Common Electrical Code Requirements by Room

Electrical codes are in place to protect you, the homeowner. These general guidelines will give you the basics of what electrical inspectors are looking for when they review both remodeling projects and new installations. Most local codes are based on the National Electrical Code (NEC), a document that lays out required practices for all aspects of residential and commercial electrical installation. The NEC is revised every three years—2014, 2017 and so forth—and occasionally there are important changes to the Code. So make sure that your sources of information are based on the most recent Code. The code requirements listed here are based on the 2017 NEC. Most local codes follow the National Electrical Code (NEC), but there can be variances. The local code always takes precedence over the NEC when there are differences, so be sure to check with your local building department for the specific code requirements for your situation. Much of the NEC involves requirements for general electrical installation that apply to all situations, but there are also specific requirements for individual rooms.

Bathrooms

1. Vent fans with built-in heaters must be on their own dedicated 20-amp circuits.
   
2. All receptacles in bathrooms must have ground-fault circuit-interrupter (GFCI) protection.
   
3. A bathroom requires at least one 120-volt receptacle within 3 feet of the outside edge of each sink basin. Duel sinks can be served by a single receptacle positioned between them.
   
4. Light fixtures in the shower or bath area must be rated for damp locations unless they are subject to shower spray, in which case they must be rated for wet locations.

Kitchen

1. Kitchens must have at least two 20-amp 120-volt "small appliance" circuits serving the receptacles in the countertop areas. These are for portable plug-in appliances.
   
2. An electric range/oven requires its own dedicated 120/240-volt circuit.
   
3. The dishwasher and garbage disposal both require their own dedicated 120-volt circuits. These can be 15-amp or 20-amp circuits, depending on the electrical load of the appliance (check the manufacturer's recommendations; usually 15-amps is sufficient). The dishwasher circuit requires GFCI protection, but the garbage disposal circuit does not—unless the manufacturer stipulates it.
   
4. The refrigerator and microwave each require their own dedicated 120-volt circuits. The amperage rating should be appropriate to the electrical load of the appliance; these should be 20-amp circuits.
   
5. All countertop receptacles and any receptacle within 6 feet of a sink must be GFCI-protected. The countertop receptacles should be spaced no more than 4 feet apart.
   
6. Kitchen lighting must be supplied by a separate 15-amp (minimum) circuit.
   

Living Room, Dining Room, and Bedrooms

1. These rooms require that a wall switch is placed beside the entry door of the room so that you can light the room upon entering it.
   
2. This switch can control either a ceiling light, a wall light, or a receptacle for plugging in a lamp. The ceiling fixture must be controlled by a wall switch rather than a pull chain.
   
3. Wall receptacles may be placed no farther than 12 feet apart on any wall surface. Any wall section wider than 2 feet must have a receptacle.
   
4. Dining rooms usually require a separate 20-amp circuit for one outlet used for a microwave, entertainment center, or window air conditioner.

Stairways

1. Three-way switches are required at the top and bottom of each flight of stairs so that lights can be turned on and off from both ends.
   
2. If the stairs turn at a landing, you may need to add additional lighting fixtures to make sure all areas are illuminated.

Hallways

1. A hallway over 10 feet long is required to have an outlet for general purpose use.
   
2. Three-way switches are required at each end of the hallway, allowing the ceiling light to be turned on and off from both ends.
   
3. If there are more doors served by a hallway, such as for a bedroom or two, you may want to add a four-way switch near the door outside of each room.

Closets

1. Fixtures with incandescent light bulbs (which get very hot) must be enclosed with a globe or other cover and cannot be installed within 12 inches of any clothes storage areas (or 6 inches for recessed fixtures).
   
2. Fixtures with LED bulbs must be at least 12 inches from storage areas (or 6 inches for recessed).
   
3. Fixtures with CFL (compact fluorescent) bulbs may be within 6 inches of storage areas.
   
4. All surface-mounted (not recessed) fixtures must be on the ceiling or the wall above the door.

Laundry Room

1. A laundry room needs at least one 20-amp circuit for receptacles serving laundry equipment; this circuit can supply a clothes washer or a gas dryer.
   
2. An electric dryer needs its own 30-amp, 240-volt circuit wired with four conductors (older circuits often have three conductors).
   
3. All receptacles must be GFCI-protected.

Garage

1. Inside the garage, there should be at least one switch controlling lighting. It is recommended that three-way switches be installed for convenience between the doors.
   
2. Garages must have at least one receptacle, including one for each car space.
   
3. All garage receptacles must be GFCI-protected.

Additional Requirements

1. A standard circuit breaker can be replaced with a special AFCI circuit breaker. This is a job for a licensed electrician. Doing so will create AFCI protection for the entire circuit.
   
2. A failing receptacle can be replaced with an AFCI receptacle. This will create AFCI protection to only the receptacle being replaced.
   
3. Where GFCI protection is also required (such as kitchens and bathrooms), a receptacle can be replaced with a dual AFCI/GFCI receptacle.