federal but local codes can override it, and I've seen inspectors in different towns fight over this exact thing. One guy told me 18 inches is too deep for RG6 because moisture gets trapped and rots the jacket faster, so he wanted 12 inches max. Now I just have to pull up the spec sheet for every cable type every time, which is a pain. The inconsistency makes me miss the old days when everyone just eyeballed it and nobody questioned it. But you're right, covering your butt is the smart play if you don't want a redo.

miabennett1mo ago

Damn that's actually wild. I had an inspector hit me with that same FCC rule on a job last year and I thought he was making it up until I looked it up myself. Now I just bury everything at least 18 inches to cover my butt, saves the headache of arguing about it later.

the_margaret1mo ago

18 inches is overkill for most low-voltage stuff around here, and some inspectors will flag that as non-compliant for certain cables that shouldn't be buried that deep. The code varies so much by jurisdiction and cable type, so I'd rather check the local amendments than overshoot it.