How to Add Electrical Outlets in a Finished Wall of a Basement

Measure the height of other outlets in the basement. Press the stud finder on the wall and depress the find button. Move the stud finder left or right to determine the stud locations. The remodel electrical box does not fasten to a stud and the location selected should not have a stud behind it.

Trace the outline of the remodel electrical box on the wall at the height of other outlets in the new outlet location. Do not include the two tabs at the top and bottom of the box in the outline. Push the jab saw through the drywall on the outline and cut out the opening.

Drill a hole down into the center of the wall framing at the top of the wall directly over the new outlet opening. Tie the string to the sinker and lower the sinker through the hole until it reaches the opening. Pull the string out through the opening and remove the sinker.

Cut 4 inches of sheathing from the cable with the cable stripper. Bend the wires into a loop and tie the string to the loop. The loop must fit through the 1-inch hole at the top of the wall. Pull the sheathed cable up through the wall and out through the hole. Route the cable to another outlet or junction box and allow an extra 12 inches of length.

Cut the cable off outside the opening in the wall with the cable stripper. Cut 8 inches of sheathing from the end of the cable and insert the wires into the back of the remodel box until 1/2 inch of insulation is inside the box. Insert the remodel box into the wall opening and turn the two screws to tighten the clamps that hold the box in place.

Remove 3/4 inch of insulation from the wire ends with the stripper. Insert the wire ends one at a time into the bending hole on the cable stripper. Bend each wire end into a half loop. Place the bare ground wire on the green terminal, the white wire on the silver terminal and the black wire on the gold terminal. Tighten the terminals.

Turn off the circuit breaker to the circuit you are connecting to. Strip the sheathing from the cable and the insulation from the wires. Insert the wires into the junction box or the outlet box. Remove the wire nuts from the black and white wires in the junction box.

Twist the black wire in the cable together with the black wire in the junction box. Do the same with the white wire and the ground wire. Screw the wire nuts on the wires' connections.

Bend the wires into half loops to place them on the second set of outlet terminals on the existing outlet. Place the black wire on the gold terminal, the white wire on the silver terminal and the bare wire on the green terminal.Tighten the terminals.