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?

2 comments

2 Comments

miabennett15d 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_margaret15d 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.