How to install an electrical box in drywall

Follow these expert tips to install an electrical box into drywall or plaster without the need for wall studs or joists.

Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 13 years. Installing electrical boxes is one of the first stages in electrical rough-in work. Electrical box installation is regarded as easy work—more like carpentry than electrical wiring. But there are still some common errors that do-it-yourselfers frequently make. Follow these easy tips to make sure your electrical box installation looks professional and meets code requirements.

How to install an electrical box in drywall

Adding an electrical box to your existing wall for a switch or outlet is easy when you have the right materials and know a few tricks. And you don't have to remove any drywall. The walls can stay in place. The key is to purchase an electrical box called a remodel box or an old-work box rather than a new-work or new-construction box. Many of these old-work boxes from home centers and other big home improvement stores do not come with paper templates. Either you make your template, transfer measurements to the wall with a ruler, or use the box itself as a template. Because these boxes taper from smaller to larger, you cannot use the back sides as templates. Fortunately, you can use the face as a template, since the face is flat. Tape the box to the wall with painter's tape, face-first. Apply tape to the top and bottom. It's not necessary to tape the sides. If you have an assistant, there's no need to tape the box. Just have the assistant hold the box firmly against the wall as you draw the outline. Because of the uneven outlines of most old-work electrical boxes, it's not easy to simply draw four pencil lines around them. You'll need to draw lines where you can find them and then fill in the missing parts.

And you don't have to remove any drywall.

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Follow these expert tips to install an electrical box into drywall or plaster without the need for wall studs or joists. Not all fixtures need to be attached to a wall stud or joist. Installing these handy boxes only takes about 15 minutes and they give you the freedom to decorate your space exactly how you want. Try your hand at this small electrical project using our step-by-step instructions below. Before you get started, plan the job carefully, as running cable through walls covered with drywall or plaster can be difficult.

How to install an electrical box in drywall

Adding an electrical box to your existing wall for a switch or outlet is easy when you have the right materials and know a few tricks. And you don't have to remove any drywall. The walls can stay in place.

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Use limited data to select content. With the horizontal lines marked, draw two straight vertical lines down the sides of the old-work box. Trending Videos. Either you make your template, transfer measurements to the wall with a ruler, or use the box itself as a template. You may accept or manage your choices by clicking below, including your right to object where legitimate interest is used, or at any time in the privacy policy page. Use profiles to select personalised content. But this distance can range from 43 to 53 inches, depending on your preference. While a perfect cut-out is ideal, it's always better to have a hole that is too small than too large. Use limited data to select content. What about between the studs?

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Use profiles to select personalised advertising. These choices will be signaled to our partners and will not affect browsing data. Old-work boxes attach directly to the drywall, not to the studs. Develop and improve services. Caitlin Sole is the senior home editor at BHG. This type of box has wings that extend outward when you start to drive the screw, then grasp the back of the drywall as the screw is tightened. It is standard practice for wall switches to be installed about 48 inches above the floor. Measure content performance. Project Overview. Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board. When you install an electrical box, make sure it is flush with the surface of this drywall strip; this will ensure the boxes are at the proper depth when the walls are finished. Fortunately, you can use the face as a template, since the face is flat. Instead, just use the saw as a kind of sanding tool to slough off gypsum to widen the hole. Develop and improve services. If you strike too hard, you risk pushing the box backward along the face of the stud.