What does the 6-foot receptacle spacing rule mean for wall outlets?

• A. Receptacles must be placed every 12 feet along the wall.
• B. There is no minimum spacing requirement for receptacles.
• C. No point along a wall should be more than 6 feet from a receptacle along the floor line.
• D. Receptacles must be installed at both ends of every wall.

Answer: (C)

The main idea is to keep outlets within easy reach along a wall by limiting how far any point on that wall is from a receptacle. The rule means no point along a wall should be more than 6 feet away from a receptacle, measured along the floor line (the wall base, not a diagonal through the room). In practice, you place outlets roughly every 6 feet so a plug can reach an outlet without needing extension cords. This is not saying you must place outlets at the ends of every wall, and it isn’t a mandate for a 12-foot interval; rather it’s about keeping distance from any wall point to the nearest outlet within 6 feet.