And what happens when you or your "inspector" accidently blows the panel off the wall and burns down the entire building? who gets to pay for it? If this fool were wanting to take apart the gas lines to inspect inside of them would you still think it was smart? If you feel the electrical system needs to be inspected you call an electrician PERIOD and in this case "a new building" the only electrician allowed to open it is the one on the permit because he has to warrantee the components for a full year following final...always two sides to a story pal and as an electrician I can tell you nothing pisses us off more than finding out some one has tampered with anything we have under warrantee and doing so just may give me the right to void that entire aspect of the contract in court should it come down to it.
@@kevint1910 Uh, ever hear of property insurance for homeowners and commercial business insurance for the trades? If the house was that janky, I would want to know BEFORE I close, not after.
@@kevint1910. I don’t think that’s what he was saying. It sounded like the builder was refusing to allow ANYONE to open the panel until after closing. If that’s the case, then anyone willing to buy this property is potentially putting thousands of dollars at risk. But maybe I’m missing something in the message.
@@kevint1910 As a homeowner, you're solving your problem by making a much larger problem for the customer. How would I gain any confidence in your work if I'm not allowed to see it? Even if you work is perfect, you're mimicking behaviors of shady contractors. Would you tell the city inspector they can't open it? Take pictures of your finished work, use tamper evidence, etc. but never tell me the homeowner than I can't open my property.
Several years ago, I did a service upgrade on a 4 unit apartment building. When the city inspector showed up, she never opened the meter boxes. We were required to replace all basement wiring with conduit. She never stepped off the bottom step in the basement. She couldn't even see our panels from there, let alone any grounding. I called the head inspector and told hime that the only thing she inspected was that the box was gray. She wasn't even a licensed electrician and even failed the test.
I’ve met very few home inspectors who are capable of really understanding a panel. I’d hire an independent electrician if I was concerned and if the builder continues to deny access then we can not buy or go to court.
"Certified Home Inspector" is one of the biggest scams going. Very few of them have any experience in the trades, and many of them completed an online course and passed a bogus test. I actually know one guy who, for 30 years, was a full-time paper shuffler in the VT Army National Guard, and then he "trained himself to be a home inspector". He couldn't build a doghouse...
I'm not one to defend the average inspector, but it's not like a typical home panel is difficult. Maybe a panel with solar equipment, but the average panel is very straight forward.
You know why the builder can get away with that kind of potential concealment? Because of the housing shortage. If one buyer says no, there are too many lined up behind that one buyer, and they'll very likely say yes, despite that suspicious restriction. The housing market, particularly on a corporate level, is too unregulated, and thus we have all of this caveat emptor, with potential for life-ruination, going on.
Exactly. It's not too hard to understand about half the requirements. And if you find something dangerous, report the full story to the city (in writing). Of course, if you're over 65, buy it and sue the bejesus out of the seller, leaning on your senior status.
Holy $h!t, how is that even remotely legal? I"m assuming that it did have the Electrical "Final" inspection sticker viewable on the inside of the electrical panel door? Still that's BS and definitely shouldn't be legal. Thanks for sharing as I"ve never encountered that but it'd be a deal breaker if I were the potential buyer...
Just open it they’re not going to know. I’ve been an industrial and commercial electrician for some time now. Never heard of this. I’ve done residential in my free time also…crazy
Can the person buying the house not take out the six screws, put the panel down, and let you walk by it? There is no way a builder would tell me I could not open that panel if I were buying the house.
Why would anybody locate their main breaker outside where a burglar can force it open and shut off the main breaker, leaving the whole house unpowered (including the security system that reports breakins via a now-dead router)?
It is actually a part of the electrical code now to be done this way. This is required for firefighters to be able to kill power in an emergency. If a person is worried about losing power to a router all they have to do is install a battery backup.
I agree. It seems to be a southern thing or something. To me it is dumb. Why would I want to walk outside to reset a breaker? And garage is another terrible spot. And if the electric can not be inspected. That would violate many loan and purchase agreements. Electric is to be inspected. What that builder said and did would violate any VA home loan. The home would have to be inspected and that includes the electric. I would not purchase a home without the pre inspection. Why? By not allowing me into a panel, it tells me something is not correct or illegal.
@jimmyhargrove8672 bullcrap. I know someone who wrote much of the NEC. And yes you are right abt it. He is the other thing. Meters are near point of service and they have a main breaker. Pull the meter or trip that breaker. They done this long time. This is why the panel outside is terrible. My electrical instructor hates certain sections of code. This is one of them.
Lies. You don’t know anyone that “wrote much of the nec”. The nec is written by many different cmp’s (code making panels) that literally only focus on one small section each. And each cmp member can only sit on one panel. So you know no one that wrote much of it….a small section maybe, but not a lot.
Soooo - you think a "home inspector" knows more about NEC than a licensed electrician. Most of those who wear the badge of "certified home inspector" have no experience in the trades, and couldn't build a doghouse.
It is not about knowing more. It is about having independent eyes looking at the product you are purchasing. There are some companies that cut corners to increase their profit (here is looking at you Boeing). Being able to inspect the product on such a large purchase needs to be allowed. And if a company says you must purchase sight unseen, you should likely walk off away from the purchase. With the demand for housing outracing supply it is important to not empower builders with the ability to make poor products.
@@nichodemus10 - there is no benefit to those "independent eyes" if they belong to some jackass who thinks his online course confers some qualification. The vast majority of "certified home inspectors" I have encountered are not qualified to inspect anything.
@erniea4424 while I 100% agree with your statement, I should still be able to look into the electrical box of a purchase I am making. And if you're going to sell me a car without letting drive it or see it running, we have a problem.
In some states they adopt NFPA 70E verbatim into law and it is illegal for anyone other than a licensed electrician to open a panel. It requires proper PPE and qualified personnel. Where i worked our company wanted to train chemical process operators to reset motor overloads without opening the door and the electricians fought it so they called in MIOSHA (Michigan) for a meeting. When the company told them their plan MIOSHA said they would site them if the allowed anyone but electricians to do it, training or not.
Wow, they are not hiding the fact that their work is suspect of failure. Where I live, electrical has to be inspected by an electrical inspector, or the power company won't connect you to the grid.
Everything should be available for inspection or no sale unless the builder will let me put 50% in a closing non destruction unless, non code idems turn up, inspection account. Maybe A LAW THAT SAYS THIS WOULD MAKE BETTER HOMES AND FULSH OUT ALL THE BAD BUILDERS THAT DON'T WANT A LAW LIKE THIS, as cops say if you did nothing wrong why do you need a lawyer? If you build good homes to code or better, Why ARE YOU SO UP IN ARMS OVER THIS TYPE OF LAW. You 🤔 restate agents 🙄 BUILDER🤢.
the reason a builder would do this isnt to cheat the buyer in any way . If there are discrepancies with the electrical it will hold the electrician who did the work responsible , not the builder . However if this is a new home the inspection should already have been done by the local wire inspector and would supercede what any home inspector says any way
