Electrical Codes and Standards
Electrical codes and standards are the rules that NECA contractors follow in designing and installing any electrical system, whether high or low voltage.
- National Electrical Code
- Building Regulation and Inspection
- National Electrical Installation Standards
National Electrical Code®
The National Electrical Code (NEC), sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association, protects the public by establishing requirements for electrical wiring and equipment in virtually all buildings.
The NEC is the electrical industry's most important document and the most widely adopted Code in the world. The entire Code is reviewed and revised based on new technology and industry needs every three years.
Electrical contractors and workers use the NEC for estimating, designing and installing electrical systems. Excellence in electrical contracting, services and safe installations are the results of staying current with the NEC requirements.
Codes and standards are adopted by local jurisdictions in the interest of providing safety regulations for consumers. Maintaining compliance with the requirements of the National Electrical Code®, together with provisions for proper inspection, represents the minimum necessary in the interests of the public and the industry.
Building Regulation and Inspection
The North American Safety system is successful thanks to evolved product safety standards, adequate electrical installation rules, and third-party inspection for conformance assessment.
Jurisdictional building departments regulate construction by adopting and applying building codes, including the NEC, to installations and systems. Inspection of electrical construction work by qualified inspectors is an important element of conformance assessment process to determine electrical installations are safe. Such inspections protect the public from potential hazards due to incorrectly installed electrical products and systems and improve the reliability and performance of installed electrical systems, thus increasing their value to owners.
National Electrical Installation Standards
National Electrical Installation Standards (NEIS) are the first "quality and performance standards for electrical construction."
NEIS go beyond the minimum safety requirements of the National Electrical Code (NEC) to define what is meant by installing electrical products and systems in a neat and workmanlike manner. NEIS are developed and published by the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), under consensus procedures accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
NEIS contain additional requirements that go beyond basic NEC safety requirements. With NEIS, the electrical installation you design or install not only meets code - it meets the shared expectations of everyone involved: owner, specifying engineer, electrical contractor, and the authority having jurisdiction.