5. Residential
In homes the NEC drives the receptacle count (the 6 ft / 12 ft rule) and requires switched lighting in nearly every room; lighting placement itself is design.
Space | Power | Switching | Lighting |
Living rooms and bedrooms | No point on a wall's floor line more than 6 ft from a receptacle; 12–18 in to center | Switch at each entry; 3-way for two entries | Downlights 4–6 ft apart; sconces or switched receptacles for lamps |
Kitchens | Counter receptacles so no point is more than 24 in from one; at least two 20 A circuits; GFCI; no more than 20 in above the counter | Separate switches for ceiling, under-cabinet and pendants | Downlights over counter fronts; under-cabinet strips; island pendants 30–36 in above the counter |
Bathrooms | Receptacle within 3 ft of each basin, 20 A, GFCI; none within 3 ft of the tub or shower edge up to 8 ft | No switches in the tub or shower space | Sconces 60–66 in to center each side of the mirror; damp or wet listed fixtures in the shower zone; no pendants or fans there |
Hallways and stairs | Receptacle in halls 10 ft or longer | 3-way at each end of halls; switch at each level for stairs with six or more risers | Fixture about every 8–10 ft; light each landing |
Garages | GFCI; one per vehicle bay, no higher than 5½ ft; EV circuit | Switch at each door | Surface LED fixtures over parking spaces and benches |
Outdoors | Front and back receptacles no higher than 6½ ft above grade; GFCI, WR, in-use covers | Switch inside each entry; photocell or timer | Entry lanterns about 66 in to center; path lights 6–8 ft apart |
Closets | None required | Switch outside the door or a jamb switch | Enclosed LED or fluorescent fixtures with NEC 410.16 clearances |
Other residential requirements:
- Laundry: at least one receptacle on a 20 A circuit, GFCI protected.
- Foyers over 60 sq ft: a receptacle on each wall 3 ft or wider.
- Basements and accessory buildings: at least one receptacle in each unfinished area, GFCI protected; switched lighting at the point of entry where used for storage or containing equipment.
- HVAC equipment: a receptacle within 25 ft of the equipment.
- Dining rooms: chandelier or pendant bottom 30–36 in above the table; any wall space 2 ft or wider counts toward the receptacle rule.
- 2026 NEC changes: switched receptacles no longer count toward required receptacles; built-in desks may need receptacles; receptacles below kitchen counters must be at least 24 in below the surface.
6. Commercial and retail
Retail power and lighting follow the merchandising plan; codes add show-window, sign and GFCI rules, while energy codes put lighting on schedules rather than public switches.
Space | Power | Switching | Lighting |
Sales floor | Floor boxes or column receptacles where displays move; perimeter at 12–18 in | Lighting control panel on a store schedule; staff override keypad only | Ambient grid spaced about equal to mounting height; track accents at about 30° |
Show windows | One receptacle per 12 linear ft, within 18 in of the top of the window | Scheduled with display lighting | Track or adjustable downlights aimed at displays |
Entrances | One 20 A sign outlet at each pedestrian entrance | Signage on a time clock | Canopy downlights; exit signs above doors |
Cash wraps | Dedicated circuits; isolated-ground where specified | Pendants or downlights over the counter | |
Back of house | Cleaning receptacles about every 50 ft | Occupancy sensors or switches at each entry | Strips over aisles between shelving |
Restaurants | GFCI throughout kitchens and serving areas; matched NEMA receptacles for equipment | Scene keypads in the dining room | Pendants 30–36 in above tables; kitchen fixtures listed for the location |
Rooftops and exterior | Receptacle within 25 ft of HVAC equipment; GFCI, WR | Photocell, time clock and contactor | Pole spacing 4–5 times pole height; full-cutoff optics |
7. Office
Offices are laid out from the furniture plan: power and task light go where people sit, sensors and schedules run the general lighting, and energy codes require part of the receptacles to switch off automatically.
Space | Power | Switching | Lighting |
Open office | Furniture feeds, power poles or floor boxes; one or two circuits per 4–6 workstations | Zone keypads at entries; ceiling occupancy and daylight sensors | Troffers on an 8–10 ft grid or pendants at least 8 ft above the floor; 30–50 fc on desks |
Private offices | One duplex per wall, two at the desk wall; part on automatic control | Vacancy sensor with dimmer at the door, top no higher than 48 in | One or two fixtures over the work zone, not behind monitors |
Conference rooms (up to 1,000 sq ft) | Wall receptacles by the 6 ft / 12 ft count, placed anywhere; one floor receptacle per 215 sq ft in rooms at least 12 ft wide | Multi-scene keypad at the door, second at the presenter end | Pendant over the table 30–36 in above it; separate presentation-wall zone |
Break and copy rooms | GFCI within 6 ft of sinks; dedicated appliance and copier circuits | Occupancy or vacancy sensor | Troffers plus under-cabinet strips |
Corridors and lobbies | Cleaning receptacles about every 50 ft | Scheduled; key switch or keypad override at reception | Fixtures every 8–10 ft; pendants above 80 in clear headroom |
IT and electrical rooms | Dedicated and locking receptacles for racks | Switch at the entry | Strips over rack aisles |
8. School
Schools add tamper-resistant receptacles throughout, emergency shutoffs in labs and shops, and controls students cannot switch off.
Space | Power | Switching | Lighting |
Classrooms | TR receptacles every 6–10 ft on perimeter walls; quads and AV power at the teaching wall; charging-cart circuits | Vacancy sensor with multi-button keypad at the door; second keypad at the teaching wall | Pendant rows 8–10 ft apart, parallel to the teaching wall; whiteboard row 2–4 ft from the board |
Science labs | GFCI within 6 ft of sinks; bench circuits through a teacher-reachable shutoff | Lighting keypad at the door; emergency power-off at the teacher station | Fixtures over benches, not over fume hoods; wet-listed near sinks |
CTE and shop rooms | 120 V and 208/240 V machine receptacles with emergency stops | Emergency stops at the teacher station and exits | High output over machines; guarded fixtures |
Gyms | TR; recessed or guarded receptacles; floor boxes for events | Key switch or keypad in a staff alcove | High-bays with wire guards at 1–1.5 times mounting height |
Auditoriums | TR; stage and AV power | House-light keypads at entries; theatrical console | House downlights on dimmers; aisle and step lights |
Corridors | TR; cleaning receptacles about every 50 ft | Scheduled; key switch overrides near the office | Vandal-resistant fixtures every 8–12 ft |
Restrooms | GFCI; TR | Ceiling occupancy sensors only | Vandal-resistant fixtures; light the mirror from the front |
9. Code quick reference
The hard limits that apply across all four building types.
Device | Limit | Reference |
Controls and receptacles in accessible spaces | Operable part 15–48 in above the floor; 44 in over counters deeper than 20 in | ADA 308 |
Switches | Handle grip no higher than 6 ft 7 in; none in tub or shower spaces; neutral at most switch locations | NEC 404.8, 404.4(C), 404.2(C) |
Switches over 300 V apart in one box | Barriers between devices | NEC 404.8(B) |
Receptacles near tubs and showers | None within 3 ft horizontally of the edge, up to 8 ft above the rim | NEC 406.9(C) |
Receptacles near sinks and in wet areas | GFCI within 6 ft of sinks, tubs and showers, and in kitchens, baths, outdoors and garages | NEC 210.8 |
Countertop receptacles | No face-up receptacles unless listed; island side receptacles do not count toward the countertop requirement | NEC 406.5, 210.52(C) |
Tamper-resistant receptacles | Required in dwellings, schools, childcare, hotels and similar; not above 5½ ft | NEC 406.12 |
Fixtures in the tub and shower zone | No pendants, track, cord-connected fixtures or fans within 3 ft horizontally and 8 ft vertically; others listed damp or wet | NEC 410.10(D) |
Closet fixtures | No open-lamp incandescent or pendants; 12 in clearance (surface) or 6 in (recessed) from storage space | NEC 410.16 |
Recessed fixtures in insulation | IC-rated, or 3 in from insulation and ½ in from combustibles | NEC 410.116 |
Headroom and protruding fixtures | 80 in clear over walkways; wall fixtures between 27 and 80 in project no more than 4 in | ADA 307 |
Egress lighting | 1 fc minimum on normal power; on emergency power, 1 fc average and 0.1 fc minimum | IBC 1008, NFPA 101 |
Sources
- NEC requirements for receptacles, EC&M
- NEC requirements for switches, EC&M
- 2023 NEC GFCI requirements for non-dwelling locations, ExpertCE
- New electrical code change for kitchen islands, NAHB
- Receptacle outlet requirements for meeting rooms, IAEI Magazine
- Luminaires and clothes closet clearances (NEC Article 410), Open Exam Prep
- Guide to the ADA Standards: operable parts, US Access Board
- Guide to the ADA Standards: protruding objects, CORADA
- Illuminating the means of egress, Consulting-Specifying Engineer
Typical heights, spacing and layout practice are from general industry and IES practice; confirm with the adopted codes and project-specific calculations.