I normally strive for a neat appearance to my work.

Unfortunately, I hired a kid out of my shop to pull the wire in my crawl space and tack it to the joists. He didn't keep it neat in appearance like I showed him with the lines I ran.
What I mean to say is, they aren't flat (it's romex) and in nice tight rows as they run approx. 80' from the back of the house to the box. They are all curly and spaced unevenly apart.

Is that an issue to be of concern with either safety or the inspection?

Trying not to be over reacting

You may be interested in that there is a statement in the code ,Section 110.12 "Electrical equipment shall be installed in a neat and workmanship like manner".

This statement is the foundation of the code and Class 101 for all apprentices.

This mentality is so important that many union locals actually require a workman to fix his work on his own time if something is not just right.


In your case, however, do not worry too much about it, unless you're a obsessive neat freak like myself. There is no safety issue, nor even inspection issue to be concerned with.

Thou a smart a** inspector may have a few comments to make just to let you know he noticed, he will probably say something like "it is all yours now, if that is the sloppy way you want to see your building wired, it won't burn down".

This should also show that the kid does not have any interest in his heart to be an electrician. You have got to love this trade to have the ambition to install something neat and perfect.

I had a tour of a building under construction at the dog guide school. A privilege for those doing fundraising. It was the weekend with no work going on. There were many questions about when it would be done. The official answer was that it would be done when it was done. Our guide stopped by a large panel with the cover off. I never saw anything like it. There were several conduits running out the top. There was a wire coming out of the far right one that ran straight down right side of the box and made a neat turn to the bottom right breaker. Another one ran down next to it to the next to the bottom breaker, and another one, and another one... They were as neat as the piping you see in an oil refinery, each wire running straight down until it turned and went in to its breaker. The guide said, the building would be done when the guy wiring that panel had time to finish it and do all the rest the same. I doubt the school was being billed for the time.

I agree with tkrussell. You may do more harm to the cables by trying to pull out the staples. Not many people take pride in the work they do anymore and that's sad...

I had a tour of a building under construction at the dog guide school. A privilege for those doing fundraising. It was the weekend with no work going on. There were many questions about when it would be done. The official answer was that it would be done when it was done. Our guide stopped by a large panel with the cover off. I never saw anything like it. There were several conduits running out the top. There was a wire coming out of the far right one that ran straight down right side of the box and made a neat turn to the bottom right breaker. Another one ran down next to it to the next to the bottom breaker, and another one, and another one.... They were as neat as the piping you see in an oil refinery, each wire running straight down until it turned and went in to its breaker. The guide said, the building would be done when the guy wiring that panel had time to finish it and do all the rest the same. I doubt the school was being billed for the time.

Wow, I feel honored! My box (run by yours truly) looks JUST like that! When a wire enters on the left that needs to find the breaker on the right side I even have nice neat horizontal runs from one side to the other. If I have to cross over the main supply c ables I always tuck in behind them so the supply cables (as thick as they are) keep everything pulled to the rear of the box!

Last night (at 11:30PM ugh) I contemplated bundling the neutrals, hots, and bare copper wires together with cable ties to make it appear neater! LOL

It's a fine thing when you just start to terminate a panel and another trade walks by saying "what a mess" and "oh my god" when they see all the wire hanging there before we apply the artistry to it... I love seeing several hundred conductors just waiting there in a motor control center with 60 or 70 starters with adjustable overloads and freek drives... makes my day to "bend" it to my will.