Apartment wiring devices · Practical guides
Kitchen, bathroom and balcony outlets: dedicated circuits, waterproofing and built-in appliances
Living-room and bedroom outlets usually use simple symbols. Kitchens, bathrooms and balconies combine dedicated circuits, waterproof outlets and connections for built-in appliances, sometimes shown only on joinery details. These mixed requirements make them common sources of takeoff errors.
Kitchen: dedicated circuits and built-in appliances
Kitchens contain dedicated outlets for ranges or induction hobs, dishwashers, ovens, refrigerators and kimchi refrigerators, as well as ordinary outlets. The legend may identify these by appliance name, with a purpose label or circuit number beside the symbol.
- Electric range: These outlets often use dedicated circuits rated 20A or more. Keep them separate from ordinary 15A outlets.
- Built-in appliances: These outlets are installed below the sink or inside upper cabinets and overlap furniture lines on floor plans. They may also be shown separately on kitchen joinery details or enlarged views, so check for Duplicate enlarged-view countsPay attention to and count based on the floor plan.
- Water purifier or below-table outlet: Floor outlets use floor boxes and may have different symbols.
Retain any stated outlet purpose in the remarks. Even grounded double-socket outlets can have different part numbers and prices when intended for dedicated circuits.
Bathroom: waterproof and bidet outlets
Bathroom outlets are usually waterproof/weatherproof or fitted with protective covers. Outlets beside the basin and dedicated bidet outlets may have different heights and circuits, so record their locations in the remarks.
Bathroom extract fans and heaters are often hardwired rather than plugged into an outlet. Even if their symbols resemble outlets, exclude them from outlet rows when the legend classifies them as hardwired equipment or a dedicated equipment box.
Different plate and cover structures have different part numbers. A schedule combining them as ‘grounded double socket’ must be separated again when ordering. See Classifying outlet types.
Balcony or utility room: washer, dryer and boiler outlets
Balconies or utility rooms contain outlets for washing machines, dryers and boilers. The washer and dryer may share one double-socket outlet, or each may have a dedicated single socket. Follow the socket-count notation in the legend and do not combine devices by assumption.
Boiler outlets sit high on the boiler-room or balcony wall, unlike ordinary outlets. Extended balconies may add ordinary outlets like those in living rooms or bedrooms, so check extension status for each dwelling-unit type. Read this together with the Dwelling-unit type schedule.
Checklist before finishing one dwelling unit
- Are dedicated outlets for the range, dishwasher, oven and refrigerator listed separately?
- Have built-in appliance outlets been counted on both the plan and the joinery detail?
- Are all bathroom outlets classified as waterproof where required? Have hardwired devices been excluded from outlet counts?
- Do the washer, dryer and boiler outlets have the socket counts shown in the legend?
- Have additional outlets in units with extended balconies been included by type?
These five checks can address many discrepancies of two to four devices per dwelling unit.
Sources and scope
This article provides general guidance on reviewing apartment wiring-device quantities. For project decisions, the relevant drawing legend, revision information, specifications and contract scope take precedence. See our Editorial review and correction policy.
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