Got called out for my messy panel labeling on a Reno job

The inspector in Sparks, Nevada said my handwriting was 'unreadable' and made me redo all 42 circuits with a label maker. I've been using a sharpie for ten years and thought it was fine. What's your go-to method for clean panel schedules that actually last?

3 comments

3 Comments

corawilliams1mo ago

Sharpie fades to nothing in a couple years, especially in a hot panel. The inspector did you a favor. My go-to is the Brady label maker with the vinyl cloth tape. It's not cheap, but that stuff sticks forever and stays readable. Looks professional, saves the next guy a headache, and honestly it's faster than trying to write neatly.

sarah_perez20d ago

Oh man, I was totally a sharpie person for years. I figured it was dark and it's right there. But hearing stuff like @adams.dylan's story about the blue smudges really changed my mind. It's not just about fading, it's about leaving a mess for someone else to fix later. That's just rude. Spending a little more time or money on a real label now saves so much trouble down the road. I get it now.

adams.dylan1mo ago

Yeah, the sharpie fade is real. My buddy had the same thing happen on a service call last winter. He spent an hour tracing circuits in a basement because the homeowner's panel writing from five years ago was just a bunch of blue smudges. He had to shut down half the house to figure it out. Now he uses the laminated card you slide into the door, typed up on the computer. It looks clean and you can change it if you need to.