How to Relocate a Light in a Bathroom

Turn off the circuit breaker that supplies electricity to the bathroom light.

Remove the light fixture from its current location. Unfasten the globe or shade, which is usually accomplished by loosening several thumb screws with your fingers. Remove the light bulb and unscrew the base from the electrical box in the ceiling using a Phillips screwdriver. Untwist the wire nut connections and lower the fixture out of the way.

Knock out the punch out in the side of the old electrical box that is facing the new location. This will give you an inlet into the box so you can connect the new wiring to the old.

Find a ceiling rafter in the new location to which you can attach an electrical box. Follow the directions on the stud finder you are using to find the closet rafter to the new location. Mark the location with a pencil. Trace the outline of the electrical box on the ceiling to provide a cutting guide.

Cut out a hole in the ceiling next to the rafter using a punch saw.

Feed an electrical snake through the new hole and over to the old location. Wrap the end of the Romex wire onto the end of the snake after you have it through the hole you punched in the side of the old electrical box. Pull the snake and the wire to the new location.

Cut off the end of the Romex at the old box and strip 2 inches of insulation off the end of each wire using wire strippers. Twist a wire nut on the black or red wire and the black or red wire from the old wiring. Do the same with the white wires and, if there is a ground wire, twist the ground from the old wiring together with the bare wire in the Romex.

Feed the other end of the Romex through the knockout in the side of the electrical box in the new location and secure the box to the rafter with a hammer and nails.

Strip the insulation off the ends of the wires as you did on the other end and reinstall the light in the new location.