"Wild_Bill" fired this volley in
:

For a too short wire in the panel, just use a junction box and a new
length of cable, as Gerald mentioned, or mount a handy box nearby, and
install a receptacle in it.. always a good idea to have a convenient
place to plug in a power tool and/or worklight near the panel.

Yeah... that's all workmanlike and servicable, but I'd already planned
all the outlets, junctions, etc. that I _wanted_ on that wall, and really
didn't want to just hack in another for that simple a fix. The drywall
work was already finished, too, so boring the top plate for a new run
into the attic would have required substantial damage to the work, and
subsequent rework.

It wasn't so much the extra work or the damage to the insulation that
bothered me as the fact that the inspector was being SO picky about a job
that was intrinsically safe, and very carefully (and cosmetically) done
right.

LLoyd