UL 891 General Coverage Program

Bring custom switchboard designs to market

Our General Coverage Program allows approved manufacturers that custom-build or mass-produce certain products to apply the UL Mark at their factories without having to submit samples of the complete product for testing at UL Solutions. This option provides greater efficiency in the certification process, allowing manufacturers to apply the UL Mark to their products more quickly.

General Coverage requires a manufacturer to design products within the scope of specific requirements in the relevant Standards and use a combination of Listed or Recognized components along with designated design parameters and quality control processes.

Presenting the UL 891 General Coverage Program/Annex G Certification

Our General Coverage Program for UL 891, the Standard for Switchboards, aims to assist manufacturers in bringing innovative, quality switchboard products to the market. UL Solutions supports you through the process with expert insight, support and services.

Benefits of the UL 891 General Coverage Program

When manufacturers leverage the UL 891 General Coverage Program guidelines at the outset for general build designs, their switchboard products may not be required to undergo extensive testing, especially for short circuit and temperature checks.

General Coverage under UL 891 can also mean minimal to no testing and increased flexibility in design. And designs that meet UL 891 Annex G requirements may be easier and more economical to build. The UL 891 General Coverage Program can provide a broader range of overcurrent protection devices, the most compact equipment configurations.

As a component of a UL 891 General Coverage project, we provide you and your employees with training to help you understand the UL 891 Standard and can answer any questions you may have. Your UL Solutions engineer will work with you directly during this day-long training to make sure you and your employees go into the fabrication process understanding the qualifications and requirements necessary to fabricate UL 891 switchboards under UL 891 Annex G requirements.

The process for UL 891 General Coverage

Once you are ready to begin the process of submitting UL Certification for UL 891 dead-front switchboards under the General Coverage process, reach out to our sales team. Here’s what to expect once the project has been opened:

1. Our dedicated engineering staff will reach out to you to schedule a virtual training session. Up to 10 attendees from your company can attend this private session.
2. Listen in and learn with your dedicated UL Solutions engineer, who will present an introduction to the company and our UL Certification program. Additionally, our engineer will provide an in-depth explanation of the Standard, addressing all of your questions about UL 891.
3. Receive access to and pass the UL 891 Manufacturers Technical Representative (MTR) exam, included in the cost of the certification. All attendees can receive access to this exam.
4. A few weeks after your training is complete, a copy of your UL Solutions Follow-Up Service procedure will be issued to you, along with a requirement for an Initial Product Inspection.
5. Reach out to your field engineer, provided in your completion letter, and schedule the Initial Product Inspection.
6. Complete the initial product inspection, and then you will be authorized to apply the UL Mark onto your switchboards.

What if I need higher ratings than UL 891 General Coverage allows?

Congratulations on receiving your UL 891 General Coverage Certification! With the rise in data center construction and the heavy demand for larger, higher continuous current-rated switchboards, some customers may see demand for switchboards outside of the ratings allowable under UL 891 Annex G.

The current maximums under Annex G are 4000A at 480V for the U.S. (3000A for Canadian constructions) and a 100kA Short Circuit Current Rating (600V allowed under 2000A).

UL Solutions is happy to work with you to help certify custom-built switchboards to UL 891 requirements. This process would require short-circuit testing for switchboards beyond the 10,000kA RMS short-circuit current rating, which will usually require a third-party, high-power laboratory to be booked by the customer.

Looking to get higher ratings, but aren’t necessarily interested in building and testing your own strategies? We also offer the UL 891 Assemblers Program, which allows a prospective assembler to receive and build under the UL Solutions Follow-Up Service Procedure for an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) that has already tested the Switchboard equipment for the higher ratings. Please note that eligibility requirements apply, and discussions about potential extensions with an OEM should be performed directly by the customer with the OEM. 

Related Standard

UL 891, Standard for Switchboards