Kitchen counter outlets

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Mike Lang

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Have any of you guys been asked by a GC to delete the kitchen counter outlets and just add an outlet strip to the bottom of the kitchen cabinet? Is this even legal ? I've done it a few months back in addition to the counter outlets and thought it was a pretty dumb idea.
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Have any of you guys been asked by a GC to delete the kitchen counter outlets and just add an outlet strip to the bottom of the kitchen cabinet? Is this even legal ? I've done it a few months back in addition to the counter outlets and thought it was a pretty dumb idea.
As long as the strip is 20" or less of the counter (art. 210.52(C)(5)), it is legal but if you are in the 2008 NEC make sure the strip is TR. Wiremold now makes TR plugmold.
 

Fulthrotl

~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
Have any of you guys been asked by a GC to delete the kitchen counter outlets and just add an outlet strip to the bottom of the kitchen cabinet? Is this even legal ? I've done it a few months back in addition to the counter outlets and thought it was a pretty dumb idea.

people like it 'cause yuo can tuck it up out of sight, and the cords are easier
to make neat with.... i've also put bathroom outlets under the counter, so the
blow dryers and curling irons and other weapons of mass destruction could be
hidden from the international inspectors.....:D
 

Mike Lang

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
people like it 'cause yuo can tuck it up out of sight, and the cords are easier
to make neat with.... i've also put bathroom outlets under the counter, so the
blow dryers and curling irons and other weapons of mass destruction could be
hidden from the international inspectors.....:D

Would you be able to give me a rough idea on pricing I have to put an estimate together for tonight and my supply house is closed. The higher the better so I don't get screwed. Thanks
 

220/221

Senior Member
Location
AZ
the cords are easier
to make neat with.

I think that the cords would look worse, stretching up to the underside of the cabinets.

The designers we work with used to sell this idea but we talked them out of it.

Stupid. It's a recep. Deal with it.
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Would you be able to give me a rough idea on pricing I have to put an estimate together for tonight and my supply house is closed. The higher the better so I don't get screwed. Thanks

I am not sure the angle mold by task lighting is TR. Do you need TR plugmold or not.
 

Mike Lang

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
I am not sure the angle mold by task lighting is TR. Do you need TR plugmold or not.


No I don't need TR. I'm in New Jersey we actually haven't adopted the 2008 code yet or if we did in the past few weeks I still have a grace period. I just need a rough idea and I actually don't really want the job so I'm going to price it high. The builder stiffed my old boss but doesn't remember me... I certainly know his games though.
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
No I don't need TR. I'm in New Jersey we actually haven't adopted the 2008 code yet or if we did in the past few weeks I still have a grace period. I just need a rough idea and I actually don't really want the job so I'm going to price it high. The builder stiffed my old boss but doesn't remember me... I certainly know his games though.

I would put in $100 for a 6' piece. I can't remember the cost for the wiremold non TR but I think around $50.00 but I think that was an aluminum color not white.
 

360Youth

Senior Member
Location
Newport, NC
Would you be able to give me a rough idea on pricing I have to put an estimate together for tonight and my supply house is closed.

Not enough. :wink: They are a royal pain for me. More agrrivating than they are worth, IMO, but they can look good when they are done.

The higher the better so I don't get screwed. Thanks

There ya go. :smile:

I just finished a mojor house project and I intend to post some pics and the UC recepts are one of them. I will try and get them up soon if it matters to you.
 

fww56

Member
Location
Pgh, Pa.
I do this on most of my kitchen jobs. A very easy upsell on the mid to upper level kitchen remodels. I bid by pricing the job with all of the required counter receptacles as a base line and then price the plugmold as an add on extra at $18/ft over your base price. Currently my cost for Plugmold is $6/ft.

You have to remember that you save a lot of time and material on the rough by not having to set boxes, just leave a tail at each cabinet run. Set a surface mount (wiremold) single gang box to the bottom of the upper cabinet for a GFCI recpt and feed the plugmold from the load side. Use a single gang wiremold box with a blank cover to turn the corners.

Include an air switch for the disposal and move the light switches under the cabinets and you have another nice upsell.

Add a high end undercabinet lighting system such as Seagull Ambiance at $45/ft plus transformers and you can usually add 2k or better to the price of a typical kitchen job for less than a day's labor.

You may have to put your salesman's hat to get it but well worth it.

FRANK
 

360Youth

Senior Member
Location
Newport, NC
Here are a few pics of under cabinet strip receptacles we just finished. I show them for two reasons. To offer input on sugegested install and to get some opinions on which way some of you go when you install.

IMAG0209.jpg


This is the usual that probably most install. I did the install a little different in that I used anchors and brass screws to hold a complete recept assembly in place as opposed to mounting the back bracket and then wiring and snapping the face plate in. It goes much easier than having to contort yourself between counter and cabinet. It turned out to a better idea than I thought because from the photos below you can see the tile guy grouted them in. :roll:

IMAG0210-1.jpg


IMAG0220.jpg


I show these next ones because it is the first time I installed shallow boxes and raceway as a method. I was forced to go this route because of the mirrored wall and did not want to mount on top of the mirror for fear of cracking and did not like the thought of what it might look like if the mirror was installed around the standard strip. In the end, I kind of prefer the latter method.

IMAG0213-1.jpg


IMAG0216.jpg


There was no mirror here, but after installing at the mirrored location I stuck with the same at a nearby desk.

IMAG0211-1.jpg


IMAG0212-1.jpg


Always a dangerous question to ask, but is there a prefered method, and has anyone else installed the boxes and raceway rather the strips?
 
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