The NEC (National Electric Code) has a lot to say about many things involving building codes, both commercial and residential, with very little to say about the location of wall outlets in a garage. That’s because a garage is not considered to be anything different than a regular room in your house.
In other words, it really doesn’t matter where your garage outlets are placed and the standard placement of 12” to 18” above the finished floor in most rooms also applies to the garage. There is not an existing height requirement for outlets in the garage. The only stipulation would be where they are preferred by the home owner.
The reason that most building contractors place the outlets between 12” and 18” above the floor is because that’s where most people are used to them. It’s been that way for decades and isn’t likely to change anytime soon.
Exceptions to the Standard
The only exception that you will find when it comes to the placement of wall outlets doesn’t really have anything to do with a garage, outside of the garage’s association with all of the other rooms.
The American Disabilities Act (ADA) directs commercial and residential contractors to place the outlets at least 15” above the floor to help people with disabilities. That would be the only time that you might find the outlets elevated more than usual.
According to the ADA, 15” is the perfect distance from the floor for those who suffer from various disabilities to access. Of course, if a disabled person is working in an office, that particular room is the only room in the building to which that rule applies.
Types of Outlets in a Garage
A garage stands out from the rest of the house because not only is it a place for you to park your car, but it can also be several different kinds of rooms. That includes game rooms, laundry spaces, work shops, and entertainment centers.
Because of that, there can be several different types of outlets in a garage.
- GFCI Outlets: GFCI outlets are outlets that are designed to withstand the elements. While it shouldn’t be raining in your garage, this space is more exposed to humidity, cold, and arid environments than any other room in the house.
- 250V 20A Outlets: These are typically found in the garages of homeowners who have converted their garages into workshops, where they will need to use high-powered power tools that would require that kind of outlet.
- 120V 15A Outlets: Conventional outlets that you would expect to find in a garage.
- 125V 20A Outlets: For large appliances that are often found in garages, which include deep freezers, extra refrigerators, washing machines, water heaters, and dryers.
Now typically, you will find the outlets for washing machines, dryers, and space heaters far more elevated than your traditional outlets are and that’s not for any kind of safety concern; it’s just for common sense purposes.
Other Garage-Use Scenarios
In the US NEC, there is a section, 210.52, that stipulates a certain number of outlets that should be installed based on distance. However, that only applies to rooms in the house that are considered to be ‘liveable’ rooms.
However, during the construction process, a garage is rarely considered to be a liveable room, unless the owner that is having the house built stipulates otherwise. What usually happens, is that future homeowners decide to convert the garage into something that most would consider to be living space.
The problem is, when you decide to convert the garage into a new living space, you may run into the fact that the contractors who built the home only installed one standard outlet there, which is relatively standard across the industry.
According to the same NEC Code listed above, a wall outlet should be installed every 6’, so long as it is in a habitable room in the house. The garage, it would seem, is not considered to be a habitable part of the house.
Converting a Garage Into a Habitable Room
Insulation and potential framing inside, converting a garage into a habitable room mean installing outlets throughout, according to NEC codes. However, if you are not an electrician, that’s an issue that should be turned over to a professional.
Whether it is done by you or by an electrician, the outlets throughout your garage should install one every six feet and, the best part is, you can have them put in at whatever height you choose for them.
You can even have some at 15” and some at 3’. The advantage to this is having an outlet available according to your interior decoration designs, in terms of what is going to go where and whether or not it will need a power source.
Even if you turn it into a habitable area, unless you have a separate laundry room, there are some other outlets that you should certainly have in there as well.
- Water heater
- Washer and dryer
- Refrigerator
- Deep freezer
- Control systems (optional)
Some of these are necessary, especially if the appliances listed above are already situated in the garage. Others are optional. If you are turning it into a living space, such as a ‘man-cave’ or a ‘she-shed’, then you will probably want a refrigerator or deep freezer in there as well.
Control systems refer to anything else that you might want to run that’s outside of the norm, such as electric fencing, sprinkler control systems, smart home control systems, and things of that nature.
Regardless of the setup that you decide to go with, your only limitations are the limited number of outlets that are likely going to be in the garage and the fact that you will probably have several appliances in there as well, depending on your home’s layout.
All Things Considered
There is no stipulation on how high or how low your wall outlets have to be in the garage, except for 15” for those who are suffering from disabilities. While that creates a problem if you are converting an existing garage, it’s also a bit liberating, despite the potential costs.
Consider sharing this post if you know someone who is in the process of building a home or even if they are considering converting their garage into a living space. It might help them make some decisions along the way!
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