Can Junction Boxes Be Behind Drywall?
The National Electrical Code (NEC) dictates that no wiring splices are allowed outside of an approved enclosure. One type of approved enclosure is a junction box. Junction box covers must remain accessible; they cannot be covered with drywall or other surface material.

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Regarding this, can a junction box be in a wall?

A junction box, also known as a splice or switch box, is an electrical enclosure inside your home that contains wiring. Electrical wires run behind the walls and through the ceiling of your home, meeting at junction boxes. It is a safety hazard to completely bury a junction box in a wall.

One may also ask, why can't you cover a junction box? Why You Need a Junction Box The National Electrical Code (NEC) dictates that no wiring splices are allowed outside of an approved enclosure. Junction box covers must remain accessible; they cannot be covered with drywall or other surface material.

Correspondingly, do all light fixtures need a junction box?

Not all light fixtures require junction boxes because some have their own. When installing one of these fixtures, it's okay to feed the wire straight into the terminal box, make connections and screw the box closed. When feeding a cable into a fixture box, it's important to secure it with the clamp in the box.

Can you use a junction box to extend wiring?

If you do need to extend the wires, yes, a junction box would be needed. It must remain accessible. You've pretty well identified your two choices; if you don't want to re-run longer cables, you'll need to splice in some additional cable.

Related Question Answers

Can you leave live wires in a wall?

You can simply use tape over the live wire to fit into the cap. However, it is important to terminate the wire in a junction box and avoid burying the wire in the wall. The tape may come off when temperatures change and potentially become dangerous.

Should electrical boxes be flush with drywall?

The front edge of the box must be flush with the finished wall surface, usually 1/2-inch-thick drywall. Some boxes have depth gauges. You can use a scrap of drywall to position the box.
Marcus Vance

Marcus Vance

Cybersecurity & Digital Privacy Researcher

Marcus Vance is a cybersecurity auditor and technology writer dedicated to educating the public about online safety, data privacy regulations, enterprise security, and emerging cyber threats.