Choosing Switch Plates for Dimmers by Type

You may have updated one of your light switches to a dimmer switch.

Or, you may already have a dimmer switch, but you need to replace the cover plate.

Either way, finding the right switch plate for a dimmer can be tricky. Use this guide to get the right plate for your switches.

Guide to Dimmer Light Switch Covers:

First, determine which type of dimmer you have:

Here are 4 types of dimmers, and each is shown here.

Identify Which Plate Opening You Need:

Once you have identified your dimmer's shape, you'll see which type of switch plate opening fits your dimmer:

Both toggle and rotary dimmers fit toggle switch plates.

All rocker shaped dimmers fit rocker cover plates.

Push button dimmers fit into push button covers.

Find the Right Combination Switch Plate:

Often times, a dimmer (or series of dimmers) sits alongside other types of light switches.

If that's the case, you will need to find a combination switch plate (a plate with more than 1 type of switch opening).

Converting a Switch Plate for a Dimmer

Here is an example of a 4-rocker plate that has 1 light switch, 2 rocker dimmers and 1 rotary dimmer:

You can see that the rotary dimmer opening is incorrect. In this case, a new combination switch plate can be purchased (in this case, a 1-toggle 3-rocker plate).

To keep the current plate, another solution is to convert the rocker opening with an insert. The rotary dimmer stem will fit through the small round hole in the center of this insert for a rocker plate opening.

Inserts sit underneath a switchplate to convert the opening. This is often the cheapest solution to fixing a tricky switch plate situation.