200 amp main at the meter base. Breaker feeding 200 amp panel in garage is a 110 amp breaker. New construction with city inspector sticker clearing this. Am I missing something or am I correct saying this is improper
So where is the other panel. It will be protected by the weakest link which would be the 110.
It is connect to a 200 amp main breaker in the garage.
So the panel in the garage is limited to the 110 breaker that would trip before you get to the 200.
Weakest link. What size were the feed wire good for?
Do you have pics of the feed wires at the top lugs by the 200 amp main? Can’t see them here.
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The minimum required service for a SFR is 100 Amps (NEC 230.79). The feed cables from the exterior cut-off appear to be 2/0 THHN copper (hard to read markings) which can handle that. The exterior cut-off would trip before the interior 200 Amp OCPD if the interior were configured with a main OCPD.
Technically there is nothing wrong with this configuration however is is deceiving to the new home buyer who might be gauging service size with an interior OCPD at a marked 200 Amp. I would write this up with that aspect as the issue in the report with a note that as stated technically nothing is wrong with it.
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Manny is a lot better in explaining than I am.
Thanks Manny
Do you have an image of the interior distribution panel board with the dead front off, Scott?
Are you saying it’s not a 200amp service? Yes, the buyer may get confused as could the agents, and even some home inspectors, but what is the service ampacity of the OP’s described and pictured service?
The Service is 200 amp, Simon. But, apparently, they only brought 110 amps, of that 200 amps, into the distribution panel board in the garage. There is where the confusion may come into play. 
They could bring more into the garage/house later, if they wanted to.
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As the OP wrote, and Larry explained, it appears to be a 200 Amp “service”. However the maximum current draw available with this configuration would only be the size of the exterior OCPD. “Technically” there is nothing wrong with the configuration as we see it and explained to us with the only issue being the restriction of available current (200 Amp as configured with all other components) to approximately 100 Amps by the exterior OCPD. It is the “restriction” that I would write in my report and ensure the client is aware they are being provided with the minimum service level required for a SFR.
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Evening, Scot.
Could you please provide an mage of the panel-board, breaker panel, or electric panel dividing the electrical power feed into subsidiary circuits for the members please.
Thank you.
Technically, the 110 Amp breaker would trip first, so electrically it shouldn’t be a problem. But what Emmanuel said is true as well, if the homeowner sees a big fat 200 Amp breaker inside the house, he may think that he wants to install a large wall charger for a TESLA or some other appliance. If the distribution panel is in the garage, the homeowner may think that he could wire it himself or get it done cheap by an electrician since it is so close. It could happen that the homeowner wires it and the breaker trips all the time or an electrician comes, does a load calculation, and says nope that’s not going to work you have to install it from the exterior panel or replace the 110 AMP breaker/wiring, and that’s going to cost quite a bit more than expected.
Usually, when I see a larger exterior panel, the 240V electrical appliances are wired to the outside panel and the inside distribution panel is for lighting/outlets/other small circuits. Where are the 240V breakers for electrical RANGE, A/C or Heat Pump, WALL OVEN, WATER HEATER, or other large electrical use appliance? I sure hope they aren’t all crammed into the distribution panel somewhere else in the house. Gas Furnace? Gas Range? Gas water heater? How big is this house? There is really a lack of information to make any good assumptions.
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I know that Manny can’t be sure, exactly what size the SEC is, because of the picture but 2/0 THHN copper will handle 200 amps. So they could maybe change the feeder from the breaker to the 200 amp breaker/switch, as it is being used for now.
And I agree with you on the lack of information, Yu.
You are not correct.
Correct call. Good eye.
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Where this gets tricky is the outside is carrying 100% of the load but the inside is not so a 200 AMP breaker can’t replace the 110 AMP breaker.
There could be factors unknown to us.
Good catch! Just wanted to throw out some worst case scenarios. It just feels like the start of one of those Home Owner complainants where the home owner wants to install X, the home inspector didn’t tell them about Y, and now he has to pay more money to get it to work.
That’s a 110 amp feeder too sub panel. Which the neutral and grounding conductors should be separated on different bus bars
I did not get a picture of the inside of the panel in the garage however it did house all the breakers for the home which is all electric for a 200 sq ft home. I have concluded that I need to let the buyer be aware. Which is what I was thinking but am glad I have this forum to reassure me
Thanks to everyone!
You did mean 1200 s.f. and not 200, right? lol