Can I add a switch or outlet to this electrical box?
Electrical boxes have strict volume limits based on the wires and devices packed inside them. Without knowing this capacity, it is impossible to tell if adding a new switch or extra outlet will stay up to code.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1swapping out to a 4 or 5 inch box with a single gang 1/2 inch raised cover
- 2Leaving the box alone with its cover secured
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
r/askanelectrician2 people · September 2026
Where this came up
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