Finished Basement

[John Goad]

When a portion of a basement has been finished, but the lights in the finished portion & the garage portion of the basement are still on the same switches, which code best prohibits this.
I am thinking E3803.4 where it says "At least one point of control shall be at the usual point of entry to these spaces"
To me it means there should now also be a switch at the doorway in the wall that now separates the finished portion of the basement from the garage area, but I guess it could be argued that the the walk-in door is still the usual point of entry & there is a switch there.
Just to be clear when you turn on the light in the finished area you are turning on the lights in the garage as well & vice versa.

[bob smit]

Usual point of entry should read 'usual point(s) of entry', in my opinion.
Per code sited however, it would be the AHJ's interpretation.
If I'm picturing your explanation correctly, I would have to agree that a new usual point of entry has been established.
Bob Smit, County EI

[Jerry Peck]

When a portion of a basement has been finished, but the lights in the finished portion

I am thinking E3803.4

I may be reading the above incorrectly, but ... if you "finish" a portion of a basement isn't that now used for another use and no longer under that section of the IRC?

[John Goad]

Finished out, as in, it is now living space just like the house that sits over it.

[Jerry Peck]

Finished out, as in, it is now living space just like the house that sits over it.

That's what I figured, which means that section no longer applies as that space is now "habitable space" and goes by the habitable space rules.

[Michael Garrity]

There should be a switch in each room that operates a ceiling fixture or energizes an outlet with a lamp plugged into the outlet.You can have a switch in a different part of the house which operates the same light but you need an on/off switch in that room as you enter that room.[3 way switch]

[John Goad]

But you still have to walk through a door from the habitable space into the garage potion of the basement, so shouldn't there now be a light switch at that doorway to turn the light on in the garage portion of the basement, or would the existing lightswitch that is by the back walk-in door of the garage part of the basement be sufficient. Remember that when you walk in this door at the back of the garage portion of the basement & turn the lights on in the garage portion of the basement you are also turning on the lights in the finished part of the basement.
In other words, shouldn't the lights & their switching arrangement have been changed to reflect the new set-up? I mean I know they should have been, but if you don't use the code referenced previously, which you could for the garage part, what should you use for the finished part?

[Michael Garrity]

yes,no,yes and no I do not have the code.You need a switch at the basement to garage door to operate the basement lights and a switch to operate the garage lights.

[Jim Port]

There should be a switch in each room that operates a ceiling fixture or energizes an outlet with a lamp plugged into the outlet.You can have a switch in a different part of the house which operates the same light but you need an on/off switch in that room as you enter that room.[3 way switch]


This is not an NEC requirement. The switch can be anywhere. The NEC only requires a switch. It does not specify where the switch needs to be located for habitable rooms. It also does not specify that multiple switch locations are required for rooms with only one entry.

[bob smit]

I had a feeling I wasn't picturing this one correctly, had this in mind:
'Where one or more lighting outlets are installed for interior stairways, there shall be a wall switch at each floor level and landing level that includes an entryway to control....... six or more risers'.

I've just been dealing with a contractor on that issue, as he was arguing that the stairs from the garage to inside the habitable space was not an 'interior stairway'. This has nothing to do with storage/equipment -'usual point of entry', which is thread is not about. (my bad).
Bob Smit, County EI

[Michael Garrity]

Nobody said that multiple switch locations are required but each habitable room and bathroom is required to have a switch.Look at your R code book.