Underground service-entrance conductors are required to be protected against physical damage. Which statement best describes this requirement?

• A. They must be protected against physical damage
• B. They must be kept above ground
• C. Protection is optional if buried shallowly
• D. Protection only applies to residential services

Answer: (A)

Underground service conductors must be shielded from physical damage to prevent outages, shocks, or fires caused by backfill, digging, or equipment. The way the NEC ensures this is by requiring the conductors to run in a protected path—such as a listed conduit or raceway, or within concrete encasement or another approved protective method—so they cannot be damaged during normal use or construction activities. This protection is required regardless of burial depth and applies to all service conductors, not just a subset like residential services. Merely burying conductors deeper without a protective enclosure does not satisfy the requirement, and placing them above ground or treating protection as optional would be unsafe and noncompliant.