B-Line Eaton series Type 3/3R junction boxes, 12" height, 4" length, 12" width, 3R, Screw cover, RTSCGV enclosure, Surface mounted, Small single door

Yes, it is a NEMA 3R enclosure, which is the rating for outdoor use against rain, sleet and snow. The galvanized steel body carries a rainhood, and it is UL 50 listed. Note NEMA 3R is a drip-proof rating, not a washdown or dust-tight one, so a hosed-down or heavy-dust area calls for a 4 or 12 rated box instead.

12 inches high, 12 inches wide and 4 inches deep, in 16 gauge steel. That 4 inch depth is the number to check first: it sets how much room you have behind the cover for wire bending, splices, terminal blocks or a small DIN rail. It weighs 8.4 lb empty.

Five knockouts are provided, all in the bottom of the box. Nothing is pre-punched in the top, sides or back, which is correct practice for a 3R enclosure because the bottom is where water drains away from. If your conduit runs come in from the side or top, you will be drilling or punching, and any opening you make above the lowest point has to be sealed to keep the 3R rating.

It is a surface mount enclosure with embossed thru holes formed into the back panel, so you fasten straight to the wall or strut through those holes. The embossing keeps the fastener heads off the mounting surface and preserves the back wall. Anchors and screws for your particular substrate are not part of the box, so pick fasteners to suit masonry, stud or strut yourself.

The cover is screw fastened with plated screws, not hinged, even though the style is described as a small single door. Plan on removing the cover entirely for service and having somewhere to set it down. If technicians will be in the box often for terminations or troubleshooting, a hinged-cover enclosure is the easier choice; a screw cover is the better call for a set-and-forget pull or splice point.

It ships unfinished galvanized steel, grey in appearance, with no paint topcoat. Galvanizing is the corrosion protection here. If a job spec calls for a painted enclosure or a color match to the building, you would be prepping and painting in the field, or ordering a painted enclosure instead.

16 gauge galvanized steel is standard-duty construction for a box this size and holds up fine on an exterior wall, a rooftop curb or a service yard. The whole assembly is only 8.4 lb, so one person can set it. Where it gets hit by equipment, carts or vandalism, step up to a heavier gauge or a padlockable enclosure, since a screw cover offers no lock provision.