Dwelling Receptacle Placement

The six-foot rule means a lamp cord can reach an outlet from anywhere along the wall without an extension cord. Counters, islands, and hallways have their own spacing rules on top of that.

Homeowners always ask why so many outlets. I tell them each one is a cord they will never have to run under the couch.

When it applies

This governs where receptacles go on the walls of a home. The rule is spacing so no point along a usable wall line is more than six feet from an outlet, which works out to receptacles at least every twelve feet. Any wall two feet or wider counts, and that includes the little sections beside doorways and around fixed panels.

Common mistakes

• Forgetting that wall space behind a door still counts once the wall is two feet or wider.
• Missing the receptacle required in hallways ten feet or longer.
• Overlooking counter, island, and peninsula rules that live in the same article for kitchens.

In the field

When I lay out a bedroom I walk the perimeter with a tape and mark six-foot half-spans first, then set the boxes. It is warm work to redo after drywall, so I would rather catch a short wall now than watch a homeowner reach for an extension cord later.