Light fixtures over tubs and showers
Pendants, chandeliers, track lighting, cord-hung fixtures and fans with light kits may not be within 3 ft horizontally and 8 ft vertically of a tub rim or shower threshold. Lights over a tub or shower below that height need a damp or wet rating.
What the code requires
The code sets a zone around every bathtub and shower: 3 ft (900 mm) horizontally and 8 ft (2.5 m) vertically from the top of the tub rim or shower threshold. The zone includes the space directly above the tub or shower.
No part of these may be in that zone: cord-connected luminaires; luminaires hung by chain, cable or cord; lighting track; pendants; and ceiling-suspended (paddle) fans with a light kit.
Luminaires located within the outside dimensions of the tub or shower, up to 8 ft above the rim or threshold, must be marked for damp locations. If they are subject to shower spray, they must be marked for wet locations.
On the job
- A chandelier or pendant over a tub, including a freestanding tub, does not comply if any part of it hangs within 8 ft above the rim.
- A ceiling fan with a light kit over the tub is not allowed in the zone.
- A recessed light in a shower needs a damp-location marking, or a wet-location marking where it is subject to shower spray. A fixture without the right marking is a correction, so its rating should be checked before it is ordered.
What changed in 2023
In 2020, 410.10(D) kept every paddle fan out of the zone. The 2023 edition limits that item to paddle fans with a light kit and adds 422.18(B), which keeps the metal parts of any paddle fan out of the same 3 ft by 8 ft zone.
Related sections
- NEC 410.10(A)
- NEC 422.18(B)
- NEC 404.4(C)
- NEC 406.9(C)
- NEC 210.8(A): GFCI protection in homes
Where this comes from
Send a photo. Get a real answer.
Text is fastest, and a photo quote is free. Call if it is urgent, if you smell something burning, or if a breaker will not reset.
CSLB #354550 · C-10 Electrical · Licensed since 1978 · $25,000 contractor's bond