Garage Construction Project

2026-05-26 - Wire Slack Above Panel for Conduit Evaluation

3 min read

Wire Slack Above the Panel — Conduit Routing Evaluation

Looking up at the wall above the Eaton 200A panel; yellow 12-2 NM-B Romex emerging from the top of the panel, looping with deliberate extra length up the stud bay toward the loft floor joists / rafter space; the top edge of the panel visible at the bottom of frame; OSB sheathing on the wall behind; loft joists visible at the top of frame

Photo Details

  • Date: May 26, 2026
  • Time: 11:59 AM EDT
  • Weather: Clear, 82°F, 38% humidity, 9 mph SW winds.
  • Phase: Phase 1 — 120V rough-in (DIY) — morning-after documentation
  • Location: Above the Eaton 200A garage panel, looking up at the loft joists / rafter space
  • Subject: Deliberate wire slack left at the panel end of the new rear-wall circuit, kept long while the routing decision is evaluated

Description

The new 12-2 NM-B romex feeding the rear-wall circuit was deliberately left long with slack at the panel end so the routing decision stays open:

  • Option A (current): route along the kneewall edge behind the wall, dropping down at the panel.
  • Option B (under evaluation): bundle all first-floor cables into a single conduit run up to the rafters, then drop into the panel. The kneewall area is excellent for running wires along the long edges of the garage, and a single conduit up to the rafters would keep things tidy and protect the cables.

A second conduit will be added later for the future loft 100A subpanel feed — sized and routed separately.

This photo is the visual baseline for that evaluation. With the slack left long, neither option is foreclosed; once the decision is made, the wire can be cut to length and the chosen path can be dressed and stapled.

Visible Elements

  • Yellow 12-2 NM-B romex rising from the top of the panel with extra length looped
  • Top edge of the Eaton 200A panel at the bottom of the frame
  • OSB sheathing behind the wire (interior side, drywall not yet installed)
  • Loft floor joists / rafter space visible at the top of frame — possible conduit termination zone

Why This Photo

Documents why the wire isn’t dressed at the panel end yet — it’s deliberate, not unfinished. When the conduit-vs-kneewall decision is made (likely after the west wall and east wall circuits are also pulled to the panel and the total cable count is known), this slack will be consumed.

Also serves as a reminder that a second conduit will be needed for the loft 100A panel feed — the conduit-routing plan should accommodate both runs in advance, not just the first-floor branch circuits.

Graph View

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