Section 26.24.16 covers panelboards and the disconnecting and overcurrent protective devices that support safe electrical distribution, identification, adjustment, and turnover.
In practice, the QAQC challenge is not just getting a cabinet installed in the right location. You also need to confirm that enclosure type, short-circuit rating, bus rating, breaker compatibility, grounding and bonding arrangement, labeling, and testing all align with the approved design and the actual field conditions.
This checklist follows the three-phase QAQC control flow, Preparatory, Initial, and Follow-U, so you can verify readiness before installation starts, establish the accepted first installation, and keep production within limits as additional panels are mounted, terminated, labeled, and tested.
The FTQ360 version incorporates required photos, torque records, continuity and isolation readings, load measurements, and sign-offs so the final record is traceable and auditable.
What the Checklist Covers
This panelboards checklist tracks the work from pre-installation coordination through energization and turnover.
You use it to confirm approved product data, panel schedules, short-circuit and coordination inputs, arc-flash labeling requirements, and field space conditions before equipment is released for fabrication and delivery.
It then walks the team through receiving inspection, enclosure verification, mounting method, structural backing, seismic anchorage, bonding status, lug suitability, conductor entry protection, breaker compatibility, filler plates, and circuit identification.
During execution and closeout, the checklist captures torque records, breaker settings, continuity and insulation-resistance testing, grounding verification, final directories, load balancing, infrared scanning, and turnover of schedules, spare devices, tools, warranties, and operation and maintenance data.
The result is a practical field record that ties approved submittals to the installed work and the accepted final condition.
Checklist Preview
This spec section has recurring field issues. This section has a history of commonly encountered problems during procurement, installation, and turnover, and most of them trace back to mismatches between the approved study, the delivered equipment, and the field installation.
A panelboard short-circuit rating below the available fault current, the wrong breaker family, or a neutral bar left bonded in a subfeed panel can turn into a serious acceptance and safety problem long before startup.
Untorqued terminations, missing bushings at cabinet entries, omitted filler plates, and incomplete directories create a different class of risk: overheating, insulation damage, exposed live parts, and poor maintainability after handover.
Mounting problems matter too, especially when cabinets are out of plumb, lack proper backing, or do not match the environmental conditions of the space.
The best prevention is disciplined cross-checking at release, first-article verification in the field, and hard hold points before covers go on or feeders are energized.
Those priorities drive the QAQC details in the phases that follow.
This phase takes place in the weeks before work begins. Prepare for success by verifying that personnel, materials, equipment, and documentation are ready for work to begin.
For panelboards, that means confirming approved product data, shop drawings, panel schedules, coordination study inputs, short-circuit data, and arc-flash labeling requirements before fabrication release.
It also means field-verifying workspace clearance, access for trim removal, door swing, operating-handle height, mounting configuration, backing, seismic anchorage, and any required concrete base. Receiving plans should confirm enclosure type, short-circuit rating, bus ampacity, breaker family, neutral and ground bar arrangement, lug sizes, and required accessories before equipment is accepted.
This is also the stage to lock in the grounding and bonding plan, verify calibration status for torque and test instruments, assign testing and infrared responsibilities, and define stop-work triggers for damaged equipment, missing study coordination, or unverified mounting conditions.
Done well, Preparatory work removes the root causes behind most panelboard installation failures.
This phase confirms that work starts correctly. The first panelboard installation establishes the benchmark for every unit that follows, so this phase focuses on proving the accepted mounting, termination, and labeling standard before production accelerates.
You verify that the cabinet is plumb, rigid, and secured without distortion, that the top trim elevation and top-most handle height comply with the required limits, and that recessed or surface-mounted conditions match the intended installation details.
The first accepted sample should also confirm neutral isolation or bonding status by panel type, correct grounding-bar connections, proper lug selection, recorded torque values, complete filler-plate treatment, and installation of the required directory and nameplates.
No first article should be energized until mounting, grounding, torque, labeling, and directory acceptance are all logged and released.
Follow-Up Phase
This phase aims to keep work proceeding correctly. As additional panelboards are installed, you keep checking that each unit matches the latest study and schedule, that the enclosure type and finish suit the installed environment, and that doors, trims, and deadfronts operate without interference.
Routine follow-up also confirms breaker family and trip settings, conductor grouping and entry protection, neutral and grounding-bar status, and installation of scheduled accessories such as integral SPDs, feed-through lugs, or extra-capacity neutral bars only where required.
Mounting conditions still matter during production, especially for floor-mounted units on bases and surface-mounted units that require stand-off supports in damp or dirty locations.
Any wrong breaker family, missing filler plates, improper bond status, damaged insulation, or unrecorded torque should stop the work before close-in or energization.
Completion — Final Acceptance & Closeout
All of the work culminates with a final result; this phase ensures the completed installation meets project requirements.
At closeout, you verify that each panelboard meets the required short-circuit rating for its voltage class and installed fault conditions, that all accessible feeder, neutral, and grounding terminations have recorded torque values, and that insulation-resistance and continuity testing are complete before energization.
Final acceptance also depends on complete identification: panel designation, phase and system identification, breaker labels where required, arc-flash labels aligned with the current study, and a computer-generated circuit directory that reflects actual installed loads.
Load balancing and any resulting circuit changes need to be documented, with final phase loading held within the allowed differential after adjustment. Infrared scanning, calibration records, breaker settings, as-builts, panel schedules, spare devices, special tools, warranty data, and testing certificates all belong in the turnover package.
If testing, labeling, directory, or unresolved deficiency items remain open, turnover is not complete.
References and Other Specification Systems
Other Specification Systems
UFGS 26 24 16 Panelboards; VA 26 24 16 Panelboards; NMS 26 24 16 equivalent to be verified; RIB SpecLink 26 24 16 equivalent to be verified; related inherited controls from 26.05.26, 26.05.29, 26.05.33, and 26.05.73 where panelboards interface with grounding, supports, raceways, and power system studies.
FTQ360 runs on tablets and phones (online or offline), so inspectors capture photos and measurements anywhere and sync later.
Required fields and conditional logic prevent skips and enforce holds. Time/user stamps and lot/location links keep the record auditable.
Dashboards surface patterns within a few pours, so you can adjust handling before defects propagate.
Prefer the FTQ360 in-app setup?
Open Checklist Setup → Library, search for the code and tap to clone the checklist. Then tailor checkpoint template to your requirements.
If your team still needs paper in select areas, you can print the PDF from the FTQ360 app, mark it up in the field, then transcribe results and attach photos later—just note that paper won’t enforce required fields, conditional logic, or holds like the app does.
For implementation help, visit support.ftq360.com.
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