Electrical Box Heights

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jeff48356

Senior Member
Are these the proper heights for electrical boxes?
If someone is wiring a new house from scratch, would these be the proper heights off the floor for electrical boxes:

Outlets: 13" (to bottom of box)
Switches: 48"
Outlets/switches above kitchen and bath countertops: 42"
Electric range outlet: 5"
Whole-house fan switch: 60"
Thermostat: 54"
Vanity lights: 80" to center of round box
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
Unless there is an ADA rule involved you can pretty much use whatever heights you want, with some exceptions. i.e- for receptacle over 5.5' they do not count as the required devices for wall spacing.
 
Are these the proper heights for electrical boxes?
If someone is wiring a new house from scratch, would these be the proper heights off the floor for electrical boxes:

Outlets: 13" (to bottom of box) hammer height from sub floor
Switches: 48" usually
Outlets/switches above kitchen and bath countertops: 42" depends on the backsplash, etc.
Electric range outlet: 5" sounds ok
Whole-house fan switch: 60" sounds ok
Thermostat: 54" sounds ok, I use 60"
Vanity lights: 80" to center of round box I often leave a tail of wire in the wall and then mount a pancake box to a stud once I know what the medicine cabinet/mirror set up is going to be.

That is just generally what I do.

I don't believe there is a "proper" height for boxes....generally, we do whatever the guy that taught us said to do!!
 

stickboy1375

Senior Member
Location
Litchfield, CT
I keep my switches at 42" to the bottom, this follows through nicely in the kitchen, I find my OCD will not allow me to have different height switches in the kitchen, so that's how I roll?..
 

RLyons

Senior Member
Hammers are usually 13" long, so that's how I came up with that measurement.
We use to do hammer height until we realized every man has a different size hammer :lol: No really it turned out to be a mess resetting all the boxes since my hammer was 2" longer than the next guys. One thing that bothers me about the 48" switch height is that the box winds up with a crap load of mud because sheetrock is 48".
Do you guys really set vanity boxes? We usually coil behind sheetrock anywhere between 80" From floor to 12" from the ceiling and cut in later unless the builder makes a fuss.
Only once has a plumber run the vent smack dab right where my box needed to be.
 

stickboy1375

Senior Member
Location
Litchfield, CT
We use to do hammer height until we realized every man has a different size hammer :lol: No really it turned out to be a mess resetting all the boxes since my hammer was 2" longer than the next guys. One thing that bothers me about the 48" switch height is that the box winds up with a crap load of mud because sheetrock is 48".
Do you guys really set vanity boxes? We usually coil behind sheetrock anywhere between 80" From floor to 12" from the ceiling and cut in later unless the builder makes a fuss.
Only once has a plumber run the vent smack dab right where my box needed to be.

I rough in as many boxes as possible, try doing a 8000 sq ft. house and remembering every buried wire?.
 

mgookin

Senior Member
Location
Fort Myers, FL
I realize the OP is asking about single family. But just in case someone comes across this thread needing to know about commercial or accessible multi-family, receptacles and switches for the disabled need to be within the reach range of 15" - 48" to meet accessibility code, and that's with no obstructions present. Add obstructions and it's more restrictive.
 
mounting heights of devices

mounting heights of devices

I think the max height a recpt. was 18" high and within 18" of the the wall to count as the required recpt; and in kitchen they can't be higher than 20 or 22" from the counter...this an off the cuff statement, I didn't have CB with me. Maybe having the NEC in PDF is great idea...now that I think of it would be nice.

PJHolguin :cool:


Unless there is an ADA rule involved you can pretty much use whatever heights you want, with some exceptions. i.e- for receptacle over 5.5' they do not count as the required devices for wall spacing.
 

stickboy1375

Senior Member
Location
Litchfield, CT
I always did mine to center, but bottom is good too. Not everyone is six feet tall.

At 42" to the bottom, it puts the switches and receptacles at a perfect kitchen counter height, I cannot stand when people will use one height for switches and a different height for receptacles in a kitchen, it's totally fugly?.
 

cadpoint

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
OK, it's up to your State, in NC even residential needs to adhere to what's applies per the ADA
Via the Building Code, you mileage may vary!

18" - 48" and other!

If you'd look at ADA the approach for HC is greater than 15".
 
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cowboyjwc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
OK, it's up to your State, in NC even residential needs to adhere to what's applies per the ADA
Via the Building Code, you mileage may vary!

18" - 48" and other!

If you'd look at ADA the approach for HC is greater than 15".

Well that can't be true, because it says in the building code that single family residential is exempt from the ADA requirements.

I'm pretty sure that your residential bathrooms don't have 5' turning radius's and four foot hallways or ramps outside of each door.
 

cowboyjwc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
Oh well, I guess someone I just asked is full of it.

Well they may not be completely full of it, but they're not building the whole house to ADA standards. Besides ADA is no lower that 15" to the bottom of the receptacle box AFF and no higher than 48" to the top of the switch box AFF. 18" doesn't even come into play.
 

cad99

Member
Location
ND
I like to run the range outlet closer to the baseboard because a lot of times the stove has to sit back from the wall cause of the cord end.as close to the floor I can get it the better I think


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
:thumbsup:
Regardless of the stated applicability of ADA codes, there is nothing to prevent local building code amendments from applying parts of that code to residential either by reference or by restating the current language of ADA.

Tapatalk...
 

Hv&Lv

Senior Member
Location
-
Occupation
Engineer/Technician
At 42" to the bottom, it puts the switches and receptacles at a perfect kitchen counter height, I cannot stand when people will use one height for switches and a different height for receptacles in a kitchen, it's totally fugly?.

Not to mention it looks worse when the tile backsplash is laid and the receptacles are 1/4 inch off... It's amazing how well this shows up with a straight grout line running close to the tops of the boxes..
 
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