Does a home inspector remove the electrical panel cover?
Where the cover is readily accessible, yes. 19 NYCRR 197-5.9 requires the inspector to observe the main and branch circuit conductors after removing the readily accessible main and sub electric panel covers.
The duty is qualified: a cover that cannot be removed safely, or without risking damage, is a different matter, and then the report has to say so. But looking only at a closed panel door is not the New York standard, and most of what matters in a panel is invisible with the cover on.
A real photograph from one of Lou’s own inspections, chosen because it shows a building component and nothing that identifies a property or an owner.
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Old wiring and panels · What New York requires · See a real report