Nobody thinks about outlet placement until they’re already moving furniture and the nearest socket is six feet from where the couch needs to go. Home offices, EV chargers, smart speakers, and USB-C everything have quietly doubled the power demand in the average American home since 2015. Getting the wiring right is cheaper before drywall goes up than after. Way cheaper. The 1990s Layout Was Built for a Different House Count the outlets in a living room built before 2000. Four, maybe five. Now count what actually needs power: TV, soundbar, gaming console, router, two lamps, laptop, phone. That’s eight before anyone pulls out a space heater. The National Electrical Code runs on a three-year update cycle. The 2023 edition extended arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) protection to all finished living areas — not just bedrooms, which was the old rule. Most jurisdictions adopt NEC updates within a year or two. A…
