On 2009-01-20, Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

That would be code for living space, but I doubt it is needed for a
shed. Do you have some other information on that?

Actually it is the other way around, in a dwelling there is no overall
requirement to cover romex, you only need to cover it as required to
protect it from damage, etc. Section 334.10 of the 2008 NEC reads in
part:

334.10 Uses Permitted. Type NM, Type NMC, and Type NMS cables shall be
permitted to be used in the following:
(1) One- and two-family dwellings.
(2) Multifamily dwellings permitted to be of Types III, IV, and V
construction except as prohibited in 334.12.
(3) Other structures permitted to be of Types III, IV, and V
construction except as prohibited in 334.12. Cables shall be
concealed within walls, floors, or ceilings that provide a thermal
barrier of material that has at least a 15-minute finish rating as
identified in listings of firerated assemblies.

So unless you are in a dwelling, it needs to be fully covered by a
15-minute finish. While many inspectors would give you a pass on an
accessory building to a dwelling (e.g. shed or detached garage), if
you read the definition of "Dwelling" in Article 100 of the NEC, it is
clear than an accessory building to a dwelling is not a dwelling.
Even if an inspector accepts a code violation, your liability for
violating the code is still there.

The moral is don't run uncovered romex in an accessory building. :-)

Cheers, Wayne