PVC Schedule 80 Conduit Fill Chart
Schedule 80 rigid PVC wire capacity, computed from NEC 2023 Chapter 9 Tables 1, 4 and 5.
This is the complete PVC Schedule 80 wire fill chart, computed live from NEC 2023 Chapter 9 Tables 4 and 5. Choose an insulation, filter by wire size, then export as CSV or print. To combine several conductor sizes in one raceway, use the conduit fill calculator.
- 1/2" PVC806 wires
- 3/4" PVC8012 wires
- 1" PVC8020 wires
- 1-1/4" PVC8037 wires
- 1-1/2" PVC8051 wires
- 2" PVC8086 wires
- 2-1/2" PVC80124 wires
- 3" PVC80193 wires
- 3-1/2" PVC80261 wires
- 4" PVC80338 wires
- 5" PVC80537 wires
- 6" PVC80770 wires
| TRADE → WIRE ↓ | 1/2" | 3/4" | 1" | 1-1/4" | 1-1/2" | 2" | 2-1/2" | 3" | 3-1/2" | 4" | 5" | 6" |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 AWG | 9 | 17 | 28 | 51 | 70 | 118 | 170 | 265 | 358 | 464 | 736 | 1055 |
| 12 AWG | 6 | 12 | 20 | 37 | 51 | 86 | 124 | 193 | 261 | 338 | 537 | 770 |
| 10 AWG | 4 | 7 | 13 | 23 | 32 | 54 | 78 | 122 | 164 | 213 | 338 | 485 |
| 8 AWG | 2 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 18 | 31 | 45 | 70 | 95 | 123 | 195 | 279 |
| 6 AWG | — | 3 | 5 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 32 | 51 | 68 | 89 | 141 | 202 |
| 4 AWG | 1 | — | 3 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 20 | 31 | 42 | 54 | 86 | 124 |
| 3 AWG | 1 | — | 3 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 17 | 26 | 35 | 46 | 73 | 105 |
| 2 AWG | 1 | — | 2 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 14 | 22 | 30 | 39 | 61 | 88 |
| 1 AWG | — | 1 | — | 3 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 16 | 22 | 29 | 45 | 65 |
| 1/0 | — | 1 | — | 2 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 18 | 24 | 38 | 55 |
| 2/0 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 15 | 20 | 32 | 46 |
| 3/0 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 17 | 26 | 38 |
| 4/0 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 22 | 31 |
| 250 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 18 | 25 |
| 300 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 15 | 22 |
| 350 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 13 | 19 |
| 400 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 17 |
| 500 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 14 |
| 600 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 12 |
| 700 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 10 |
| 750 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 9 |
| 800 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 9 |
| 900 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 3 | 6 | 8 |
| 1000 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 |
PVC Schedule 80 × THHN (90°C dry) · NEC 2023 Ch.9 Tables 4 & 5 · 40% (3+), 31% (2), 53% (1)
NOTES & CONTEXT
How to use the Schedule 80 fill chart
Every row is a trade size of Schedule 80 rigid PVC. The interior cross-sectional area is read from NEC 2023 Chapter 9 Table 4, and each conductor area from Table 5. NEC Chapter 9 Table 1 sets the maximum fill: 53 % for one conductor, 31 % for exactly two, and 40 % for three or more (60 % for a nipple 24 in or shorter). The chart defaults to the 40 % column.
What is PVC Schedule 80?
Schedule 80 is rigid polyvinyl chloride conduit under NEC Article 352, the same article that covers Schedule 40. The two schedules share an outside diameter, but Schedule 80 has a noticeably thicker wall to resist crushing and impact. NEC 352.10 permits rigid PVC in wet locations, direct burial, and corrosive environments; Schedule 80 is the schedule chosen specifically where the raceway is subject to physical damage.
Why Schedule 80 holds fewer conductors than Schedule 40
The thicker wall eats into the bore, so at the same trade size Schedule 80 has a smaller interior than Schedule 40 and therefore carries fewer wires. A 1 in example makes it concrete: 1 in PVC80 has 0.688 in² of interior versus 0.832 in² for 1 in PVC40. At 40 % fill that is the difference between 20 and 25 of the 12 AWG THHN conductors. If you do not need impact protection, Schedule 40 buys you capacity; compare the numbers on the PVC Schedule 40 conduit fill chart.
Common Schedule 80 scenarios
- Exposed risers where the conduit emerges from grade and is exposed to physical damage, the classic Schedule 80 use case.
- Conduit crossing under a driveway or roadway before transitioning to Schedule 40 below the impact zone.
- Feeders on the exterior of a building within reach of vehicles, carts, or equipment.
- Service laterals and equipment stub-ups in industrial yards where mechanical abuse is expected.
Reading the fill limits
NEC Chapter 9 Table 1 gives 53 % for one conductor, 31 % for exactly two, and 40 % for three or more. Rigid PVC has smooth interior walls that make pulling easier than corrugated raceways, but Schedule 80's thicker wall means you reach the 40 % ceiling with fewer conductors than an installer used to Schedule 40 might expect. Always run the count against the Schedule 80 interior, never the Schedule 40 number, or you will oversubscribe the raceway. For a nipple 24 in or shorter, Table 1 Note allows 60 % fill, which is common on short transitions between two boxes.
Expansion and grounding
Because PVC is nonmetallic, it cannot serve as an equipment grounding conductor: NEC 352 requires a separate grounding conductor pulled with the circuit, and that conductor counts toward the fill total. Rigid PVC also expands and contracts significantly with temperature, so NEC 352.44 requires expansion fittings once the calculated length change exceeds 1/4 in. Neither the ground wire nor the expansion fitting changes the interior area in Table 4, but forgetting the ground conductor in your count is the usual cause of an accidental over-fill.
Heat de-rating note
This chart is a fill (geometry) chart, not an ampacity chart. It tells you how many conductors physically fit under NEC Chapter 9; it does not tell you the current they may carry. When more than three current-carrying conductors share the raceway, NEC 310.15(C)(1) requires ampacity adjustment: 80 % for 4 to 6 current-carrying conductors, 70 % for 7 to 9, and 50 % for 10 to 20. Because rigid PVC also has a relatively high thermal expansion coefficient, long exposed runs may need expansion fittings per NEC 352.44 as well. Finally, remember that the chart assumes all conductors are the same 12 AWG THHN; mixing sizes or insulations changes each conductor area from Table 5 and therefore the count. Verify your exact conductor mix in the conduit fill calculator before finalizing the design.