Or you agreeing with me questioning Bob?
I did read the article, a good one I might add.
I think everyone agrees on different pages however.
(no not literally)
Sorry, something happened with my post, so re-posting…
First, a rhetorical rant: If NEC allows something, the manufacturer stands behind it, and UL listed it, what qualification does the AHJ have to disallow it?
Examples: Conduit madness in Chicago, no Romex, even in residential in some parts of New York, no half/tandem breakers in some parts of the country, etc. etc…
That being said, poor workmanship and lack of respect for rules and standards is of course far worse.
Here’s a picture from a recent inspection.
Please disregard the fact that it’s sideways – the actual panel is vertical, with the main on top.
This panel does not allow tandem breakers, but there are three of them there, and they are not even of the right brand – Cutler Hammer and Murray. GE panels do not allow anything but GE, as far as I know.
The homeowner says that there was no electrical job done in the house since it was built in 2001, and the panel is in the exactly the same state as the builder left it. If that is the truth, that builder should be fined or have their license pulled…
If they take these kinds of shortcuts where it’s visible, who knows what the sheetrock is hiding…
Everything that Reuben writes is top notch, very detailed and informative stuff.
Questioning Bob.
on another note,
I do not know anyone who would have installed a 100 amp main in 2001.
Any particular reason why?
100 amp mains are still installed in condos or smaller homes with all gas appliances. Unless the load calculation required more, thats whats put in.
There is little difference in price to warrant only using 100 amps. I do plenty of new construction, can not think of one 100 amp panel.
If you live an area with where natural gas is used in most construction, then I could see it, possibly
Around here (almost every home on natural gas) there are still homes with 30 or 60 amp services. A new 100 amp service with 20 circuit slots would be a great improvement over the couple of plug fuses they have with pennies in them. 
This house was built in 2001 – I saw building permits, etc.
Here, in Connecticut, 100A services are very common in small and medium sized houses.
With electricity prices at 18 to 25 cents a kilowatt-hour, about twice the national average, people steer away from electric water heaters, electric heat and electric stoves as much as they can. Fortunately, natural gas service is common enough here, at least in the coastal areas.
The above house does have natural gas, so I’m sure they did a load calc. Still doesn’t explain how and why they have miscalculated the number of circuits though.
All in all, from what I’ve read, with the appliances and lighting becoming more and more energy efficient, fewer and fewer services above 200A are being installed.