Lighting – What size junction box do I need for a wall mount with a 3.5 inch base

junction-boxlighting

I have some wall sconces that have a 3.5 inch round base; will a 3.5 inch round junction box work or do I need one that is smaller, like 3-inches? Do they even make those?

Best Answer

Generally, assume you want a 4" octagon box, which is 3.5" on the flats and 4" in the cornerish dimension. If it just fits inside a 4" square box, that's the one.

They also make a 3.5" octagon box, which is 3" across the flats and 3.5" cornerish. That is generally too small, and this size is largely deprecated.

You can get a plate to adapt 4" boxes to those looking for 3.5" boxes, but not the other way 'round.