Unsure where to install new power points in your home? Discover our guide on the best locations for adding power outlets and switches, helping you make informed decisions for your electrical needs.
No. You cannot install power points just anywhere in your home. While you can have a qualified electrician add more power points to your home, your electrician must know where to put them away from safety hazards and stay compliant with the wiring rules.
Where each power point is allowed to sit is governed by the AS/NZS 3000 Wiring Rules [1]. These rules are in place because other utilities like water, heat and hidden cable run on the same walls.
In other words, installing a power point with complete neglect of existing utility lines and wiring rules means you’re exposing your household and yourself to potentially dangerous safety risks should a fault, fraying or damage occur along these lines.
There are roughly 5 factors you need to consider when considering a new power point installation:
When properly planned out and laid out, those five things rule out a surprising number of the locations at home that most people in Sydney would pick first.
In this post, we’ll walk through each of those in turn, so you get an educated and well-informed plan on where to put your new power points and communicate it properly with your licensed electrician.
If you also want to know how many points each room needs, our power point calculator is a good place to start. If you’re adding points as part of a wider update, our rundown of home electrical upgrades worth doing covers where extra power points sit in terms of impact, significance, and priority.
Several exclusion zones are written in the rules due to the presence of standing water and moisture. The Wiring Rules set measurements from the nearest water source where you can locate power points.
The more water flows out of each source, the further your closest power point must be. In a bathroom, bath and shower enclosures should be totally off limits. That means water heater outlets must sit outside those zones entirely.
Nothing goes inside the shower or the bath. Nothing goes in the band of space immediately surrounding them either. Once you’re clear of that, a point becomes possible, and the practical clearances look like this.
|
Where you want it |
Roughly what applies |
Allowed? |
|---|---|---|
|
Inside the bath or shower enclosure |
Zone 0 |
No, never |
|
The space directly above and around the enclosure |
Zone 1 |
No |
|
Measured out from the water outlet |
Zone 2, 400mm |
No, must sit outside it |
|
Beside a basin, measured from the top edge |
150mm minimum |
Yes, once clear |
Depending on how much water volume flows, you will need to space your power points further from high-flow outlets and tubs.
Power points and electrical wiring located too close to gas ovens and cooktops will heat up and melt, and we don’t need to tell what will happen next.
When wiring for kitchen appliances, power points must sit well clear of burners and away from the heat propagation zone instead of inside them. In case of older kitchens, always consider future renovations when laying out power points, as what currently looks fine may be in the way of a future gas cooktop once you decide to upgrade.
All these don’t mean it’s already illegal when placed in kitchens and laundry rooms. There are a lot of compliant locations to choose from. We’re only focusing on where not to put them down to specific measurements rather than eyeballing the placement.
At Bright Force Electrical, our licensed electricians are fully aware of the Wiring Rules and can recommend perfectly compliant power point locations where you can still conveniently use your appliances and match the intended interior design.
Al Frescos, gardens and garage walls are where we get the most calls about a point that’s stopped working, and the cause is usually the same one.
A standard indoor power point put on an outside wall will fail. Not immediately, but reliably, because it was never sealed against water or dust getting into the back of it. Your outdoor points need a rated weatherproof enclosure, and the rating is the number to check.
|
Where it goes |
Minimum ingress protection |
What that buys you |
|---|---|---|
|
Covered alfresco or verandah |
IP53 |
Protection from dust and falling spray |
|
Exposed wall, garden, anywhere hosed down |
IP66 |
Sealed against heavy rain and direct jets |
How far your power points are installed from the ground also matters. Mount an outdoor point too low, and it becomes exposed to the splash zone or pooling water every time it rains. Place it too close to lawnmower height, and you might end up hitting the power point on your next lawn care.
Pools and spas should also be considered when planning outdoor power points. If you want to add power points near a pool, a licensed electrician should ensure the distance remains compliant with the Wiring Rules to avoid getting water into your power points.
Aside from water and moisture, structural stability and physical limits also determine whether it’s safe and compliant to install a power point in specific locations.
If you’re not sure how your circuits are actually split up, an electrical safety inspection answers that in an hour and usually settles whether the board can take what you’re planning.
We install power points behind televisions, entertainment units, kitchen appliances and home office workstations fairly often, and getting the position right in those spots is mostly about knowing where the existing wiring runs before anything gets cut. If you’re planning a bigger change, electrical renovations are where that sits.
DIY projects like power point installations are strictly prohibited in NSW, and it’s entirely for compliance, safety, and property value purposes.
In NSW, any electrical wiring work must be done by a licensed electrician [2]. Consumer safety sits under the Gas and Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act 2017 [3], and the licensing requirement itself comes from the Home Building Act 1989.
NSW Fair Trading doesn’t leave much room for doubt here: you can be fined $22,000 as an individual or $110,000 as a company for doing unlicensed electrical work [4]. Installing, altering, repairing or adding to an installation all count, whatever the job cost.
Moreover, a DIY power point project that isn’t done by a certified electrician is a clear breach of standards and may void your property insurance. In the event you experience an electrical fire due to non-compliant electrical work, an insurer may decline your insurance claims.
That said, all electrical work must be compliant and tested after the installation. Multiple test points, including earth continuity, polarity and safety switch trip times, are checked, and the electrician must issue a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work covering the job.
Yes, and it’s a common request for appliance cabinets and coffee stations. It has to stay accessible, it has to be clear of water pipes, and the cupboard has to let heat escape rather than trapping it around the plug.
For a standard basin or tap, at least 150mm across from the edge, or outside the designated exclusion zone measured from the water outlet. Larger tubs push that out considerably further.
Yes. Under the Wiring Rules, new and altered circuits need residual current device protection, so a new point has to be covered by a safety switch at the board. On an older board, that sometimes means adding protection before the point can go in.
With the right hardware, yes. Floor-mounted power points must be flush-mounted and contained in an IP-rated floor box that can withstand foot traffic and wet surfaces in case of some water spillage and mopping.
Having a power point nearby right when you need it transforms a home’s convenience. But where these placements should be must remain compliant to the Wiring Rules to ensure you don’t compromise safety, functionality, and long-term reliability for short-term convenience.
These rules exist and are detailed down to actual measurements, and testing or commissioning after each power point installation or upgrade is mandatory.
If you’re looking to have new power points installed in newly renovated rooms or other areas, call Bright Force Electrical on 1300 724 942 or book a licensed Sydney electrician for an upfront fixed-price quote.
Our technicians are in-house and licensed; there’s no call-out fee during business hours, and every job comes with a CCEW and our lifetime workmanship warranty. If you’re still costing the job up, what it costs to hire an electrician in Sydney sets out the usual ranges.
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