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jimmy_k43

Moving electrical panel box

4 years ago

I’m considering some possible kitchen renovations in my condo, and wondering how possible it would be to move the main breaker panel a couple feet either to the left or right (picture attached). I’m looking to cut out part of the wall right where the panel is currently located in order to open up the kitchen to the living room which is on the other side of the wall. Does the fact that I’m ok with moving the panel in either direction, as well as moving it up or down, make the process potentially a bit easier? Thanks for any guidance you can provide me.

Comments (17)

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    You’re already in violation of code with the counter there. The only other real option to move it somewhat inexpensively is to reverse it, and have it face the wall in the other side. You couldn’t mount any cabinets there, regardless, as you can’t risk wires being penetrated by fasteners.


    Jimmy K thanked User
  • 4 years ago

    "possible kitchen renovations in my condo"


    Make sure the condo assoc is on board with this being moved.

    Jimmy K thanked millworkman
  • 4 years ago

    Condos are a different animal. The construction of your building might or might not allow this even if you wanted to rewire your entire condo. You might not be allowed to enlarge the door openings, etc. Before you do too much planning, you need to discover what is allowed by your association, not even the association of the buildings next to you. Everything you do inside is governed by your board and your bylaws.

    Jimmy K thanked remodeling1840
  • 4 years ago

    Move panel in a condo?? Get approval in writing from the board. Your panel is also microscopic. Consider enlarging.

  • 4 years ago

    Thanks to each of you for your input, very appreciated! I’ve reached out to the board to get an idea of whether or not anything about this is a nonstarter, but on the offchance that they’re cool with it, was hoping to just get an idea of what I could expect. I completely understand that moving the panel even a few inches could potentially potentially be a whole situation, but was mostly wondering if anyone had seen this not be an impossible feat. Basically it just comes down to moving the panel a couple feet to either the left or right…assuming that the board was cool and that there was enough wiggle room for the shift to happen without a crazy amount of rewiring, any chance this could be a potentially doable project?

  • 4 years ago

    Honestly, no. theres not going tk be enough slack on the home runs to move the panel a couple feet.

  • 4 years ago

    Anything is possible with enough money. But there is no such thing as a wire stretcher. If you move the panel, you are going to have to redo whole runs of wires (which will likely mean opening up walls), or have junction boxes with cover plates on the wall where splices are made since you can't legally make inaccessible splices in the wall. Why do you feel you need to move this panel?

  • 4 years ago

    I was hoping to move the panel so that I could make a partial cutout in that wall to open up the space between the kitchen and the living room. Given that it sounds like moving the panel is a no-go on many fronts, what do you guys think about keeping the panel in place where it is but cutting out parts of the wall to the left and the right in order to open up that space?

  • 4 years ago

    I do not see how opening up the wall would do anything but draw attention to a butt ugly electrical box.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I could see possibly cutting back the wall to closer to the edge of the box (whatever that code would be). In condos, anything is possible behind walls, so you would have to be mindful of potential wires/plumbing that may run through there. Then you would just widen the living room entrance. I would not cut out on either side of the box.

  • 4 years ago

    Thanks to all for your advice! Any thoughts on keeping the box where it is, but building some sort of column around it, and then making a couple cutouts on either side of that column which is housing the panel?

  • 4 years ago

    I don't see such changes as an improvement, and if you start making "cutouts" you may well run into wiring runs. I'd live with it unless you are willing to spend the money to actually do it right.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    You need to keep a 3 foot distance around the panel for accessabilty in all directions. you cannot built anything thats closer than that.

  • 4 years ago

    "Condo" around here means multi-story building, interior hallways. So it's not just the homeruns within your unit, it is the feed to your unit from the electrical room. And maybe other feeds through that wall to other units if you have them above you.

  • PRO
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I would be very interested to know if you managed to do what you wanted. To be honest, I don't understand why you might need to move this panel to the side since I don't see any options where it could interfere with you. Still, I would like to advise you to contact the master and not do such operations yourself. It's still quite dangerous, and experts will certainly do it more safely and efficiently. I recently installed a panel and luminsmart.com, and the guys did everything very carefully and quickly. Therefore, I think you shouldn't do this yourself and trust a professional in your field.

  • 3 years ago

    I had to move my panel box from one wall to the other wall because it was not up to Code in terms of having separate large amp breakers for each appliance. I was lucky as I was close enough to the main electrical source so that the electrician could run whatever was necessary from the main common area box to my panel which saved money.


    That said - prior to the pandemic the cost to move the panel from one wall to essentially the opposite wall where it had a larger space was about $5000 pre-pandemic.


    My condo is extremely strict about construction rules but they had no issue with moving the panel box. Their requirement is that plumbing and electrical work be performed by licensed piumbers and electricians and the GC be licensed and carry $1,000,000 in insurance,


    As others have said if you (and I assume you would have it done by an electrician and not you) move it you should probably upgrade to new modern requirements. My original panel had sockets which was on opposite sides of the kitchen on the same circuit and if I forgot and ran the counter microwave and toaster oven at the same time the circuit would trip.


    Also in my places if you touch something like the panel to move it you then have to upgrade to current Code because it isn't grandfathered in.