New Electrical - Garage Addition

I'm having a single car attached garage built (13' x 25') in the next month or so and I need to plan what I'm doing with the electrical. For outlets, my thought is to install two 20A quad receptacles (two 2-gangs each with two duplex receptacles) on the back wall where I will be building a workbench and a single 20A receptacle on the front wall to the side of the door for a jackshaft opener. I'm hoping I can branch off of my 20A dining room circuit, since there are currently only five or six outlets on that circuit. I would install a GFCI plug in the garage to feed the other three outlets above my bench. Should the garage opener also be on the GFCI circuit? For lights, I will be installing a fluorescent fixture above the workbench and two additional fixtures to illuminate the garage. Additionally, I would install one light fixture on the exterior front wall of the garage. I would tap off one of the adjacent living room plugs to feed all of the lights. My primary questions are 1) is it okay to tap off existing circuits or are there instances where I should run new circuits directly from the panel (my panel is pretty much full, so I'd like to avoid new homeruns), 2) are all receptacles in the garage required to be on a GFCI circuit, and 3) there will be a small 7'x8' mudroom (actually a foyer) adjoining the garage to the house--does this area require a receptacle? I would think not, but don't know for sure. I would think it is treated like a hallway.

 

AFAIK, that's one of the circuits you have to leave alone; can't branch off of it.

All garage receptacles have to be GFCI.

I would think this would be subject to the 6/12 rule.

 

You are correct: 210.52(B)(2) says no other outlets on the dining room's "small appliance" circuit. I guess I'll just do 15A receptacles in the garage and wire the garage lights and door opener all off the same circuit (via the adjacent living room receptacle).



Okay. No problem.

Also not a problem, but I'll ask to be sure.

 

210.52(I) of the NEC states that a foyer greater than 60 square feet shall have a receptacle on each wall that is 3 feet or greater. Mine is 58 square feet so no receptacles necessary

Was surprised to read that an exterior light fixture is not required at the garage door entrance.

 

A light would be required at a personnel door at the exterior entrance. Lighting at the garage door is nice at allow you to see the door and it looks nice too.

I would run at least one 20 amp homerun back to the panel and leave the living room circuit alone.

 

Yeah, I probably will install one exterior light on one side of the garage door. There are no "personnel" entrances.

I'll consider running a new home run, but I'd rather not. The panel is pretty full and I'd rather not open up a can of worms.