Install an Outlet Behind a Nightstand

Nightstands sit in an electrical dead zone. You wake up at 3 AM to plug in your phone and realize the nearest outlet is across the room or blocked by furniture. Installing a dedicated outlet behind your nightstand solves this permanently and adds real value to the bedroom. This project assumes you have an existing outlet on the same wall or an adjacent wall within ten feet. You will tap into that circuit, run new cable through the wall, and install a new receptacle at nightstand height. The work happens mostly inside the wall cavity, which means minimal patching and a clean result. Done right, it looks like the outlet was always there.

1. Kill power and verify the circuit. Turn off the breaker for the existing outlet you will tap into. Verify power is off with a non-contact voltage tester at both the outlet and the proposed new location. Plug a phone charger into the existing outlet to confirm it does not work. Leave the breaker off for the entire project.
2. Mark and cut the new outlet box location. Measure 18 inches from the floor to the center of your new outlet, aligned behind where the nightstand will sit. Use a stud finder to confirm the space is clear between studs. Trace the old-work box template on the wall and cut the opening with a drywall saw. Cut carefully to avoid tearing the paper face.
3. Drill access holes for cable routing. From the existing outlet, determine the path to the new box location. If running horizontally along the same wall, drill a half-inch hole through the stud closest to each box at mid-height between them. If running vertically, drill down through the top plate or up through the bottom plate. Keep holes centered in the stud to avoid weakening it.
4. Fish cable from old box to new box. Remove the existing outlet from its box but leave wires connected as reference. Feed 14/2 or 12/2 Romex from the new box location toward the existing box, using a fish tape if needed. Pull through six inches of extra cable at each end. Secure the cable to the old-work box with a built-in clamp or external connector.
5. Wire the new outlet. Strip the cable sheath back one inch inside the new box. Strip half an inch of insulation from each wire. Connect black wire to the brass screw, white wire to the silver screw, and bare ground to the green screw on the new outlet. Push the outlet into the old-work box and secure with screws. Install the cover plate.
6. Extend the existing outlet circuit. At the existing outlet box, connect the new cable alongside the existing wires using wire nuts — all blacks together, all whites together, all grounds together. If the box is crowded, you may need a larger wire nut. Fold wires neatly into the box, reattach the outlet, and reinstall the cover plate.
7. Test the new outlet under load. Restore power at the breaker. Test both the existing outlet and the new outlet with a plug-in outlet tester to verify correct wiring. Plug a lamp into the new outlet and turn it on. Plug a phone charger into the old outlet simultaneously to confirm both work without tripping the breaker.
8. Patch and finish the wall. If you cut any access holes for routing, patch them with drywall scraps, joint compound, and mesh tape. Sand smooth after drying and touch up with matching paint. Caulk around the new outlet box if there are any gaps between the box flange and drywall.