Today I'm going to share a bit of home inspector folklore, and I'm going to set the record straight on electrical inspections.
We Can't Remove Panel Covers?Subd. 12. Unlicensed individuals. (a) An unlicensed individual means an individual who has not been licensed by the department to perform specific electrical work. An unlicensed individual shall not perform electrical work required to be performed by a licensed individual unless the individual has first registered with the department as an unlicensed individual. Thereafter, an unlicense individual shall not perform electrical work required to be performed by a licensed individual unless the work is performed under the direct supervision of an individual actually licensed to perform such work. The licensed individual and unlicensed individual must be employed by the same employer.
Subd. 17. Electrical work. "Electrical work" means the installing, altering, repairing, planning, or laying out of electrical wiring, apparatus, or equipment for electrical light, heat, power, technology circuits or systems, or other purposes.
Clearly, removing a panel cover to inspect the inside does not constitute electrical work. The next time you hear someone say that home inspectors in Minnesota aren't allowed to open electrical panels, have 'em prove it.
