How much clear space is required in front of a panel?

Per NEC 110.26(A): 36 inches deep for 150 volts to ground or less, 30 inches wide or the equipment width, and 6.5 feet of headroom.

Can pipes or ducts run above a panel?

No. NEC 110.26(E) dedicates the space above the panel footprint to 6 feet above the equipment for electrical use only; foreign piping and ducts must stay out of it.

What Are the Working Space Requirements Around an Electrical Panel?

A user asked the app what working space is required around a panel. NEC 2023 110.26 is the section inspectors quote most, and the core numbers are simple: 36 inches deep, 30 inches wide, and 6.5 feet of headroom in front of any equipment likely to be worked on while energized.

The three dimensions

Depth comes from Table 110.26(A)(1). For systems 150 volts to ground or less, which covers 120/240 residential and 208Y/120 commercial, the depth is 36 inches in all conditions. Between 151 and 600 volts to ground the depth grows to 42 or 48 inches when there are grounded or live parts across from the equipment. Width per 110.26(A)(2) is 30 inches or the width of the equipment, whichever is greater, and the space can be offset as long as doors open at least 90 degrees. Height per 110.26(A)(3) is 6.5 feet or the height of the equipment. The working space is measured from the face of the panel, and it must stay clear permanently: no washer, no shelving, no water heater squeezed in front.

Dedicated space above and below

110.26(E) reserves the footprint of the panel from the floor to 6 feet above the equipment as dedicated electrical space. Ducts, water pipes, and gas lines do not belong there, and anything above that zone needs protection so leaks cannot drip into the gear. This is the rule that kills the classic panel under the plumbing stack layout.

Doors, lighting, and big gear

Equipment rated 800 amps or more that contains overcurrent devices now needs two entrances to the working space per 110.26(C)(2), a threshold NEC 2023 lowered from 1200 amps, unless the space allows a continuous unobstructed exit. Personnel doors within 25 feet of that gear need panic hardware per 110.26(C)(3). Indoor service equipment locations also require illumination per 110.26(D), and the light cannot be controlled only by automatic means. None of these clearances are suggestions; an inspector with a tape measure enforces every one of them.

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