How to Install an Electrical Outlet Box on a Ceiling Stud

Go to your attic. Poke a hole through the drywall with a drywall saw next to the ceiling stud in which the electrical box will be attached. If you don't have an attic above the ceiling, you need to work from below. Run a stud finder along the ceiling to locate the surrounding ceiling studs.

Hold the electrical box on the ceiling in the location that it'll be mounted permanently. Trace around the electrical box with a pencil, and set the box aside. Cut the electrical box's tracing with a drywall saw. Peel the drywall off the stud so the electrical box's mounting tab can sit over it.

Hold a screwdriver against the knockout hole you want the electrical cable to enter. Hit the screwdriver with a hammer to force out the knockout. Place a cable connector into the hole.

Insert the electrical box into the hole you cut in the ceiling. Position the box so it faces down with the mounting tab flush against the ceiling stud's bottom edge.

Hold a level against the electrical box. Adjust the mounting tab by bending it up or down until the box sits plumb in the opening. Drive 1 1/2-inch wood screws through the mounting tab's screw holes and into the ceiling joist.

Patch the exposed portion of the ceiling stud with drywall mud using a 4-inch putty knife. If the exposed area is larger than 2 inches or extends past the ceiling stud, cut a small piece of drywall with a utility knife and secure it to the ceiling stud with a drywall screw. Then, apply drywall mud over it.

Sand the drywall mud with a sanding sponge once it has dried. Apply a second coat if necessary. Typically, the mounted fixture hides any imperfections that are located next to the electrical box.