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Home / Code Guides / Outlet Spacing

Receptacle Spacing Rules — The 6/12 Rule, Countertops & Walls

The NEC’s receptacle-placement logic is simple: no point along a wall should be far from a plug, and countertops get their own denser rules. It all lives in NEC 210.52.

RequirementModel Code StandardSection
General wall spacingNo point along the floor line more than 6 ft from a receptacle — i.e., receptacles at least every 12 ft of wallNEC 210.52(A)(1)
Short wallsAny wall space 2 ft or wider needs a receptacleNEC 210.52(A)(2)
CountertopsReceptacle for every countertop space 12 in. or wider; no point along the wall line more than 24 in. from a receptacleNEC 210.52(C)(1)
Islands & peninsulasUnder the 2023 NEC, island/peninsula receptacles became optional-but-provisioned (junction box required); under 2017/2020 rules at least one receptacle was required per islandNEC 210.52(C)(2)
Small-appliance circuitsAt least two 20-amp small-appliance branch circuits serving kitchen/dining receptaclesNEC 210.52(B), 210.11(C)(1)
BathroomsReceptacle within 3 ft of each basin edge, on a 20-amp circuitNEC 210.52(D), 210.11(C)(3)
LaundryAt least one receptacle for laundry areas on a dedicated 20-amp circuitNEC 210.52(F), 210.11(C)(2)
OutdoorsOne receptacle front and back of each dwelling, max 6-1/2 ft above grade, plus balconies/decks/porchesNEC 210.52(E)

Worth knowing

  • Doorways, fireplaces, and fixed panels break wall space; sliding-door glass counts as wall space.
  • The 6-ft measurement follows the wall line, around corners — a lamp cord should reach a plug without crossing an opening.
  • Countertop receptacles may not be installed face-up in the counter and, per recent cycles, are measured to the wall line, with limits on below-counter mounting.
  • Which edition applies is a state adoption question — island rules in particular changed materially in the 2023 NEC.
Sections cite the 2021 International Residential Code and 2023 National Electrical Code as model standards. This is BuildSpec’s own summary — not ICC or NFPA text; read the authoritative language at codes.iccsafe.org. Your state may be on a different edition with amendments — check your jurisdiction page or get an Address Report.
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