Recently I've been doing more and more new construction inspections, and while some inspections are fairly easy, some can be very challenging. It is clearly easier to identify a deficient condition in a component that is damaged or doesn't work, but when a component is missing altogether, it is not so obvious. [Of course, this is why you recommend an experienced home inspector, instead of one of the MANY new " 7 - Day - Wonders", who attempt to promote themselves as professional inspectors after a week of education at an inspection school, right!??!] Anyhow - let's see if you can figure this week's question, just by using common sense....

True or False? Each habitable room (which does not include closets, hallways, and bathrooms) in a home is only required to have one electrical receptacle per wall.

FALSE - The number of electrical receptacles in a room depend on the length of the walls. Typically the Rule of Thumb is that no horizontal point along the wall should be more than 6 feet from an electrical receptacle. Floor mounted receptacles do not count in this calculation. What is so magical about the 6 foot measurement? Basically it has to do with the length of a standard lamp or other electrical appliance cord, which is about 3 feet long. The idea is that you can place a lamp between two receptacles and plug into either one, without the use of an extension cord. Those guys at the NEC think of everything!

Crystal Watkins at Destin Homes and Land