The directory card is your pre-made inventory — how to read it, verify it against reality, and turn it into a listing buyers trust.
Every panel has a directory card — the paper (or handwritten) schedule inside the door listing which breaker feeds which circuit. For a seller, that card is a pre-made inventory: it tells you how many breakers, what amperages, and what they serve. This guide shows how to read it, verify it, and turn it into a listing buyers trust.
Panel schedules are step one. Our selling guide covers the rest of the process.
Circuit numbers run down both sides — odd numbers left, even right (1,3,5… / 2,4,6…). Each row names the circuit: “receptacles east wall,” “RTU-3,” “lighting panel LP-2.” Multi-pole breakers span rows: a 2-pole breaker occupies two adjacent numbers (e.g. 5/7), a 3-pole three (5/7/9).
Count by type: how many single-pole 20s, how many 2-pole 30s, any 3-pole frames, any GFCI/AFCI. Note the spares (empty spaces are future value — and they tell a buyer the panel has room). Note anything unusual: the 100A 3-pole feeding the elevator, the twin breakers, the obsolete brand.
Directory cards lie — tenants change, electricians forget to update, handwriting fades. Spot-check: does the card’s “2-pole 50A range” match the actual breaker? For a sale listing, verified beats transcribed. Photograph the card and the open panel so buyers can cross-check.
Transcribe the schedule into a simple list: circuit number, breaker type and amperage, served load. Add the panel’s own nameplate data (make, model, amperage, main breaker or MLO — see the panelboard guide). Photograph in order: directory card, full open panel, close-ups of unusual breakers. That package — schedule plus photos — is what gets you a same-day serious offer instead of a week of “can you send a clearer photo of…”. For multi-panel facilities, number the panels (LP-1, LP-2…) and repeat. An hour with a phone and a notepad inventories a whole electrical room.
Panel schedules are written in electrician shorthand. The common ones: LP = lighting panel, PP = power panel, RP = receptacle panel, RTU = rooftop unit (HVAC), AHU = air handler, EF = exhaust fan, WH = water heater, EDP = emergency distribution panel, SP = spare, SPC = space (empty). Multi-pole entries show as “5/7” (2-pole) or “5/7/9” (3-pole). “2P30” = 2-pole 30-amp. Once you can read the shorthand, a directory card becomes a parts list — and a parts list becomes an offer. When transcribing for a listing, expand the abbreviations: buyers should not need a decoder ring.
The directory card inside a panel door listing each circuit number, its breaker, and the load it serves. It is the panel’s inventory list — and the starting point for valuing a loaded panel.
Common — cards go stale. Inventory the breakers visually instead: count poles and read amperages off the handles, then photograph the open panel. A buyer would rather have your fresh count than a wrong card.
Empty breaker spaces — capacity for future circuits. More spares means a more useful panel; note the count in your listing.
Number each panel, photograph each directory card and open interior, and transcribe breaker counts per panel. One organized message with all panels beats ten scattered photos.
Photograph the equipment, nameplates, and quantities in place, then send them through the contact form.
We review what the equipment is, its condition and quantity, and how it grades for resale versus recovery.
For qualifying material, we discuss a direct purchase offer and the next steps.
Manufacturer nameplates, breaker catalog numbers, panel schedules. Labels are the entire valuation.
Call or text 312-880-8174 or use the quote form.
A real offer based on your photos and today’s market — not a calculator, not a guess.
Breakers, panels, switchgear, transformers — send photos for today’s price.