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I know that a conduit run needs to be assembled first, and only then have wire pulled through it.

I am setting up a roughly 50' exterior run containing an add-on equipment grounding wire: weatherproof junction box - liquidtight flexible non-metallic conduit - weatherproof junction box. It'll run up under roof eaves on snap-in conduit support clamps.

Q: installation would be easier for me if I assembled the box/conduit/box run on the ground, pulled the wire, and only then snapped the conduit into the clamps and secured the boxes to the wall. Once the boxes and run are secured to the wall, I would attach conduit and wire pull the runs attaching to the end boxes. Is that OK with code?

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    Anecdotally, this is how you might need to do it occasionally. When running some large wires by myself once I had to fish them through each conduit section independently on the ground then assemble the conduit on the wall with the wires already in it. I couldn't push and pull the wires myself through the entire run with it all assembled
    – Matthew
    Commented Aug 2 at 15:40
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    @Matthew The way to make it work is to put pull string in as you assemble the conduit. Then install the conduit in place and use the pull string to pull the wires through.
    – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
    Commented Aug 2 at 16:27
  • Yep I had string but the wire was still too thick and the angles wrong. It was much easier once I pulled the conduit off the wall.
    – Matthew
    Commented Aug 3 at 1:18

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If an inspector wanted to see the empty conduit first, then everything wired up in another visit, then this obviously won't work. But if the inspector is only going to look at everything at one time when basically complete then nobody would know the difference. Except...

It is possible that if you design things incorrectly you could end up with a situation where you have a conduit body or junction box that has the opening facing the eaves or a wall or otherwise blocked in a way that is impossible to use in the future. How do you avoid the possibility of such problems? By assembling and installing the conduit first, and running the wires only after everything is all in place.

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    Would any inspector ever require that the conduit be empty, rather than devoid of wires? Would there be any problem, for example, with feeding string into pieces of the conduit while adding them to the overall assembly, and then later using that string to pull wire after the assembly was complete?
    – supercat
    Commented Aug 2 at 22:44
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    @supercat -- I suspect that threading conduit onto pulling string wouldn't be an issue other than the possibility of creating something unmaintainable
    – ThreePhaseEel
    Commented Aug 3 at 3:52
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The National Electrical Code requires raceways to be installed first then the wire installed in them. That being said, inspectors are not normally there to witness the step by step process and how you accomplish that is your business. I have been on a few jobs where we pushed the wire into the conduit as we assembled it and terminated the end of it when finished. Normally, it is easier to complete the raceway first but occasionally that is not the case. However, you have to do it to complete your project, the inspector will be none the wiser once it has been completed.

Good Luck!

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