What are the electrical requirements for a home workshop or garage in New Brunswick?

Electrical Requirements for a Home Workshop or Garage in New Brunswick

Setting up a properly wired workshop or garage in New Brunswick — whether it's a woodworking shop in your attached garage, a welding bay in a detached building, or a general hobbyist space — requires more electrical capacity than most homeowners initially expect. Planning the electrical layout before you start buying tools saves expensive retrofit work and ensures your shop can grow with your needs.

Power Assessment: What Do Your Tools Need?

The first step is listing every tool you plan to use and its electrical requirements:

120V Tools (standard household circuits):

| Tool | Running Amps | Startup Surge | Circuit Needed |
|------|-------------|---------------|----------------|
| Drill press | 5-8A | 10-16A | 15A shared |
| Belt/disc sander | 6-10A | 12-20A | 15-20A |
| Router | 8-12A | 16-24A | 20A dedicated |
| Circular saw | 10-15A | 20-30A | 20A dedicated |
| Shop vacuum | 8-12A | 16-24A | 20A dedicated |
| Air compressor (1-2 HP) | 10-15A | 20-40A | 20A dedicated |
| Bench grinder | 4-6A | 8-12A | 15A shared |

240V Tools (require dedicated circuits):

| Tool | Running Amps | Circuit Needed |
|------|-------------|----------------|
| Table saw (1.5-3 HP) | 12-20A | 20-30A dedicated |
| Planer (2-3 HP) | 15-20A | 30A dedicated |
| Jointer (1-2 HP) | 10-15A | 20A dedicated |
| Welder (MIG/Stick) | 20-50A | 30-50A dedicated |
| Air compressor (3-5 HP) | 15-25A | 30A dedicated |
| Dust collector (2-3 HP) | 12-18A | 20-30A dedicated |

Minimum Electrical Setup by Workshop Type

Basic Hobby Shop (hand tools + a few power tools):

• 2-3 dedicated 20-amp, 120V circuits for tools


• 1 general-purpose 15-amp circuit for lighting and small loads


• 1 dedicated 20-amp circuit for a shop vac or dust collector


• Total panel capacity needed: 60-80 amps


• Estimated cost: $1,500-$3,000

Intermediate Woodworking Shop:

• 3-4 dedicated 20-amp, 120V circuits


• 1-2 dedicated 240V circuits (table saw, planer, or dust collector)


• 1 lighting circuit with bright LED shop lights


• 1 dedicated circuit for air compressor


• Total panel capacity needed: 80-125 amps


• Estimated cost: $3,000-$6,000

Serious Workshop / Welding Bay:

• 4-6 dedicated 120V circuits


• 2-3 dedicated 240V circuits (welder, compressor, major tools)


• Dedicated lighting circuit


• Dedicated heating circuit (electric unit heater for New Brunswick winters)


• Total panel capacity needed: 100-200 amps


• Estimated cost: $5,000-$12,000

Sub-Panel vs. Main Panel Extension

For workshops in attached garages, you can often run circuits directly from the main panel if it has available spaces and capacity. For a 200-amp main panel, adding 4-6 workshop circuits is usually feasible.

For detached garages and outbuildings, a sub-panel is the standard approach:

• 60-amp sub-panel ($800-$1,500 installed): Covers basic to intermediate shops. Fed by 6/3 copper cable or 4/3 aluminum from the main panel.
• 100-amp sub-panel ($1,200-$2,500 installed): Covers serious workshops with 240V tools. Fed by 3/3 copper or 1/0 aluminum cable.
• 200-amp sub-panel ($2,000-$4,000 installed): Full workshop or commercial-grade shop. May require an NB Power service upgrade if your main service is only 200 amps.

Underground feeder to detached garage: The feeder cable from house to detached garage must be buried in approved conduit or use direct-burial rated cable. In New Brunswick, burial depth requirements under the CEC are:

• Direct burial cable (NMWU): 24 inches minimum (600mm)
• Rigid metal conduit: 6 inches minimum
• PVC conduit (Schedule 40): 18 inches minimum

Given New Brunswick's frost depth of 4-5 feet, burying conduit at 24-30 inches is practical — it's below the typical cultivation depth but above full frost penetration. Trenching costs $15-$30 per linear foot in the Maritimes, depending on soil conditions. Rocky terrain common in many parts of New Brunswick can increase this significantly.

Workshop Lighting

Adequate lighting is a safety requirement, not just a convenience:

• General workshop lighting: Target 50-75 foot-candles across the shop. For a 20x24 foot garage workshop, this means 8-12 LED shop lights (4-foot, 40-watt each), spaced evenly across the ceiling. LED shop lights cost $25-$60 each.
• Task lighting: Add focused lights above the table saw, workbench, drill press, and any precision work area. Swing-arm LED task lights ($40-$80) mounted to the wall save bench space.
• Put lights on separate circuits from tools — If a tool trips a breaker, you don't want to be plunged into darkness mid-cut.

Heating Considerations

A New Brunswick workshop without heat is unusable from November through March. Electric heating options and their electrical requirements:

• 240V unit heater (5,000W): Heats a 400-500 sq ft insulated shop. Requires a dedicated 30-amp, 240V circuit. Operating cost at NB Power rates: approximately $1.50-$2.00/hour.
• Infrared radiant heater (3,000-6,000W): Heats objects and people directly rather than the air — excellent for large, poorly insulated garages. Dedicated 30-amp circuit. More efficient for intermittent use.
• Mini-split heat pump: The most energy-efficient option for a well-insulated detached workshop. Operating cost roughly 40-60% less than resistance electric heat. Requires a dedicated 240V, 15-20A circuit. Installation: $2,500-$4,500.

Code and Permit Requirements

TSANB permit required for any new workshop electrical installation in New Brunswick. This includes:

• Running new circuits from the panel


• Installing a sub-panel


• Adding 240V outlets


• Running underground feeder to a detached building

Permit cost: $75-$200 depending on scope. The TSANB inspection verifies:

• Proper wire gauge for circuit amperage and run length


• Correct breaker sizing


• GFCI protection on all garage receptacles (CEC requirement)


• Proper grounding and bonding


• Underground cable at correct depth with approved protection


• Sub-panel grounding (separate ground rod required for detached buildings)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Undersizing the sub-panel — Install more capacity than you think you need today. Going from a 60-amp to a 100-amp sub-panel adds $200-$400 to the initial installation but saves $1,500-$3,000 if you need to upgrade later.
• Not accounting for voltage drop — Long cable runs from house to detached garage cause voltage drop. For a 100-foot run at 100 amps, you may need to upsize the wire by one gauge to keep voltage drop under the CEC's 5% maximum.
• Skipping the dedicated circuits — Plugging a table saw and dust collector into the same 15-amp circuit via a power bar is a fire hazard and will trip breakers constantly. Every major tool needs its own circuit.
• Forgetting winter — If the workshop will be heated, factor the heating circuit into your panel load calculation from the start. A 5,000W heater draws 21 amps at 240V — that's a significant portion of a 60-amp sub-panel.

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