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View Full Version : "Storage room" with no receptacles


John Arnold
10-31-2012, 05:22 PM
New construction today had a large "storage room" on the second floor. It must be about 12X16 square feet.
It has HVAC, windows, finished walls and ceiling, carpet, ceiling light fixture, and not one single receptacle!
What?!
Chris Weekly
10-31-2012, 05:58 PM
Every 'living space' has receptacle outlets installed according to electrical standards and building standards. If a room does not conform to these electrical and building standards, then is the room part of the square footage, or size, of the house? If this is a 2000sf house, then the 192 sf of this room should not be counted.
Conversely, all habitable rooms should have rec. outlets space along the wall according to standards.
So this room either is not included in the square footage, or this is sub-standard electrically.
H.G. Watson, Sr.
10-31-2012, 09:18 PM
Closets don't require. How is the room designated on the plans?The oxymoron "habital attic" is sprinkled in the codes. Storage rooms, finished or not, are "occupied" space, not "habital".Curious if this 2nd story "storage room" is located over a garage or tucked away in eave space.
John Arnold
11-01-2012, 02:43 AM
Closets don't require. How is the room designated on the plans?The oxymoron "habital attic" is sprinkled in the codes. Storage rooms, finished or not, are "occupied" space, not "habital".Curious if this 2nd story "storage room" is located over a garage or tucked away in eave space.

It is over the 2-car garage. I don't know how it is designated in the plans, only that the buyers told me it is called a storage room. It would make a perfectly good bedroom if it had receptacles.
Darrel Hood
11-01-2012, 03:04 AM
This is so common in Texas it has a nick name, Texas basement. By not completing the room, it does not count as living space for the purpose of property tax evaluation.
John Arnold
11-01-2012, 04:32 AM
So, just by calling it a storage room they can avoid installing receptacle outlets?
Darrel Hood
11-01-2012, 04:45 AM
It's the other way around. In this tax jurisdiction, by not installing electrical outlets, it will be taxed as non living space.
Harry Janssen
11-01-2012, 05:31 PM
That is true,if the room is not finished ,you will not be taxed on it,of course,what constitutes a finished or habitatile room,is an other matter