Covering a Single Switch in a Wide Box [2 Simple Solutions]

Sometimes a 2-gang electrical box (a box that's made to hold 2 switches or outlets) ends up with a single device.

Ripping out the double masonry box to replace it with a single handy box will result in a bigger hole in the wall and the need to replaster around it.

Save yourself the headache and cover your double wide box with 1 of 2 switch plates, which we'll show you below.

Problem:

Double wide electrical box with only a single device (could be a switch, outlet or data plug):

Solution 1:

If you don't mind things being a little off-balance, you can easily cover this switch with a double cover plate that has a switch cutout on the left and no cutout on the right:

The benefit of this simple solution is that a single rocker single blank cover is available in a variety of finishes, so you can easily match the plate to the color scheme of your walls, trim or decor.

Solution 2:

If having the switch off to one side bugs you, here's another solution.

You can get this centered switch cover which screws into your device to hold it in the middle. Simply remove the device from it's position in the electrical box, and attach it to the cover using the screws provided with the plate.

The plate then screws into the 4 tabs in the electrical box (the 2 not being used on the right and the 2 that previously held the switch to the left).

This plate is only available in white, so we recommend this solution if you have white molding and trim and want to keep the look fresh, like in a kitchen or powder room.

Buy Covers for Single Switches in Double Boxes:

Use the links below to order covers for toggle and rocker switches or duplex outlets that are mounted solo in a double size box.

These plates work with 2-gang masonry boxes that have 4 slots for screws, like these here:

(For covering other styles of boxes, see our Centered Device Tutorial here).

For Rocker Switches / GFCI Outlets:

1-cutout-1-blank covers for rockers
centered cutout covers for rockers

For Toggle Switches:

1-toggle-opening-1-blank cover
centered toggle covers for wider boxes

For Duplex Outlets:

1-outlet-1-blank cover plate
centered duplex outlet covers