Electrical Panel Clearance

[Andrew R. Constantine]

The seller of this house is debating the fact that the house was built in the 1980's and that his "electrician friend" told him that there were no electrical panel clearance requirements in the code back then.

I found in the NEC 110.26 that there were requirements for workspace clearances all the way back to 1965, the dimensions have changes, but the requirement has been there for decades.

Look at the picture and please let me know your thoughts. The tub platform extends to the wall the the panel is on. I had to stand on it to remove the panel cover.






Andrew Constantine
InspectPro Home Inspections
Serving NC and SC
Charlotte NC Home Inspections

[Thomas Witt]

As you already know the sparkys feelings about this matter don't matter here. The code does and even more so common sense rules over this situation. Panel or tub have to be moved! Problem is that unless they can turn it around in the wall cavity they'll have to run a new SEC for the new location.

[David A. Andersen]

Clearance !?

WTF? It's a bathroom isn't it?!

Don't need no clearance in a bathroom...


...it can't be there in the first place.