I can't think of reason why you can't. Who is responsible for designing the house?

We are at the finishing point. Floors need to be stained and a little paint trim. Our electrician is saying by code it’s a fire hazard and you can’t install an outlet in a closet/pantry? I didn’t know if that was a new code or something?

I do it all the time. Often what may be a future bedroom either on resale or for a growing family is, upon the initial build, a study. So we throw an outlet or two in the closet about 36" above the floor, build a counter 30" high and we have a nice place to hid the printer, router (we also put a cable connector in there too) and anything else we may want to hide but needs plugging in.

The 2017 National Electrical Code requires all 120-volt, single phase, 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying outlets installed in dwelling unit kitchens, family rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms, sunrooms, recreation rooms, closets, hallways, laundry areas or similar rooms or areas shall be protected by a listed arc-fault circuit interrupter ...

Maybe closets were removed in the 2020 NEC but I doubt it.

Thank you

Sounds more like the electrician just doesn't want to do it. However it should have been done before the walls were closed in.

Cpartist I agree and unfortunately with unforeseen expenses my hubby took it off the list as well as other outlets. Anyhow now he thinks we need it.

A new circuit from the box, with all of the drywall damage repaired, could be $200. It could be 2K if all the Walls have been closed in and there is no attic or crawl space to run the wire, and it’s all the way across the house.

All you can do is ask the electrician how much he would charge you after closing to do this, and if that would be easier for him to do rather than as a change order now. Realize the drywall repair and repaint is not done by an electrician.

Yes, you can have a receptacle in the pantry we install them all the time when pHO requests them and many do.

Typically you can join a circuit one the opposite wall so don't have to even repair drywall. This is especially true if you aren't too picky where in the pantry the outlet goes. You could also wait until the house is done.

At this point it's expensive.... mostly time. Contractors, especially trade contractors get frustrated and embarrassed at the true cost of a retrofit vs the credit for a simple circuit extension.

But I dont see any code issues.

I finished a remodel and my kitchen needed a lot of electrical work because I upgraded to wall ovens and a separate hood and microwave drawer.

I live in a condo and so all the units have similar electrical configurations - output etc. My neighbor his remodeling and he saw my kitchen and wanted a similar layout. He is using the same electrician I used (coincidentally) and the electrician gave him a "warning" that he could do it but that it might exceed the electrical amps and cause the circuit to break.

This confused me as I had a new panel installed - it was never raised as an issue and my neighbor also had a new panel installed. I checked with my GC and designer and they laughed and said there was NO issue. The issue was that it was a difficult job to run the new wiring because of the spaces and so he probably didn't want to have to do it again in my neighbor's unit.

Moral of story - never underestimate the ability of a worker to come up with an excuse to not do a job even when it is technically or legally possible :-).

Moral of story - find out exactly what this "Code" is and then find out how much it is going to be to run the new wiring.

@Helen very good point. We’re over budget anyway so maybe it’s something I’ll have to do down the line.

This is especially true if you aren't too picky where in the pantry the outlet goes.

This made me smile... I wasn't too picky about where the outlet went in my (tract home) pantry, until the electrician installed it nearly 8' off the ground (9' pantry). :-D And no, the builder wouldn't fix it, since it was on the wall that I specified. Silly me for expecting it to be the same distance from the floor as every other normal outlet that wasn't near a counter top. I even explained, during the add-an-outlet-design-stage that I wanted to be able to plug in my vacuum. Crazy! lol

Sounds like you're buying a Track house. They build as 'cheap' as possible. They build 'junk' IMO.