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Table 5-1. - Minimum Cover Requirements for 0 to 600 Volts (Burial in Inches)
Minimum Cover Requirements, 0 to 600 Volts, Burial in Inches Cover is defined as the shortest distance measured between a point on the top surface of any direct-buried conductor, cable, conduit or other raceway and the top surface of finished grade, concrete, or similar cover.
Type of Wiring Method or Circuit
| See Note 1 | See Note 2 | See Note 3 | Rigid See Note 4 | See Note 5 | |
| Location of Wiring Method or Circuit | Direct Burial Cables or Conductors | Rigid Metal Conduit or Intermediate Metal Conduit | Rigid Nonmetalic Conduit Approved for Direct Burial Without Concrete Easement or Other Approved Raceways | Residential Branch Circuits Rated 120 Volts or Less with GFCI Protection and Maximum Overcurrent Protection of 20 Ampres | Circuits for Control of Irrigation and Landscape Lighting Limited to Not More than 30 Volts and Installed with Type UF or in Other Identified Cable or Raceway |
| All locations not specified below | 24 | 6 | 18 | 12 | 6 |
| In trench below 2-inch thick concrete or equivalent | 18 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 6 |
| Under a building | In raceway only | Not used | Not used | In raceway only | In raceway only |
| Under minimum of 4-inch concrete exterior slab with vehicular traffic and the slab extends not less than 6 inches beyond the underground installation | 18 | 4 | 4 | 4 inches for raceway and 6 inches for direct burial | 4 inches for raceway and 6 inches for direct burial |
| Under Streets. highways, roads, alleys, driveways. and parking lots | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| One and two family dwelling driveways, parking areas. and other purposes | 18 | 18 | 18 | 12 | 18 |
| In or under airport runways including adjacent areas where trespassing prohibited | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 |