Great example of DIY electrical

I couldn’t believe my eyes. The “electrician” tapped into the porch light to add lights to the front of the garage.

Front of garage

So, other than ‘workmanship’, what is your concern?

So was it an electrician or a DIYer?

I appreciate that he/she “cut-in” raceways so as to prevent surface mounted wiring that may be subject to damage!

It also appears the holes created are in exterior/non-sharing walls so as to not be a breach in the fire separation walls.

Ugly yes.

But I fail to see a real defect other than possibly unsupported wiring.

The surface mount wiring should be in conduit to prevent damage.

That’s the only real defect I see, besides it’s kind of ugly!

Look closely… it’s not surface mounted… the drywall is cut out to act as a raceway.

I stand corrected–it’s still ugly. :wink:

There was also a 220v outlet added for the dryer. The box is not flush with the drywall, there was no outlet cover, and the wire penetrated the fire separation wall. I’ll add pictures.
I didn’t remove the light fixtures to see if the wires were terminated properly in an approved junction Box.
Because of the DIY appearance of these two items, I recommended that they be evaluated by a licensed electrician.
Removing fixtures is beyond the SOP.

Okay… is that the ‘whole story’ now, or should I wait for ‘the rest of the story’ before adding any additional comments? :razz:

Besides the additional pictures, yet to come, it’s highly unlikely that the required permits were applied for.

Ok. So when you post the additional photos and comments, please explain why you feel this to be the case. Is there a Law in your area that dictates that only Licensed Electricians are allowed to perform electrical upgrades on branch circuits? Is there a Law in your area that requires all electrical work to be ‘pretty’? What exactly is it that an AHJ would NOT approve of?

Here’s the rest of the story

There is a law that says you need a permit to make electrical additions. And “pretty” says a lot about the quality of the workmanship.

Ok… it would help tremendously for our understanding to know the location where these fixtures are located within the garage. It’s obvious where the carriage lights are located, but, the rest of the stuff?

Yes, it does make a difference!

Point is… a homeowner can make the upgrades, it doesn’t need to be a licensed contractor, as long as the homeowner attains a permit.

So, what is there that an AHJ would use to deny a permit?

You can call at least one violation directly:
Protection Against Physical Damage, NEC 300-4
*(e) Cables and Raceways Installed in Shallow Grooves. Cable- or raceway-type wiring methods installed in a groove, to be covered by wallboard, siding, paneling, carpeting, or similar finish, shall be protected by 1/16 in. (1.59 mm) thick steel plate, sleeve, or equivalent or by not less than 1 1/4-in. (31.8 mm) free space for the full length of the groove in which the cable or raceway is installed. *


Clearly anyone preparing that house for sale would plaster over the groove. Then, someone comes along and hangs garage shelves and creates a short or arc fault.

Sorry, the laundry room is inside the house. The tap into the back of the panel is in the attached garage with living space above. The penetration through the fire separation is in the garage.