Electrical panel clearance distances are given by the U.S. NEC specifying working distance. Details are given here.
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That is to say that "working space" around an electrical panel is synonymous with "clearance distances" around an electrical panel.
[Click to enlarge any image]
Summary: clear working space required in front, at sides and above an electrical panel include the following:
To comply with the U.S. NEC Article 110.26
Access and working space shall be provided and maintained about all electrical equipment to permit ready and safe operation and maintenance of such equipment.
Working space for equipment operating at 600 volts, nominal, or less, to ground and likely to require examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance while energized shall comply with the dimensions of 110.26(A)(1), (A)(2), and (A)(3) or as required or permitted elsewhere in this Code.
Nothing (not plumbing nor anything else) can be installed in the working space in front, around, or above an electrical panel. For panels ("operating equipment") rated at 600 V or less, these clearance distances pertain for all electrical equipment. That space or clearance distances are defined as
Do not block access in any way to the panel so that in an emergency, you can reach shut off switches quickly and easily.
This photo illustrates an electrical panel that is blocked by tables, boxes, and even a wheelchair.
When this was pointed out to the homeowner, she began to move the wheelchair to show how she would access the panel yet it was immediately obvious that it would take longer than is safe to provide that access.
Even if full access could be gained within several seconds, those seconds may be too long in case of an electrical emergency where immediate shut off is necessary. Clearly for maintenance and service needs, adequate access is not available either.
On 2023-10-23 by Bryce - 2022 NEC Section 240.24(F) Update: overcurrent devices (panels) can not be over steps or stairs
For the 2022 NEC Section 240.24(F) now prohibits "overcurrent devices shall not be located over steps of a stairway."
Apparently, the entire panel is an overcurrent device, but you could also argue this applies just to the breakers. Here's an updated diagram.
On 2023-10-24 by InspectApedia Publisher (mod)
@Bryce,
Excellent thank you for that helpful addition.
Will be sure to keep it with the article and to take a more detailed look at the code update
For other readers, here is the appropriate electrical code excerpt
Overcurrent protective devices shall not be located over steps of a stairway.
And below we quote the U.S. electrical code as adopted by the State of Minnesota, in Minnesota Electrical Code 2023, 2: Wiring and protection, 240 Overcurrent protection, 240.24 Location in or on Premises:
(A) Accessibility
Circuit breakers and switches containing fuses shall be readily accessible and installed so that the center of the grip of the operating handle of the switch or circuit breaker, when in its highest position, is not more than 2.0 m (6 ft 7 in.) above the floor or working platform, unless one of the following applies:
(1) For busways, as provided in 368.17(C). F
(2) For supplementary overcurrent protection, as described in 240.10.
(3) For overcurrent protective devices, as described in 225.40 and 230.92.
(4) For overcurrent protective devices adjacent to utilization equipment that they supply, access shall be permitted to be by portable means.
Exception:
The use of a tool shall be permitted to access overcurrent protective devices located within listed industrial control panels, within enclosures designed for hazardous (classified) locations or enclosures to protect against environmental conditions.
An enclosure within the scope of this exception, and all overcurrent protective device(s) within such enclosures as judged with the enclosure open, shall comply with the accessibility provisions of 240.24(A).
(B) Occupancy
Each occupant shall have ready access to all overcurrent devices protecting the conductors supplying that occupancy, unless otherwise permitted in 240.24(B)(1) and (B)(2).
(1) Service and Feeder Overcurrent Protective Devices
Where electric service and electrical maintenance are provided by the building management and where these are under continuous building management supervision, the service overcurrent protective devices and feeder overcurrent protective devices supplying more than one occupancy shall be permitted to be accessible only to authorized management personnel in the following:
(1) Multiple-occupancy buildings Guest rooms or guest suites
(2) Branch-Circuit Overcurrent Protective Devices
Where electric service and electrical maintenance are provided by the building management and where these are under continuous building management supervision, the branch-circuit overcurrent protective devices supplying any guest rooms, guest suites, or sleeping rooms in dormitory units without permanent provisions for cooking shall be permitted to be accessible only to authorized management personnel.
(C) Not Exposed to Physical Damage
Overcurrent protective devices shall be located where they will not be exposed to physical damage.
Informational Note: See 110.11 for information on deteriorating agents that could cause physical damage.
(D) Not in Vicinity of Easily Ignitible Material
Overcurrent protective devices shall not be located in the vicinity of easily ignitible material, such as in clothes closets.
(E) Not Located in Bathrooms
Overcurrent protective devices, other than supplementary overcurrent protection, shall not be located in bathrooms, showering facilities, or locker rooms with showering facilities.
(F) Not Located Over Steps
Overcurrent protective devices shall not be located over steps of a stairway
...
110.26(A)(1) Depth of Working Space.
The depth of the working space in the direction of live parts shall not be less than that specified in table 110.26(A)(1) unless the requirements of 110.26(A)(1)(a), (A)(1)(b), or (A)(1)(c) are met.
Distances shall be measured from the live parts or from the enclosure or opening if the live parts are enclosed.
In deciding working space or free and clear distances around electrical control equipment including panels, certain building conditions can require more than the minimum working distances given above. These details are paraphrasing the U.S. NEC Table 110.26(A)(1)
See also ELECTRIC METER CLEARANCE DISTANCES & WORKING SPACE
Equipment such as an electrical meter are allowed to protrude into the working space up to a maximum of 6 in. (150 mm).
Equipment that is accessible from the back or sides (such as some dead-front switchboards and motor controllers) in which ALL of the replaceable or repairable or adjustable parts can be accessed from locations OTHER than the BACK OR SIDES do not require working space on the BACK or SIDES of the equipment.
However if there are other non-electrical parts that require rear access to get to them, then a minimum of 30" of working space is required.
Some low-voltage electrical equipment may have a smaller required working space, or the local electrical inspector may grant an exception or "special permission" - for example when all of the live electrical parts are energized with no more than 30 Volts RMS, 42 Volts peak, 60 Volts D.C. - such exceptions must be granted in writing.
Existing buildings that predate the current electrical code may be granted an exception, such as dead front switchboards, panelboards, motor control centers across an aisle from one another and being replaced in an existing building. But additional constraints apply such as special maintenance and supervision for safety procedures.
The width of the working space must be EITHER the width of the equipment OR 30" - whichever is GREATER.
...
The model codes, such as the U.S. NEC, do not specify a minimum height for an electrical panel box or enclosure itself above the floor surface. Rather the minimum height is described as the height above floor to the highest circuit breaker or control switch in the panel enclosure.
Stated more clearly, it's the height of the highest circuit breaker above the floor that's critical, not the actual metal enclosure. U.S. NEC 110.26.
The uppermost surface of the toggle switch that operates the highest-circuit breaker in an electrical panel can be no more than 6 ft. 7" above the finished floor surface.
There is no specified height above floor to the bottom of the electrical panel enclosure.
Standard industry practice is to install circuit breaker panels at least 36-48" above the floor.
Actually, the electrical panel can be installed at a higher position on a wall, but in that case a platform is required .
You can also infer the electrical panel height from U.S. NEC 110.26 Spaces About Electrical Equipment, NEC 110.26 (A) Working Space, (3) Height of Working Space:
The work space shall be clear and extend from the grade, floor, or platform to a height of 2.0 m (61/2 ft) or the height of the equipment, whichever is greater.
Within the height requirements of this section, other equipment or support structures, such as concrete pads, associated with the electrical installation and located above or below the electrical equipment shall be permitted to extend not more than 150 mm (6 in.) beyond the front of the electrical equipment.
...
Illustration courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates, a Toronto home inspection, education, & report writing firm.
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Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.
On 2023-11-27 by Mike
Can a gas tank less hot water heater be mounted out door in spa shed on back side of 1oo amp sub panel ankerpost that sub panel is mounted to.
On 2023-11-27 by InspectApedia Publisher - can I mount a number of gas fueled tankless water heaters outdoors
@Mike,
You can mount a number of gas fueled tankless water heaters outdoors, usually with some weather protection, but you need to keep any gas fueled device like a heater safely distant from a potential source of sparks such as an electric meter and panel.
Take a look at example distances at
WATER HEATER SAFETY - where we include examples of gas water heater clearance distances to various site features
GAS METER CODES & CLEARANCE DISTANCES
Best authority: check the installation instructions for the specific tankless gas water heater brand and model that you are planning to install.
or if you don't have a specific one, some examples and links to tankless water heater installation manuals are at
TANKLESS WATER HEATERS - links to tankless water heater IO manuals are on this page
WATER HEATER AGE & MANUALS - home - our guide to all brands of water heaters, manuals, contact information, age decoding, repairs.
Typically the gas fueled tankless water heater installation manual will give specific clearances and will also say
Install the appliance in accordance with the minimum installation clearances indicated in [figures in the manual] AND according to AS/NZS5601.
An example is 500 mm from an electric meter or fuse box and 1000 mm from a gas meter - source: Bosch Optiflow Gas Water Heater OPERATION MANUAL, GWH16/20/26 3 CT E23/31 F6L S2405 [PDF] at https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Bosch-OptiFlow-Manual-AU.pdf
On 2023-08-24 by Brian
Can a sub panel protrude into the working space of the main panel by a maximum of 6" as well?
On 2023-08-24 by InspectApedia Publisher - Can a sub panel protrude into the working space of the main panel by a maximum of 6" as well?
@Brian,
A sub panel will have the same access and clearance distance requirements as a main electrical panel.
On 2022-05-19 by Carl Rand
My neighbor built this fence about a foot away from my electrical disconnect on their property. Now you cannot access the shutoff nor open the box. Could someone point me to the electrical code that prohibits this? My building wouldn't pass any electrical or fire inspection now.
On 2022-05-19 by Friedmandaniel911 (mod) - access to emergency electrical shut-off controls is blocked
@Carl Rand,
What you describe is very dangerous for exactly the reason you cite: access to emergency electrical shut-off controls is blocked.
More generally, also, the fence appears to block the minimum working space that must be left in front of electrical equipment.
But in my opinion this is an immediate life-safety hazard. The fence, if its location is legal with respect to property lines, at the very least, needs to be replaced in that section with a gate that can be easily opened to give access to the electrical equipment.
The electrical code citations about working space are given above on this page along with actual code excerpts giving distances.
What I can't know from the photo and your brief text is what your local building codes permit in distances between such devices and the property lines involved.On 2022-11-25 by Rick
@Carl Rand, Seems like your electrical panel is too close to the property line to provide the necessary access and working space. That distance should have been checked before installing the panel there. Unless you have an access easement with the neighboring property, this seems like your problem to remediate, not the neighbor's (technically).
On 2022-11-25 by InspectApedia (Editor)
@Rick,
Thanks for helping with that comment. You've hit the nail on the head in my view too.
DF
On 2022-05-04 by Mike Drousche
I have an electrical breaker panel in the laundry room flush into the wall. that wall is the opposite side to the kitchen wall. is there any reason I cannot install a surface mounted stove hood vent that vents up into the ceiling on the wall near the location of the panel on the opposite side of that wall?
On 2022-05-04 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator - need to know what's in wall cavity before mounting a stove hood vent
@Mike Drousche,
I'd like to be more helpful than I can (which is next to nothing - regrets - ) but the fact is I just don't have all the relevant information. I respect that you're asking an important and sensible question but it's not one that I can answer for sure.
An electrician wouldn't normally move an electrical panel spuriously. More likely there would be an issue with- code compliance - such as inadequate working space or location too close to plumbing fixtures. I see your location is in a laundry room. Perhaps that was the issue.
In your question posted at our website I also warn that wiring and hood vent exhaust - if it's vented to the building exterior - might be fighting over the same space. We don't know what's run in that wall cavity already. I think that's what you need to check. You might find that there is wiring already in your way.
On 2021-11-19 by lisa
We are needing to put shower station in the shop area, but where they are wanting to put it there is a large piece of equipment & 480 vlt disconnect box within six'. Needing the code requirements or the distance for placement on this shower.
On 2021-11-19 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator - preserve the required working space around the electrical panel for shower install in workshop
@lisa,
You need to consider both preserving the required working space around the electrical panel (given above on this page)
and
safe clearance distances for people using the shower, such as
2017 NEC 406.9(C) Bathtub and Shower Space. Receptacles shall not be installed within or directly over a bathtub or shower stall.
2017 410.10(D) Bathtub and Shower Areas. No parts of cord-connected luminaires, chain-, cable, or cord-suspended luminaires, lighting track, pendants, or ceiling-suspended (paddle) fans shall be located within a zone measured 900 mm (3 ft) horizontally and 2.5 m (8 ft) vertically from the top of the bathtub rim or shower stall threshold. This zone is all encompassing and includes the space directly over the tub or shower stall. Luminaires located within the actual outside dimension of the bathtub or shower to a height of 2.5 m (8 ft) vertically from the top of the bathtub rim or shower threshold shall be marked for damp locations, or marked for wet locations where subject to shower spray.
or the
2020 NEC 406.9(C) Bathtub and Shower Space. Receptacles shall not be installed within a zone measured 900 mm (3 ft) horizontally and 2.5 m (8 ft) vertically from the top of the bathtub rim or shower stall threshold. The identified zone is all-encompassing and shall include the space directly over the tub or shower stall.
Exception: In bathrooms with less than the required zone the receptacle(s) shall be permitted to be installed opposite the bathtub rim or shower stall threshold on the farthest wall within the room.
and
2020 NEC 410.10(D) Bathtub and Shower Areas. A luminaire installed in a bathtub or shower area shall meet all of the following requirements:
N (1) No parts of cord-connected luminaires, chain-, cable-, or cord-suspended luminaires, lighting track, pendants, or ceiling-suspended (paddle) fans shall be located within a zone measured 900 mm (3 ft) horizontally and 2.5 m (8 ft) vertically from the top of the bathtub rim or shower stall threshold. This zone is all-encompassing and includes the space directly over the tub or shower stall.
N (2) Luminaires located within the actual outside dimension of the bathtub or shower to a height of 2.5 m (8 ft) vertically from the top of the bathtub rim or shower threshold shall be marked suitable for damp locations or marked suitable for wet locations. Luminaires located where subject to shower spray shall be marked suitable for wet locations.
AND
in my OPINION you may want, or your local electrical inspector may require, a safe walking path past the electrical equipment considering that passers-by may be wet.
On 2021-11-15 by charles leahy
We are in an RV resort. 1200 lots. Due to the small size of our lots (30 ft by 65 ft) it is very common for a fence, a hedge, or an RV slide to be within a foot of the outdoor electrical pedestal. The pedestal has 30 amp and 50 amp breakers and outlets for plugging in the RV power cords.
Is there a clearance distance specified in the electrical code for outdoor panels like these. Or is the code language limited to indoor residential panels?
City code inspectors approve permits when lot owners upgrade there lots by adding new electrical circuits for outdoor kitchens, lighting etc, and have never objected to our RV or fences being within inches of the panels.
By the way, we also have galvanized water lines and spigot located within inches of the panels.
On 2021-11-15 by (mod)
@charles leahy,
Thanks, that's an interesting electrical panel clearance distance question.
Your local electrical inspector is the proper and final legal authority whom you should ask.
But in my OPINION, because the RV or trailer is not permanently installed, and can be moved if work on the panel is needed, it's simply a temporary, movable obstruction. I wouldn't consider it a hazard provided there is ready access to the electrical panel so that its switches can be accessed and turned off in an emergency.
In an opposite opinion, I'd be quite concerned if a trailer or RV blocks safe access to any electrical panel power switch.
On 2021-10-15 by Mark
Can I hang a picture in front of an electrical panel in a commercial office space? Is there a code I can show to management to justify why it needs to move?
On 2021-10-16 by (mod)
@Mark,
OPINION
Not a great idea, as in an electrical emergency we want to be sure that anyone can quickly find the panel to turn breakers off. I should just use the code for clearance around the panel.Show them or print out this page which, in fact, give the pertinent electrical code citations.
On 2021-08-11 by Anonymous
I am ready to do a major renovation. There is an existing electrical panel box in the laundry room. I want to move the washer and dryer closer to the panel. How far away minimum must the space be from the panel to the washer/dryer?
On 2021-08-11 by (mod)
You should at the very least, provide a free working space around the panel as shown in the drawing we provide at the top of this article.
On 2021-07-06 by Darren kicker
Will an inspector have an issue with surface mounting a 4-11/16 box 12 inches below a flush mount panel. I’m specifically wondering if this impedes working space clearance for the panel
On 2021-07-06 by (mod)
@Darren kicker,
From the *general* electrical panel clearances given in the article above we have
"Nothing within a space of
2' 6" (30") total width around the electrical panel sides, with the note that the panel does not have to be centered in the space (see our distances A ≠ B in our illustration).
In my opinion, the electrical inspector won't have issue with an electrical box itself mounted in that space: electrical boxes are quite often mounted near panels to provide splicing space for various circuits and even to provide local electrical receptacles or to mount a low voltage transformer. I've not seen an electrical inspector object to those.
After all, if we interpreted the word "nothing" literally how would we ever connect the service entry or circuit wires to the panel?
On 2021-06-17 by Sonia
I have a wall of electrical boxes/panels in the warehouse and although we have our standard clearance, some flammable liquids are stored not too far from them, about 4 metres. What is the standard requirement?
On 2021-06-17 by (mod)
@Sonia,
The electrical code does not address clearance distances to panels beyond the working spaces given above on this page.
That's of course the absolute minimum distance.
There are separate OSHA regulations regarding the storage of flammable liquids or combustible materials including that they need to be kept closed when not in use so as to prevent the escape of combustible gases.
See Title 29, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1910.106.
On 2021-04-29 by plumdr
Can a water line run underneath an electric panel? It is at floor level and against the wall. It would only interfere with the work space as much as a kick board would.
On 2021-04-29 by (mod)
@plumdr,
Final legal authority to answer the question of whether or not a water pipe can be considered to block access to the electrical panel is in the hands of the local electrical code compliance inspector.
OPINION: It's certainly plausible that inspector may not raise an issue about a 1 inch or half inch pipe running along the floor.
On 2021-04-14 by Steve
What's the distance between two 460VAC / 10HP Motors side by side....Is there a min. distance?
On 2021-04-14 by (mod)
@Steve, let's try to get an answer that avoids guesswork by naming the brand and model of motor and then we can take a look in the installation manual to see what the manufacturer requires. I think we need to take that route because you're not going to find this detail in the electrical codes.
On 2020-11-06 by Glenn
Can a subpanel be installed near a corner with the service panel on the adjacent wall?
On 2020-11-06 by (mod)
Glenn
I think that's not an issue as long as you can maintain the require working clearance distances for the panels.
On 2015-05-18 by Martin - minimum distance required between in-wall plumbing, and an electrical service panel?
In Florida code, is there a minimum distance required between in-wall plumbing, and an electrical service panel? Thank you.
This question was posted originally
On 2015-05-18 by (mod) - working space around an electrical panel = minimum clearance distances
I have not found such a reference. There is not a standard electrical code requirement that gives the minimum clearance distance between an electrical panel and a plumbing fixture, but you can figure a minimum distance from plumbing to panel by at least following the working space requirements.
Working space or safe clearance distances are required around all electrical equipment that is likely to require examination, servicing, adjustment, or maintenance while the equipment is energized.
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