How to Install a Recessed Electrical Outlet Behind a Wall-Mounted TV?

A code-compliant setup uses a listed recessed outlet or an in-wall power relocation kit — never a standard TV cord tucked inside the wall.

The wall behind a mounted TV hides two jobs at once: moving the outlet to where the plug actually lands, and doing it without burying a flexible cord in a concealed space. Whether you can install a recessed electrical outlet behind a wall-mounted TV yourself comes down to one thing — is there already a grounded outlet or an accessible circuit near the mount? When a grounded outlet sits close, a listed in-wall kit handles the whole job in under an hour. When one doesn’t, you’re running branch-circuit wiring to a new box, and that turns it into a permit-and-electrician job in most places.

Why Can’t You Just Run The TV Cord Through The Wall?

Because flexible cords aren’t permitted to act as permanent wiring inside a concealed space. A standard TV power cord or an extension cord hidden behind drywall is a fire hazard and a code violation, and it’s one of the first things an inspector catches.

PowerBridge’s ONE PRO instructions point at NEC Article 400.7(A)(11), the section limiting where flexible cords may be used — and inside a finished wall isn’t one of those places. Code treats a cord as a temporary connection to fixed wiring, never a substitute for it. That’s also why a recessed receptacle has to sit on proper branch-circuit wiring inside a listed box or kit, not hang off a spliced cord.

Recessed Outlet Or In-Wall Kit: Which Option Fits?

Only two approaches put power behind a TV legally: a listed in-wall power relocation kit fed from an existing grounded outlet, or a new recessed receptacle on dedicated branch-circuit wiring.

The in-wall kit is the option for finished walls. A short feed cord plugs into an existing grounded outlet or surge protector, and the TV plugs into the kit’s recessed outlet — PowerBridge calls that outlet PowerOUT, and its ONE-CK and TWO-CK kits follow the same pattern. The only cord inside the cavity is the kit’s own listed assembly, so nothing unprotected carries line voltage through the wall.

The second option is a real new receptacle: cut the opening behind the mount, run approved branch-circuit wiring to a listed recessed box, and land the TV plug in the recess. This is the tidier result when walls are open anyway, and the one that triggers permits. A cited Minnesota example requires one for a new recessed outlet; requirements vary by state and locality, and AFCI protection may be required on new dwelling circuits in some jurisdictions.

Picking between kits is where most people stall, since recess depth, cord length, and whether one opening or two fits the job all matter. Our tested behind-TV electrical outlet picks lay out the kits that fit a standard mount and the ones that tested behind-TV electrical outlet picks don’t.

How Do You Install A Recessed Outlet Behind The Mount?

Kill the breaker first, then follow the kit’s own sequence: cut, mount, wire, cover, hang. Two rules carry the job — confirm the circuit is dead before you open the wall, and never leave the plug crushed behind the display.

1. Switch off the breaker feeding the circuit, then check the wiring with a non-contact voltage tester to confirm it’s de-energized.
2. Mark and cut the wall opening with the kit’s template, positioned so it lands behind the TV mount rather than beside it.
3. Run approved branch-circuit wiring to the new receptacle, or route the kit’s listed feed cord from the recessed box down to an existing grounded outlet.
4. Seat the recessed box or kit parts in the cavity and secure them per the product instructions.
5. Plug the TV cord into the recessed outlet — the PowerOUT outlet on a PowerBridge kit — and plug the feed cord into an existing grounded outlet or surge protector.
6. Fit the cover plate, then hang the TV so the plug sits inside the recess instead of pressing against the wall.

When it’s right, the TV hangs flush, the plug disappears into the recess, and nothing bulges behind the display.

Arlington’s TV Bridge II uses the same idea with two openings — one recessed for power, a separate low-voltage one for HDMI and Cat6. Keep line voltage out of the low-voltage opening; that separation is what keeps the install legal. No grounded outlet within reach of the feed cord? You’re on the new-circuit path instead.

A grounded outlet near the mount makes this an afternoon DIY job with a listed kit. No outlet in reach means new wiring, a permit in many places, and a licensed electrician. Either way, the cord stays out of the wall.