How to Install Electrical Outlets in a Garage

Garages often suffer from a chronic shortage of outlets, forcing homeowners to rely on hazardous daisy-chained extension cords that clutter the floor and trip breakers. Bringing power to your workspace transforms a cold, dark storage area into a functional workshop, provided you approach the task with a focus on safety and local electrical standards. Surface-mounted conduit is the preferred method for garage walls, as it avoids the headache of fishing wires behind heavy drywall or brick. When done well, your installation will look clean and professional, with every outlet securely anchored and circuits properly balanced to handle the load of power tools and shop equipment.

  1. Kill the Power First. Identify an existing wall outlet or the main electrical panel as your power source. Use a voltage tester to ensure the circuit is dead before opening any junction boxes.
  2. Mark and Secure Boxes. Measure and mark the height for your new outlet boxes, keeping them at least 18 inches off the floor to meet safety codes. Secure the metal or heavy-duty plastic utility boxes directly to the studs or masonry using appropriate fasteners.
  3. Run Clean Conduit Paths. Run EMT conduit between your boxes using matching connectors and straps. Use a conduit bender to create smooth curves rather than sharp angles for easier wire pulling.
  4. Thread Wire Through Conduit. Feed your THHN wire (black, white, and green) through the conduit from the source box to each new outlet location. Leave at least six inches of slack wire inside every box for comfortable termination.
  5. Terminate and Tape Safely. Connect the black wire to the gold screw, white to the silver screw, and green/bare to the ground screw on your GFCI-rated outlet. Wrap electrical tape around the terminals once connected to prevent accidental shorts.
  6. Confirm Full Power Protection. Close all boxes with cover plates and restore power at the breaker panel. Use a receptacle tester to verify that each outlet is wired correctly and the GFCI trip function is operational.