Kitchen Outlet Height From Floor

Microwave outlets are different from other outlets in the kitchen since they often attach to a cabinet and you string the wiring through the bottom of the cabinet.

Kitchen outlet height from floor. The only nec requirement is that you must be within 6 feet of an outlet along any wall 12 between outlets a unbroken wall space of 2 feet or more including space measured around a corner requires an outlet. The distance is measured from the middle of the electrical box to the floor so if you re using a standard 4 inch box its top can be 17 or 50 inches above the finished floor. Since it is not desirable to use an extension cord on these devices most electrical codes require a higher number of electrical outlets above a kitchen counter than anywhere else in the home. There s no rule mandating the height of the new box so just match the height of the existing one.

In kitchens electrical outlets should be placed no farther than 48 inches apart so that no point on the countertop is more than 24 inches away from a receptacle. If you haven t installed the flooring yet be sure to add the thickness to the height measurement. Small kitchen appliance cords such as coffee pots toasters and mixers rarely have a power cord that is more than 24 inches long. A common height for a wall outlet is between 12 to 16 inches to the bottom of the device.

This means there should be an outlet every 4 ft. Reach from anywhere along the countertop excluding those areas where there s a sink or stovetop. Again there is no code as far as the height of the outlet from the base of the cabinet but a 2 inch height moves the installation of the outlet away from the framework of the cabinet. If you are setting box heights prior to the installation of the subfloor floor covering or any underlayment be sure to account for this expected height difference.

The standard height for wall outlet boxes is about 12 inches from the top of the floor covering to the bottom of the receptacle box or 16 inches to the top of the box. The national electrical code nec doesn t say much about the proper height of an electrical outlet above the kitchen floor or any floor for that matter.