Push studs apart for rough-in panel box?

[paperfist]

Fail fail and fail again.
OP said it was a common wall between the closet and the garage.
The wall between the house and garage is a fire rated assembly, any box you put in that wall has to be fire rated. There is also a size limit that I don't remember right off hand.
After you determine that you do indeed have a fire rated box of a legal size then you can put it in.

Wouldn't a metal electrical box already be fire rated?

If it were me I'd either notch one stud (instead of both) or box it like has been suggested.

 

[stech1]

I stand corrected! Missed the common wall part...

Fail fail and fail again.
OP said it was a common wall between the closet and the garage.
The wall between the house and garage is a fire rated assembly, any box you put in that wall has to be fire rated. There is also a size limit that I don't remember right off hand.
After you determine that you do indeed have a fire rated box of a legal size then you can put it in.

 

[DrPizza]

Nice catch, Greenman. Here's an odd question: if the wall between my garage and house isn't fire rated, and I put an electrical subpanel in the wall, do I have to bring the wall up to code? What if the subpanel is because I'm turning the garage into an apartment for my kid, thus the garage won't be used for cars?

 

[iGas]

Nice catch, Greenman. Here's an odd question: if the wall between my garage and house isn't fire rated, and I put an electrical subpanel in the wall, do I have to bring the wall up to code? What if the subpanel is because I'm turning the garage into an apartment for my kid, thus the garage won't be used for cars?

Need fire rated wall separation if it deem as separate resident.

PS. Just sent your kids to live the goat and you don't have to worry with building an apartment

 

[simonizor]

Uh, dude... It's called a hammer. If that doesn't work, take a saw and make notches about every 1/8" or so about 1/4" in the length of the box. Use a hammer to chip out the wood that you notched out with the saw.