Basement finish, drywall going up
The wiring itself is installed correctly. Look at the whole job. What's wrong here?
- Wiring is being concealed behind drywall before the rough-in inspection has been approved
- NM cable in a basement must be run in conduit
- Drywall may go up now; the inspector can check the work through the box openings at the final
- Nothing. This installation is compliant
Show the answer and the code reference
The answer
New wiring is being covered with drywall before it has passed the rough-in inspection.
Correct choice: 1. Wiring is being concealed behind drywall before the rough-in inspection has been approved
Minnesota requires wiring that will be concealed to pass a rough-in inspection first. Under Minn. Rules 3801.3770, the inspector must be notified early enough, not counting Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, to inspect the wiring method and conductor splicing before they are covered. Drywall, paneling and other wall or ceiling finishes, insulation, and backfill all count as cover. If wiring is covered without adequate notice, the person responsible for enclosing it pays all costs of uncovering it and replacing the cover. Code-perfect wiring still fails this rule if it was never inspected.
How to fix it
Stop hanging drywall, call the inspector, and expect to remove the sheets over the new wiring so the rough-in can be inspected. Once the ROUGH-IN line is signed off, re-hang.
Code references
Minn. Rules 3801.3770 — Rough-in inspection of wiring to be concealed
Where wiring is to be concealed, the inspector must be notified sufficiently in advance (exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) to complete a rough-in inspection of the wiring method and conductor splicing intended to be concealed. If wiring is concealed without adequate notice, the person responsible for enclosing it bears all costs of uncovering it and replacing the cover material.
Drills citing 3801.3770Minn. Stat. 326B.36 — Inspection
Every new electrical installation in any construction, remodeling, replacement, or repair, except minor repair work as defined by rule, must be inspected for compliance with accepted standards of construction for safety to life and property.
Drills citing 326B.36
Minnesota
This drill tests a Minnesota inspection rule, not an NEC section. Rough-in before concealment is Minn. Rules 3801.3770, which was kept and clarified when chapter 3801 was amended in 2026. The general inspection requirement is Minn. Stat. 326B.36. Cities that run their own inspection program set their own scheduling procedures, so ask that office how much notice it needs.
How Minnesota adopts the NECWhy the other choices are wrong
- NM cable in a basement must be run in conduit. NM concealed inside a framed wall needs no raceway. NEC 334.15(C) covers exposed NM in unfinished basements and crawl spaces: runs across joists, and cable on basement walls, which needs conduit, tubing, or 300.4 protection.
- Drywall may go up now; the inspector can check the work through the box openings at the final. A box opening doesn't show cable support, protection, nail-plate locations, or the concealed run. Minnesota requires the rough-in inspection before the wiring is concealed.
- Nothing. This installation is compliant. The ROUGH-IN line on the inspection card is unsigned, and the cable already disappears behind new drywall.