Is a handwritten directory on the panel door enough?

For 408.4(A), a legible directory on the door meets the code. For a permit submittal, reviewers increasingly want a typed schedule with trip ratings and loads that matches the calculation; the printed page is that document, and it can also be taped inside the door.

Why does the imbalance matter?

The service neutral carries the difference between the legs. Keeping the single-pole loads balanced keeps neutral current low and avoids one leg loading the main breaker while the other idles. The engine balances to within a fraction of a percent on the sample; the tool shows the figure so you can judge hand placements.

Do spares count in the totals?

Spares carry 0 VA so they do not change the leg totals, but they do occupy spaces and count toward the circuit limit. They are marked "(spare)" on the schedule.

Can I move circuits by hand?

Yes. Drag a circuit to a space (or its A/B tandem half) and it is pinned there; auto-assign fills around pinned circuits and re-balance releases them. The validator flags overlaps, illegal tandem halves and the circuit limit as you go.

PanelsCalculated per NEC 2023

What is a panel schedule, and what has to be on it?

A panel schedule is the directory that tells anyone opening a panelboard what each breaker feeds, how big it is, and which leg it sits on. NEC 408.4(A) requires every circuit to be legibly identified as to its purpose, and a permit reviewer expects the schedule to agree with the load calculation. The sample above holds 18 circuits (11 two-pole, 7 single-pole) in a 30-space panel, using 29 of 30 poles, with 20,040 VA on leg L1 and 20,040 VA on L2, an imbalance of 0.0%. Its 40,080 VA of calculated circuits reconciles to the load calculation’s 40,080 VA connected total exactly.

Updated September 23, 2026. Numbers on this page are computed by the same engine as the calculators, under NEC 2023.

Panel schedule page from the sample permit packet: a 30-space, 200 A panel with circuits numbered odd on the left and even on the right, legs marked, and leg totals below — The panel schedule page of the public sample permit packet (NEC Annex D Example D2(a), 30-space panel, SAMPLE watermark). Odd circuits down the left, even down the right, each row marked with its leg.

Worked example: the sample packet’s panel (Annex D Example D2(a))

Calculated per NEC 2023

Standard method (Article 220 Part III) for the loads; panel schedule engine for placement

Inputs

Dwelling	1,500 ft², 12 kW range, 2,500 VA water heater, 1,200 VA dishwasher, 5,000 VA dryer, 9,000 VA space heating in 5 units, 1,380 VA air conditioner
Panel	200 A main, 30 spaces, 30-circuit rating, 120/240 V single-phase
Circuits derived	3 general lighting circuits at 15 A (4,500 VA ÷ 1,800 VA), 2 small-appliance and 1 laundry at 20 A, one circuit per appliance and heating unit
Added by hand	One 20 A 120 V spare and one 30 A 240 V spare

Result

Circuits on the schedule	1811 two-pole, 7 single-pole; 29 of 30 poles
Leg L1 / Leg L2	20,040 VA / 20,040 VA167.0 A / 167.0 A at 120 V; imbalance 0.0%
Connected on schedule	40,080 VAevery circuit placed
Reconciliation to the load calc	Reconciled40,080 VA of calculated circuits vs 40,080 VA connected

Two-pole loads (range, dryer, water heater, five heating units, air conditioner) are placed first in adjacent spaces of one column; the single-pole circuits then go to whichever leg is lighter. The result is 20,040 VA on each leg, 0.0% imbalance, and a schedule whose calculated circuits add up to the load calculation’s connected total.

Trip ratings are the next standard 240.6(A) rating for the connected load, 125% for continuous loads and motors; conductor sizing is confirmed separately.

What the columns mean

Reading across one row of the sample: circuit number, description, poles, trip rating and VA on the left; the leg marker in the middle; and the same five columns for the right-hand circuit.

Circuit number. Odd numbers run down the left column, even down the right, and each pair of rows alternates between leg L1 (A) and L2 (B). A 2-pole breaker occupies a space and the one below it in the same column (1 and 3, not 1 and 2), which is how it reaches both legs.
Description. 408.4(A) requires the purpose, specific enough to identify it ("Small-appliance circuit 1", "Clothes dryer"), and not dependent on transient conditions such as who lives in a room.
Poles and trip. 1P or 2P and the breaker rating. Tandem halves print as 17A / 17B within the space row.
VA and leg totals. The connected VA per circuit lets the schedule report each leg’s load and the imbalance, which is what a reviewer uses to see that the single-pole loads were balanced.

Why it has to reconcile

A panel schedule that lists loads not in the calculation, or omits ones that are, tells the reviewer one of the two documents is wrong. The schedule builder derives its circuits from the saved load calculation, one circuit per physical unit, so the calculated circuits sum to the calculation’s connected load. Spares and existing circuits are marked as such and excluded from that comparison, and the reconciliation card states the delta when there is one.

What goes in the permit packet

The schedule page prints after the load calculation in the permit packet with the same header and footer: panel name, system voltage, main rating and spaces at the top, the two-column table, and leg totals, imbalance and circuit count below. Spaces left open print blank so the inspector can see the spare capacity.

Frequently asked questions

Is a handwritten directory on the panel door enough?: For 408.4(A), a legible directory on the door meets the code. For a permit submittal, reviewers increasingly want a typed schedule with trip ratings and loads that matches the calculation; the printed page is that document, and it can also be taped inside the door.
Why does the imbalance matter?: The service neutral carries the difference between the legs. Keeping the single-pole loads balanced keeps neutral current low and avoids one leg loading the main breaker while the other idles. The engine balances to within a fraction of a percent on the sample; the tool shows the figure so you can judge hand placements.
Do spares count in the totals?: Spares carry 0 VA so they do not change the leg totals, but they do occupy spaces and count toward the circuit limit. They are marked "(spare)" on the schedule.
Can I move circuits by hand?: Yes. Drag a circuit to a space (or its A/B tandem half) and it is pinned there; auto-assign fills around pinned circuits and re-balance releases them. The validator flags overlaps, illegal tandem halves and the circuit limit as you go.