# New Shop Electrical layout



## Spitfire1 (May 18, 2016)

Hi All,
I am in the process of building a new house with a new dedicated shop. This week I am going over the electrical layout for it. The shop space will be an oversized single car garage attached to the house. I am wondering what are some things to consider or keep in mind in the layout.

For starters I am thinking of adding at least two 220v circuits for table saw and dust collector. Aside from that and a number of regular plugs haven't really got much else.


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## kajunkraft (May 7, 2012)

Building your new shop is a lot of fun as well as a challenge. So far as the outlets it is a good idea I to plan out where your various machines will be. Therefore, the 120 & 240 outlets can be in the best locations. Grizzly has a shop layout program that is free and could be helpful for you. Also, I put the bottom of all my receptacles 50" up from the floor. This may be helpful if flooding is an issue for you but also means you can prop up a 4" sheet of material on the floor and not cover up an outlet. No matter how many outlets you think you need, put in more! Also try to label your breakers so you know which breaker is for which receptacle. Good luck.


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

I would put in more than 2-240V circuits, you may have more tools in the future as well as wanting to relocate the use points of the ones you do have. I would also put all receptacles 52" above the floor (so they don't get blocked by things leaning against the wall) and you might want to consider using 2-gang boxes for the 120V outlets…even running 2 circuits to each so that each duplex is on a different breaker. That allows the use of to high-amp tools in each location. Lastly, have your lights on their own circuit, just in case you trip a breaker you can still have light. Enjoy!


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

I would have a subpanel out in the shop as it makes it easier to make electrical changes in the future.

I would put at least one 220 on every wall and wire them for 30 amps.

I would put at least two 110 on each wall

Wire the ceiling to have capability to add lights, fan, air filter, garage door opener and drop down plugs.

Plan for heat and air conditioning.


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## DaveM123 (May 2, 2020)

I agree with having a few 220 outlets. When I did my shop the only thing I had on 220 was my table saw. I put in one 220 outlet. Big mistake. I now have my dust collector and bandsaw on 220 so I have had to add outlets. Wish I had been thinking ahead!


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## zoro39 (May 21, 2019)

I agree with Redoak 49:

I would have a subpanel out in the shop as it makes it easier to make electrical changes in the future.

I would put at least one 220 on every wall and wire them for 30 amps.

I would put at least two 110 on each wall

Wire the ceiling to have capability to add lights, fan, air filter, garage door opener and drop down plugs.

Plan for heat and air conditioning.


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

all above are good suggestions.
the only thing I would add is a 220v near the big door for a "real" welder.
"just in case" you ever decide to get one.

.


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## becikeja (Sep 12, 2010)

I have incorporated contactors into my electrical system. I have a master switch at the front of the shop that can be locked out. The master switch then connects to 8 different circuits 5-120V and 2-240V circuits with multiple outlets on each. These circuits feed the power tools. Lights, radio, A/C etc…. are on separate circuits. By doing this I can prevent my grand kids from accidentally turning on any power tools if they happen to wonder in the shop without me. Maybe a bit overkill, but I would never forgive myself if something happened. I also had several contactors lying around so why not? If you're starting from scratch it would be easy to incorporate and you will not regret it.


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## Knockonit (Nov 5, 2017)

220 on all walls, especially near doors in event you decide to use a welder, yeah i know the 110 migs are great, but sometimes you need the big daddy to melt the metal.
at work counters, outlets should be about every 4 ft, with at least two circuits on counter top system, on working walls, where planers, drill presses, misc. sanders ect tools, i'd still do every four feet, easier to do it before closing walls, doesn't mean you have to use them but cords strung all over the joint well, we know how well that works. 
I have two coil cords in my garage, space haphazardly, just in event i move the big table, i hate stepping on cords so the drops are great. 
buying the leds, you can get linkable units, with a 3-5 ft cord on them, i made mistake and hung way too many led lights, for a while had to issue sun glasses, till i re spaced and adjusted count of units, i like light but got the led scalp burn , lol.
outlets are cheap to put in, before the fact, i redid mine a few months back and made sure i had at least two circuits on each wall, in event i was running a couple power hungry units, 
best imo to over kill the outlets rather than, "oh crap, i shoulda put one here." 
best of luck with new shop, anxious to see layout as time allows
rj in az
and yes subpanel, so much easier to have local breaker than a walk about to get to one


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

Wire aint cheap and you need dedicated 220 runs. Gotta be smart or willing to pay for the dedicated runs.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

I did the 50" to the bottom of the 2 gang box which was a great idea I picked up here. I ran two circuits to each box and used an almond 20 AMP on the left circuit. I used a white on the right circuit. It give me a kind of mental reminder of what I am using on each circuit so if high amperage tool is on the left circuit I reflexively plug the next tool in the right. If I ever trip which hasn't happened yet I can just move the load by moving a plug over.


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## jonah (May 15, 2009)

A subpanel is a no-brainer. There's no chance you never ever want to make any changes, so make changes as easy as possible.

Other than that, I'd go with at least three 240V circuits and obviously 120V everywhere.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

I also put in a contactor for lockout, but mine is a 100 amp, so it feeds the whole tool panel. I also have a primary panel for lighting, heat, ac, cameras, and several receptacles controlled by an in wall timer to control battery chargers. If this is a shop, not a garage, add an in floor receptacle in the proper box for power to ts without a cord to trip on. Even a duct for dust collection near the receptacle. I like working without trip hazzards. Of course, all these suggestions cost money.


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## MadMark (Jun 3, 2014)

Plug mold over the bench

Wall outlets over 48" for sheet goods clearance.

Put in quad boxes instead of duals.

Put in 2x the lighting you think you need directly over tools and as low as possible. General lighting is overrated, *TASK* lighting is key. More is always better.

Use twist lock (L prefix) connectors on your 220v loads, well, just because.

*FYI:* 
NEMA 5 is 110v, NEMA 6 is 220v, digits after dash are max amps, add L for locking. So NEMA 5-15 is standard 110v/15a wall plug while NEMA L6-20 is the 220v/20a locking plug for your saw.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

Make sure have the electrician put some outlets in the ceiling so you don't have extension cords running across the floor.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

Ceiling receptacles will require twist lock.


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## MadMark (Jun 3, 2014)

Unless you're planning on an island workstation there is no real need for ceiling drops for anything but fans and lighting.

Ibewjon: ... hanging from ceiling fixtures …


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

Mark????? Ceiling fixtures have small, light cords. A heavy 12 or 10 guage cord will likely pull out of most receptacles. I use floor receptacles in my shop, but that requires planning ahead, and the proper installation.


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## Knockonit (Nov 5, 2017)

wire may be cheap, but conduit and surface mounting sucks taking up realestate on the walls, and i put recoiling cord drops in middle of my shop ceiling so i can drop down on tables used for fabbing items.
imo you can't have enough outlets, as i detest cords lying around on floor, but hey if you wanna be cheap well then there are consequences.


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

Wire aint cheap.


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## rustfever (May 3, 2009)

Power cord reels on the ceiling are the greatest.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

How much do we spend on machines? Then so many complain about the price of the electrical system to make them operate. If wire is too much money, hand tools are the option. The electrical system is nothing compared to the building. As was stated, you need twice the lights and twice the receptacles you think you need. Use two switches on the lights so you can only use half when needed. And two lighting circuits is a good safety feature. No, wire is not cheap, but doing it over cost more…Over do it once, don't do it over.


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

When I built my shop and another for a friend I put in fourplex boxes every four feet and I did all the wiring in conduit on the surface of the wall. Very easy then to make changes in the future.


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## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

Lots of good ideas. Only thing I could add is….

A lot of my tools are at one side of the room or another. I wired a switch in in the center of the room that turns the dust collection system on. There's always wireless and such but if you're just going simple with a switch it's a shorter walk to turn it on from any machine. I figure I'm more apt to turn it on if I can reach it easier. Ideally a switch for the collector at each machine.

A master switch either on the circuit breaker box or some other method so that when you leave the shop all power is cut (maybe except the lights sometimes you just need to enter for a minute to get something.) Ideally it near the door on your way out. The reason? Well, did you leave that gluegun on? Is your compressor going to run at night? Will some kid come in and try to play with the table saw?


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## Woodmaster1 (Apr 26, 2011)

I put a 200amp service I'm detached garage shop. I put a 220 receptacle on each wall and 4 110's on each wall. I did run a 60 amp circuit to the upstairs apartment and a 40amp circuit for the pool heater and still have several spaces open.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

IMO, the term "sub-panel" for the shop, should be understood IN NAME ONLY. In other words the sub-panel box should be at least the same size as the main box at the house. That does not mean it has to fully loaded, but it does give you many more options when it comes to choosing what machine(s) and lights go on what circuits.

I made the mistake of choosing a smaller sub-panel box and now regret it because of its limitations. In retrospect, I did not have to have separate 240v for each 240v machine, since I am a one-man shop and only use one machine at a time. I eventually changed out one 240v breaker for my much newer 240v AC Mini-split system. Central AC is a requirement here in South Texas. Can't believe I did without it for so many years!










I have since added 3 or 4 more LED strips to the lighting that is imaged below, making box wiring quite a challenge… ;_0


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

Also remember that most breakers only allow one wire to be landed on a breaker. Square D QO breakers are designed for two wires to be landed on 15, 20, and 30 amp breakers.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

> Make sure have the electrician put some outlets in the ceiling so you don t have extension cords running across the floor.
> - bondogaposis


+10 on having a ceiling 120v box! I have that for both my 8×16ft garage overhead door and my 14in BS on wheels. That makes it so much easier to scoot my BS(on wheels) out of the way when making room for my TS and/or lathe as needed. Mine is in the middle of a 24×30ft shop. BTW, wheels are a good thing… I have them on my TS, BS, DP, and 8ft long planer table/storage. Thought about adding them to my lathe, but it is light enough to use a two wheeler. I prefer my jointer to be well grounded and not to slide.

My Harley already has wheels so that dun't count!...;-)


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## DrPuk2U (Feb 15, 2012)

I agree with virtually all of this. Can't have too many outlets.

But one tip from our son, a master electrician and building contractor. After it is all wired but BEFORE you close the walls, carefully photograph every bit of it so after its closed up you know what's behind thst wall when you start mounting cabinets etc.


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## MadMark (Jun 3, 2014)

*Horizontal Mike:* Love the shop. Looks nice and well used.

Sawdust blows off when you ride and quiets the gears if you get it in the oil.

MadMark
President
Screwballs RC


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

> I would put in more than 2-240V circuits, you may have more tools in the future as well as wanting to relocate the use points of the ones you do have. I would also put all receptacles 52" above the floor (so they don t get blocked by things leaning against the wall) and you might want to consider using 2-gang boxes for the 120V outlets…even running 2 circuits to each so that each duplex is on a different breaker. That allows the use of to high-amp tools in each location. Lastly, have your lights on their own circuit, just in case you trip a breaker you can still have light. Enjoy!
> 
> - Fred Hargis


I run all my 220V machines on one circuit and have never had an issue.

Good suggestion on the outlets, tho.

I would add don't lock yourself in. Surface mount your subpanel gives you an easy way to add circuits in surface mounted conduit.

Yes it costs a little more, but I recommend this for the entire shop. Putting the walls up without holes you'll love it!!


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

Put it in conduit for less chance of damage. And remember, Romex requires steel protection plates over every wire on every stud. Conduit also requires plates if not in center of studs.


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## WhyMe (Feb 15, 2014)

> *FYI:*
> NEMA 5 is 110v, NEMA 6 is 220v, digits after dash are max amps, add L for locking. So NEMA 5-15 is standard 110v/15a wall plug while NEMA L6-20 is the 220v/20a locking plug for your saw.
> 
> - Madmark2


If you are going to throw out numbers they need to be correct. NEMA plugs are 125V and 250V, not 110V and 220V.


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## Sparks500 (Jun 30, 2017)

Keep it simple, don't spend money you don't need to.
If you're a one man operation, two circuits should be all you'd need for general purpose outlets, it's all I have. Put double duplex outlets with each on a circuit. That way I can run a power tool and a vac With no worries. Separate circuit for dedicated tools like dust collector and table saw. Use conduit, maybe oversized so adding/moving circuits is easy. I have a 240v bandsaw and drill press, which are on the same breaker. 
Kiss method is always best.


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## temeculafredi (Jan 18, 2018)

When I bought my house back in 2010, it had a 5-car garage. For me this was the selling factor. The garage was on a 100-amp subpanel.

As my wife wanted space for her lapidary and Jewelry business, the 5-car became 3-car. Then we decided to add another 14 feet to the front of the garage giving a space of 53×34. I had read all the horror stories about "not enough power". At the time I had 4 220 powered tools: Tablesaw, Dust Collector, Lathe, and Planer. This in addition to other tools that used 110. I have since added a moulder and a jointer that are 220.

I applied my rule: Take whatever you think you'll need and double it"

The electrician ran 8 220 lines (4 30-amp, 3 20-amp and one 40-amp). The 220 lines are appropriately spaced around the shop. When I added the 220v Jointer I had to run an extra long cord to get to a 220 outlet. Go figure.

As far as 110 outlets, I added a 4-plex outlet every 8 feet around the shop. Additionally, there are two outlets in the ceiling for the convenience of not tripping over cords.

I let my wife determine her needs and she only wanted two 4-plex outlets. After 10 years, I hear the lament that "I really need more outlets".

Moral of the story: Allow for your present needs and then at 100% more for future needs.


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## temeculafredi (Jan 18, 2018)

Additionally, alllow for your lighting on its own circuit but preferable two circuits so you always have light even if you blow a circuit. When doing your 110 outlets, run two circuits to each 4-plex so you won't overload a circuit.


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