In-wall power kits, explained

The cleanest TV wall has no visible cables. HDMI is easy to hide. Power is the part with rules, and an in-wall power kit is how most homes follow them without hiring an electrician.

Why you can't just drop the cord in the wall

A TV's power cord is a flexible appliance cord. Electrical codes don't allow flexible cords or extension cords to be run inside walls, because their insulation isn't rated for it and a concealed, damaged cord is a fire risk nobody can see. Low-voltage cables are different: HDMI, optical and Ethernet may go in walls, ideally in versions rated for in-wall use.

What a power kit is

Two recessed boxes joined by a length of in-wall rated electrical cable (the same type used for house wiring):

• an upper box behind the TV with a recessed outlet for the TV's plug and an opening for low-voltage cables,
• a lower box near the floor with a power inlet.

A short cord then connects the lower inlet to your existing wall outlet or surge protector. Electrically it behaves like a code-compliant extension built into the wall. The TV's own cord never enters the cavity — it plugs into the recessed outlet behind the screen.

Why it's popular

• No new circuit and no connection to house wiring, so in most places it doesn't need an electrician.
• The lower end plugs into a surge protector, so the TV is protected.
• Recessed boxes let the TV sit close to the wall.
• HDMI and other cables pass through the same boxes.

Types

• Pre-wired kits: both boxes with the cable already attached. Fastest and most common.
• Kits you wire yourself: boxes plus a separate cable you connect with built-in terminals.
• Single recessed outlet boxes: just a recessed receptacle. These must be wired to house power by an electrician.

Where they work

• Drywall over wood or metal studs, upper and lower box in the same stud bay. Straightforward.
• Insulated exterior walls: possible, slower — see exterior walls.
• Fire blocks: a horizontal board in the bay has to be drilled or bypassed.
• Brick, block, concrete and most tile: not practical. Use a cord cover — see hiding wires on brick.
• Over a fireplace: depends on the chase. Framed chases often work; the lower box may go beside the fireplace instead of below.

A hardwired outlet instead

The other route is a real outlet behind the TV, fed from house wiring. It's the neatest long-term answer and standard in new construction. It's electrical work: use a licensed electrician.

What we install

Our in-wall option ($119) is a pre-wired kit with recessed plates behind the TV and near the floor, with your HDMI and other cables run through the same path. It's available on drywall; on other walls we fit a paintable cord cover ($39).

Common mistakes

• Power cord or extension lead pushed through a hole in the drywall.
• Brush plates top and bottom with the TV cord running between them.
• A power strip tucked inside the wall.

All three look tidy and all three are the thing the rule exists to prevent.

More on the whole job in hiding TV wires in the wall.