Shoutout to the guy who told me to mount the panel first before running wires

I always used to run all my wires first then try to cram them into the panel box. Last job on a townhouse in Tacoma I decided to mount the panel first and pull wires into it as I went. Saved me like an hour of wrestling with stiff 22ga and my terminations came out way cleaner. Anyone else do it this way or am I late to the party lol

2 comments

2 Comments

terryr466d ago

Mounting it first works fine in a straightforward layout, but I've had it bite me when the panel location shifts last minute or the customer decides they want it six inches to the left after the studs are up. Pulling wires first lets me strap everything in place and leave slack where it's needed before I commit to a final spot. On a rough-in for a multi-gang setup in a tight basement I'd rather have my tails loose and adjustable than jammed into a fixed box. Different strokes for different jobs, not sure one way is always better.

jake_walker5d ago

3 basements ago I learned this the hard way, never mounting first again after that.