Electrical Faceplate Types and Dimensions

Electrical faceplates, also called wall plates or cover plates, come in an infinite array of combinations, sizes, and shapes. However, there are some standard sizes for basic faceplates. First, we will discuss the openings in the face plates.

Accommodated Devices

There is a wide array of devices that can be accommodated by an electrical faceplate including: outlets, switches, motion sensors, telephone jacks, data jacks, dimmers, etc. Some of the more common devices are shown below.

Electrical Outlets Openings: 1-11/32" W x 1-1/8" H		Toggle or Switch Opening: 13/32" W x 15/16" H
Decorative or Rocker Opening: 1-1/4" W x 2-1/2" H		Telephone or Data Opening: Varies

Gangs

Gangs refer to the number of vertical groups of openings that are accommodated. The devices can change between gangs. For instance, in a 4 gang electrical box, one could have any combination of devices (1 toggle switch and 3 duplex outlets; or 2 toggle switches and 2 duplex outlets; or 1 toggle switch, 2 duplex outlets, and 1 tele/data; etc).

Electrical faceplates come in 1-gang up to 10-gang. Shown below are 1-gang through 4-gang

1-Gang Shown: Single Duplex		2-Gang Shown: Double Duplex
3-Gang Shown: Triple Toggle		4-Gang Shown: Quadruple Duplex

Standard Size Electrical Faceplates

All standard size faceplates are 4-1/2" in height. Widths are listed below. Please note that these sizes are standard; however, your faceplates may not match.

2004 CSI Masterspec Division

Medium-Voltage Electrical Distribution: 26 10 00
Low-Voltage Electrical Distribution: 26 20 00