I finally got a straight answer about panel placement from an old electrician in Cleveland

He told me to stop overthinking it and just put the panel within 3 feet of the main entry point, which saved me having to run 40 feet of wire through a finished basement last Tuesday.

3 comments

3 Comments

elliot_roberts4d ago

I saw a video from some sparky in Michigan who said the same thing basically. He was talking about how the NEC code is actually pretty loose on panel location, but the real trick is to keep the main feeder as short as possible to save on copper costs. That 3 foot rule sounds like a solid practical guideline, especially if you're trying to avoid drywall repair lol.

olivia_white934d ago

Yeah that Michigan guy's got the right idea honestly. NEC gives you a lot of wiggle room on where the panel goes as long as it's accessible and not in a bathroom or something. The real cost savings come from keeping that main feeder short because copper ain't cheap right now. Like if you can put the panel on the other side of the wall from the meter base you're saving like 15-20 feet of wire easy. Plus you avoid having to fish wire through a bunch of studs or cut drywall to patch it up later.

wells.christopher2d ago

Hang on, I actually see it a little different lol. @elliot_roberts I get what that Michigan guy was saying about the NEC being loose, but I've had a few inspectors nitpick panel location way harder than you'd expect. Like yeah, you can technically put it anywhere accessible, but if it's in a weird corner or behind a door when it's open, they'll flag it for "working clearance" issues every time. That 3 foot rule from the Cleveland guy is solid for keeping the feeder short, but I'd rather spend an extra 10 feet of wire and put the panel somewhere dead obvious than argue with an inspector about access. Copper is expensive but so is ripping out drywall to move a panel two feet lol.