It can be very frustrating when you build a detached garage, but it doesn’t have electricity. On top of that, you are not sure how to run electrical to the detached garage.
How to run electricity to a detached garage?
Connecting your detached garage with your house’s electrical panel can be easy work. All you have to do is prepare a trench for the wire. Connect the wire through the trench with the garage electric panel. Then you need to cover up the wire and trench with appropriate safety procuration.
You must be still confused about this matter. Don’t worry, this whole article is prepared to clear your head out. Read the detailed article!
Run Electricity to Your Detached Garage in 4 Easy Steps
Running electricity through your detached garage is simply like plugging an electrical outlet. But you will need underground wiring. You need to add your household electricity lines to your garage’s electrical panel.
One needs to dig up a panel to run electricity to your garage. You might be thinking wiring the electrical line can be dangerous. Yes, it is, but with proper guidance, you can do it in no time.
It can be a hassle to cut through the wall connecting the electrical wire. But if you have a clear pathway to your garage, it will be easier .
All you need is some proper tools for digging and wiring. With little patience and some suggestions, you can do it too.
Tools You Will Need!
Hey, Don’t worry yourself out. You don’t need anything expensive to run electricity to your detached garage. Although you might need some essential tools. But chill out, the cost would be a lot less than you can imagine.
Maybe some of the tools are laying in your storehouse. You might need to get to the closest electrical store and buy a thing or two. Here’s with what tools you can get the job done:
- Underground feeder wire
- Trenching Machine or shovel
- Drilling machine
- Measuring tape
- Conduit pipe
- GFCI breaker
- Propane torch
- Glue
- Screw
- Sand
- Red caution tape
With these tools you will easily get the job done. But also you will need step-by-step guidelines to do the job.
Below, I have discussed some step-by-step guidelines for you.
Step 1: Digging a Trench
To connect the house electric line with the detached garage you need to dig a trench. Firstly, you need to determine the pathway where you will put your underneath wire.
You need to call the utility locating service before starting digging. They will check if there is any underneath wiring in the digging spot. If not, you are free to dig the trench for the wire pathway.
Step 2: Digging a Whole in The Wall
To put up the wire you need to dig a hole in the garage wire. Find a suitable place where you can push your wire through. Then use a bolt driller to drill the wire.
You should try to drill the hole below the electrical panel of the garage. By doing that, connecting the wire will be easier. But before digging the wall it’s best if you inspect grounding with multimeter.
Step 3: Connecting the Wire
You need to connect the wire. Firstly, let the wire push through the trench. And then push it through the hole that was made in the garage. And then finally connect the wire with the garage’s electrical panel.
Before doing anything you need to shut off your electrical main switch. Otherwise, it can be dangerous to work.
You may need to attach a GFCI breaker to the electrical panel. Unfortunately, the wire is only twelve inches deep underneath the ground. A GFCI breaker will help to avoid any critical situation.
You might find yourself overwhelmed going through all the available GFCI breakers. There are hundreds of brands in the market.
That’s why we have collected some of the top-quality GFCI breakers for you to try. Check them out here-
| Product 01 | |
| Product 02 |
These GFCI breakers will just work as the outlet as a bathroom or kitchen. And your garage’s safety will be endured.
After connecting the wire you can say now your garage has electricity. But there are still some jobs left for you. There’s one more step to cover before you can rest.
Step 4: Covering the Wire and Trench
You can’t just let your electrical wire stay open in the ground. You need to cap your wire outlet. To cover up the wires that are above the ground, you should use a conduit pipe.
Then also you need to cover up the trench. Firstly, use sand to cover up the wire in the trench. Sand will work as a protector for heat, weather, and pressure for your wire.
After that, use a red caution tape above the sand layer. It will be a warning to prevent digging up that place. Cover up the whole trench as they were before.
That should be taken care of. Your job is done. Now you can hit the light or shut down the garage’s electrical door to check. Your detached garage is in the back with electricity.
FAQs
Question: How much does it cost to run electricity to the detached garage?
Answer: It can cost between $1,000 to $2,500 to run electricity to your detached garage. It depends on different factors. Like the distance of the garage, your electrical needs. Also, if you need to dig through the wall it can cost even more.
Question: Does a sub-panel is needed in a detached garage?
Answer: Yes, a detached garage may need a sub-panel to run electricity smoothly. A 100- amp sub panel can be enough for your detached garage. It will be enough for handling high electrical appliances. Or you can go for a 50 to 60 amp panel.
Question: What size of breakers do you need in a detached garage?
Answer: A 50 amp breaker with 8/3 wire can be used in your detached garage. This will smoothly handle your electrical load between two buildings. Also, install a sub-panel with its breaker. It’ll help you to shut off the panel from inside.
Bottom Line
That’s all for now. Thank you for checking in with us to the end. Hope now you are clear about how to run electricity to a detached garage.
If you notice something troubling, it’s best to consult a professional.
Best of luck with your garage!