Most home offices are spare bedrooms, and bedrooms were never wired with a desk full of equipment in mind. Code limits how far apart wall outlets can be, not how many things you plug in, so a room can meet code and still leave you running an extension cord across the floor.
Start by counting. A typical desk setup includes a computer or laptop dock, one or two monitors, a desk lamp, a phone charger, speakers or a webcam hub, and often a printer. Add the modem and router if they live in the office. That is easily eight to ten plugs before anyone brings in a space heater, and many rooms offer a single duplex outlet within reach of the desk.
What we recommend for a working office
- Four receptacles at the desk wall, mounted just above desk height so plugs stay reachable
- One outlet with built-in USB-C charging for phones and tablets
- A separate outlet across the room for a printer, a reading lamp or a second work spot
- A dedicated 20-amp circuit if you run a space heater, a large printer or a powerful desktop
The dedicated circuit matters more than people expect. In many older homes one breaker feeds two or three bedrooms, so your office shares power with whatever is running next door. A space heater alone can use most of a standard 15-amp circuit, and it should plug straight into a wall outlet, never into a power strip.
Power strips plugged into other power strips are a sign the room needs more outlets, not more strips. Adding receptacles is usually a short job when the wiring can be fished through an existing wall. Our outlet replacement and repair service can add or relocate them where you work, and our electrical wiring team can run a new circuit from the panel when the existing one is already carrying enough.
If your office runs on extension cords, call Northgate Electric at (720) 555-0142 and we will plan outlets around the way you actually work.
