Dedicated space above and around electrical panels
Service equipment, panelboards, switchboards, switchgear and motor control centers need dedicated space. Indoors, no foreign pipes, ducts or equipment may sit in the equipment's footprint from the floor to 6 ft above it, or to the structural ceiling if lower.
What the code requires
Panelboards, switchboards, switchgear, motor control centers and, since 2023, service equipment must be located in dedicated spaces and protected from damage.
Indoors, under 110.26(E)(1), the space equal to the width and depth of the equipment, from the floor to 6 ft above the equipment or to the structural ceiling, whichever is lower, is reserved for electrical installations. Piping, ducts and other equipment foreign to the electrical installation may not be located in that zone.
Outdoors, under 110.26(E)(2), the equipment must be in enclosures identified for the location and protected from accidental contact by unauthorized personnel, from vehicle traffic, and from accidental spills or leaks from piping systems. No architectural appurtenance or other equipment may be located in the working-clearance zone in front of it. The space over the equipment's footprint, from grade to 6 ft above the equipment, is also reserved for the electrical installation, and no piping or other foreign equipment may be located there.
On the job
- Plumbing, condensate lines or ducts running over a panel within that 6 ft zone do not meet the rule.
- Outdoors, other equipment, such as an A/C condenser, placed in the working-clearance zone in front of a panel violates the rule.
Exceptions that matter
- Control equipment that by its nature must be next to, or within sight of, the machinery it operates may be located there.
- Indoors, suspended ceilings with removable panels are permitted within the 6 ft zone, and foreign systems are permitted above that zone if protection keeps condensation, leaks or breaks from damaging the electrical equipment.
- Outdoors, structural overhangs and roof extensions are permitted in the dedicated equipment space.
What changed in 2023
Service equipment was added in 2023 to the list of equipment that must be installed in a dedicated space.
In California
For new single-family homes, the 2025 California Electrical Code (408.2(B)) also requires panel breaker spaces for heat-pump water heater, heat-pump space heating, electric cooktop and electric dryer circuits, per Energy Code 150.0. That affects how the panel is sized, not the dedicated space itself.
Related sections
- NEC 110.26(A): Working space in front of electrical panels
- NEC 110.26(F)
- NEC 240.24: Where breakers and fuses may be located
- NEC 408.2: California: reserved breaker spaces in new homes
Where this comes from
Send a photo. Get a real answer.
Text is fastest. If you smell something burning or see smoke, call 911 first and keep away from the panel.
Kyle Robert Anderson KBC Electric · CSLB #1073066 · C-10 Electrical · Licensed since 2021