NEMA 3R
Protects from falling rain, sleet and snow. Drainage holes allowed. The standard rating for utility meter boxes, parking-lot lighting and telecom junction boxes.
NEMA 3R / 4 / 4X - IP65 / IP66 / IP67
Outdoor and Waterproof Enclosures
Weatherproof electrical enclosures and outdoor junction boxes rated NEMA 3R through 4X (IP65 to IP67) for solar combiners, EV charging, telecoms cabinets, outdoor lighting and irrigation. UV-stable polycarbonate, marine-grade aluminum and stainless steel - manufactured in-house since 1985.
IP65-IP67
Sealed enclosures
NEMA 4X
Corrosion-rated
UV-stable
Direct sun for 10+ years
Built for rain, dust, salt and UV
An outdoor enclosure has to survive driven rain, hose-down cleaning, airborne dust, road salt and continuous UV exposure - sometimes for decades. We engineer every outdoor housing with sealed gaskets, drainage paths, UV-stabilized polymer or marine-grade metal, and rated cable glands so it stays watertight long after the installation crew leaves.
WatertightDust-tightUV-stableCorrosion-resistantHose-directed water
Outdoor protection ratings at a glance
Pick the rating that matches the harshest condition your enclosure will see, not the average one. Tap a rating to see the full definition and our matching products.
NEMA 4
Watertight under hose-directed water. Sealed gasket required. Used in food processing, washdown areas and outdoor sites that get power-washed.
NEMA 4X
NEMA 4 protection plus corrosion resistance. The default for coastal, marine, chemical and food-processing environments. Stainless 316L or polycarbonate housings.
IP65
Dust-tight and protected against low-pressure water jets from any direction. The minimum we recommend for any unsheltered outdoor installation.
IP66
Dust-tight and protected against powerful water jets - equivalent to NEMA 4. Specify IP66 for hose-down cleaning or driving rain at speed.
IP67
Dust-tight and protected against temporary immersion to 1 meter. Required for flood-prone sites, pit-mounted enclosures and irrigation manifolds.
NEMA 3R vs NEMA 4X: which one do you need?
These two ratings cover most outdoor specs. NEMA 3R is the entry level - enough for sheltered or non-corrosive sites. NEMA 4X adds hose-down sealing and corrosion resistance for coastal, marine and chemical environments.
| Attribute | NEMA 3R | NEMA 4X |
|---|---|---|
| Falling rain, sleet, snow | Protected | Protected |
| Dust ingress | Limited | Dust-tight |
| Hose-directed water | Not rated | Protected |
| Corrosion resistance | Painted steel or aluminum | Stainless 304/316L, polycarbonate, fiberglass |
| Relative cost | Lower | Higher |
| Typical use case | Meter boxes, telecom junctions, parking-lot lighting | Coastal, marine, chemical, food washdown, renewable energy |
If you are choosing between the two, default to NEMA 4X for any coastal, washdown or chemically exposed installation. The cost difference is paid back in service life.
Outdoor enclosures by application
Six application families cover most of the outdoor-enclosure questions we get. If your case is not on this list, send us a sketch - we customize cutouts, cable-gland patterns and mounting flanges in our own CNC line.
Solar combiner and inverter boxes
UV-stable polycarbonate housings for string combiners, monitoring electronics and rapid-shutdown enclosures. IP66 + IK10 for rooftop and ground-mount PV installations.
EV charging stations
Curbside and parking-lot EV charger enclosures rated NEMA 3R to 4X. Cable glands for power feed and signal, sealed door for control electronics, optional tamper locking.
Telecom and outdoor cabinets
Roadside cabinets, 5G small-cell housings and DAS enclosures with vented gland plates, sun shields and lockable doors. Aluminum or polycarbonate.
Outdoor and street lighting
Pole-mounted junction boxes and driver enclosures for LED area lighting, street lighting and architectural facade lighting. IP65 minimum with UV-stable polycarbonate.
Irrigation and agriculture
Field-mounted control boxes for irrigation valves, pump stations and weather stations. IP67 for pit-mounted manifolds. Resistant to UV and farm chemicals.
Marine and coastal
Stainless 316L and UV-stable polycarbonate for salt-spray and high-humidity coastal sites - jetties, offshore installations, port facilities.
Material guide for outdoor housings
Material drives lifespan more than any other choice. Pick by exposure: UV plus impact for polycarbonate, salt and chemicals for stainless, weight and heat dissipation for aluminum.
UV-stable polycarbonate
Lightweight, high-impact (IK08-IK10), insulating, and stabilized against 10+ years of direct sun. The default for solar, telecoms and lighting installations where weight and isolation matter.
Marine-grade aluminum
Die-cast or extruded aluminum housings combine IP66/IP67 sealing with strong heat dissipation - ideal for outdoor amplifiers, power supplies and any electronics that warm under sun.
Stainless steel 304/316L
AISI 316L for salt spray, washdown and chemical exposure; AISI 304 for general outdoor use. The right choice for coastal, marine, food processing and pharma.
High-impact ABS
Cost-optimized injection-molded housings for sheltered outdoor use - covered installations, building eaves, indoor-outdoor transitions. Lower UV resistance than polycarbonate.
Built for ten-plus years of direct sun
Standard plastic enclosures yellow, fog or crack after a few years of UV exposure. Our outdoor polycarbonate is UV-stabilized through the bulk, not just the surface, so the gasket seal and door fit stay reliable for the rated service life. For permanent branding, our UV-cured direct print survives the same exposure window as the housing itself - no decals to peel.
See our UV print service
Outdoor enclosure FAQs
Is NEMA 4X waterproof?+
NEMA 4X enclosures are watertight against hose-directed water and corrosion-resistant - the equivalent of IP66 with added chemical and salt-spray resistance. They are not rated for continuous submersion; for that, specify IP67 (temporary immersion) or IP68 (continuous immersion).
What is the difference between NEMA 3R and NEMA 4?+
NEMA 3R protects against falling rain, sleet and snow but not hose-directed water or heavy dust. NEMA 4 adds a dust-tight seal and hose-down protection. NEMA 4X further adds corrosion resistance and is the right choice for coastal, marine or chemical environments.
Is IP65 the same as NEMA 3R?+
No. IP65 is dust-tight and rated against low-pressure water jets, which is closer to NEMA 12 indoors or NEMA 4 outdoors. NEMA 3R protects against rain but is not dust-tight. For an unsheltered outdoor enclosure, IP65 or higher is the safer specification.
What is the highest IP rating I can get for an outdoor enclosure?+
Standard outdoor housings top out at IP67 (temporary immersion to 1 meter) or IP68 (continuous immersion at a specified depth). For impact resistance, look at the IK rating - IK10 means the housing tolerates a 20-joule impact, which is what hailstones, vandals and dropped tools require.
What enclosure material lasts longest outdoors?+
For salt spray and chemicals, stainless 316L. For direct sun and impact, UV-stabilized polycarbonate. For heat dissipation with weatherproofing, die-cast aluminum. Painted carbon steel is the shortest-lived outdoors - it rusts at any scratch in the coating.
Can I get a custom outdoor enclosure?+
Yes. We CNC-machine cutouts for displays, connectors and cable glands; laser-mark or UV-print branding and labels; and modify standard housings with custom mounting flanges, sun shields and gland patterns. Most modifications are available without tooling charges.
Need an outdoor enclosure for a specific deployment?
Send us your enclosure dimensions, cable list, rating target and environment. Our engineering team picks the matching housing, recommends material and gland configuration, and quotes any CNC modifications, branding or special finish in one response.