The outlet on the side of your kitchen island is going away
For years the standard move was a receptacle on the side of the island. Under the code Texas adopted in September 2026, that spot is off the table. Here is what replaced it.
If your kitchen has an island, there is a good chance it has an outlet on the side of the cabinet, just under the countertop. For a long time that was simply how islands were done. Jimmy has wired plenty of them that way.
That is changing. If you are planning a kitchen remodel in Texas, it is worth knowing before the cabinets are ordered.
What changed
Texas adopted the 2026 edition of the National Electrical Code as the state electrical code on September 1, 2026. Two rounds of changes have now landed on islands and peninsulas.
The previous edition already stopped counting an outlet below the countertop as the one that serves the island. The 2026 edition goes further: receptacles are not allowed in the zone within 24 inches below the countertop at all, with an exception for one installed inside a drawer.
In plain terms, the classic outlet on the side of the island, a few inches under the counter edge, is no longer an option on new work.
Cities and counties adopt code editions and local amendments on their own schedules, so check current requirements with your local permitting office. The permit and inspection on your job settle what applies.
Why the rule exists
The concern is the cord. Plug a countertop appliance into an outlet below the edge and the cord drapes over the side of the island, right at hip height in the busiest walkway in the house.
Jimmy's way of explaining it to customers: somebody has a slow cooker going, someone walks past, catches the cord, and pulls a pot of hot food off the counter onto themselves. Keeping receptacles out of the reach of a typical appliance cord hanging over the edge is the whole point of the change.
What you can do instead
You still have options. If you want power at the island, it can go:
- On or above the countertop, within 20 inches of the surface, such as a raised backsplash or a small tower on the island.
- In the countertop, using an assembly listed for that use. This is the pop-up most people picture. An ordinary outlet set face-up in the counter does not qualify.
- Inside a drawer below the countertop, which the 2026 edition specifically allows.
- Or leave the island without an outlet. The code still expects provisions for adding one later, so plan the wiring path even if you skip the receptacle.
Pop-ups are not for everyone
Not everybody likes them. Some homeowners do not want hardware in an otherwise clean slab of stone. That is a fair preference. It just means the conversation moves to a backsplash, a drawer, or no outlet at all, rather than back to the side of the cabinet.
Decide before the cabinets are ordered
Every one of these options affects the cabinetry or the countertop fabrication. A pop-up needs a cutout in the stone. A drawer receptacle needs a drawer box built for it. A raised backsplash changes the island design.
So the time to settle it is at the layout stage, with your electrician and your cabinet or countertop people talking to each other, not after the stone is cut. If you are planning a kitchen and want to talk through where power should go, we wrote about the bigger electrical picture of a remodel here, or give us a call.