What To Do When a Switch Plate [Or Outlet Cover] Won't Fit

DIY projects often come with some unforeseen hiccups and surprises along the way.

My husband and I have done a number of projects that involved working around outlets and light switches and even though I know the importance of planning ahead and leaving plenty of space for the covers, even I've run into the predicament of ending up without enough space to fit the cover.

*Sigh*

Good news is, there is a solution and it's so simple!

Our outlet cover mishap was the result of a board and batten project that went under a redesign mid-project.

A more common reason a switch plate cover doesn't fit is when you've added tile to enhance a wall in your home.

Here are 2 examples - 1 was avoidable and the other was not:

In this bathroom remodel project, an inexperienced DIYer brought the height of the tile too high, leaving no room for the cover plate - probably a result of a last minute decision to add the row of tiny brown accent tiles in between the tile & the finishing trim:

In this home bar project, the bullnose edge for the tile backsplash was thick enough that the cover no longer fit:

Kyle Switch Plates makes both short switch plates & narrow switch plates that will still cover your entire electrical box opening, but fit these tricky situations. The difference is that the openings in the plates are shifted to allow extra room on 1 edge of the plate.

For the bathroom tile incident, a 2-rocker half short plate is the perfect fix. The plate is trimmed, or short, on the bottom. It can be rotated upside down to be short on the top as well.

The home bar project was also fixed with a double rocker plate, however, instead of being trimmed on the bottom, this plate is narrow on one side. Adding a half narrow double rocker plate only required the homeowner to swap out their toggle switch for a rocker switch.

An alternative to changing the switch from toggle to rocker would be to convert the left plate opening to a toggle with a toggle converter for rocker switch plates.

If you find yourself in a similar situation leave us a comment! We'd love to hear how our half short or half narrow switch plates saved your DIY project mistake!

Shop short switch plate covers.

Shop narrow cover plates.

What To Do When A Device Won't Fit In An Electrical Box

If you've ever tried to update or replace a light switch or outlet, only to find that your new device is bulkier and won't fit into your shallow electrical box, this post is for you.

The most common instance for this predicament is when you attempt to replace an old duplex outlet with a GFCI outlet. New GFCI receptacles are much thicker than duplex style outlets, as you can see in this comparison:

If your box isn't deep enough, you won't be able to fit the GFCI into the box.

You may also discover you have a shallow electrical box when adding other devices such as fan controls or programmable timer switches.

Box extenders expand your electrical box by 3/4", making it deep enough to accommodate bulkier devices. The perfect fix for any switch that is too deep to put in your wall.

These handy box extenders sit under your device. Simple place the device on top of the extender, then screw both into your electrical box at the same time using the included extra long screws.

Once it's in place, simply cover with your switch plate as you normally would.

Note, this is an external extender for the electrical box that's inside your wall - it will raise your device & switch plate off the wall 3/4" & will be visible. Choose white, ivory or brown.

Buy shallow box extenders here.

Get Your Outlet or Switch to Sit Flush with Wall

When your home is built, the outlets and switches are all installed flush with the drywall. But if you add decorative elements to your walls - a tile backsplash in a kitchen or wainscoting in your entry way - you'll find that your electrical box ends up recessed, making it difficult to put the switch plate cover back on.

There are 2 ways to fix a recessed electrical plug - with spacers or a goof ring.

Raise an Outlet with Spacers

Spacers are really easy to use. They come in a strand and can be folded over to reach your desired height (in increments of 1/8"). Simply fold the strand to the thickness you need and cut off the excess.

Buy electrical device spacers here.

Keep in mind you may need a longer screw if you raise your outlet more than 3/8 of an inch.

Raise an Outlet with a Goof Ring

If you need to lift your plug up from your electrical box, but 1/8" increments won't fix your situation, get a goof ring.

Goof rings slide into your electrical box and the tabs rest on your new surface - for instance, a black granite backsplash. Then, your receptacle can be installed over it to sit flush with your wall, tile or wainscoting.

They are also made for 2 devices here.

Whether wall tile, paneling, board & batten, beadboard, granite, corrugated metal or shiplap is creating a problem, you can easily fix it using one of these 2 safe solutions for recessed plugs and light switches.