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Outlet and switch height in Québec
Outlet, switch, thermostat: the heights Québec’s Construction Code puts a number on, the buildings they cover, and what’s decided on site.
In short
The heights with a number in Québec’s Construction Code cover specific cases; elsewhere in a house, the location is decided with the electrician.
- In an accessible dwelling, switches, thermostats and outlets go 400 to 1,200 mm above the floor, at least 300 mm from a corner.
- That rule covers residential buildings of more than 2 storeys and more than 8 units, not the single-family house or the duplex.
- An electric stove outlet goes no higher than 130 mm above the finished floor.
- At the counter, no point along the wall may be more than 900 mm from an outlet.
- In the panel, the highest handle is at 1.7 m at most.
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What the Code sets: accessible dwellings
Since the 2018 regulation, the Construction Code (Chapter I, Building) sets the height of controls in accessible dwellings:
“Controls for building services or safety devices, including switches, thermostats, door hardware, electrical outlets and intercom buttons […] shall: a) be installed 400 to 1,200 mm above the floor; and b) be located at least 300 mm from the inside corner of a wall.” (translated from French)
Construction Code of Québec, s. 3.8.4.4 and 3.8.5.4 (Gazette officielle, July 18, 2018)
Which buildings
These requirements apply to residential buildings of more than 2 storeys and more than 8 units, built or enlarged, since September 1, 2020.
They don’t apply to the alteration of existing spaces, or to units that no barrier-free path serves, such as a floor without an elevator.
In a house or a duplex
The single-family house, the semi-detached and the duplex aren’t covered: the government instead invites municipalities to regulate these small buildings.
For an ordinary outlet or switch in a house, we didn’t find, in the texts we read, a height with a number that applies everywhere. The location is decided with your electrician, based on the furniture, the counters and how the room is used.
Kitchen and panel heights
| What you install | What the Code puts a number on |
|---|---|
| Electric stove outlet | 130 mm at most above the finished floor, to the centre of the outlet. |
| Kitchen counter outlets | No point along the wall more than 900 mm from an outlet; none behind or in front of the sink. |
| Electrical panel | Highest handle 1.7 m at most above the floor, 1 m clear in front. |
The details are in our guides on kitchen counter outlets and electrical panel rules in Québec.
A city’s advice, not a requirement
The City of Gatineau publishes an advice sheet for multi-family housing: at most 1,070 mm for outlets and switches above a counter, at most 1,200 mm for a thermostat or a breaker, and at least 460 mm for a wall outlet.
These are accessibility recommendations, not Code requirements for a house.
Renovating a room?
We place the outlets and switches with you, following the Code and how the room is used. The price is in the written quote, free of charge.
Send my quote requestFrequently asked questions
How high should an outlet be in Québec?
In an accessible dwelling in a building of more than 2 storeys and more than 8 units: 400 to 1,200 mm above the floor. In a house, we didn’t find a height with a number that applies everywhere; the stove outlet, for its part, goes no higher than 130 mm.
And a light switch?
Same rule in an accessible dwelling: 400 to 1,200 mm, at least 300 mm from a corner. In a house, the location is decided with the electrician.
How high should a thermostat be?
The Code lists it among the controls of accessible dwellings: 400 to 1,200 mm. Gatineau’s advice sheet recommends 1,200 mm at most.
Do these rules apply to my house?
No: they cover buildings of more than 2 storeys and more than 8 units. The single-family house, the semi-detached and the duplex aren’t covered.
What about the height of the electrical panel?
The highest handle must be 1.7 m at most above the finished floor. See our electrical panel rules.
Outlets in the right place
We place them with you, following the Code and your room, and the price is in the written quote, free of charge.
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Sources
Consulted on November 5, 2026.
- Gazette officielle du Québec, July 18, 2018, regulation amending the Construction Code (accessibility) (in French)
- Government of Québec, Muni-Express no. 1, January 15, 2021 (in French)
- City of Gatineau, advice sheet 14, controls and outlets (in French)
- CMEQ, quality control guide (RBQ), electricity (in French)