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Aerial clearance lookup

Look up aerial conductor clearances and spacing.

AS/NZS 3000

Reads AS/NZS 3000:2018. Tables checked 26 Sept 2026.

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Each job fills in example values. Replace them with your values.

Inputs

Worked example with the default inputs. The live calculator replaces it when the page loads.

Aerial conductor type
Neutral-screened cable
Span between supports
20 m

Spacing at supports

0.3m

Over areas used by vehicles
4.6m
Horizontal clearance from walls, etc.
1m
Above swimming pools
3m

This result is a design aid. Verify it against the current standard.

Calculation steps

  1. Spacing between conductors at supportsResult0.3m

    AS/NZS 3000:2018 Table 3.10

  2. Over areas used by vehicles4.6m

    AS/NZS 3000:2018 Table 3.8

  3. Over areas not used by vehicles3m

    AS/NZS 3000:2018 Table 3.8

  4. Over roofs used for traffic or resort2.7m

    AS/NZS 3000:2018 Table 3.8

  5. Over other roofs and structures0.5m

    AS/NZS 3000:2018 Table 3.8

  6. Horizontal clearance from walls, etc.1m

    AS/NZS 3000:2018 Table 3.8

  7. From clothes lines, radio and television aerials, counter-poise or stay wires2m

    AS/NZS 3000:2018 Table 3.8

  8. From telecommunications lines0.6m

    AS/NZS 3000:2018 Table 3.8

  9. Above swimming pools3m

    AS/NZS 3000:2018 Table 3.8

  10. Above areas where sailing craft or irrigation pipes are used4.5m

    AS/NZS 3000:2018 Table 3.8

About this calculator

How this is calculated

The tool looks up two things for an aerial conductor. Table 3.8 of AS/NZS 3000:2018 gives the minimum clearances. Table 3.10 gives the gap between conductors where they meet a support.

  1. Conductor type. You pick bare live conductors, insulated and unsheathed live conductors, or neutral-screened cable.
  2. Span. You enter the span in metres. Table 3.10 reads it.
  3. Spacing at supports. The tool reads the spacing from Table 3.10 for the type and span. This is the primary result.
  4. Vertical clearances. From Table 3.8 it gives the clearance over areas used by vehicles, areas not used by vehicles, and roofs.
  5. Horizontal clearances. From Table 3.8 it gives the clearance from walls, clothes lines, aerials and telecommunications lines.
  6. Special areas. It gives the clearance over swimming pools and over sailing craft or irrigation pipes. Some types are not permitted there.
StepTable or clauseWhat it decides
Spacing at supportsAS/NZS 3000 Table 3.10The gap between conductors
ClearancesTable 3.8Vertical and horizontal clearances by place

Worked example

Bare conductors over a 30 m span. The spacing at supports is 0.6 m. The clearance over areas used by vehicles is 5.5 m. The clearance from walls is 2 m. A bare conductor is not permitted above a swimming pool.

Limits

  • The clearance is not the whole requirement. Read Note 1 to Table 3.8 and Clause 3.12.3.
  • The tool does not apply Table 3.9. Check the span against Table 3.9 and Clause 3.12.4.
  • It does not check pole strength, sag or tension.
  • It does not cover supply authority overhead lines.

See also: Minimum conductor size, Underground cables and civil interfaces and the cable size calculator.

Questions

Each answer describes what this tool calculates. The result is a design aid. Verify against the current standard.

What does the aerial clearances tool report?

It reports two things. First, the conductor spacing at the supports, from AS/NZS 3000:2018 Table 3.10, for the span you enter. Second, every minimum clearance in Table 3.8 for the conductor type you pick. All values are in metres. Table 3.10 stops at a 60 m span, and the tool gives no spacing past it.

Does the tool give the maximum span?

No. The tool does not apply Table 3.9. Read Clause 3.12.4 and Table 3.9 of AS/NZS 3000:2018 for that limit. Then enter the span here to get the spacing and the clearances.

Do I add anything to the tabulated clearance?

Yes. A tabulated value is not the whole requirement. Read Note 1 to Table 3.8 and Clause 3.12.3 of AS/NZS 3000:2018 before you set a height. Every result carries a note that points at them.

Why does a result say not permitted instead of a distance?

Because Table 3.8 prints those words in the cell. AmpSize repeats them. Not permitted is not a distance of zero and it is not a blank. It means Table 3.8 gives no value for that case. Bare live conductors carry two such cells.

Clauses and tables this tool reads

Every clause and table, with how each was verified

Tables last checked on 26 Sept 2026.

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