An electrical panel located inside a clothes closet is a concern because:

Electrical panels require a defined clear working space in front of them — a specified width, depth and height kept free of obstruction — so that a person can stand and work safely, and can get away quickly if something goes wrong. A clothes closet defeats this in two ways that reinforce each other. The space is small, so the required clearance often cannot be achieved at all; and the room's purpose is storage, so whatever clearance exists will be filled by hanging clothes, boxes and shoes within days of anyone moving in. There is a second concern in a clothes closet specifically, which is the proximity of readily ignitible material to equipment that can arc. The inspector reports the location and the obstruction, and recommends the panel be relocated or the space be dedicated and kept clear.

The panel requires a clear working space that a clothes closet is both too small to provide and destined to have filled with stored material. The location and the storage use are in direct conflict, which is why the arrangement is reported.

Electrical panels require dedicated clear working space in front of the equipment, kept free of storage, so that the panel can be operated and serviced safely. Locations whose ordinary use is storage conflict with that requirement, and clothes closets add readily ignitible material near the equipment.

Space You Cannot Keep Is Not Clearance. An empty closet on inspection day is a full closet by move-in. The room's purpose beats the tape measure.

Measure and report the actual clearance you find, and note the storage present. Both belong in the report, because clearance can be restored while the location cannot.

• •Clearing the location because the closet happened to be empty
• •Attributing the concern to humidity or equipment operation
• •Confusing closet lighting clearance rules with panel working space