Electrical plan maker
A free electrical plan maker for house electrical plans and electrical floor plans: a floor plan as the background, set to scale, with receptacles, switches, lights and a legend placed over it. US (NEC) practice only.
What an electrical plan is
An electrical plan is a floor plan of a building marked with the location of every receptacle, switch, light and piece of electrical equipment, with lines showing which switches control which lights. It is also called an electrical floor plan, an electrical layout plan or, for a dwelling, a house electrical plan.
The plan is drawn over the architectural floor plan so that each device sits in the room and on the wall where it will be installed. Builders use it to price and rough in the work, owners use it to agree on outlet and switch positions before walls are closed, and many building departments ask for one with a residential permit application.
What an electrical plan shows
- Receptacles: duplex receptacles along the walls, GFCI receptacles at counters, bathrooms, the garage and outdoors, and special-purpose receptacles for ranges, dryers and other appliances.
- Switches: single-pole switches at room entrances and pairs of three-way switches at the ends of halls and stairs.
- Lighting: ceiling and wall lighting outlets, recessed lights and fans, each tied to its switch by a dashed switch leg.
- Circuits: circuit numbers beside devices, or home-run arrows pointing to the panelboard, so devices on the same branch circuit can be traced.
- Panel location: the panelboard and, where separate, the service disconnect and meter.
- Dedicated circuits: appliances and equipment on circuits of their own, such as the refrigerator, dishwasher, range, water heater, HVAC equipment and an EV charger.
Smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm locations are often marked on the same sheet. Their placement is set by the residential building code and fire alarm standards rather than the NEC, so the templates show them as placeholders.
How to make an electrical plan
- Import the floor plan. Insert a PNG, JPEG or SVG of the floor plan, select it and choose Use as background from its More menu. The image locks, moves behind everything and fades so symbols stay readable; its opacity can be set from 20 to 100%.
- Set the scale. Choose Set scale in the top bar's More menu, tap both ends of a known length such as an exterior wall, and enter its real length in feet and inches. Dimension lines and measurements then read in feet and inches.
- Place the symbols. Add receptacles, GFCI receptacles, switches, lights, smoke alarm placeholders and the panelboard from the symbol library, room by room.
- Draw the switching. Connect each switch to the lights it controls with a dashed connector; label three-way pairs.
- Add the legend. The Legend item lists every electrical symbol used on the plan by name and updates as symbols are added or removed.
- Export. Save the plan as PDF, PNG or SVG for the permit set or the crew, and as JSON to keep an editable copy.
The house electrical plan template starts from a sample one-story house drawn with wall shapes. Deleting the walls and room names and inserting a real floor plan as the background turns it into a plan of an actual building.
Room-by-room requirements
The summaries below follow the 2023 National Electrical Code for dwelling units. Each is given with its section number; wording, exceptions and section numbers change between editions, and local amendments apply, so every item is checked against the edition the jurisdiction has adopted.
Kitchen
- At least two 20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits serve the kitchen receptacles: 210.11(C)(1), with the countertop receptacles supplied by no fewer than two of them, 210.52(B)(3).
- Countertop and work-surface wall spaces 12 in or wider have receptacles placed so no point along the wall line is more than 24 in from one: 210.52(C)(1).
- Receptacles along the other walls follow the general spacing rule, so no point on the floor line of a wall space is more than 6 ft from a receptacle: 210.52(A)(1).
- Kitchen receptacles need GFCI protection: 210.8(A). Kitchen branch circuits need AFCI protection: 210.12.
- At least one wall-switch-controlled lighting outlet: 210.70(A)(1).
Bathroom
- At least one 120-volt, 20-ampere branch circuit supplies the bathroom receptacle outlets: 210.11(C)(3).
- At least one receptacle outlet within 3 ft of the outside edge of each basin: 210.52(D).
- Bathroom receptacles need GFCI protection: 210.8(A).
- At least one wall-switch-controlled lighting outlet; a switched receptacle does not take its place here: 210.70(A)(1).
- Overcurrent devices, such as a panelboard, are not located in bathrooms: 240.24(E).
Garage
- At least one 120-volt, 20-ampere branch circuit supplies the receptacle outlets in an attached garage, or a detached garage with power: 210.11(C)(4).
- At least one receptacle outlet is installed in the garage: 210.52(G)(1).
- Garage receptacles need GFCI protection: 210.8(A).
- At least one wall-switch-controlled lighting outlet in an attached garage or a detached garage with power: 210.70(A)(2).
- A panelboard in the garage keeps its working space clear in front of it: 110.26.
Bedroom
- Receptacles along the walls so no point on the floor line of a wall space is more than 6 ft from a receptacle: 210.52(A)(1).
- Bedroom branch circuits need AFCI protection: 210.12.
- At least one wall-switch-controlled lighting outlet, or, outside kitchens and bathrooms, a switched receptacle in its place: 210.70(A)(1).
- Overcurrent devices are not placed in clothes closets: 240.24(D).
Outdoor
- One- and two-family dwellings have at least one receptacle outlet at the front and one at the back, readily accessible from grade and not more than 6½ ft above it: 210.52(E)(1).
- Outdoor receptacles need GFCI protection: 210.8(A).
- Receptacles in wet locations are weather-resistant and have an enclosure that stays weatherproof with a plug inserted: 406.9(B)(1).
- A wall-switch-controlled lighting outlet at outdoor entrances and exits with grade-level access: 210.70(A)(2).
Electrical plan vs wiring diagram vs single-line diagram
| Electrical plan | Wiring diagram | Single-line diagram | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drawn on | The floor plan, to scale | No floor plan; devices in circuit order | No floor plan; equipment in power-flow order |
| Answers | Where each device goes | How devices on a circuit are connected | How power reaches each panelboard and major load |
| Shows | Receptacles, switches, lights, switch legs, panel location | Conductors, travelers, switched legs, splices | Service, meter, disconnects, feeders, transformers, ratings |
| Used by | Owner, builder, plan reviewer | Installer, troubleshooter | Designer, utility, inspector |
A house permit set may include all three: the electrical plan for device locations, a single-line diagram of the service and feeders, and a panel schedule. The electrical diagram maker covers wiring and single-line diagrams.
Limitations
An electrical plan from the workspace is a drawing for planning and communication. The workspace does not check spacing, circuit counts, GFCI or AFCI locations against the code, and the requirement summaries on this page are a guide rather than the code text. Permit drawings follow the local building department's requirements, which may specify sheet sizes, title blocks, symbols or a designer's stamp.
A plan is not a load calculation. The service size and the number of circuits come from a calculation of the dwelling's lighting, appliance and heating and cooling loads; see the residential load calculation guide. Plans are stored in the browser on the device where they were drawn; a JSON export keeps an editable copy.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an electrical plan and a floor plan?
A floor plan shows walls, doors, windows and room sizes. An electrical plan is the same floor plan with the receptacles, switches, lights, switch legs and electrical equipment added, usually with a legend that explains each symbol.
Can a floor plan image be used as the background?
Yes. A PNG, JPEG or SVG of the floor plan is inserted, then Use as background locks it behind every other item with adjustable opacity. Set scale then calibrates it from one known length so dimension lines read in feet and inches.
Is an electrical plan required for a residential permit?
Many building departments ask for one with new construction, additions and major remodels, while small repairs often need none. The local building department sets what drawings a permit application must include and how they are drawn.
How is a garage shown on a house electrical plan?
With its 20-ampere receptacle circuit, the GFCI receptacles, the switched lighting outlet and, where it is installed there, the panelboard with its working space. The house electrical plan template includes a garage drawn this way.
Does the electrical plan maker work on a phone?
Yes. On a phone the editor keeps one bottom bar, menus open as bottom sheets, and the scale is set by tapping two points. Detailed plans are easier to draw on a larger screen, and plans do not sync between devices.