5-inch PVC Schedule 40 Conduit Fill

Wire capacity of trade size 5 (metric designator 129) Rigid PVC Conduit, Schedule 40, for THHN, XHHW, THW and RHW conductors from 14 AWG to 1000 kcmil.

5-inch PVC Schedule 40 holds 96 × #4, 68 × #2, 42 × 1/0 AWG or 24 × 4/0 AWG THHN conductors at 40% fill. Internal area: 19.761 in²; usable at 40%: 7.904 in².

Internal diameter

5.016 in · 127.4 mm

Total area

19.761 in² · 12749 mm²

40% fill (3+ wires)

7.904 in²

31% / 53% (2 / 1 wire)

6.126 / 10.473 in²

Maximum conductors in 5-inch PVC Schedule 40
Wire size	THHN	XHHW	THW	RHW	THHN in a nipple (60%)	THHN area (in²)
14 AWG	815	568	568	269	1222	0.0097
12 AWG	594	436	436	224	891	0.0133
10 AWG	374	325	325	181	562	0.0211
8 AWG	216	181	181	94	324	0.0366
6 AWG	156	134	109	76	234	0.0507
4 AWG	96	97	81	59	144	0.0824
3 AWG	81	82	69	52	122	0.0973
2 AWG	68	69	59	45	102	0.1158
1 AWG	50	51	41	29	76	0.1562
1/0 AWG	42	43	35	26	64	0.1855
2/0 AWG	35	36	30	22	53	0.2223
3/0 AWG	29	30	25	19	44	0.2679
4/0 AWG	24	24	21	16	36	0.3237
250 kcmil	20	20	17	12	30	0.3970
300 kcmil	17	17	15	11	25	0.4608
350 kcmil	15	15	13	10	22	0.5242
400 kcmil	13	13	12	9	20	0.5863
500 kcmil	11	11	10	8	16	0.7073
600 kcmil	9	9	8	6	13	0.8676
700 kcmil	8	8	7	6	12	0.9887
750 kcmil	7	7	6	5	11	1.0496
800 kcmil	7	7	6	5	10	1.1085
900 kcmil	6	6	6	5	9	1.2311
1000 kcmil	6	6	5	4	8	1.3478

Mixed wire sizes? Calculate it

Conduit type

Trade size

Run length Nipple, 24 in. or shorter (60%)

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5-inch conduit: PVC Schedule 40 vs other types

Trade size is nominal. The real inside diameter, and so the wire count, changes with the wall thickness of each raceway type.

5-inch trade size across conduit types
Conduit type	ID (in)	Area (in²)	40% (in²)	#12 THHN	#10 THHN	#6 THHN
PVC Schedule 40	5.016	19.761	7.904	594	374	156
PVC Schedule 80	4.768	17.855	7.142	537	338	141
Rigid Metal Conduit	5.073	20.212	8.085	608	383	159

Other PVC Schedule 40 sizes

Frequently asked questions

How many #12 wires fit in 5-inch PVC Schedule 40?

594 conductors of 12 AWG THHN/THWN-2 at the 40% fill limit. With thicker THW or XHHW insulation the count is 436.

What is the inside diameter and area of 5-inch PVC Schedule 40?

The internal diameter is 5.016 in. (127.4 mm) and the total cross-sectional area is 19.761 in². The usable area is 7.904 in² at 40% fill, 6.126 in² for two wires and 10.473 in² for one.

What is the largest wire I can pull three of in 5-inch PVC Schedule 40?

1000 kcmil THHN: 6 conductors fit at 40% fill. That is three current-carrying conductors with no ground; add the ground’s area and check again with the calculator if you need one.

Can I really load it with that many conductors?

For space, yes. But 594 current-carrying conductors in one raceway means heavy ampacity derating — 10 to 20 conductors are adjusted to 50% of their table ampacity. Fill tells you what fits; derating tells you what it can carry.

NECTables.com is an independent reference and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a substitute for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). NEC® and National Electrical Code® are registered trademarks of the NFPA. Values shown are commonly published engineering data and independent calculations based on the methods of NFPA 70; they are not a reproduction of the Code. Always confirm against the edition adopted in your jurisdiction, including local amendments, and consult a licensed electrician or engineer before doing electrical work.